Losing weight and staying healthy is no easy task, and adding a stressful, time-consuming job like truck-driving makes this even harder. Today, we’ll be looking at a full guide on how you can lose weight and remain healthy while being a full-time truck driver. 

The truth is, the simple answer is effort. Through proper diet, exercise, and rest, you will be well on your way to a healthy lifestyle. As a truck-driver, you’ll have to incorporate certain aspects of a healthy lifestyle into your schedule, which trust me, is easier said than done. However, as I said, all this will take is effort and dedication for you to lose weight and become a much healthier person. 

Challenges Faced

The position of a truck driver is meant with many obstacles that will affect your health tremendously. Below, we’ll take a look at many of these issues and how they can arise. For example, in a study by the FMCSA, it was found that truck drivers are twice as likely to become obese compared to the average American worker. 

• Lack of sleep– Often times, truck drivers are faced with driving several hours in one sitting. Without proper rest, you become at risk of gaining weight, becoming ill, depression, and much more.
• Poor diet– Being on the road constantly makes it much harder (or so you think) to eat healthy meals. Fast food chains and gas stations are often the “ideal” food stop for drivers.
• Stress– If you are on the outside looking in, truck-driving may seem like a rather simple job. However, if you are indeed one, then you know that it is a stressful environment and is demanding on exact times you must reach your location. Stress can add several health issues much like lack of sleep but can be more detrimental to your mental health.
• Lack of interaction– Truck-driving can be lonely at times, so it is important you set aside time for friends and family whenever you can. Also, their plenty of social activities you can do on the road as well. Loneliness can cause depression, anxiety, and can be the kickstart for poor habits.
• Developing bad habits– These can include anything, but is usually smoking, drinking, bad food, etc…
• Lack of activity– Exercise can be troublesome when on the road and sitting for such long periods at a time can cause issues like blood clots, weaken physical stature, and more.

These are many of the key issues that will be addressed today, and what you can do to counter all of these challenges faced while being on the road. 

Solutions

With the core problems addressed, let’s discuss how all of these problems can be tackled.

The first issue to address is the lack of sleep. When it comes to truck-driving, time is money, and it may be hard to let go of the wheel to gain valuable sleep. The truth is though, if you can 7-8 hours of a rest a night, you’ll have much more energy, be more alert, and have a better outlook to your daily tasks.

However, time is not the only factor that goes into sleep. For it to be effective, you need to make sure your sleep is in a proper setting. Make sure the area is dark, and you are able to be fully stretched out. If you do not sleep properly, the time of rest won’t matter all that much.

The next problem is perhaps one of the biggest, and that is dealing with a poor diet. Although it may seem like fast food and gas station stops are your only choice, trust me, there are other options.

These options, however, may take some time to adjust to, especially if you are on a weight loss journey. Don’t worry, though, once you’ve developed a pattern for providing yourself with healthy food on the road; you’ll find the process to be quite easy.

Making Smoothies/Drinks

A small investment into a small blender and mixer can provide you with many meals per day. Simply getting a bit of fruit and some water or milk can provide you with a breakfast smoothie that is nutritious, calorie-conscious, and quick. 

Convenience stores will often have fruits already mixed in a container, or available for purchase separately. It is best to make these yourself, as premade smoothies tend to contain much more added sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. 

Besides fruits, vegetables also make for great ingredients to smoothies as well. Spinach is a key ingredient found in many smoothies and provides great nutritional value and can be packed in smoothies.

Vegetables may be a bit harder to find at convenience stores but are readily available at any grocery stores and retailers such as Wal-Mart. 

Packed/Pre-made Meals

Instead of indulging in that greasy burger and fry combo at night, how about eating a cooked meal that provides nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals, and more? Meal prepping can be a key-success to providing yourself with healthy, nutritious meals to supplement fast food and quick stops.

If you find yourself not able to cook or prep your own meals, there are services you can order from to provide your meals for you but can be a bit pricey as well.

The personal recommendation here is that you cook the meals for yourself unless you don’t have the time, aren’t the best cook yourself, or what have you. 

Some of the great foods that you can prep include

• Chicken
• Pasta (low carb for weight loss)
• Wraps (chicken, fish, etc…)
• Oats
• Rice (substitutes such as cauliflower rice are best for weight loss)
• Sandwiches (low carb bread, low sodium meat)

 Although not a complete list of prep meals, many recipes are just a google search away, and this short list can give you a good idea of what to expect from meal prepping.

Eating Times

When it comes to losing weight, it isn’t just about what you eat, but also when you eat. One important note here is that you should never skip breakfast. It is a vital part of your day and will give you the much-needed jumpstart to your day. 

Also, the rule of thumb is that you should try not to eat past 8 P.M. Of course, though, it doesn’t have to be a strict time, just as long as it is around that timeframe.

Just like anything in life, implementing a regimen that you follow for your eating times will make the process that much easier, and improve your weight loss and health. 

Staying Hydrated

As silly as it may sound, we all can forget to stay hydrated throughout the day, especially if you are on the road for most of the day. 

Many heath issues can arise from becoming dehydrated, such as becoming dizzy, headaches, exhaustion, and more. The absolute best thing to drink to avoid this is simply water.

The rule is you should be drinking 2/3 ounces of your body weight in water. Reaching around this goal will keep you from becoming dehydrated. You should also be aware that water intake will also need to increase when exercising as well, due to the loss of sweat.

Other things such as juices and such will be fine to have as well but shouldn’t be counted towards your water intake. 

Indulging in the Right Ways

There will come a time where you’ll truly have to grab a quick bite to eat. However, this doesn’t mean grabbing a burger, milkshake, or anything of the sort should be acceptable. Although not the healthiest solutions, there are alternatives to places such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc…

Here are some healthier alternatives when you are truly on a time crunch:

• Subway/Custom sub shop– Despite all the arguments towards sub places still not being as healthy as they make their brand out to be, you can still create a decent sandwich that will provide nutrition at low calories. For some quick tips, avoid red meats and skip the cheese.
• Chipotle/Burrito places– Similar to the subway, places such as chipotle provide relativity healthy meals in their burritos or bowls. For quick tips, avoid cheese, beans, and get brown rice over white if possible. 
• Bars– Make sure you read labels, but convenience stores have really upgraded when it comes to providing healthy bars for anyone on the go. Things to watch out for is high sugar, calorie, and carb amount on some bars. These things are essential, but when losing weight, you want these three areas to be relatively low. 
• Snacks– Today, convenience stores are really putting efforts towards providing healthier options in their food selection. Some snacks and choices that are healthy include; fruit, nuts, protein mixes, and more.
• Protein Shakes– Similar to bars, you’ll have to watch ingredients such as sugar, but protein shakes are a great way to get a decent amount of nutrients and calories in a quick amount of time. 

You can find other options as well, but this is a great start-up list to have some great back-ups when time catches up with you and you need a meal quick. 

Dealing with Stress

Stress can come from many areas, and the way to deal with it is practically the same whether you are a truck driver, or an accountant. As mentioned earlier, stresses that are associated with truck driving is often dealing with traffic and making sure you are spending your time efficiently. 

However, if you constantly put yourself in a state where work is all you focus on, you’ll become stressed quickly. There are countless methods to combat stress, and it may just be about what you enjoy the most personally that will be your saving grace from it. 

Hobbies

One great method to de-stress is spending time with a hobby. Whether it is reading, collecting something, a sport, or what have you, hobbies are a great escape from daily stresses and provide people with comfort. Even side jobs are a great way to break up monotonous tasks as well from truck-driving, whatever that may be.

Exercise

Another great way to relieve stress is exercise. For myself personally, my workouts are my outlet to destress and I feel so much better after a session than I did entering it. We’ll get more into exercise later, but for now, just know it is a great way to beat stress.

Meditation 

It may seem cliché, but mediation really is a great tool to use when you are feeling stressed. Also. Meditation has no set time for how long it takes to work. It can be 5 minutes, an hour, or any time you desire.

If you aren’t sure on how to mediate, don’t worry. There are great apps and online videos available that will teach you the basics of meditation in under 10 minutes. 

Music

The great thing about being a truck-driver is you have the ability to listen to anything you want to keep you occupied on the road. Music is a great way to escape whatever may be stressing you and put you in a better mood. 

Also, you may find that podcasts provide you a great outlet for stress rather than music. Whatever it is you listen to, I’m sure there is something out there you can find to relax your mind. 

As I said before, there are many routes you can take to find what helps you destress, it is just about exploring and finding what works for you. If you aren’t sure where to start though, I’d try each example above and see if you find any of it combating your stresses.

Staying Connected on the Road

Fighting loneliness is a part of being a truck-driver. It can be difficult at times, as being lonely can cause reactions such as depression. Luckily though, there are a few methods around today to help you stay sociable, even on the road.

Social Media

The first and obvious method to discuss is the use of social media. It has truly changed our landscape on how we communicate and is a great way to talk to friends and family. Also, social media platforms offer groups as well.

Here, you can add many family members or friends at once, or join a group dedicated to fellow truck-drivers. These groups are great support and provide an outlet for drivers to discuss whatever they want to with one another. 

Bars/Restaurants

One of the oldest methods around, going to bars and/or restaurants are a great way to meet new people and have conversation.

Of course, though, it’ll be best not to actually have alcoholic drinks when trying to lose weight and stay healthy, so make sure a water is the only thing you order if you choose this route. 

Apps

There are several apps available as well that are meant with connecting with people. Apps like Tinder and Bumble are amongst the most popular, and the ones I’d recommend the most.

Although these apps are great for dating, and are primarily known for that, they also serve as a great way to just make friends as well. 

These are a few of the easiest ways to meet people and have interaction with others without going too much out of your way. 

Breaking bad habits

Bad habits are easy to be made, especially when spending so much time on the road and by yourself. Some of these habits include:

• Smoking/Tobacco use
• Fast/junk food
• Poor sleep patterns

There are more bad habits out there for truck drivers to obtain, but these are usually the most common. All of these habits require different needs to break but all have one thing in common…they all need effort to stop.

For smoking or any type of tobacco use, there are great alternatives out there to help you quit. Some of these include nicotine gum, patches, and e-cigarettes, although, I’d say e-cigs should be a last resort to quitting. It should also be noted that truck drivers are over 50 percent likely to smoke as well, according to the FMCSA. 

We’ve already covered alternatives to beat fast food and junk already pretty well. However, there are studies that show that these foods truly are addictive. You may find yourself needing to come off your bad eating habits slower than usual, just as if you were breaking a habit like smoking.

We’ve also covered sleep as well, but as an added tip, good sleeping patterns aren’t something you need to build into. In fact, you can start this very night by setting yourself up with a good time to go to bed and wake up.

Exercise

Ah, last but not least, lets cover exercise. This along with diet is hands down, the most important component to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. Exercising on the road can be challenging, but certainly not impossible.

Exercise does much more than just make you look better and lose weight. It promotes countless benefits, both mentally and physically. Exercising is about how much effort you pour into it, not the time spent on it. 

For example, you can spend 2 hours at the gym, but if half of that time is used on too long of rest breaks and getting on your phone, it isn’t beneficial. You can get a fantastic workout in just 10-15 minutes, but we will get into that more in just a bit. 

Nation-wide Gyms

There are certain gym chains, such as Planet Fitness, that cover the nation well. A membership to one of these gyms can secure your outlet for exercise. Often times as well, these memberships are relativity inexpensive as well. 

Dumbbells

Although I’d say a gym is the best option, I know it won’t always be available, and it may just not be for you. Many people feel uncomfortable working out in larger group-settings like a gym, and that’s perfectly fine. 

With a few sets of dumbbells, you can perform countless exercises and target virtually any part of your body. Also, there is different types of training you can do as well with dumbbells, such as isolation and circuit training. 

Here is a few exercises you can do for isolation to target certain areas of your body. If you are unsure on how to perform the exercise itself, there are many quick tutorials online to teach you the proper movement.

Upper Body-

• Bicep curls
• Rows
• Chest press
• Shoulder press
• Lat raises
• Shrugs

Lower Body-

• Goblet squats
• Calf raises
• Overhead squats
• Lunges
• Jumps (Box Jumps if available to do so)

There are many, many more exercises you can find online to do with dumbbells, but this list is a great way to get started.

Jump Rope

A jump rope is perhaps one of the most underrated exercise tools on the market today. For truck-driving, it is perfect. They are easy to pack and store, lightweight, and you can perform them practically anywhere. 

Running

The classic workout. Runs can be performed anywhere for any distance. All you need is a good pair of shoes to run in and you are set to go. 

Keep in mind, if your distance for running before getting winded is quite short, it is better to perform walks rather than runs. I’d say if you are able to perform at least a half mile run before getting winded, it’d be beneficial to do so. However, if its below that, walking would be the better choice. 

Bodyweight Exercises

Just like running, all you’ll need for this is yourself and effort. Below are some great bodyweight exercises that can be performed by anyone, no matter your fitness level. 

• Push-ups
• Air squats
• Calf raises
• Sit-ups
• Crunches
• Plank
• Scissor kicks
• Russian twists

Again, there are many more bodyweight exercises out there, but this is a great list to get you started. It should be noted as well that there are many variations you can perform as well on these exercises, so they don’t become monotonous.

Stretching

For truck drivers, stretching is a vital part of being healthy. Sitting for long periods of time can cause serious health issues like blood clots, so it should be taken seriously. To avoid this, set reminders on your phone to stretch, eventually making it a habit.

Short stretches should be done as often as possible, stretching out the arms, legs, and neck while driving. When you can get out of the vehicle, dedicate around 10-15 minutes to do longer, more in-depth stretches to increase blood flow.

This should also be done before exercise, as it loosens muscles and lowers the risk of injury tremendously. 

Time Utilization

As I mentioned earlier, it isn’t about how long your workout is, but what you can accomplish within that time. You know your schedule better than anyone, and if you can squeeze out 30-45 minutes a day of exercise, it’d be ideal. 

However, if you do not have that much free time, even workouts within 10-15 minutes can be effective. These types of workouts need to be usually a circuit or HIIT. These types of workouts involve a combination of workouts, usually at lighter weights, performed at a quick pace. 

They are great for increasing your heart rate, building up a sweat, and most importantly, losing weight. 

Overall, exercise is vital to losing weight and creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself. Just because you are on the road does not mean you can’t find time to exercise. 15-20 minutes every morning can produce a fantastic workout and give you a great start to the rest of your day. 

Motivation

With all of the information provided above, you should be well on your way to seeing weight-loss results and building a healthy lifestyle as a truck driver. At the end of the day, though, it is up to you to apply all of this knowledge to yourself, which can be a difficult task in itself.

The motivation for weight loss and being healthy overall is tough to find at times. Like everything, it can become a rollercoaster, having its highs and lows. To get through those tough times, you’ll need to seek motivation, and here are a few tips for doing so.

Envisioning the Future

Remember why you started this journey and the countless benefits it will provide you. Not only will it help you live a healthier life, but it will also help you perform better at work tasks as well, being more alert and focused. 

Reflect on Results

When you feel like giving up, it is always important to have a reflection on what you have already accomplished. This will give you added motivation and solid reasoning to keep pushing on. 

Other Success Stories

A great place to also find added motivation is through other’s stories. These captivating stories can be found in podcasts, interviews, books, and more. It will show you the light at the end of the tunnel if you will and be a shining example of all you can accomplish along your journey.