The Refrigerator’s Magnetic Pull

Every night, it’s the same ritual. Open the door. Close the door. Open the door. Close the door. The refrigerator seems to have a magnetic pull which lifts us out of our seats and brings us, zombie like, to its door to unleash the sweet, salty, and fattening goodies inside.

The thought of an inanimate object having this type of power over us is surreal, but it’s a nightly scenario which is repeated in thousands of households every night.

Before opening the door to extra calories, here are few things to think about:

• Eat your 3 meals. It sounds a bit remedial, but it’s very important to eat three, well-balanced meals for proper nutrition, to regulate your blood sugar level, and keep your body’s metabolism active. Skipping meals, sends your body into a tailspin, this is when you’ll feel out of control and will grab at anything to satisfy those hunger pangs. Plus, skipping meals not only leads you to making poor food choices, it slows your body’s metabolism down, now you’re burning less calories which translates into added pounds on the scale.

• Why are you eating? Are you looking in the refrigerator because your favorite television show went to commercial break and you need something to do? Here’s the perfect opportunity to burn a few extra calories by running up the stairs to check on the kids or by taking the dog out for a short walk. Or how about those sit ups you’ve been promising yourself, that, if you had time, you would do. No better time than a commercial break, start out slowly, with 3 sets of ten, you’ll be amazed at how easy it was to do and you’ll be back on the couch before your show comes back on.

• What’s causing you to snack? Is it hunger or thirst? What may feel like a hunger may actually be your body’s call to be hydrated. Reach for a glass of water to quench the “hunger” and see how you feel, water will help boost your body’s metabolism and give you a sense of fullness.

Remember, we all fall victim to the magnetism of the refrigerator, so stack the shelves in your favor. If you’re the one that handles the food shopping, then it’s a must to have a shopping list. Wandering around the food store without a list is similar to giving your teenager your credit call and dropping them off at the mall. We humans can’t help ourselves; we’ll buy anything and everything that looks good and regret it later. So, write down what you need on a list and review it before you leave the house. There are probably items that you buy weekly out of habit, here’s an opportunity to review them and make come changes.

For example, if you like cheese, than choose a low-fat alte
ative of your favorite to have on hand when the urge strikes. If chips are your TV snack choice, then you may opt for the pre-packaged, 100 calorie portioned chips. If ice cream is your pleasure, replace with a low-fat frozen yogurt or sherbet. If, you love your soda, try a low-calorie version instead, better yet; try a bottled-flavored water or seltzer.

Life is all about choices, now you’ll have healthier ones the next time you open the refrigerator door. n