Dieting on the road

Truckers are by and large, not bi and not large. Just a joke.

Like everything in trucking, dieting takes pre planning. Truck stops are there to make as much money as they can. They sell impulse foods. Lots of sugar and lots of fried foods. Many have Wendy's, McDonald's and the like. You have to avoid temptation. Shop at a grocery store. Put foods in coolers or ice chest if you do not have a refrigerator and eat only those things you prepare yourself. Salads are easy enough to fix. Just watch the dressings. Drink plenty of water. When you get someplace to park, exercise. Walking and push ups, sit ups, and the like. Lot of truck stops have gym equipment you can use. Or so I have heard. I avoid that.

If you can be successful dieting anywhere, you can on the road. Trucking only changes the location, not your will power.

 

most trucks have a fridge. go to the grocery store and get the low fat lunch meat , ham, turkey, etc. sara lee makes loaf bread with 45 calories per slice and at a reasonable price of around $2.50 a loaf at some places. there is also subway and of course they have low calorie sandwiches. lots of restaurants have low calorie menus like grilled chicken flatbread sandwiches, etc. but think of it this way too, not only will you be shedding pounds, you will also save lots of money buying things from the grocery store. and also carry a 24 pack of diet dr. pepper. it dont taste a lot different from the regular. and if you ever get stranded, you will have these things with you so you wont go hungry. so it works out all the way around. also fast food costs about 5 to 10 dollars per meal sometimes more depending on where you go. so you spend more that way in 2 days than you would in a week the other way.

 

[h=1]Teacher loses 37 pounds eating McDonald's for 3 months[/h]http://www.freep.com/article/20140106/BUSINESS07/301060086/science-teacher-McDonald-s-diet

Granted he's not a truck driver..but point is its possible to eat what you want and still shed lbs..just balance your intake. And put out more than you put in..you'll be fine..

 

Congratulations Mondo on kicking the habit and your commitment. You will find that many T/A's have maps available of predetermined hiking and walking routes in their immediate neighborhood. Ask the clerk for one. Salad bars are usually well stocked with fresh veggies and fruits and good soup, a favorite dinner choice for me. MAKE WATER YOUR DRINK OF CHOICE! I can say from experience that if you get into the habit of drinking water eventually you will find that you prefer it over soft drinks. Water with lemon to make it interesting.

One of my biggest concerns before entering the profession was fitness. My doctor tried to dissuade me because of the health risks. I vowed to her and myself that I wouldn't let my diet and daily exercise slide, and you will be pleased to know that, given your commitment is in place, the ability to make smart choices does in fact exist while OTR.

Good luck man!

 

There are things you can take with you on the road that make things easier. Protein bars or even a loaf of whole wheat bread and a jar of peanut butter. I like the single serve bags of Starkist Tuna myself.

 

It ain't easy, it ain't fun, but it can be done.

I gained well over 20 lb's OTR.

 

True, oh so true! I'm at a T/A in New York for the past three days and you have no idea how much courage it has taken to do my daily two mile walks in this wind chill! But I did it! Fun? No, but sure gives me a sense of pride and when it's over I just feel better having done it!

 

Btw, I'm 56 years old and Iove sweets! If I don't watch it I'd be big as a house!

 

If you choose to diet on the road, start small. Dont go overboard or you will give up. I'm 5'9" and weigh 152 lbs in boxer shorts. I can maintain
that weight because LTL city work will give you a work out. However my weight was up to 171 at one time. I gave up Soda for lemon flavored or plain Club soda which ha zero cals.. I use a sugar sub. called ideal which is zero cal. a majority of my meals are Veg. or fish based. 3x weekly my dinner consists of a LARGE chef salad and a baked potato. I DO NOT eat fast food and to tell you the truth i was never much of a red meat
eater. Its easier for me to maintain a strict diet because i am home daily and dont have to settle for truckstop or restaurant food. When i'm hungry during the day i snack on pretzels or unsalted pop corn. diet alone wont net the best results, when you have idle time try and walk
for about 15 min. Having a German shepherd that wants to walk every day helps me get out of the house at nite. Goodluck with your progress