Not Specifically Weight Loss Success But....

I had a break through this weekend. I live in Japan and am generally a day ahead of most people, so it is Tuesday morning here. I watched Oprah on Friday and her show was about the 5 things you need for this year or something like that. The 1st segment was with Dr. Oz and losing weight and getting healthy. My weight loss plan is working quite nicely and I don't want to change anything, so I didn't really get anything out of that part.

But, the 2nd segment was with Peter Walsh. He is an organization/declutter expert. I have watched stuff like this before and normally, I just feel like cleaning something and then I move on. I classify myself an anti-hoarder. I love the hoarding shows because they always, without fail, motivate me to clean. Mr. Walsh was on this episode of Oprah, talking about clutter and getting rid of stuff. He said we need to take back control of our homes. Basically we need to get rid of our junk. Just because we might not be "hoarders", doesn't mean we don't have have stuff we can get rid of.

I started going through my house with the idea that I am going to get rid of stuff. I do not like cleaning, so I told myself that I was not cleaning, I am getting rid of junk. I am so surprised at how much "stuff" I had/have. Mr. Walsh said if there is an item in question of whether to throw it away or not, hold it up, look at it, and ask yourself if in the next 6 months, if there is a specific time you see yourself or someone in your home using it. If not, get rid of it. So many people hold on to things because we "might" use it "someday". This last bit of advice is extremely useful in clearing out junk.

I have never met anyone who said, you know I really want to be over weight. Better yet, being obese would be great. Most people get that way because of other issues and we basically lose control. I got rid of several trash bags full of stuff. I am still working on it. I have a few more rooms to go. For me, clearing out my house feels like I am gaining back some of the control that I lost. I would never claim to be completely in control and I am far from perfect. But, I truly feel lighter having cleared out some of my house. Some of the pressure is lifted. I have a 3 year old, an 8 month old, and a full time job. I am not someone who is inundated with free time and yes, it is hard to find time to do all of this. But, just like I made time to add daily exercise, I made time to start taking back control of my house.

If you made it though this entire post I thank you. I also encourage everyone to do the same. Don't look at it as cleaning. Look at it as throwing out junk. If you do not want to throw out your stuff, donate it, have a yard sale, just get it out of your house. If you are like me, you will be surprised at the extra space you make. I know I have been so far. Most of us on this site are here to take back control of our weight. I think that we all need to take back control of our lives as well. It is liberating and as part of the "pay it forward nation" I feel compeled to share my breakthrough with you great people. Good luck to everyone!