Clutter and messiness - is it related to overeating?

timtam163 · October 2017

Self care/lack thereof affects every aspect of your life. If you've stopped showing yourself care, get started again. One positive change will make others feel more possible.

That being said my mom is a bit of a hoarder but always cooks well. It's not related, but in your mind they're related and it's meaningful to pay attention to that.

JRSINAZ · October 2017

My spouse passed away last year and its been hard for me but little by little I an getting there. I do most of my cooking on the kitchen island. Putting things away keeping it clear makes it more inviting to prepare meals within my plan. I bought a little basket/caddy to put things in like spices I use regularly but don't put away.

mysteps2beauty · October 2017

Organization for many of us is a learned habit; for others part of their wiring. To me, as long as you don't have vermin hoovering about, you are good. I do think though that messiness in one area of your life (your purse for example) likely means you are messy in other areas (house, car, bills, physical maintenance (unkept shoes, manicures, ungroomed et al.). You can always tell an organized person by their grooming habits. They take enough time to plan ahead, prepare and invest in quality items to secure same. Sound similar to food choices?

That said I do think it's trending to your weight challenge. Once you get organized, you will plan better, budget better (both time and funds). You cannot organize clutter.

There is another great website called The Flylady. Use to be free to join not sure now. Fifteen minute Baby Steps a day along with preparing ahead of the day, helps one cull the clutter. If it's hard to let go of something, but you are not using it, a suggestion is to take a picture of it. First thing she suggests you do is clean your sink. Something about a clean kitchen sink spreads outward. If nothing else, keep your sink clean, like shining sparkling clean before you go to bed.

One thing I do that helps me immensely is that I wear the same color (black) everyday. No thinking what should I wear, makes me look slim, not too much laundry cause I wear 5 shirts of the same color. Boring perhaps but it was good enough for Steve Jobs. I do accentuate with good simple makeup, easy care hair and a pop of color on my lips. I feel put together enough to care what I put in my mouth. Also, if it doesn't taste good I spit it out....not using my calories on crappy food.

Good enough is good enough. No one likes a perfectionist except bean counters, bodies under a scalpel and passengers on an airplane.

All the best....keep us posted.

counting_kilojoules · October 2017

mysteps2beauty wrote: »

One thing I do that helps me immensely is that I wear the same color (black) everyday. No thinking what should I wear, makes me look slim, not too much laundry cause I wear 5 shirts of the same color. Boring perhaps but it was good enough for Steve Jobs. I do accentuate with good simple makeup, easy care hair and a pop of color on my lips. I feel put together enough to care what I put in my mouth. Also, if it doesn't taste good I spit it out....not using my calories on crappy food.

I try to keep things easy as well. I just wear blue jeans. All my tops go with them and are easy care. I have about ten of them all piled up in a drawer and just pick up a new one each morning. When I get to the bottom of the pile I do the washing. I don't have to think about it, it doesn't take up much space and I don't have to think about the washing- I just do it.

bebeisfit · October 2017

mysteps2beauty wrote: »

First thing she suggests you do is clean your sink. Something about a clean kitchen sink spreads outward. If nothing else, keep your sink clean, like shining sparkling clean before you go to bed.

Good enough is good enough. No one likes a perfectionist except bean counters, bodies under a scalpel and passengers on an airplane.

All the best....keep us posted.

Interesting, yesterday, after I wrote the post and read a few replies, I tackled a few things, one being the dishes (there weren't a lot), but I got them washed AND put away. Then I scrubbed the sink - this morning, I woke to a clean sink and no dishes on the counter. And yes I did feel better. Some days I have more time than others, but I certainly will give a few of these tips a go. I'm cooking this morning, so before I leave the house, I am committing to finishing up and putting things away. One other thing I'll do this morning is to wash the windows of my back door. They are nearly all glass and it's something I used do quite often.. but I've neglected it lately. I think seeing the clear glass will give me hope. It's a 10 min job that has a big impact. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and see those doors all the time.. I'm sure there's some deep meaning in why I haven't taken the time to clean them.

As to having my friends help - well, I did do that with my closet earlier this year and I donated a few bags of things that either didn't fit or I didn't like. I'm not going to ask my friends to do anything as far as cleaning - it's my mess and I need to deal with it.

I love to cook and having meals prepared never really got in the way of dishes. I usually cook enough for several meals and if I need something that's dirty, I wash it. But starting the job with a clear sink is a big plus.

Thanks again everyone! One other thing I'm going to work on is to reduce my screen time. I get lost in these forums along with facebook and watching tv. Time to reduce that habit.. but it's a tough one.

Ok, let's get to work!

Treece68 · October 2017

It is perhaps a reflection of your weight gain. You said you maintained for a few years after losing 80lbs and then you no longer tried like you are not trying to keep your house clean. Where do you start? Whit your house dedicate a day to one room to get deep cleaned. Any room you choose then you have momentum going. To lose the weight well you have joined MFP you have started.

Polo265 · October 2017

I have used Flylady to organize and clean my clutter. It's a great site. In addition to cleaning the sink, one recommendation was to grab a garbage bag and throw away 10 things a day. After a while, I found myself having to search for 10 things - I was looking in drawers, etc.

AnnPT77 · October 2017

Flylady has a good & useful system.

That whole sink thing, though - which, at least when I read it a while back, said not just "clean the sink" but also polish and dry it? That strikes me as potentially obsessive. It's a sink: They're wet. A wet sink is not a housekeeping fail. There are a few other points that strike me that way, too.

If someone has any obsessive or compulsive inclinations, Flylady could fertilize that field, much as food weighing can become mentally unhealthy for some people . . . and I say that as a committed food-scale user (at home only

).

Need2Exerc1se · October 2017

Oh goodness, messiness and eating too much was never a problem for me. I am a very messy person and always have been. But I was only overweight for about 6-8 of my 55 years. I am now back at a healthy weight but still as messy as ever.

earlnabby · October 2017

bebeisfit wrote: »

I've never been the best at housekeeping, but in the past (I'm 55 yrs old), I did maintain an ok household, not the best, but I cleaned up every week and did my dishes each night.

Over the past few years, yes years, I've noticed that I'm a messy person. I haven't washed the floors in a few months, but I've swept. My bathroom is a mess and I am totally cluttered, I take things out, but don't return them right away. Mail goes unopened - nearly all my bills are paid automatically, but I've missed out on a few things. I clean the cat box daily and I toss out my garbage every day, so I don't have rotting food sitting around, but it can take a couple of days to do the dishes.

I have a hard time throwing things away. We cleaned out my mom's house before selling and I came home with bags of memorabilia - old report cards, class photos and some trinkets. They sit in bags, littered throughout the house.

I've stopped inviting people over because of the mess. And next week I have a friend coming over to look in on my kitty - and I am mortified. Of course, I won't lose friends because of it, but I'd like to be proud of my home.

How do I even get started?? And in your opinion, does this have an adverse affect on weightloss.

I had maintained an 80lb weight loss for a few years, and since turning 50, I let 20lbs creep back on. I lost most of it in 2016, but gained 15 back in 2017.

Perhaps I know the answer..but thought I'd reach out and see if someone has some tips. Thanks

All I can say is my own experience. Overeating and lack of housekeeping are both signs that depression is returning. There is a difference between clutter and dirt and I frequently have a bit of clutter around (mail I still need to look through on the table, filing I have to do on the desk, etc) but if I don't actually clean in a reasonable manner (wash dishes, do laundry, vacuum every week or so) I know I need to watch it.

I have my own depression scale:

I am floating along on an even keel
My eating habits go to pot
My housekeeping goes to pot
My personal care (showering etc) is less frequent
I spend all day in bed with food and books

For your current situation, I would make sure that the home is clean and not worry about the clutter. Maybe make a joke to your cat sitter like "Hey, while you are here how about organizing this stuff?". I have found that some kind of deflecting joke makes a big difference. They will know it is unusual for you to have this much stuff around.

As far as weight loss, again this is me, I have found that a disorganized home creates disorganization in my brain which causes me to not eat as I should.

mygrl4meee · October 2017

i can relate.. about a year ago, i paid my sister weekly to help me cleam my house from top to bottom.. it took most saturdays for a whole summer... now i do well for the most part.. less dishes, counters get wiped down stove too.. bathroom gets cleaned but not as often as it should.. i dont think my eating habits and housekeeping is related though. its hard to work 40 to 50 hours a week, workout and scrub the house.

Clutter and messiness - is it related to overeating?

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