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Signey
Wed, Jul-09-03, 20:21
Hi Everybody,
I’ve been reading a very interesting book called “Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui” by Karen Kingston. She has noticed in the years that she has been helping people get their lives organized that over weight people tend to have lots of clutter in their homes. She believes that they go hand in hand because they are both forms of self-protection. That by putting layers of fat and layers of clutter around ourselves we hope to create a buffer to protect us from the shocks of life. Particularly emotions that we are having difficulty handling.

She has also found that when over weight people start letting go of their clutter that many are also able to let go of their fat. She says that this is because many of us have deeply buried fears that make it difficult for us to let go of our clutter. By confronting these fears and getting rid of our junk we also open the door for weight loss. That as we start to take care of our environment that we also start taking care of ourselves. She quotes a woman that she knows as saying “ After you have cleared the junk out of your home, it doesn’t feel fight to keep putting junk food in your body.”

I found this to be very interesting because I am such a packrat. I’m one of those people that’s afraid to throw anything away for fear that I’m going to need it soon. I hang onto mismatched socks for years because I’m sure I’m going to find the lost sock the next time I clean. I save bags of old clothes “because I’m going to make a quilt”. Yogurt and margarine containers because “you never know”. Way too much fabric and I have at least 28 fleeces that there is no way on God’s Green Acre I’m going to be able to spin in a life time. It just goes on and on. And because the house that we live in is so small and crowded with all of this stuff, there’s no way to put any of it away. So it becomes sliding piles of papers and magazines and mail and books and dishtowels and newspaper ect.

So now I’m losing weight and I have found that my mind just will not tolerate the clutter anymore. I’ve been actively searching out books to help me find new methods of dealing with it all. And ultimately I am finding that I’m letting go of it. Everyday I go through my home and I’m cleaning out cupboards and packing up stuff for a yard sale. I’m throwing away clothes and old pillows. I’ve found that I’m just as committed to shedding the pounds of debris that I have surrounded myself with as I am committed to shedding this weight.

Now I am curious. Are any of you experiencing this? I know in my heart that there are those of us who have that gene or training or whatever, that would never allow their homes to become like mine has. But I am also just as sure that there are those of us here who are struggling with this the same as I am. What are your experiences with this issue?
Are you finding your attitude towards your environment changing as your weight changes?

Mine has.
Signey :)

AntiM
Wed, Jul-09-03, 22:46
Hi Signey,

Your post reminded me of www.Flylady.net (http://www.Flylady.net) - a free decluttering mailing list and resource to support the decluttering and homekeeping process. I'm going to look into getting started with their babysteps because I am definately insulated in junk as well as fat.

Here's a great page, 'Flylady's 5 Decluttering Tips' ... http://www.flylady.com/pages/FLYingLessons_Decluttertips.asp

LittleAnne
Thu, Jul-10-03, 05:38
Hi Signey

Yes, I think I can relate to that. I do hang on to things a lot longer than I need to and of course save things as they may be useful for Brownies (I am a Brownie leader).

So has losing weight made a difference? Yes, I think it has. I do still collect a lot of things, but have thrown out more clothes that I will either never wear or are now to large for me. On the Brownie front I am making an effort to not by things on the off chance I will use them, I am making an active effort to use up what I have and make more room in my house.

So I do see parallels. Interesting.

cs_carver
Thu, Jul-10-03, 08:01
I have read the book several times; the first time, I cleared three pickup loads of stuff from my house. Probably could stand to do it again. I haven't seen a direct correlation between junk clearing and weight loss, myself, but that's also because I needed the link to LC and none of the books I've ever read made it clear enough. Reducing carbs hasn't worked; virtually eliminating them has.

I have hardwood floors rather than carpet, and a lot of furniture with legs, that sits up off the floor. The space underneath tends to collect stuff. Amazing to me how much better I feel when everything is cleared out of those spaces and I can see (and sweep!) all my floor.

Dump the stuff. It's amazingly powerful. Give the clothes to the thrift shop--you can buy plenty more when you actually get around to doing the quilt. I found the start of a baby blanket for a baby that died--not like you can finish that and give it to someone else!

And I'll admit, the act of throwing some of my junk out was so scary I kept having to sit down and breathe for a while until my heart stopped racing. Definitely affected my energy flow!

alighterme
Thu, Jul-10-03, 08:35
Can't believe you posted this thread!! I've cleaned out my closets and started on my basement yesterday. I am also "letting go" of these things. What an unbelieveable accumulation of junk I have. I am going through boxes in the basement that have been there for years. This morning I started cleaning drawers in my bedroom. I haven't been interested in doing this for many years and I wondered what is going on! You answered it for me. I just can't stand the clutter any longer. Thank You so much. :yay:

justcindy
Thu, Jul-10-03, 09:02
Wow, very interesting, thank you for the post! I have just recently decided to simplify my life and I have thrown out just tons of junk. If it has sat in a box for a year and I don't use it, I toss it. I absolutely hate junk lying around and clutter.....UGH. I just want only the basics, a few sentimental items and very little decorations. I have less to clean now too, its all good! :)
~Cindy

liz175
Thu, Jul-10-03, 09:15
I definitely don't fit into this theory. I hate clutter and usually keep a very clutter-free house -- I'm always walking around with paperbags collecting things to throw out, recycle, or give away. However, one of the ways I have found time to add more exercise into my life is to spend less time housekeeping. Therefore, while my house is still relatively clutter-free compared to the average home, I definitely have been accumulating more clutter as I lose weight. I've been consciously emphasizing to myself that my health is more important than having a perfectly clutter-free house and therefore I have been turning my head and not noticing small amounts of clutter.

redawn
Thu, Jul-10-03, 10:35
interesting topic. . .my in-laws just visited and my dh and figured we hauled over 300lbs of broken toys, and trash out of here. Plus several bags of Salvation Army clothes and baby toys. . .3 boxs of large garbage bags 10 each. redawn:)

gotaloseit
Thu, Jul-10-03, 10:44
Hi All,

I dont fit with the theory either. My house is very clutter free and always has been. Most of my friends say they dont know how I do it with kids, I wonder if anyone every thought that the correlation might be because people who are overweight tend to have alot less energy and therefore dont keep as clean a house??? Just a thought but I do think for some it may be an insulating mechanism but not for me. being overweight I have always strived to have a "better" house, a "better" garden, "cleaner and neater" kids etc because I wanted to be judged by those things rather than the weight. I suppose thats my coping mechanism huh??? Great thread though, interested to see how others weigh in on this subject. (no pun intended)

Signey
Thu, Jul-10-03, 18:57
I do think that for me the clutter has been an insulating factor. I've never felt comfortable with people dropping in on me because of it. I always want to know days in advance if I have guests coming. Likewise, I think that my weight has been a way to repel those who are not sincere in appreciating me for "who" I am. That started when I was much younger and was harrassed so much by men. The weight was a way to keep them off of me. I think it became a way of saying to anyone that if you can't love me the way I am then I don't want you in my life. Of course babies and middle age came along and didn't help the situation. :rolleyes: So I would say that I have used them both as ways to keep people out. I believe that there have been elements of anger, rebellion, and fear that has motivated it.

What I'm feeling now is trapped. I feel trapped by my stuff and by my weight. I've been in a solid relationship now for ten years. I've never felt as secure as I do now in my entire life. I'm old enough that I don't feel like men are going to come swinging out of the trees at me no matter how I look. :p And I want people in my life. I lost a child in an accident and it has really made me look at how precious we all are and how short our time is here. I want to open my life up to others and start taking the emotional risks that all that brings. I want to lose the insulation.

Thank you all for answering this thread. It's so good to know that we are all in this together. That we are rebuilding ourselves piece by piece, pound by pound. What tremendous support we all have in this forum. :)

Hugs! :bhug:
Signey

saski
Sat, Jul-12-03, 00:52
I hope you're right and clearing out clutter does help clear out the pounds! I recently realized that we have three rooms in our house we NEVER enter, so we are downsizing and decluttering as we go.

No one on earth needs 4 couches...I have FOUR couches! YIKES, have I created a buffer or WHAT?!?!?!?