Losing Weight While On The Road..You CAN Do It!

Hello Drivers..

Like many of you,after a few years on the road I noticed I was starting to pack on the weight.At first it wasn't too bad but when I reached 220 pounds, it was time to do something about it.For some it might be time to do something at 300 pounds, for others, it may only be 150 pounds.To each their own..

I started thinking about what I was eating during an average day in the truck.Morning would find me at the Pilot for a couple of doughnuts and a ''Cadillac'' - half hot chocolate, half coffee. Hell, while I was there I might grab an Egg Mc Muffin too.

When I refuled during the day,it would be Wendy's burgers,along with a Hershey bar for later and maybe a bag of Dorito's and a refill of my Pepsi.Dinner would be one of the truckstops,usually a Petro steak or something at a T.A.

When I got by the house I would eat decent,and just blamed my weight gain and poor eating habits on the lack of available healthy choices at the truckstops.That's true, but only so much.You can eat a lot healthier than you think.Even on the road.

When I finally decided that I wasn't buying the next biggest waist size and that the weight had to come off, I made some changes that I found to be really effective.Maybe they'd work for other drivers who need to drop some weight..

Alright, first thing, as we all know is eat less and move more.Ok,seemed easy enough.That meant dropping the doughnuts and most of the garbage I was eating.Remember,it's not a diet, it's a LIFESTYLE CHANGE,but it's a change most of us can do without too much of a hassle.

Just give it some time,and remember weight loss is a process, not an event.It took a while to pack it on, give it some time to get it off.Don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen immediately.

Another change will be to shop at a supermarket and stock your cooler.Avoid heavilly processed meats with lots of salts,like ham and pastrami for instance.You'll be doing most of your own food preparation from now on.You do have time.You can make something fairly healthy in about the same time it takes the lady at Wendy's to screw up your order.

One of the first things to go besides my beloved doughnuts,was the SODA.The average 12 ounce can has about 8 tablespoons of sugar.TImes that by 2 or 3 -32 ounce cups each day and it really adds up.Drink water and lots of it.Water will help flush fat from your system.

Instead of doughnuts in the morning, I would make a bowl of oatmeal or shredded wheat with some raisins and A PACKET of sugar. It tastes pretty good.A banana to snack on would hold me over to lunch..

Lunch would be a bowl of soup(but watch the sodium levels in the brand you choose.some of them are through the roof!) and crackers and an orange as desert..

Now this part here was a lifesaver, and this is where having an APU or an inverter really comes in handy.Get a George Foreman grill and use that to cook the portion of meat you will have at dinner.I would get about 5 chicken breasts and cook one each day.Later on,I've noticed they last a few days longer if you cook them all at once and then microwave as needed.

Chicken is pretty versatile and you can do lots of stuff with it.You can make a salad and slice it into it.Good stuff.Or you can add it to a can of soup.Or another favorite of mine is to serve it with Uncle Bens cooked rice that is in single servings and is ready after a minute in the microwave.A can of veggies and you're good to go!

For snacks, you can still munch on some cookies.Get the 100 calorie bags or pudding cups.Just keep the portions under control..No getting crazy..

Another essential element to this weight loss was to excercise. Eating lighter will sure help, but so will some light excercise.You don't have to kill yourself, and you don't have to find a gym.We're on the road all day.We never run out of road.Use some of it to walk.

Park the truck,put on your sneakers and comfortable shorts.A reflective vest isn't a bad idea either.Now that you're out of the truck,just walk for about 15 minutes one way,then walk back the 15 minutes to the truck.While you walk, rotate your arms in one direction, then the opposite way..

As you build up stamina,and your schedule permits, you can increase the pace and the distance.You can use a nearby tree to do a few leglifts,a nice patch of grass is a great place to do some push ups or sit ups.

This isn't S.E.A.L. training or an endurance test.Take it easy and make it enjoyable.It feels nice to be out of the truck,and away from the knuckleheads at the truckstop.It also helps prevent blood clots in your legs.A condition that puts LOTS of drivers out of work.

After a few weeks,you may begin to notice you feel better,and you're sleep is improved.Not long afterwards, you should begin to notice the weight starting to drop.I lost around a pound or so a week until I reached my target weight of 185 pounds.Two years later,I havent gained any of it back.

It took a while,sometimes I didn't feel like walking and I took a day off here and there.I still broke down and had an occasional chocolate shake.It doesn't have to be constant deprivation. I will have a steak on fridays till I die. But stick it out, try variations that work for you.Maybe more tuna,and less chicken kinda thing.Throw in some beans and greens..

Sorry for the long post.I hope this helps some people out.I found the hardest part to getting started was my own stinking thinking.Once I quit listening to the voice that demanded a whopper,it got easier and easier..

Best wishes,and miles of smiles..

 

I get plastic spoons,knives and forks from Wendy's.They are real sturdy and better than anything you can buy in a store.

The George Foreman grill has a teflon coating.It can be easily cleaned with a wet paper towel.

I see that advise often written in trucking publications too.Myself, I'm a little leery of it and to tell you the truth, I ignore it. If I leave the truck for any amount of time, I like to ensure the truck is parked in a well lit, highly visible area of the truck stops.

Many truckstops attract thieves, drug addicts and prostitutes who are also thieves and drug addicts themselves. Thieves like it when you make their job easy by parking in an area where it's difficult for them to be seen while they loot your truck or trailer..

I think the advise was well meant,but not really practical.If you want excercise,you have to do it.You can just as easily set aside some time to walk a few laps around the truckstop.I would caution any driver, especially the ladies against parking in an area where help might not be around if you need it..