Cut the Clutter - Lose the Fat?
In his book, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?: An Easy Plan for Losing Weight and Living More(great title, right?) Peter Walsh explores the correlation between physical clutter in your home or office and physical clutter on your body (excess weight).
I think he has something there. Of course, anyone that's ever talked to me knows that I believe Peter Walsh is a genius, but let's explore his concept further......
Let's say if your home is cluttered and disorganized and you have no idea how to fix it and you are an emotional eater, you may be substituting food for working on de-cluttering and organizing your home. Often, food is used to push down the feelings that we have or to make us feel full or whole. You may come home from a long day at work, enter your home and it's an absolute wreck. How do you feel about that? Sad, ill at ease, unable to relax and unwind? You may reach for that bag of Oreo's to improve your feelings. Of course, your home will still be in the same condition after the Oreo's are consumed.
In extreme circumstances, a kitchen may be totally unusable because of the clutter. In other words you may not be able to use your kitchen counters to prepare a meal or the stove top leaving you no other choice but to pick up fast food on the way home which is a sure fire way to gain weight and be unhealthy.
So if you are in this boat and it's sinking fast, here is what I suggest for you do:
1. Think about what you want out of your home and out of your life. Is your home equipped to give you what you want? If not, it's time to change.
2. De-Clutter. You'll need boxes marked Move (for items that don't belong in the room you are currently de-cluttering), Donate, Recycle, Trash.
3. Start with one room at a time and completely finish it before moving on to the next room. If your kitchen is a wreck and not supporting you and what you want from your life, I would start there.
4. Make a decision about every item that you pick up. It will fit into one of the boxes in #2. The items that you keep, you will need to group together in "like" categories. For example, if you are de-cluttering your kitchen, you will want to keep all baking items together.
5. Once you have made a decision on every item in the room, it's time to organize the keepers. Remember to keep "like" items together when placing them into cupboards, bookshelves, pantries.
Once you have de-cluttered and organized one room, you will have the motivation to move on to another. Remember this isn't about getting rid of the stuff - it's really about a lifestyle change and about how you feel about things. It's about how you want to live your life.
Peter Walsh talks about his clients de-cluttering their homes and in turn they lose weight. With all of the weight loss plans out there now, I think Mr. Walsh's is the most sound. What do you think?
With clients that I have had the pleasure to work with, I hear the following phrases over and over again - I feel lighter, a burden has lifted, I never thought I could do this, I feel free, I feel happy. So I do see the correlation between losing the clutter and losing the burdened feelings.
When you can walk into your kitchen and prepare a healthy meal and really enjoy it - that is the ultimate in clutter free, healthy living. And you can do it. Anything is possible and you can change your life - it does not have to be like it is now forever.
If you would like to discuss how I can get you de-cluttered, organized and healthy please call me at 219-575-3821 or email me at wendy@putclutterinitsplace.com.
I think he has something there. Of course, anyone that's ever talked to me knows that I believe Peter Walsh is a genius, but let's explore his concept further......
Let's say if your home is cluttered and disorganized and you have no idea how to fix it and you are an emotional eater, you may be substituting food for working on de-cluttering and organizing your home. Often, food is used to push down the feelings that we have or to make us feel full or whole. You may come home from a long day at work, enter your home and it's an absolute wreck. How do you feel about that? Sad, ill at ease, unable to relax and unwind? You may reach for that bag of Oreo's to improve your feelings. Of course, your home will still be in the same condition after the Oreo's are consumed.
In extreme circumstances, a kitchen may be totally unusable because of the clutter. In other words you may not be able to use your kitchen counters to prepare a meal or the stove top leaving you no other choice but to pick up fast food on the way home which is a sure fire way to gain weight and be unhealthy.
So if you are in this boat and it's sinking fast, here is what I suggest for you do:
1. Think about what you want out of your home and out of your life. Is your home equipped to give you what you want? If not, it's time to change.
2. De-Clutter. You'll need boxes marked Move (for items that don't belong in the room you are currently de-cluttering), Donate, Recycle, Trash.
3. Start with one room at a time and completely finish it before moving on to the next room. If your kitchen is a wreck and not supporting you and what you want from your life, I would start there.
4. Make a decision about every item that you pick up. It will fit into one of the boxes in #2. The items that you keep, you will need to group together in "like" categories. For example, if you are de-cluttering your kitchen, you will want to keep all baking items together.
5. Once you have made a decision on every item in the room, it's time to organize the keepers. Remember to keep "like" items together when placing them into cupboards, bookshelves, pantries.
Once you have de-cluttered and organized one room, you will have the motivation to move on to another. Remember this isn't about getting rid of the stuff - it's really about a lifestyle change and about how you feel about things. It's about how you want to live your life.
Peter Walsh talks about his clients de-cluttering their homes and in turn they lose weight. With all of the weight loss plans out there now, I think Mr. Walsh's is the most sound. What do you think?
With clients that I have had the pleasure to work with, I hear the following phrases over and over again - I feel lighter, a burden has lifted, I never thought I could do this, I feel free, I feel happy. So I do see the correlation between losing the clutter and losing the burdened feelings.
When you can walk into your kitchen and prepare a healthy meal and really enjoy it - that is the ultimate in clutter free, healthy living. And you can do it. Anything is possible and you can change your life - it does not have to be like it is now forever.
If you would like to discuss how I can get you de-cluttered, organized and healthy please call me at 219-575-3821 or email me at wendy@putclutterinitsplace.com.
Comments