Diet, exercise, drugs… surgery? Weight control can be quite a struggle. There’s a literal Parthenon of weight-loss options out there, but most of the time they lead back to square one. By contrast, how many people have considered meditation and visualisation? These two rarely-tapped tools can clear your mind, improve your mood… and even help you lose a few pounds.

For the past ten years, obesity has defined almost every aspect of my life. Due to the extra weight I’d put on, old friends didn’t recognize me on the street anymore; new friends were always surprised to learn that I was the tall, slim woman in my photos. The change in my figure crippled my self-confidence—I wouldn’t even go shopping for clothes. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford them, but that nothing looked good on me. I would wrap myself in grey and blue every morning, because I had a funny notion that it would make me look slimmer… It didn’t, of course.

In 1993, my exceptionally petite frame held 122 lbs. Three years later, my weight had gone up to 162. Since then, I’d never been less than 170 lbs. When I had my baby in 2001, everything got worse—I tipped the scales at between 180 and 190 pounds. All of my failed weight-loss attempts wore me down. Sometimes, my husband would ask me to try again. I’d feel threatened, and sometimes I’d yell things like “Don’t pressure me!! If you think I’m too fat, it’s your problem, not mine!”

Needless to say, we were not happy.

People rarely understand the suffering obesity can cause, unless they’ve dealt with it personally. It is common to hear things like, “If it’s that painful, just try to lose some weight.” I had tried, though! An unbelievable amount… and the struggle was awful—I’d gone to the gym; I’d tried fasting; I’ve even joined Weight Watchers at one point, but I’d never been able to stick with any of these long enough to see real improvement. Being so heavy meant that most exercise was hard on my joints. Forcing myself to fast made me sick and desperately hungry all the time… so eventually I’d gorge and actually put on more weight.

On the first day of the Puti Meditation retreat (August 3rd, 2005), I started to experience “spontaneous fasting,” something that can happen to serious meditators: they lose all appetite and eat almost nothing, but experience improvements in health and energy-level. Believe it or not, I sometimes only ate half a piece of fruit or a little cauliflower and felt satisfied all day. Over the course of the twelve-day retreat, I didn’t finish a single meal, but I still felt fantastic. I didn’t feel the need to sleep much either: 4 or 5 hours a night left me completely refreshed. During those twelve days, I ate about one-tenth of what I usually would. Looking in the mirror today, I still can’t believe the change. What’s more, my skin has improved too—it’s smooth and clear.

Now that I’m less stressed—twelve days of meditation can do that—my desire for food has also diminished. That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve gained from the course: I’ve found the most effective method for controlling my weight—practicing The Meditation of Greater Illumination and The Meditation of Purity, both of which I learned during the retreat.

At the start of the course, I weighed 193 lbs. In remarkably little time, I was 172 lbs. My classmates have all congratulated me. I was so amazed. I couldn’t believe it till I’d confirmed the change on several bathroom scales. I’m so happy! Not only because I lost 21 lbs, but also because I’ve found an effective way to control my desire for food.

I realize now that when I cultivate my mind, my body will follow. These days, I eat healthier foods, and in much smaller quantities.

Master JinBodhi once said, “Eat when you are hungry; don’t when you are not. Let it be simple. All things have a natural pace.” I get it now—when the mind is calm, you appreciate simple, healthy foods the most. This is probably what people mean when you hear things like, “Enjoy each food’s natural flavor.”

Now, I’m enjoying not just my food, but my figure, my health… and my new wardrobe.