Changing the way you think

Some of my earliest memories are sandwiches - I don't know why. And I wasn't a fat kid, in fact I was skinny as a rail as a kid, with a metabolism like a hamster. But I remember peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bologna sandwiches, tuna sandwiches. Every lunch I had a sandwich of some sort. And with my sandwiches I always had chips of some kind. Fritos, Doritos, Cheetos, basically anything that ended in "os" was a part of my lunch. So, why is that important?

It trained my brain to think certain things are supposed to go with certain meals. Think about it, what is a sandwich? It's the stuff that tastes good placed in bread so you don't get your hands messy from the stuff that tastes good. The bread is a container, basically ... an edible container. Even the healthiest bread does very little for your body - but most breads pack a lot of calories - some over 100 calories per slice. Those are wasted calories.

Bread isn't alone - tortillas are packed with calories and have very little nutritional value. And, once again, a tortilla is nothing more than an edible container so you don't get your hands messy with what's inside.

Many people reading this will think what I first thought - "but a sandwich HAS BREAD! And a taco HAS A TORTILLA! It's the way it has to be!" Actually, no, it's the way you've been taught - it's only what you've come to expect. If you're going to change your lifestyle, you have to change your way of thinking. Bread, Tortillas, Crusts, all those foods that are empty calories ... they can all be substituted.

First, bread isn't really necessary if you're truly planning on only eating foods that benefit your body. PB&J is already out, as is bologna, and if you make tuna with a couple globs of mayo, that's out too. As for Chicken sandwiches or turkey burgers, those taste just as good as a Grilled Chicken Breast and a Turkey Burger Patty - taking away the bread just changes the name, not the enjoyment of what you're eating.

"But, Brian, I love tacos?!" Me too, and let me tell you what I discovered. I love loading my taco (made with extra lean ground turkey) with black beans, tomatoes, onions, peppers, fresh corn off the cob and, of course, romaine lettuce. Only difference is, I don't throw all that stuff in a tortilla - I throw it in the romaine lettuce. Hell, a leaf of that stuff is almost the same shape as a taco shell, so why not. Honestly, if you load up all the healthy, body-beneficial ingredients into a romaine leaf - you won't miss the tortilla, and you'll be sparing yourself between 110 to 210 calories, depending on the type of tortilla.

Do you like pizza? Instead of pizza crust (which has around 80 calories a piece), try making sweet potato cakes, and adding your ingredients on top. I know, I know - it sounds gross. But you may be surprised at how it tastes. I love them.

The point of all of this is, we all learn from a very young age how to become fat because of our traditions. Sandwiches, desserts, sugary drinks, all of these things we are raised to believe are how we are supposed to eat. I challenge you to think about it - think of all the meals you think are unchangeable because of how you were raised. Well, they are all changeable - because now you eat to build a stronger, healthier body. And you can still eat tasty food ... just with different containers.

As always, feel free to Email me at bnessel1973@gmail.com with any questions, suggestions, or info you think I could use.

And thanks for readin'.