What do you OTR drivers do to stay in shape?

Pull a flatbed.

 

Dumbbells in the truck , push ups in the shower . I'm six feet 190-200 pounds depending on how many Fritos I eat that day

 

Just finished my second week pulling a flatbed. I have to whole heartedly agree. As soon as I get through a few aches and pains I'm sure this will be a way to help get more fit. On a hot day throwing chains, strapping, or throwing tarps you work up quite a sweat. Throw in some gymnastics getting up and off the deck and a quite a bit more mental challenge getting the load balanced, placed properly, and secured.

 

I lost 35 lbs after getting into trucking, within the first couple of years. My journey began after watching Sugar: The Bitter Truth.

For me the first step was radically reducing refined sugar from my diet and replacing processed foods with raw fruit and vegetables and eating raw nuts and seeds. Step by step I've backed off from eating meat, except on occasion when I get a hankering for a good steak. I rarely eat bread or similar heavy starches anymore, most of my carbs come from the fruit and vegetables.

The weight loss was easy. I've never felt hungry. Now that I'm getting daily workouts with load securement I'm looking forward to the next level of fitness.

 

That's great to hear, but be careful about eating too much fruit. It's really just sugar and easy to go overboard on.

 

Fruit juice separates the sugars from the pulp/fiber, which means fruit juices give you a sugar rush. Eating fruit means your body needs to break down the fibers, which not only contain the sugars, but also additional more complex carbohydrates. Breaking down the more complex carbs require a more complex microbiome (gut bacteria), especially in the upper intestine.

My dinner always features a big salad with a variety of high value greens that pack a punch in terms of taste, fiber, and nutrients. During the day I eat fruit, nuts, and seeds. I also eat maybe a couple of hard boiled eggs.

Olive oil and vinegar is my go to salad dressing. The oil really helps make me feel full and adds important nutrients.

Again, I'm not a vegetarian. Just finished a nice organic steak. Fish a couple of times a week.