4 Ways to Put Your Pocketbook on a Diet

Want pain relief without a pill? Look no further than the bag on your shoulder, stuffed with everything from lipstick to lug nuts, as the source of your aching neck and back. Big bags manage big loads and are seemingly perfect for a modern woman, who never knows what duties she might be called on to perform in the course of a day. Substitute ER doctor? Concierge? CPA? Root around long enough in a suitcase-size pocketbook and you'll surely find something to get the job done. And don't forget those everyday contingencies you can't leave home unprepared for--the makeup meltdown, the sugar crash, the chance that a spot might open up in the chronically booked Pilates class.

All this "you never know what you'll need" practicality comes with a price: Oversize totes carry a serious potential for injury. The combination of the weight of the bag against muscles, tendons, nerves, and ligaments--plus the compensating shift in posture you make to carry the load--can lead to headaches, back pain, and body aches.

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But leaving home with only the bare essentials isn't really an option for those of us with busy, multitasking lives (that is, most of us). In fact, when we took a look inside nearly 100 women's handbags, we couldn't believe how much some of them weighed and what was being carted around. So for those women and everyone else out there, we've got winning strategies to keep you healthy, stylish, and ready to roll.

WALLET Packed with pennies and hard-plastic credit and reward cards, this can easily weigh a pound or more.
Fix it: Comb through your wallet every other day to weed out detritus. Put coins in a jar on your dresser.

KEY CHAINS Weighing up to 2 pounds, we found them hooked with everything from framed family photos and Zip drives to pepper spray.
Fix it: Remove any keys and items you don't use on a daily basis.

Do You Know How to Beat Pack Pain? Take our Quiz to Find Out.

COUPONS Some women were carrying more than a pound of these.
Fix it: Monthly, toss what's expired or unlikely to be used.

MAKEUP These bags often tip the scales at 2 pounds or more.
Fix it: Choose a downsized, all-in-one makeup kit such as the Mini Bag Makeup Palette ($15; sephora. com). It's the size of an index card.

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Lighten Your Load Kick the packhorse habit with these tips from Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing From the Inside Out.

1. Be a planner
Spend a few minutes in the evening sorting out the next day's schedule. Noontime workout? Big event after work? "Know exactly what's on your plate so you don't weigh yourself down carrying unnecessary items," Morgenstern says.

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2. Divide and conquer
If possible, split your bag into two sections (or buy one with a center divider). Keep your permanent stuff (wallet, cell phone, keys, makeup) on one side, and put temporary things (work-related items, bills to mail) in the other section. Clean out temporary items nightly so you're never lugging around more than you need.

3. Create a pouch system
Organize your gear into zippered bags you can easily switch out on an as-needed basis. That might include one pouch for makeup, one for coupons or change, another for pens and a small notebook, and so on. And have a small spare handbag that fits just the essentials (wallet, cell phone, keys) to take when you're traveling a short distance.

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TELL US: What are the items you can't live without in your everyday purse?

--By Alyssa Shaffer, Prevention

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