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Make the Weight-Clutter Connection
The ongoing recession is making us all rethink how much "stuff" we really need in our lives. Not sure if you're living in a junk jungle? I'll give you a hint. If you've got miles of piles everywhere and you're tripping over it, you've got too much. So, let's use this recession as a perfect time to regroup and learn to live our lives more effectively. It's time to de-clutter and get healthier. You heard me right. Your health will improve - and so will your waistline.
I'll bet lots of you live cluttered lives. And you wonder if there's a link between clutter and weight. Well, there is. The more disorganized and cluttered your life is, the more difficult it is to shed that weight. What do I mean? When you want to steam your veggies and you can't find the steamer, you get frustrated and angry and just throw in the towel and you're on the phone ordering a pizza. Or, when you're trying to find your workout clothes and they're buried in the pile at the base of your closet, I guess you're not hitting the gym that day. See the clutter-weight connection?
Everybody needs an environment to live in that is conducive to practicing healthy living habits. You can't take a walk if you can't find your sneakers, and you can't eat well if your fridge and cabinets are filled with trash. You can't pay that gym membership or for that health magazine subscription if you can't find your checkbook.
How can you feel calm and peaceful when you're walking around with angst, shame, and guilt, and also surrounded by chaos? It's enough to make anyone head for the fridge and bury their head in a carton of Jamocha Almond Fudge. Cluttered environment, cluttered belly. Make that connection, and you'll start shedding excess body and house weight, for that matter.
Just like we've ballooned physically, so have our home environments. We're not only mindlessly eating too much food, we're binging on too much stuff. In my book Fit to Live, I reveal several stories of patients and friends who get the Mouth-Mess connection; something finally clicks in their heads that shows them that if they get rid of the clutter, their lives turn around. When I was filming the National Body Challenge for Discovery TV, I visited people's homes and tripped over clutter everywhere. Garages were scary places where that bike or weight set was buried under tons of Christmas tree lights, broken appliances and deflated basketballs.
So how do we clean our personal environment? Here are 5 principles to de-clutter your world:
Now go get those sneakers you just found at the bottom of your closet, and get outside for that life giving walk you so deserve.
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I'll bet lots of you live cluttered lives. And you wonder if there's a link between clutter and weight. Well, there is. The more disorganized and cluttered your life is, the more difficult it is to shed that weight. What do I mean? When you want to steam your veggies and you can't find the steamer, you get frustrated and angry and just throw in the towel and you're on the phone ordering a pizza. Or, when you're trying to find your workout clothes and they're buried in the pile at the base of your closet, I guess you're not hitting the gym that day. See the clutter-weight connection?
Everybody needs an environment to live in that is conducive to practicing healthy living habits. You can't take a walk if you can't find your sneakers, and you can't eat well if your fridge and cabinets are filled with trash. You can't pay that gym membership or for that health magazine subscription if you can't find your checkbook.
How can you feel calm and peaceful when you're walking around with angst, shame, and guilt, and also surrounded by chaos? It's enough to make anyone head for the fridge and bury their head in a carton of Jamocha Almond Fudge. Cluttered environment, cluttered belly. Make that connection, and you'll start shedding excess body and house weight, for that matter.
Just like we've ballooned physically, so have our home environments. We're not only mindlessly eating too much food, we're binging on too much stuff. In my book Fit to Live, I reveal several stories of patients and friends who get the Mouth-Mess connection; something finally clicks in their heads that shows them that if they get rid of the clutter, their lives turn around. When I was filming the National Body Challenge for Discovery TV, I visited people's homes and tripped over clutter everywhere. Garages were scary places where that bike or weight set was buried under tons of Christmas tree lights, broken appliances and deflated basketballs.
So how do we clean our personal environment? Here are 5 principles to de-clutter your world:
- Your external environment is a reflection of your internal world
Start by going out and looking at your car. What do you see? Dust and dirt; candy wrappers and crumpled soda cans on the floor? What do your friends say when they get in and take a drive with you? It's the same with your home. - Your home should support what is most precious to you
Does your home reflect what you cherish? Organize so you can enjoy what is most important to you: family, friends, gardening, or even writing that novel... whatever gives you meaning and joy. And hey, your health is the most precious of all! Organize your gym clothes, put your sneakers near the front door ready to walk in, and fill your kitchen with delicious whole foods. - Think of Carrot Cake
When you're trimming closet fat, treat it like eating carrot cake: take small slices. If you try to do the whole house at once, you'll end up with a bigger mess. Slice it off one spot at a time: your desk, that closet, the living room, the set of kitchen cabinets. Aim for small steps, and your motivation and momentum will grow. - Use the 12-Month Rule
If you haven't used it, pitch it! If you're not using it now, or will definitely not use it in the next 12 months, get rid of it! Unless it's your tax returns, or important personal documents, think about why you are keeping those stacks of papers. You can sell your stuff on e-Bay, toss them out, or best of all, give them away to people or groups in need such as the Salvation Army, or even your local library or church. - Be Consistent, Not Perfect
Alright, maybe you've de-cluttered your home, but your workspace looks like a bomb just went off. Be consistent, and remove attic weight, basement, bookshelf and car weight.
Now go get those sneakers you just found at the bottom of your closet, and get outside for that life giving walk you so deserve.
Related Topics:
- Weight Loss & Fitness with Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP
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Labels: clutter, healthy lifestyle, weight loss
32 Comments:
Your article makes sense. Completely!!
Thanks for trying, Doc. Unfortunately, it seems to be written by someone who has never had either issue. Golly gee. If it was that simple, I'd be neat AND thin. Brilliant. Too pop-psych for me, and it says nothing the middling-bright person wouldn't be able to figure out. I did, however, like the carrot cake analogy.
If you want to help - to be different, give us substance. Not just a plate.
I found this article very relevant. I had made that connection in my head a bit ago and have been taking steps to change my home environemtn, but my problem is I live with a pack rat. Nothing gets discarded from the biggest (non-working)bulldozer to the smallest slips of paper that "may have relevance one day". It's affecting not only my waistline but my brain - how do you clear out the junk when living with someone like that?
A counselor once told me, "if it is your value, serve it." Order and beauty are my values.
Create places where things are kept. Do a walk-through a couple of times a day/week/whatever and put all out-of-place items in a laundry basket, box, whatever.
Negotiate a time when your partner is to distribute their stuff....or it goes out. You can have it out of sight as often as you are willing to do your walk thru.
for the anonymous who wanted more substance in the help or others who thought the same, you should check out FLYlady's site and get help through her with emails, reminders, etc. for free
Excellent points. It's always invigorating when you get things in order. And who hasn't had a snack while procrastinating? Cleaning house is exercise, as well!
I like and agree with this concept. And I will whole-heartedly embrace this...but what about a pack-rat husband who panicks if things "are not in PLAIN sight"? add two teenagers that would rather die than clean a room and I not only have a messy, disorgnanized mess but three people opposing me. They will battle and fight it every step on the way. So I end of doing the lion's share, which they love but are unwilling to help with. And within a week they have trashed the car, the computer area, bedroom. How do I make them see it's important?
My doctor has been telling me for at least two years that my hoarding and clutter is 'weighing' me down.
This article just verified what she has been telling me.
She has given me some new emotional tools to work with that I hope will make a difference.
The only time I have lived in a "tidy" space was because of substance abuse, and I was extremely thin. Then I was still cluttered, quit doing what I was doing, was thinner yet, and am now 30 lbs heavier than last year.I think it's more a mood/ personality thing.
Just join FlyLady, it's FREE, and the tools are invaluable. Order is peace! You can have a peaceful home using babysteps. Once you clean up your act, your husband will catch on. FlyLady says don't throw away anything that doesn't belong to you personally. And set the example in love. I've been flying since 2001 and it makes all the difference.
Makes complete sense. I've been preaching this to my husband just recently! Just yesterday we went through his closet (the black hole) and sorted out all the clothes he no longer needs. We took all those to Goodwill and created more space to organize what he wants to keep. Now his closet is in order by shirts, pants, suits, shoes, etc. in groups he can easily find. It's not even my personal closet, but I feel so much better! It will be a much easier task to clean out every season so it doesn't accumulate into a decade of forgotten, out-of-date stuff that just takes up space.
Hear, hear to those who wonder how to get their spouse or significant other or family to declutter. Mine has dj equipment in my dining room and unused computer equipment in the second bedroom. It's to the point where I have no desire to clean, which affects my dust allergies. When I have a nasty asthma attack maybe he'll get the message but then aqgain, no. He'll just say it because I'm a lousy housekeeper.
This is a joke. I am healthy and messy. I am fit, love to workout and eat well, not perfect. I love my piles and my mind works best when I have 10 things going on at once. Now if someone would like to pay someone to clean my house I would take it but I think you have to love your surroundings. If it works for you great, if it doesn’t, change it. I just know I would rather have 30 minutes of play time with the kids then to spend that time cleaning the house.
okay, truthfully im lazy hate doing housework,i have to wade thru (well tip toe and side step)my bedroom and kitchen. even better oh my gosh i love to eat,
perfect day for me is watching tv in bed with sodas and burgers (im simplifying but not exagerateing) and im an avid reader also and that takes chocolate usually
i have no desire to even make coffee in morning ill just use instant w/hot tap water
oh my word i wish i "wanted to do anything" (casino online is even boring nowadays) oh and i weigh over 270 gained last 70 within one year and havent been able to lose it weighed 196 for 10+ years and 135 from7th grade till mid 20s soryy im rambling never done this kinda thing
I am a member of Overeaters Anonymous (I am mintaining an 80 pound loss for about 10 years) and I know that there is also a 12 step program for hoarders-Clutterers Anonymous. OA is @OA.org and I bet you can find ClA as well
This all makes perfect sense! I've found that my completely cluttered house stresses me out and leaves me feeling overwhelmed. And where do I run when I'm stressed and overwhelmed? Anywhere that can serve me up some comfort food. Perfect sense Dr. Peeke... perfect sense.
I once saw a show on decluttering and the host said that the person who had so much trouble with clutter was a visual learner and out of sight was out of mind. I realized in a flash that was me. I need to have things out where I can see them to remember events, people, etc., unlike my husband who is an auditory learner who can pretty much recall things without any visual reminders. I do think I get uncomfortable if things aren't organized neatly but if my environment is really bare, I feel much more stressed. I think my eating is much more influenced by the relentless pressure of family and other people who can't understand why I can't lose weight and keep it off.
To Traci: You sound like you're seriously depressed! I can speak because I've suffered depression off and on for many years and read tons about the symptoms (as well as experiencing many of them myself). Your willingness to spend the day in bed watching TV and EATING, when you're obviously troubled about your weight; your inability to WANT to do anything; your loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, all are earmarks of depression. Let me urge you to talk to your doctor about this, because you don't have to feel this way. Many good meds exist. When I found the right one I thought I had become a different person -- loads of energy and motivation. The Web MD site has a good series on depression where they send you frequent emails full of information and suggestions. Please do SOMETHING to help yourself. You deserve it!
I think that's probably true. Little by little I AM working on my clutter but it's slow going. Now that we got my Dad's mother into a Nursing Home, I'll have more time to go thru the mess and I have gotten rid of old clothes and stuff I don't need, now I just need to organize it all into totes.
I'm glad to see someone else seeing this connection and writing about it. I come from a long line of 'hoarder/procrastinators' and didn't realise what a weight would be lifted when I was able to slowly break myself if the 'i do the dishes/laundry/folding & etc tomorrow' mentality. It took me going back to work & hiring an au pair to help w/my child to help me see the light of day. I'd just see this huge mess & not know where to start, where as she just never let it accumulate in the first place. She'd pop in a load of laundry in the am & fold it in 5 min befor bed, do the dishes & put them away immediatly & do a mini 5-10 min maintenance tidy and that was it! That was all it took to have a house that I wouldn't be ashamed to let an unexpected guest into. We no longer have her, but her example of just "getting on with" 10 min of house work daily stuck with me and has taught me how easy it can be to prevent my house sliding into a total bombsite.
I still have several family members stck in various levels & states of this clutter cycle and it breaks my heart because I get it. I understand what it is to walk in the door after work, do dinner, homework etc and think, "Its 10pm, I just can't attack the bill/laundry/spare room pile tonight."
my advice? Pick one job/area per weekend-preferably the area or problem you see the most-like the living room, office,etc and organise it. Once you get that area sorted, everytime you walk in/use that area, I guarantee you will feel a degree of relief and feel more empires to attack the next section of your house that needs sorting.
Next, lighten up your house with more/nicer/softer lighting, get those windows open & if you've got the energy, paint a few walls in lighter colours ( w/NON VOC paint).
Light=happy. Good luck! It is possible to break the clutter cycle! Just start with one little job/area. You'll feel better. You'll see.
This is so true!!! When I can't find my kitchen table, it's so much easier to order out. No pop-psych here at all.
Go to www.flylady.net! Marla Cilley, the "FlyLady", teaches and lives these concepts...In REAL life. She has two books- "Sink Reflections" and "Body Clutter" that are very insightful, easy to read, and worthwhile!! She also has a show/podcast- it's worth your while to check her out!
I enjoyed reading the article. I happened to love collecting things. Over the past twenty - five years I have collected many baskets, teapots, figurines, Santa dolls, porcelain, Blue Willow etc. Now I realize that I have more "stuff" than anyone needs. I have a small house and organizing and storing all of this started to make me feel like I was managing a warehouse. I started addressing the clutter with the dining room. Now, I am working on the utility room and utility closet. It is very daunting, but I am beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. I still have several areas to complete and a long way to go, but I am looking forward to a living a "minimalist" lifestyle.
When you're living with depression you just can't find the energy to do anything about the clutter that surrounds you. You feel completely submerged in the disaster that is both in your home and found within your mind. It becomes a spiral that continues to lead to more mess and more depression.
Additionally, depression tends to pack on the pounds and the more depressed you are the more weight you gain. They are connected, I just dont think they are in the way this article suggests.
"If you're not using it now, or will definitely not use it in the next 12 months, get rid of it!" Really? So if you need to lose 10 pounds, you should toss all the clothes you grew out of? So if you haven't used your tools, get rid of them? So if you haven't used your good china in the past year, get rid of it?
I agree with 'anonymous' who said to check out 'flylady.net'. This website is run by a woman who took the book 'Sidetracked Home Executive' and made it simpler. It gets very specific about decluttering, keeping the house clean in such a way that spring cleaning is a thing of the past. They also have support groups. Try it, you'll like it.
As I get older, I have been taking a look at my "stuff" with an eye to what will happen to it when I'm gone or moved to a smaller place. So I have been getting rid of some of the useless things I have a accumulated and am labeling or even giving away now, stuff I want a particular friend or relative to have. It also declutters. I have also noticed the correlation among clutter, depressiion and weight. When my ironing basket is empty, I could rule the world!
This article hit the spot. I am in my office/sewing room. It looks like an atomic bomb went off. I keep putting it off because I get so overwhelmed by all the mail and what to keep and what can be thrown away and my closet is just as bad.
If you want a way to help overcome the clutter issue in your life, could I recommend a great site to help you...flylady.net. FlyLady has helped me declutter my home many times and her idea is not perfection but jumping in right where you are. She is very inspirational and has THOUSANDS around the world using her system to help keep their homes clean and decluttered. It's all about bit-sized pieces, just like the carrot cake idea.
These are very useful suggestions. The current state of the economy has forced millions of Americans to redefine their priorities. People are looking for ways to save money and live within their means. But they must never neglect their health and well-being in the process. Mental health is just as important as physical health, a positive outlook is essential for success. People must look for economical and convenient ways to get in regular exercise at least three times a week. There are many activities a person can do for exercise while not spending a lot of money for example raking leaves, walks in the park, push ups at home, bicycling, etc. And while they're at it, it's important to set aside quality time to relax the mind. Reading an interesting novel, listening to their favorite music station, doing crossword puzzles, etc. are economical healthy ways to relax and stimulate the mind.
A healthy person is more likely to be in good spirits about the future and better able to make informed decisions about his or her welfare which is very important especially during these economic times.
-healthy_blogging
http://www.livingfithealthyandhappy.com
What a great motivational article about staying in shape. What it really comes down to is not what you own or need to buy, but your attitude.
This article has motivated me to move on my paper piles. My house is not a mess but it is the offices that are what always seems to be in a mess. We can never find a flat surface to lay anything on. I have got it cleaned only to end up back in the same mess later. I have had health problems that have been corrected so I am hoping that this time I can find order in the office. Family is coming for Christmas so I must clean, clean and do more cleaning. My biggest challenge will be throwing away stuff I do not need anymore. We have at least a thousand books in our library that has to be reduced before we retire.
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