Michelle Thorn, a 48-year-old managing editor from Cambridgeshire, has lost six stone after years of struggling with diets, attributing her success to a daily 10-minute meditation routine. Formerly a size 22 weighing 16 stone, she now wears a size 10 and weighs 9 stone.
Breakdown prompted change
Thorn's weight gain began in 2013 after her daughter's father left, and worsened as she cared for her father, Malcolm, who had dementia and later died from vasculitis of the kidneys. In 2024, she was signed off work for three months following a breakdown after her father's death. She said: 'I'd been living in survival mode for years. Everything just caught up with me. My body stopped functioning and my brain just shut down.'
During her father's final days in hospital, Thorn observed him using meditation to cope with intense pain. After his death and her own breakdown, she began meditating for five to ten minutes daily in July 2023, along with journaling and manifesting.
Meditation reset her mind
Thorn said: 'Meditation changed everything. 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.' She noted that her ADHD had previously led to dopamine snacking, causing her weight to increase rapidly from a size eight to a size 22 over 15 years.
Through daily journaling, Thorn answered prompts such as 'what have you done today to be kind to yourself' and 'what has made you smile today'. She described feeling an 'awakening' as her mind became quieter and she noticed beauty in everyday things.
Diet and lifestyle changes
As her mental health improved, Thorn's relationship with food shifted. Previously ordering up to four takeaways a week, she began cooking at home, focusing on protein and healthier meals. She still allows treats, swapping a big bar of chocolate for a 75-calorie ice lolly.
Thorn also used the lowest dose (2.5 mg) of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro for two months in April 2025, which helped her lose two stone. She continued losing weight through diet and lifestyle changes after stopping the medication.
Broader transformation
The weight loss has brought wider benefits. Thorn has come off antidepressants for the first time in 13 years, her work is thriving, her finances have improved, and her daughter has returned to school to prepare for GCSEs. She said: 'I can't explain it. Everything I manifested, a better job, a nice home, my daughter back in school I got.'
