It’s not always easy for truckers to eat healthy and exercise while out on the road. Go into any truck stop in America and look around– there are plenty of high calorie, sugary snacks and drinks for sale. Heck, that’s even true of most supermarkets for non-truckers, too.
Being on the road, it may seem convenient to live on Red Bulls and Snickers, but those things aren’t necessarily the best thing to fuel you. And if you’ve been a trucker for any amount of time, you know it’s really easy to gain weight quickly.
One of the ways to eat smarter on the road is to count calories and limit portion sizes. Instead of eating a whole bag of potato chips, eat a handful a day and then quit, saving the bag for handfuls the next couple of days. If you look on most menus these days, you can clearly see how many calories are in certain foods and drinks. Instead of getting the milk shake with 800 calories, opt for the plain milk with 150 calories. Smart little choices really add up to a fitter, leaner you.
If you’re able to, shop at a local grocery store for foods and drinks you like which you can bring with you on the road. Rather than buying stuff at truck stops, this way you can better control what you put into your body. Plus, it’s cheaper to buy, say, a bag of easy-to-eat carrots to snack on than it is to buy a 32 ounce sugary soda at the truck stop. Packing your own homemade meals and snacks with natural/organic ingredients like tomatoes and peppers can help you eat healthier on the road.
As for exercise, stretch your muscles every so often, tighten your stomach doing static sit-ups while driving, and at truck stops and overnight stops, take brisk 15-minute walks to get your blood circulating and your heart pumping. If you stay at a motel or hotel with a pool or fitness center, take advantage of those things to get your body moving and feeling better.
With some effort on your part, you can maintain a “normal” weight and feel healthy living the trucker lifestyle.