Any truck drivers out there?

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Looking for helpful tips and tricks to keep you on track while being over the road for long periods of time. Thanks!

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  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    edited November 2016
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    I'm semi retired but ride with my daughter from time to time. Do you have a fridge to store cold food in or something to cook with? A microwave? There's a lot of crock pot cooking going on in trucks but unless you're a team it's really not worth making that much food for one person. If I were a solo driver I'd invest in an electric fry pan that plugs into the cigarette lighter or an inverter. Nothing more than 1500 watts. You can slow cook meats and vegetables while you're driving and they are easier to clean out, just a little Dawn and water, turn it up for 15 minutes, swish and dump out. You can butter and grill bread, make omelets, and use it like a fry pan. They're so versatile.
    Food tips:
    1. You need plenty of meat because the protein will keep you filled up and prevent muscle loss as you lose weight. Ham, turkey, and chicken are the best low calorie meats in my opinion. If you don't eat meat I don't know.
    2. Limit cheese. It's super calorie dense.
    3. Do not eat anything that sits under a heat lamp like the ready-made hot foods at Loves unless you're stopped up. Even then just don't.
    4. Denny's will do the same thing to your digestion as heat lamp food and there are few reasonable low calorie while still affordable choices on the menu.
    5. Hardees is good but you will gain weight eating here.
    6. Arby's is a good choice. Love their turkey gyros. Only 450 calories and filling.
    7. If you're craving Fritos don't buy a banana. Most bananas have 135 or more calories. Just eat the chips.
    8. Drink lots of water, black coffee, or diet pop. Diet pop doesn't make you fat. You might crave sugar but as long as you don't eat too much of it, it's okay.
    9. Breaded and fried foods are loaded with tons of extra calories. Try to order chicken or fish grilled or blackened.
    10. Say no to the fries. It's perfectly okay to order 1 sandwich and a glass of water. The water's normally free.

    It's really hard keeping your weight in check when you have to sit for 11 hours at a time. Walks are wonderful but sometimes sleep is better. You need energy to function but you can lose weight while OTR. Think about taking a daily multivitamin when you cut calories. It's hard to stay healthy while you're losing weight.
  • Nodaysoff86
    Nodaysoff86 Posts: 40 Member
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    Hello, from a fellow roadie. Lol. Im in my truck 20 days a month, i have a microwave in mine. I prepare all my lunches and dinner when home before i leave out. Only gotta heat it up that way. Breakfast is usually those jimmy deans breakfast, they are low cals and do the trick.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    I have CDL but never drove OTR, local only, but I got a lot of "exercise" hooking & unhooking (as well as loading & unloading) trailers.

    That said, I think you can remain healthy and fit OTR if you pay careful attn to what you eat and take the time to do body weight exercises, like pushups, squats, jumping jacks or jump rope (and maybe pullups on the side of a cab or trailer) as well as just doing some running, jogging and/or walking (w/lunges?) around the rest stops.