Performing a pre-trip inspection is a requirement for every professional driver. You need to make sure your truck is safe to operate.
But as we discussed in Part 1 of this series, not enough drivers are performing a pre-trip for their health. And it’s time to change that.
At The Trucking Fitness Company, we have developed a healthy pre-trip that includes three key tasks:
- Prepare one to two healthy snacks for the day
- Prepare as many zero or low-calorie drinks as you would like for the day
- Move for 5-10 minutes
If you missed Part 1, click here, and in less than five minutes, learn about 10 healthy snacks you can find at any truck stop!
Let’s continue the series and dive into the second task of a healthy pre-trip – prepare as many zero or low-calorie drinks as you would like for the day.
Let me tell you a story about a driver that I work with. His name is John (I changed his name for privacy purposes).
John drives OTR for a company out of the Midwest. Since he started trucking eight years ago, he has put on 40 pounds, has become a Type 2 diabetic, and has struggled with his health day after day.
During our initial onboarding call, John told me that his biggest struggle out on the road was drinking soda.
I’m not making this up; John told me he drank two 12-packs of Pepsi a day. He’s slamming back 24 sodas every single day while driving down the highway.
That’s a crazy amount of soda. And even more empty calories and grams of sugar.
I told John that if he wants to lose weight and control his blood sugar, he’s got to cut down on Pepsi. It’s going to be impossible to get into a caloric deficit so he can lose weight while drinking that many calories.
John agreed and he was a big part of helping create this aspect of the healthy pre-trip!
On a side note, I’m still wondering how he drank all of that soda and didn’t have to stop and pee every couple of miles…
Let’s hope that you’re not drinking 24 soft drinks a day. But if you are like most drivers, you probably drink two to three cans or a 44-ounce Mountain Dew from Love’s. Or your vice is energy drinks, fruit juices, or sugary creamers in your coffee.
The point is, most people drink more calories than they realize. And those calories can add up quickly, causing it to be very difficult to lose weight out on the road.
So, my recommendation would be to stop drinking your calories. Or at least cut down on the amount of calories you consume through drinks. Think of this as low-hanging fruit to help you consume fewer calories throughout the day (which will help you start losing weight).
Think to yourself: Chew your calories, don’t sip them.
And like having a bag of Doritos in your passenger seat, if you have a case of soft drinks next to you while driving, you’re going to end up drinking it.
The key to breaking this habit is setting out as many zero or low-calorie drinks as you would like for the day. Then, move all other calorie-filled drinks out of arm’s reach so you don’t get bored and start drinking them.
We define low-calorie as any drink under 25 calories per serving.
Below are 13 calorie-free or low-calorie drink options that you can find at most truck stops. I know truck stops can be expensive, so these can also be found far cheaper at Sam’s, Costco, Walmart, etc.
- Water
- Diet sodas
- Mio water
- Gatorade Zero
- Powerade zero
- Propel
- Coffee with Splenda
- Tea with Splenda
- Sparkling water
- Zevia
- Hint
- Bubly
- Bai Bubbles
John didn’t go cold turkey off of Pepsi. It was a slow and steady process. But on day one, he started moving in the right direction.
Over time, he transitioned away from Pepsi and towards zero calorie options.
And his results speak for themselves. In the first month of cutting down on Pepsi, John lost 20 pounds. He didn’t change anything else about his normal diet. He lost that weight by cutting down how many calories he was drinking and exercising for 10-15 minutes a day.
From that one small habit change, he’s controlling his blood sugar better, feels more energized, and has lost a ton of weight!
Visit The Trucking Fitness Company and read more from Mark Manera
