A good diet for truckers seems challenging. It doesn't have to be. It's so easy to make excuses to justify unhealthy choices. Fast food is at every truck stop and more and more fast food restaurants are starting to provide truck parking just to make it a little more convenient for us to indulge in the cholesterol, fat laden, life shortening, tasty, appetite busting menu. (Lol, still hungry?)
Drink less (stopping would be ideal) sodas and sugary drinks. (including juices)
Drink more water
Eat more fiber
Use spices and herbs that boost your metabolism
Do not skip breakfast
Eat 5 or more times a day
Eat smaller portions
Eat more fruits and veggies
Cut out processed meat.
A good diet plan could include an occasional visit to a fast food joint although they aren't the best place. There are usually salads and grilled chicken available which would fit into a good diet plan (I would take the bread off the chicken or get a wrap), but that's not what we are going to order when we visit. We get the supa dupa extra large fry and coke with a triple grease burger, extra cheese and how about an apple turnover!
(lol,I am trying to make you feel guilty like me!)
Truth is 80% of us need to make dramatic improvements in our diets. A good diet plan with exercise will help you loose belly fat, get more energy, get better sleep, drop pants sizes, and increase the length and quality of life.
You deserve these things and so does your family.
But What's A Good Diet Plan?
"What is a good diet plan?" That's a popular question. You will hear different people with different opinions, especially when attempting to accomplishing specific goals whether it's losing weight, losing fat, losing pants size, etc.
Generally speaking, for overall improvement in health a good diet consists of quality nutrient dense foods with low saturated and trans fat. Mono and Polyunsaturated fats are actually good for you. It should also be high in protein and fiber and consist of plenty of water.
The diet that I used to loose 35lbs
I cut out the fast food and ate...
Tuna, sardines, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, high fiber cereal (fiber one was my choice), oatmeal, grits, plenty of water on the road when I noticed I had gain an extra 50lbs.(weighing in at 250lbs)
Also used cinnamon on my fruits and cereal
Used garlic on just about everything else
Ate small portions 5 times or more a day. 7am, 10am, 12, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm is just about perfect! Of course, this is not set in stone.(and it didn't always make it these times but it was my target.)
Pic the times that are good for you.
You DO want to split the times up and DO NOT feast only 2 or 3 times a day as many will do when trying to loose weight, thinking less does more. Less does harm.(Slows your metabolism down)
Small, frequent meals keeps the metabolism up and helps the body to digest more efficiently. Eating in the morning is absolutely necessary which is only logical if you think about it. You are starting the day from a sleep. You body needs the kick plus you will have time to be active and able to work off some calories.
People that wait as long as possible and then eat a large meal are making a mistake. (I guess, I have emphasized this enough! lol) Take a good multi-vitamin that includes essential minerals like selenium and vanadium such as GNC's Mega Men Multi-Vitamin.(or whatever you like)
Throw in complex carbohydrates like beans and whole grain and you are off to a very healthy start. That is a good diet for truckers and most other people too.
Make sure to make these changes...
Eliminate Simple carbs like white rice and white potatoes.
Replace with brown rice and sweet potatoes. (for you buffet enthusiasts and crock pot chefs)
Eliminate flour based products like white bread
Replace with Whole wheat bread (I ate no bread until I reached my target weight)
Eliminate fried foods (hydrogenated fats)
Replace with baked or broiled or grilled
Eliminate sugars, (includes your juices, soda, candy, junk food) sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin, frutose, corn syrup
Don't consume products high in saturated and trans fat. It's good to consume a certain amount of mono and poly unsaturated fats. (Brings down bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol)
Eliminate sodas, juices, energy drinks
Replace with water, black coffee is better for energy. It has beneficial properties. However, too much coffee (caffeine) is harmful too and if you add sugar or flavoring with sugar...its a problem again. Bring Stevia on the road with you.
Use butter not margarine or neither (Butter is a medium chain fat, good fat, margarine is vegetable oil)
If you use mayo use real regular mayo not light or diet and not miracle whip. I used a little mayo when I first started eating tuna. Later I decided I did not even want those extra calories either until I reached target weight.
Stay away from these ingredients and types of food
Just in case you somehow missed it....
hydrogenated oils
highly processed foods
foods with preservatives
refined sugars
(yeah, i mention sugar again!) trans fat
Now if you can't imagine never eating this stuff again, just make an agreement with yourself to stop eating it until you get down to your ideal, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol number. Then if you still want to eat it, just eat it sparingly. By then you should have adopted a healthier diet.(I eat this stuff every now and then but my weight is still what I got it down to after 8 or 9 years 200lbs)
Why Worry About What You Eat?
A good diet plan is to your body what a scheduled preventive maintenance is for your car. Eating properly could not only give you a better quality of life but save you money because of less body break downs and doctor visits. You will have a decrease chance of developing nasty illnesses or debilitating diseases.
It simply makes sense to eat a better diet.
Have you had any success in loosing weight? How did you do it? How do you stay on track making better choices of food? What do you eat regularly? Do any of you cook in the truck?
The best health plan is here.
