92 the rice diet renewal
but returned with a new sense of readiness. The freedom expressed
in her eyes now refl ects her story, as do her following words.
My fi rst visit to the Rice Diet Program was in 1999. From the
start, I realized that for me, this was much more than a diet.
It was a spiritual journey into my soul, as well as how to lose
weight and rev up my physical exercise. The sense of com-
munity, the classes in yoga, journalizing, the doctors ’ care and
attention, and the education given were priceless. Everything
that was offered stirred in me the feeling that perhaps I could
regain control of my life and body, something I had clearly
lost in the preceding fi fteen years.
At the same time, I started attending Dr. Rosati ’ s medita-
tion class. Meditation is known to change the hormones in
the “ feel good ” part of the brain, which can go a long way
in alleviating some addictive compulsions when combined
with other factors. This understanding sang to me, and seeds
of a passion to help people and myself were planted within
me. I survived divorce, dysfunctional family life, and fi nancial
reversals. Here was always a place I could come to replenish
and heal.
This year I decided that maintenance of over two hundred
pounds had not served me well, and it was time to get the
job done and pursue my distant dream. And now came my
epiphany: for the fi rst time, I returned to the Rice House
weighing less than when I left! I attended one of Kitty ’ s
classes on all the interpersonal aspects of the Rice dieta. She
played a YouTube bite of Wintley Phipps singing a magnifi -
cent rendition of “ Amazing Grace. ” My fi rst reaction was,
“ Wow, that is one of my favorite songs, ” and then my mind
zoomed to the movie Amazing Grace and how it impacted
me — to the possibility that one person could make a differ-
ence when driven with passion and deliberation.
Later that day, I was in a store and over the sound system
I heard the song “ Amazing Grace. ” The next day, I was com-
ing back to my room after a nice walk, and just to relax a bit,