The Keystruckers

The following is in no way to be perceived as medical advise. You should always consult your doctor before beginning any weight loss program!  I am not a doctor.

I am only sharing my personal experience!

PART ONE

I recently went to my Doctor for a check up and the subject of weight loss came up, again! You see, I have not been feeling well for a few weeks and so my daily routine changed and my ass started growing again!   CRAP!   Not to worry though. I should be getting things taken care of soon, but that’s another story! 

Many people have asked me about weight management so I decided to tell MY story. This is not medical advise and what works for me may not work for you but I hope you get something out of it, even if  it’s just a good laugh!

It seems that for the 40 some years I have been here, I had not really worried about  weight management that much.  Getting into the trucking business changed that in a big way!

  You see, before trucking, we (Jimmy & I) lived a very active life.  Living on the beach, walking  just about everywhere, riding a bike, working out daily with weights and eating whatever I wanted. I have never been a overeater and have always been active. Then we decided to try something  new and become truckers! It didn’t take long for my metabolism to go WHOOOOO! In a few short months, I went from a size 6 to a 12 then eventually a 16. I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror.

What the heck was happening?

Well for one, when I drove and found myself getting a little drowsy, I would either munch on something or get a cup of coffee that was loaded with fatty high calorie delicious creamer, large cup, filled several times. I discovered chocolate covered coffee beans! Yummy, but full of calories. I didn’t cook in the truck because we didn’t have the means back then, so fast food and restaurants got a lot of business from us.  I have never been a big sweets or junk food eater so we didn’t keep boxes of Twinkies or ho ho’s like some people, but we did eat a lot of fatty high calorie foods and large portions at that. After all at a truck stop diner, they serve hungry man, trucker size portions! I didn’t want to offend anyone by leaving much of it on the plate, so, I ate it! My ass just kept getting bigger. It sucks when you wake up and go to get dressed and suddenly, you can’t even zip your pants up or your bra is cutting off your circulation!

When we first started this new life of ours, I remember noticing  overweight drivers and saying “I’ll NEVER let THAT happen to ME”!  Right!  Of coarse, I really didn’t know better because it was never really a problem for me. Rude awakening for Jan to say the least!  All of the sudden I found myself depressed and ashamed, which made matters worse.

So my doctor says to me ” You want to know what the real secret to succesful weight loss and management is?”  I said, “YES! Please tell me”   he says to me with a smile on his face, “Take in fewer calories than you burn”!  What?  How in the heck can I do that with the current lifestyle I lead?  Simple!  Eat less than you burn!  If your body doesn’t need the calories for fuel, the calories get stored as FAT!  WOW, that sounds so freakin easy doesn’t it? Yea, simple!  Sure, no problem.

I wonder just how many or how little calories the average truck driver burns in a day? Not many, so I either need to starve myself or get off my ass and get some exercise!

My Plan Of Action!

I was told that a great way to start is to change only one thing at a time! You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with trying to make too many changes at once because you will probably fail!  The following steps are a good start and with just these few things, you will not only see a difference , but you’s feel it too!

**I have cut back on the soda’s I drink to one or two a month! It wasn’t easy at first but you’d be surprised the difference it makes when the thousands of  calories aren’t being consumed anymore! No Diet soda‘s either! I’m not sure what it is but there is something in carbonated beverages, diet or not that makes your ass grow! Ice water is free, it’s better for you and helps to increase your metabolism.

**I must have my coffee and lots of it.  I use a large insulated cup (64 oz) I put in a hazelnut flavored splenda, some fat-free creamer and then a little bit of international delight sugar-free hazelnut creamer! Now I have my candied up coffee, but have drastically lowered the calories.

** I take vitamins! Sometimes we crave certain foods or feel hungry because our bodies are trying to tell us that something it’s missing!

**Get out of the truck and walk!  Don’t give me that crap about truck stops being unsafe, that’s bull and just another excuse we use. The fact is, if you get out and just do it with confidence, nobody’s gonna bother you except to say hi, and if they do, just walk away or say thanks for the offer but I’m in the middle of something!  In ten years, I have never felt threatened in a truck stop, but I did use fear as an excuse at one time. Look, we live in truck stops.They are our home so take charge and act like it!  Works for me!

**STOP eating late at night and start eating some kind of breakfast! Muscle Milk light is great on the run and tastes good too!  The protein is satisfying and takes away hunger! Have a banana with it!

In PART TWO, I will be discussing more specific changes in my eating habits and healthy choices in the diners!

If you have any questions or have a specific topic you would like me to address, send me an email!

thekeystruckers@gmail.com

JAN