Michelle Thorn, 48, a managing editor from Cambridgeshire, has revealed how a simple 10-minute daily routine of meditation and journaling helped her lose six stone after years of failed dieting attempts. Previously weighing 16 stone and wearing a size 22, Thorn says the practices transformed her mental health and relationship with food.
From Survival Mode to Awakening
Thorn had struggled with her weight for years, describing a lifestyle that included cheese on toast, fizzy drinks, and up to four takeaways a week. However, everything changed after she was signed off work for three months in 2024 following a breakdown triggered by the death of her father, Malcolm. Inspired by watching her father use meditation to cope with pain in his final days, she turned to the practice herself.
"Meditation changed everything," Thorn said. "It helped calm my mind and reset my nervous system. Once my mind was calm and peaceful, my body began feeling lighter and craved less junk. I wanted to eat better, and I wanted to be healthier."
Daily Practice and Journaling
Thorn began meditating for just five to ten minutes a day and kept a daily journal with prompts such as 'what have you done today to be kind to yourself' and 'what has made you smile today'. Over time, the practice helped her move out of what she describes as 'survival mode'.
"I started with five or 10 minutes a day of meditation," she said. "Gradually, my mind became quieter. I started seeing the beauty in everything again - the birds singing, the flowers, people smiling. It felt like I'd had an awakening."
Mental Health as the Turning Point
Thorn believes addressing her mental health was the turning point after years of failed dieting attempts. She had tried to lose weight for years, but the weight loss only happened once she sorted her mental health out. Fifteen years ago, she used to be a size eight, but her ADHD caused her to dopamine snack, quickly leading to a size 22.
"Meditation changed everything. It helped calm my mind and reset my nervous system. I could not have lost the weight without meditation," she added.
Weight Gain Triggers
Her weight gain began in 2013 after her daughter's father left, and worsened as she took on caring responsibilities for her father, who had dementia and later died from vasculitis of the kidneys. "I'd been living in survival mode for years," Thorn said. "Everything just caught up with me. My body stopped functioning and my brain just shut down."
Her health deteriorated to the point where she feared she had dementia, which she believes was linked to early menopause and ADHD. "I was driving to houses I'd lived in years before because I'd forgotten where I lived," she said.
Natural Dietary Changes
As her mental health improved, Thorn found that her eating habits naturally changed. She swapped regular takeaways for home-cooked meals and began focusing on protein and healthier options. "I still have my treats, but now it is a 75-calorie ice lolly instead of a big bar of chocolate," she said.
She also used the lowest dose of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro for two months in April 2025, which helped her lose two stone, before continuing her weight loss through lifestyle changes.
Life Transformation Beyond Weight
Now weighing 9 stone and wearing a size 10, Thorn says the transformation has gone far beyond her physical appearance. She has come off antidepressants for the first time in 13 years, her work and finances have improved, and her daughter has returned to school and is preparing for GCSEs.
"I can't explain it," Thorn said. "Everything I manifested, a better job, a nice home, my daughter back in school, I got."
