truck drivers having a hard time finding time exercise

pillowcaseguy
pillowcaseguy Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm an over the truck driver with a problem finding time to exercise, or a way to get good meals in on the road. I used to drive for a company that had refrigerator in the truck. Using mfp I was able to lose 34 lbs but I wasn't making enough money to pay the bills. Now I am with a company I'm making good money but don't have a lot of time.

Replies

  • realmilk4me
    realmilk4me Posts: 22 Member
    My Dad is an over the road driver. He tries to walk an night when he is stopped for the night. He keeps weights in his truck as well. He has a truck crockpot and a road stove. He is able to cook meats in these as well as make soup, chili, rice, oatmeal, etc... He buys fruits and vegetables that store well like carrots, apples, cabbage. He eats a lot of salads since he can buy washed mixes and add chicken, and whatever else he wants.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    I am a local driver, but have had the same problem. I have to seek out every five minute walk i can, even if it is just walking around the building i just delivered to, or walking around a rest stop. My work tracks me with a GPS, but if i stop less than 15 minutes at a place to walk, twice a day, i still make my schedule and nobody says anything to me.
    Getting good food is harder. If i'm near a grocery store, i can stop and buy pre-cut fruit, but it's really expensive. I find eating a big meal in the morning helps me keep away from the tempting junk, and bringing along something to snack on, like sugar snap peas, dates, carrots, apples, bananas, grapes or something like that helps, too.
  • 4Pookiecat
    4Pookiecat Posts: 20 Member
    One of the things I do for exercise is step aerobics. It is actually very easy to do anywhere. All you need is a step. I have the plastic one - the actual one from the aerobics series but really, all you need is a plastic or wood box between 6 and 12 inches high (depending on how hard you want to work.) I set my timer at 20 minutes and just step on and off of it at a pace I can handle. It is like running stairs. I get a great workout - burn a bunch of calories and can do it anywhere really. The box is easy enough to pick up and tuck away too. I do it while watching TV but in your case that would be a little harder. You would be amazed by how strong your legs get.
  • sugamonstaa
    sugamonstaa Posts: 88 Member
    Look up HIIT cardio workouts on youtube. I've been lifting 3x a week but adding HIIT cardio twice a week. It's great for you and can do it anywhere.
  • bohica36
    bohica36 Posts: 67 Member
    My friend hooked his bike onto the truck. He rode rode it whenever he could. He really liked it when he had longer stops because he could check out places that he couldn't go in the truck.
  • stormcarey
    stormcarey Posts: 5
    well all the replys you got sound real good but i know being a truck driver is hard and not enough time to do anything just when you do a lay over or a quick stop just walk maybe get a cooler and put salads on ice or whatever you perfer is there any way to hook up a small college fridge in the truck?
  • pillowcaseguy
    pillowcaseguy Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for all the help after my leg recovers I'm gonna get back to walking
  • 86myHeadache
    86myHeadache Posts: 44 Member
    I drive school bus. Everyday I do pushups and squats or lunges during a small 8 min break. I have added resistance bands too since they are easier to store than a weight set. Just a little bit of exercise helps me eat better. Good luck
  • ScottH_200
    ScottH_200 Posts: 377 Member
    Are you still logging your daily caloric intake on MFP?
  • pillowcaseguy
    pillowcaseguy Posts: 4 Member
    Yes I am not sure how menu calories I am supposed to have in a day
  • ScottH_200
    ScottH_200 Posts: 377 Member
    Yes I am not sure how menu calories I am supposed to have in a day

    Well, you can go to "Settings" and update your "Diet/fitness profile". Set the parameters there and MFP will give you a fairly reasonable guideline on daily caloric needs to maintain/lose weight.

    Btw, I used to drive truck OTR too. It's a tough profession.
  • cjone782000
    cjone782000 Posts: 4 Member
    Yeah that's a tough one. I'm an over the road drivers as well. I haven't been able to work for a couple of years because I have severe sleep apnea and morbid obesity. I have been thinking of what I'll do when I return back to work and how to eat. I'm having gastric bypass surgery in less then 2 weeks. So sugar and fat foods won't be an issue cause they will make me sick. I just figured I'll walk an hour after my shift before my meal and then a shower. You could also find the truck stops with the fitness centers. I have seen news that they are adding more and more of them. I like the canned chicken breast. so I'll bring a lot of that with me when i'm back on the road and protein shakes. I'll have to find something that works. I walk over 60 minutes on most days and have been eating around or under 1500 cals a day and have lost almost 50 pounds in 2 months. no weight lifting, just walking. well good luck.
  • sgrabowicz91
    sgrabowicz91 Posts: 32 Member
    OK guys let's be honest our job is hard but it's not impossible. My husband and I are owner operators and have more trucks with drivers in them. Our schedule is beyond tight 3500 to 4200 miles a week since I have stopped driving due to paperwork and finding loads take up a whole day. I have lost in the last 6 months 30lbs as of last month 7 of those with MFP my husband has lost 40 lbs. He has 10 years experience with 10 years of junk food habits and I have 2 years.

    We have a fridge and amp along with a hot plate inside the truck and a grill in the side box. We were spending over 1500 a month on food and coffee for 2 before the fridge. Now with everything and a 14.99 coffee maker we spend 175 a week. I shop only organic so our price will be a tad higher. Shopping takes 45 mins once a week and we shop at whole foods who more than welcome our truck and trailer and allow us to park in their dock. There is no excuse about time to make a meal. We just stopped checked fuel, the truck, made a salad, ate, and cleaned up losing 21 mins only. You would kill more time parking and ordering crap at a truck stop. Meats me save for when we have at least an hour a chicken breast takes 9 mins to fully cook.

    While start up cost are high we saved for it before we had all this we made it work with a cooler and just the grill. We walk every chance we can get and do squats outside the truck. You don't have to do much to lose the weight if you are eating right. But know we aren't gonna lose the weight as fast as someone at home going to a gym for 2 hours a day. HAVE PATIENCE !!!!! we didn't get fat in a month why should we lose it in a month! Just remember there's always time if you make it just stop making excuses and go do it already!!

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