Lemondrop

Believe it or not, when it comes to weight loss, a little feng shui can go a long way. In fact, when I first started practicing feng shui years ago, I shed somewhere around 10 pounds in an effortless and seemingly magical way. And, in general, I've kept it off (give or take a temporary lapse or two during the holidays). Try this six-point plan to this holistic, unconventional weight-loss approach and let your waistline -- and your home -- reap the benefits.

Clear Clutter
One of the main principles of feng shui is that everything is connected. In other words, clutter in your home represents clutter in your mind, body and emotions. Letting go of everything that you don't love, need and/or use (i.e., junk mail, trash in your back seat, old romance novels, food you'll never eat, decorations you don't like, and generally anything that isn't useful or doesn't give you positive energy) will immediately lighten your outlook, clear your mind, and boost your energy. This will naturally lead you to make healthier choices and adopt habits that support weight loss.

Lose Your Low-Self-Worth Clothes
When you open your closet and everything you see is something you look great in now, your self-esteem will soar. And when we feel good about ourselves and how we look, we are much less likely to overeat. So, get really honest: Look at each piece you own and ask yourself how it makes you feel. Attractive? Confident? Sexy? If not, donate it. Even if this means that your wardrobe is temporarily decimated, so be it! The effect it will have on your weight-loss efforts will be well worth it.

Reduce Kitchen Visibility
Do you enter through the kitchen, or can you otherwise see the kitchen immediately upon entering your home? Or, do you often sit in a place where the refrigerator is directly in your line of sight? If so, it's likely that this is encouraging excess tummy rumbling and guacamole fantasies. There might be nothing you can do about it, and if this is the case, don't worry! The best any of us can do is make the most of what we're working with. But, if you can, you might try:

• Using a different entrance
• Hanging a beaded curtain, adding a kitchen door, or otherwise diminishing the view
• Adjusting the furniture placement so that you aren't gazing toward the kitchen on a regular basis
  

Put Your Artwork on a Diet
Artwork that depicts overweight people, and even pot-bellied Buddha statues, can be challenging to our weight-loss efforts by focusing our minds on what we don't want, rather than what we do. And we are a very empathetic species, which leads us to identify on some subtle level with every image we see on a regular basis. So, if you choose to display artwork depicting people, make sure it depicts people with bodies that are in alignment with your goals.

Employ Aromatherapy
The following three essential oils can lift your mood, give you an energy boost, and satisfy your senses in ways that discourage excess eating and encourage exercise and healthy food choices. Put a few drops in a diffuser and empower your weight loss efforts while making your home (or cubicle) smell wonderful:

• Grapefruit
• Peppermint
• Jasmine

Get Honest About Exercise Equipment
I can't tell you how many times I've had clients whose exercise efforts have been undermined by an expensive piece of exercise equipment that they never use. Every time they see it, instead of being enticed to exercise, they berate themselves for not exercising enough. If only I could get on that thing, they think, I would be exercising.

Obviously, "getting on that thing" is just not fun for them. And exercising can -- and should -- be fun! Holding on to unloved exercise equipment can hold us back from something that might be fun for us, such as rollerblading, taking a yoga class, or going for a hike. As counterintuitive as it may seem to get rid of exercise equipment in order to start exercising, if you're not using it, get rid of it and free up your imagination and your conscience so that you are free to embark on some exercise adventures that you love.


Tess Whitehurst is a Los Angeles–based feng shui consultant, and the author of "Magical Housekeeping: Simple Charms and Practical Tips for Creating a Harmonious Home." She's appeared on the Bravo TV show "Flipping Out."