Elanso

I have a bit of a thing with interior design. I’m not saying I’m Martha’s prodigy or anything, I’m just saying I’m on the other side of obsessed with HGTV and the likes. But alas, if you love monkeying with design like me, we have a new (and very welcome) assignment: Redecorate to lose weight.

Here’s the scoop: Joanne G. Gould, M.A., R.D., of the OMS Wellness Institute says that by using our flair for making our homes lovely, we could cut our daily caloric intake by a cool 200 calories a day - that’s enough to melt 20 pounds in a year! Sounds like a plan. You with me?

Our assignment is this:

Ditch the red and orange paints/pillows/cushions in lieu of blue.

Why? Bright colors stimulate hunger by firing up a stress response within us (hm, no wonder so many restaurants are ga-ga for those red and mustard color schemes). Instead, opt to deck out a room in blue. Because aside from healthy blueberries, there are so few foods that are blue, your mind will subconsciously think of things other than eating (like sunny skies or ocean waves, perhaps?)

Turn off the tube.

Why? Research shows that when people chow down in noisy places, they are apt to eat more. The distractions around us keep us from really acknowledging how much we’ve actually consumed, making it far too easy for those fifteen extra chips to pass through our lips. Instead, hide the TV remote and pick up the one for the stereo instead. Soothing music makes you feel relaxed, mellow and more mindful of your surroundings (including those chips).

C’mon Baby, Light My Fire.

Well, not my fire, but a fire. Like on a candle. A vanilla-scented one to be exact. Filling your home with beautiful and tantalizing candles and lighting them before a meal will not only boost your mood, but will also curb your hankering for dessert. How’s that for a redecorating benefit? See, the vanilla scent tricks your brain into thinking you’ve already indulged in the sweets, making a smaller portion of dessert sufficient for satisfaction. Yes! A legitimate reason to add “buy more candles” to the top of my To-Do list.

Reach for the stars…and the cookie jar.

Finally, sweep that cookie jar (no matter how cute) off your kitchen counter and into an out-of-the-way cupboard. Doing so will not only give you more space to prep some healthy meals (ahem), but will also cut down on your between-meal snacking. I guess it’s that whole, “Out of sight, out of mind” thing. I call it another good reason to spring for more candles - to fill up the now-empty space!

So, have you tried any of these tactics? Do you plan to? Drop us a comment and let us know.

Share This