Help for a trucker

[AZBrian]

I'm 43 right now and 10 years ago is when I started packing on the pounds, prior to that I weighed 190 which is perfect for my body type. Since then I averaged adding on 10-20 pounds per year to my current weight of 308. I've started Atkins several times but each time I failed.

My biggest obstacle is that I'm a truck driver and I'm only home for 1 day a week so I dont have the convienence of a kitchen and stove/oven to cook hot meals. I've become completely sedentary due to my job and just too tired the 1 day I'm home to do anything. I quite smoking several years ago but I have an addiction thats probably just as bad and that is that many days my only liquid intake is Diet Pepsi. I almost act like a drug addict when it comes to drinking diet pepsi. I have a real hard time downing just plain water...yuck(actually I should just say boring instead of yuck).

I do have a cooler in my truck that I can keep things refrigerated but eating hard boiled eggs and those packages of tyson precooked chicken gets old really fast. My other choice is eating at truck stops and getting them to substitute this for that to make a low-carb meal is almost like pulling teeth.

Any suggestions for things that I can prepare a week in advance and keep in my cooler that doesnt require cooking and wont tempt me to throw my hands in the air in angst and resort to eating whatever greasy substance they throw on my plate at truck stops. Occasionally I do have access to a microwave a couple times during the week.

Thanks in advance. Also since I'm only home once a week, it may take me a while to respond back.

Brian

[Terry]

Re: Help for a trucker

Hi Brian!
My husband is a driver, although he is home every night as he drives locally. Being on the road for days at a time is tough but I think we can help make this work for you.

Im sure others will have more ideas but here is what I come up with right off the top of my head:
Cheese and pepperoni, devilled eggs (For a change from plain boiled eggs), bag salad and dressing (pick up a baked chicken from the deli and take it off the bone when you are home and you will have something to throw on that salad), tuna fish, egg or ham salad ready to go, precooked bacon to make into blt's wrapped in lettuce.

Im a little short on sleep so right now that is all I can come up with but Im sure someone else will come along with many more ideas for you.

Good luck!

[Moochiecat]

Re: Help for a trucker

With some planning you'll do great...it's fantastic that you have a cooler and that'll be really helpful.
Keep cans of tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, ham (whatever you like) in the cooler along with a squeeze bottle of mayo and a jar of pickles and you can mix up a quick salad and eat it with sticks of celery, or zucchini or green or red peppers.
I like the idea of buying a roasted chicken and having that for meat rather than processed meat because it'll cut down on your sodium intake.

I encourage you to have a look at the Acceptable Foods list and work from that.
Lots of vegetables will last quite a long time when they are cut up and put into a ziplock or sealed container...broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and celery come to mind. A bottle of blue cheese dressing to dip them in and you're set.
A block of cheese would be great in the cooler as well.

Re: the diet pepsi.
A lot of us had to make changes that didn't really sit well with us for a while, but it's only by changing our habits that we can make a difference in our weight loss, right?
Dr. Atkins advises us to avoid aspartame so diet pepsi, and most diet drinks are off limits. You have to ask yourself how big a role you want a carbonated chemical mixture to play in your life. Ask yourself what it's ever really contributed to your life, your health, your well-being, and why you allow it to hold such power over you.

I can guarantee you that once you get into the habit of drinking water, you're going to notice a huge amount of health benefits...better sleep, less aches pains and headaches, clearer skin and a general feeling of being healthy. Being properly hydrated can make a world of difference, and I doubt I was ever properly hydrated in my life until I started Atkins.

You can keep a lemon in your cooler and throw a slice in your water to jazz it up a little bit. Some folks use slices of cucumber.
Remember, only water counts as water, and drinking it is a habit that you have to teach yourself. Find out how you like your water...icy cold? room temp? and get in the habit of having it close at hand at all times and sip sip sip.

I haven't been to many truck stops lately..lol...but surely to goodness they serve up salads. Have a bacon mushroom cheeseburger, no bun, with salad instead of fries....SO good! Hot wings (ask if it's regular hot sauce, which is fine for us to have) and salad with blue cheese dressing. Dry ribs are great as well, and I like to order those with a spinach salad.
Get really familiar with the Acceptable Foods list and you'll be amazed at what you can have.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing!

[not2late]

Re: Help for a trucker

Exercise can be challenging for you, but you need to do it. Make it a point to walk during your driving breaks. You can also do good old-fashioned exercises from your school days: push ups, sit ups, leg lifts, windmills, jumping jacks, etc.

I haven't been to a truck stop in a long while also, but if you can find grilled food (no sauce) or roasted foods, go for that.

[cajunthunder]

Re: Help for a trucker

Steak and eggs, or ham and eggs - good ole truck stop fare! Just forego the hashbrowns/grits and toast/biscuits!

Next, get yourself a truckin dog! He/she will keep you company and on your stops, you have to take them walking!

Good luck!

[Bugaboo]

Re: Help for a trucker

I used to work at a truck stop fuel desk up until Aug of last year. Heck, if you ever went to the Aurora TA you probably met me! Please...no comments on the TA...I only worked there! Lol! Anyway, I met quite a few drivers that were doing Atkins with a lot of success. Be wary of some truck stops "Low carb" menus. I know ours wasn't. I actually went off on a little tanget at the General Manager when I read our new "low carb" menu. Basically it was low carb compared to the rest of the food but Dr.Atkins would have slapped them silly if he'd seen it. When I was working there I would get a hot dog with no bun, breakfast and just throw away the bread and hashbrowns (the hashbrowns were nasty anyway) or get a burger w/cheddar cheese and again throw away the bun. There's always steak and grilled chicken. Our truck stop had a fairly nice salad bar too. If you don't want to deal with other drivers piping up with their un-asked for opinions just get your food to go and eat in the peace and quiet of your truck. Moochie already came up with some great suggestions. A lot of friendly foods can be kept in your cooler and you can munch on those. I know an entire meal can be tricky though when you're living out of a truck. Do you have room for a small grill like a Hibachi? (sp?) During the summer a lot of guys would set up little grills in the back of the lot and bbq. I hope this helps at least a little!

[Peytonn]

Re: Help for a trucker

I was thinking Waffle HOUse.. OMletS!!! skip the grits/toast/potatoes... eat salad or steak....

[sidrah]

Re: Help for a trucker

Anything canned..vegetables, tuna, chicken, salmon or pork rinds are good to keep on hand if you can't get near real food for a while. You can order food and have them throw a salad in instead-everyone does it and unless you scream it out loud, I doubt anyone would give you crap about it. If the waiters aren't that accomodating, just get the steak or pork chops or something and do some dissecting at the table. If I had a cooler I would fill it with ice and drown some water bottles in there. It is so much better to drink it cold rather than "sitting in the sun" hot.

You can always stop in a deli when you know you can get near a microwave and pick up some eggs and cheese or good deli meat. you wouldn't think so, but yo can get full fast on a good ommelette-just throw in cheese and vegetables and chicken in a can or salmon...

I found these packages of salad dressing in Target that are individual packs like when you order in McDonalds kinds of places and they were cheap and require no refrigeration. A box of 10 packs awas only a dollar something.

Just pick up a can opener and you can start right away. Fast food places are really good now. like Wendy's, I get a bacon double cheeseburger with side salad or side ceasar instead of fries adn bottle of water instead of diet coke.

I will confess I like soda on occasion, but I get Diet Srprite or & Diet 7 UP. both are made with splenda as is Diet Rite. Keep only a few on hand and have them if you need soda. I usually make this deal if I have a can of diet rite or a cup of Sprite, I have to haev equal water to balance it out. The soda thing never bothered me weight loss wise. It wasn't 2 L, but still.


Good luck!!

[lola101]

Re: Help for a trucker

Hi ..just wanted to wish you goodluck!
I know a few truckers (my friend's dad) and they are on atkins and are doing just fine! So don't feel like you are the only one!
You can do this.. don't let your job be the reason you fail.. if others can do it so can you
there have been many good ideas given.. not sure if anyone mentioned beef jerkey?
you can also make your own from beef , turkey etc!
canned stuff is always good.. ham , sardines, veggies
Make some flax bread/crackers
also pork rinds.. but try not to get the flavoured ones b/c they usually have sugar and non induction friendly ingredients
and I think exercise is def. possible.. just try to work it into ur schedule whenever possible.. you don't need to be at a gym!
good luck! let us know how it goes

[Bugaboo]

Re: Help for a trucker

Lola just reminded me about exercise. When you're in a safe truck stop try parking farther away from the building. You could get in some good walking that way, as I'm sure you know. The TA I was at it was a quarter mile from the fuel desk to the very back of the lot. Although, I wouldn't recommend parking that far away from the building. It just reminded me how big some truckstop parking lots are, you could probably take one lap around some of them and get in a good walk. Another post also reminded me to advise you to stock up as much as possible on friendly foods. A lot of people don't realize that it's a heck of a lot harder for a driver with a 53' trailer to just whip in somewhere for supplies.

And if I'm just rambling on stuff you already know about or have realized please forgive me! After working so long at the fuel desk I actually have a soft spot for drivers...well most of them. My oldest brother is going to apply at Swift. I told him what the funny acroynm (sp?) for Swift is and he laughed. I think he'd make a good driver.

[AZBrian]

Re: Help for a trucker

Hi all,
Thanks for the all the replies. I'm on week 2 now. My first week didnt go so well but I'm doing much better this week. Instead of failing because I didnt have the will power, I found that I was easily using the "excuse" to say that I didnt have any will power to break my induction (if that makes any sense). The will power was there all along. Now when I see pancakes and hash browns on the menu I dont say "mmm, I want those so I'll take a 30 minute break from atkins" then afterwards blame it on a lack of will power.

This morning when I weighed myself I was 294 so I'm back under the 300lb mark now and even with a daily fluxuation of of a few pounds that can happen, at 294 I will still be under 300.

Thanks for all the suggestions. The more I put some thought to it the more ideas I come up with to eating on the road. I used to drive 48 states but right now I drive midwest regional dedicated for walmart grocery division and would see all that food but no way to really prepare it. When I make deliveries during the day now, sometimes I'm able to get those roasted chicken and thats really satisfies my hot meal craving.

Downing the right amount of water and cutting back on soda still remains a challenge for me although I have switched to all splenda and no aspartame.

Since I dont have internet while on the road, I've printed out this whole message thread to help me with the ideas/encouragement I need while away.

Thanks and I talk to you all in a couple of weeks again,

Brian

[Moochiecat]

Re: Help for a trucker

I'm so glad you're keeping in touch, Brian!
Sounds like you are making progress, and that's so excellent. Change can't always happen overnight and sometimes it happens one hurdle at a time, which is what you are doing.
Keep working at it and take advantage of any opportunity you can to make small changes...like parking farther away than you normally would so you that extra walking in...making sure your splenda count stays at 3 servings or less a day....taking that extra gulp of water when you aren't really into having it...lol....every little thing is one more piece to the weight loss puzzle.

And please keep updating this thread so we know how you are doing!

[Bugaboo]

Re: Help for a trucker

Good to see you Brian! One thing that helped me was to realize it wasn't willpower...it was choices and I had the ability to make the right choice. Not always easy...especially when you're hungry...that's why having handy snacks can really help. The very first person I met who was on Atkins was a truck driver for RLT. He dropped a whooooole bunch of weight and he told me "Buy the Atkins book...it works!" I wish I would've listened to him sooner! And he's kept the weight off for 8 years now! He was home a lot more than you (I think once a week) but he's been able to stick with it so I know you can too. Wait until some of those fuel desk ladies start to notice...if they're not pouncing on you already they will be! lol! We lost more than one fuel desk girl to drivers! lol!

Sorry for the ramble...I've been keeping an eye out for you and I'm glad to see you're doing well!

[Terry]

Re: Help for a trucker

Hi Brian

I have been on the look out (as another truckers wife) looking for you to post and let us know how you were doing. You have gotten a great deal of good advise here. I would follow it if I were you!

You are doing great! Just be sure to always have something legal with you so that you wont be tempted to eat something that you really dont want to.

Keep us posted when you return!

T

[Lisa M]

Re: Help for a trucker

Hey Brian! Congrats on getting under the 300 mark.

When you're in Idaho honk and wave! You've got some great advice, I just wanted to add some encouragement for you to find exercise while your on the road be it walking around Walmart when you make your delieveries or finding some weights to carry with you on the road to start mini-work outs when your on your down time.

Make it home safe, and check in when you get a chance. We're all rooting for you...especially me, since our Super Walmart is my friend