Clean up your mess and drop a dress size!

File this under killing two birds with one stone: Cleaning your kitchen could help you cut calories. Double score! 

Researchers at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab recently investigated the impact of a messy kitchen on calorie intake. The study, published in Environment and Behavior, suggests that a cluttered kitchen—think dirty dishes and scattered papers—is indicative of a chaotic environment, which can trigger stress and cause us to overeat. In fact, women who were asked to wait in a cluttered kitchen ate twice as many cookies as those who waited in a clean kitchen. This amounted to an extra 65 calories in 10 minutes!

The researchers explained that a messy kitchen makes people feel out of control, and when you feel out of control, you tend to be less likely to stick to your diet routine. Interestingly, some of the women were asked to write about feeling in control before entering the cluttered kitchen—they were able to keep calories in check.. 

That’s right, you can tidy up to slim down. Hey, worst-case scenario, you end up with a clean kitchen!


For another surprising way to cut calories, try this decorating trick.