7 ways to ‘prepare’ your house for losing weight
The top two areas women I work with forecast they will focus to lose weight (and become healthier, leaner and stronger) is diet and movement. Predominantly, restricted eating and and a ton of exercise. What I’ve found is that when I remove women from the desperate space of short-term, short-sighted ‘wants’, and work with women in a supported, gentle space we were ‘mother’ aspects of our lives so that weight-loss is the result of truly nourishing and caring for ourself and our environment, results actually feel good. It’s the only sustainable way.
As you read what I have written, I sometimes remind or ‘disclaimer’ that when I write ‘weight-loss’, I truly mean ‘whole health’, but I speak to weight-loss as this is what women come to me for. I share what you ‘want’, then give them what you ‘need’. This means I reach more people and can help positively shift more lives.
There’s many areas we can focus on that easily offer a supported environment to do so, and one is our home. Preparing your house for weight loss can significantly impact your ability to make healthier choices and stick to the habits you adjust in your daily life where weightloss is a result.
Here's why it's important:
Creates a Supportive Environment: Your home environment plays a significant role in shaping your habits and behaviours. By preparing your house for weight loss, you create a supportive environment that encourages healthy choices and makes it easier to stay on track with your goals.
Reduces Temptations: A cluttered pantry or refrigerator filled with unhealthy snacks can be a constant temptation, making it harder to resist indulging in foods that aren’t as healthful or nourishing, and at times when we aren’t even hungry. By consciously choosing what you stock your kitchen with nutritious options, you reduce the likelihood of making poor food choices.
Promotes Meal Planning and Preparation: Planning and preparing meals at home is a really beneficial habit to maintaining a healthy diet and managing portion sizes. When your kitchen is well-stocked with healthy ingredients and cooking tools, it's easier to whip-up nutritious meals rather than relying on takeout or processed foods.
Supports Stress Management: A clutter-free and organised living space and low-toxin home environment can have a positive impact on your mental well-being and stress levels. Managing stress is important for weight loss, as high stress levels can lead to emotional eating and weight gain, and balances hormones that instruct the body to hold wright by sitting in fight or flight mode. By creating a calm and relaxing environment at home, you can better manage stress and support your weight loss efforts.
Fosters Accountability: When your home is set up for weight loss success, you're more likely to hold yourself accountable for your actions and choices. Seeing healthy food options in your kitchen and having a designated workout space serves as a visual reminder of your goals and can help keep you motivated and focused.
How to prepare your house for weight-loss.
Preparing your house for weight loss can create a supportive environment that encourages healthy habits.
Clear Out Temptations: Take some time to go through your pantry, refrigerator, and kitchen cabinets to remove processed foods and snacks that aren’t healthful or well-balanced. Replace them with nutritious options that support a healthy, balanced diet and lean-muscle mass, like high protein foods, wholefoods, fruits, vegetables, and the staples that we use to start simple meals from scratch like herbs and spices.
Organise Your Kitchen: Keep your kitchen organised and stocked with essential cooking tools and equipment. Having everything you need readily available can make meal preparation easier and more convenient, reducing the temptation to order takeout or eat out. Helpful tools like a slow-cooker, air-fryer, dishes you can place on the stove then into the oven (with a lid), a food processor (for cutting and slicing bulk beg for prep), jars for making salad dressings. Containers for storing leftovers in a ‘cook once, eat twice’ model.
Create Meal Plans: Plan your meals for the week ahead of time and make a shopping list based on your meal plan. This can help you avoid last-minute unhealthy food choices and ensure that you have nutritious options on hand for each meal. It will also help you reduce cooking time if you cook a foundation food that can be included in 2-3 meals like bolognese sauce, Mexican beans, slow-cooked meats etc.
Set Up a Workout Space: Designate a specific area in your house for exercise, whether it's a spare room, a corner of the living room, or even just a yoga mat in the bedroom. Having a dedicated workout space can make it easier to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. If you find it easier to leave the house to exercise, I recommend making sure you have a specific draw or place you keep your workout gear so that it’s always easy to grab or choose and leave the house with ease.
Invest in Home Exercise Equipment: Consider investing in some basic home exercise equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands, or a stationary bike. Having these tools available can make it easier to fit in workouts, especially if you have limited time or can't make it to the gym regularly. I have a treadmill and exercise bike at my house and while I typically go outdoors, some days it’s simply easier to be in the house. Less barriers = higher chance of moving.
Stay Hydrated: Keep a water bottle with you throughout the house to remind yourself to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is important for overall health and can help curb snacking you attribute to hunger which is actually thirst, and prevent overeating. I actually sip herbal tea more than anything, warm in winter and cool in summer. And add a pinch of salt or get your hands on some good quality electrolytes to keep minerals like sodium and magnesium replenished.
Create a calm, non-toxic home environment: Ladies, houses filled with artificial fragrance and synthetic laundry powders and cleaning supplies actually work against our emotional health, relaxation and therefore weight-loss goals. The chemicals in these environmental products are known obesogens. These are ingested or internalised chemicals that alter energy metabolism, increasing adiposity (fat cell size). Washing with toxic-free laundry detergent, diffusing essential oils that cleanse and air and set a calm and stress-free mood (clinically shown to reduce stress and anxiety) is a great place to start.
By taking these steps to prepare your house for weight loss, you can create an environment that supports your goals and makes it easier to adopt healthy habits. Remember, small changes can add up to big results over time!
Recommendation for essential oils:
I have recommended the Home Essentials or Family Essentials Starter Pack of pure, therapeutic grade essential oils since 2016. They changed my environment and contributed to me being fitter and healthier in my 40’s than in my 20’s or 30’s.
They both have the same top ten oils every home should have regardless of wants or needs in either 15ml or 5ml bottles.
I recommend adding a diffuser to the order. When you purchase I will see your order and offer customer support and access to educational spaces so you feel safe and confident to use your oils.
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Balance blend 15mL
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Eucalyptus 15mL
Fractionated coconut oil
