A Weight Loss Plan for Over-the-Road Truckers and Travelers

Truck drivers know how tricky it can be to stay healthy while on the road. The problem isn't even a lack of options. Truckers are inundated with an overabundant amount of tempting, convenient, high calorie, and delicious foods.

The trucker diet is designed to help anyone on the road drop a few pounds, all the while building healthy habits that last a lifetime.

Weight loss for truckers has never been easier.

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The Planning Phase of Weight Loss for Truckers

Weight loss for over-the-road truckers can be especially difficult, but it can also be easier. Health minded truckers have at least one advantage when it comes to eating – PLANNING.

If a trucker doesn't plan their meals out, they will inevitably get something quick from the next Love’s station down the road.

However, if you have a properly planned diet, and you've already made a commitment, that Love’s station may be a great place to stock up on healthy snacks and meals.

Write this Down

To plan your diet, get out a pen and paper. Writing things down not only makes them easier to remember, but it also helps to clarify and prioritize your thoughts.

Writing things down is like creating a contract with yourself.

Write down your goals, current weight, projected weight, timeline for progress, and anything else that will help you organize your thoughts and create a full proof plan.

Create a list of healthy foods you enjoy eating. From this list, you’ll be creating 3-6 meals and snacks between 200-600 calories each.

This way, you can easily mix and match the foods listed in your trucker diet. This will give you a general idea for how to develop a healthy schedule, which will hopefully create healthy habits that last a lifetime.

There are no benefits to strict diet plans. Some people may find a limited selection of foods to be easier, but nothing beats a well balanced and diverse diet with delicious, whole foods.

Calories Count

While there is no reason to limit yourself to specific foods, to lose weight, you’ll want to try to eat between 1500 – 1800 calories per day.

If you’re accustomed to eating more than that, you’ll want to eat foods that increase satiation.

Fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber fill us up quicker and keep us feeling that way for longer periods.

The Trucker Diet

Everyone’s diet should be different. But if you’re looking to lose weight, it’s best to eat between 1500 and 1800 calories per day depending on the satiety of the foods, your own body weight, and the amount of activity you’ll be doing that particular day.

We recommend using the perfect plate method to make portioning easy. This means half of your plate will include non-starchy vegetables, one fourth will be carbohydrates, and one fourth protein.

The method is beneficial in numerous ways, but primarily because it fills your plate up with vegetables. If you're especially hungry, you can simply increase the portion size for all three.

Mix and match with the foods in the table to create quick and tasty meals. The idea here is to keep it as simple as possible. Weight loss for truckers doesn't need to be complicated.

The trucker's diet should include delicious, whole foods, but they should also be easy to find, and more importantly, easy to prepare.

Breakfast 300-500 calories total	Lunch 300-500 calories total	Dinner 300-600 calories total
Starbuck’s Classic Whole Grain Oatmeal (160 Calories)	Salad (300-400 calories)	Meal Prep Stir fry (400-500 calories)
Boiled Eggs (80 calories each)	Beef Jerky (100 calories per large piece)	Meal Prep Grilled fish and veggies (400-500 calories)
Avocado (250 calories)	String Cheese (85 calories per stick)	Meal Prep Steak Mushrooms and Veggies (400-600 calories)
1 piece of fruit or cup of berries (50-100 calories)	Veggies and Hummus (90 calories)	Lean Cuisine Salmon with basil (260 calories)
Bacon (50 calories per strip)	6″ Subway Fresh Fit Sandwich (400 calories)	6″ Subway Fresh Fit Sandwich (400 calories)
1 cup of Greek yogurt (100 calories)	Healthy Choice Power Bowl (300-400 calories)	Healthy Choice Power Bowl (300-400 calories)
Whey Protein Shake	Whey Protein Shake	Whey Protein Shake
Intermittent Fasting	Intermittent Fasting	Intermittent Fasting

Example Meal Plan

So long as you choose a reasonably sized piece of grilled or baked meat, fruits and vegetables, and healthy grains, you can easily create a delicious and nutritious weight loss meal plan. The trucker's diet is the same as other quality diets; lots of boiled eggs, avocados, leafy vegetables, and grilled meats.

Breakfast (300-400 calories)

• 1 boiled egg
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup of berries

Lunch (300-400 calories)

• McDonald's Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad (290 calories)
• 1 Apple

Dinner (400-600 calories)

• Healthy Choice Power Bowl Korean Inspired Beef (310 calories)
• 1 avocado 250 calories

Snack

• 1/2 cup mixed nuts (400 calories)

Meal Prep for Long Trips

It really pays to prepare several meals in advance. Some of them can even be frozen and stored for long term use.

Meals like soup, stir fry, and grilled meat taste great when reheated and can be stored in the fridge for several days.

It's also convenient to cook several meals at once when you fire up the grill.

BPA free plastic containers, glass jars, aluminum foil, and zipper baggies all work great for meal prepping. For a boatload of ideas, check out meal prep recipes and weight loss meals.

Choose low glycemic carbohydrates:

• Sweet potatoes
• Dry beans
• Peas
• Lentils
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Wild rice
• Corn
• Squash

Fiber-rich sides

• Peas
• Beans
• Lentils
• Other legumes
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Seeds

Grilled, Baked, or Pan Seared Protein

• Skinless chicken breast
• Skinless turkey
• Fish
• Seafood
• Grass-fed beef
• Wild Game
• Eggs
• Legumes
• Low-fat Greek yogurt
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Reduced-fat cheese
• Low-fat milk
• Plant milk
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Tofu
• Seitan

Healthy Fats

• Olive oil
• Canola oil
• Coconut oil
• Other plant-oils
• Fish oil
• Nut butter
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Avocados
• Olives

Weight Loss Resources for Truckers

Truckers are typically on or near an interstate for the majority of their trip. They're also limited by the size of their truck, which means it's not always convenient to get whole foods or to a healthy restaurant.

A good weight loss plan for truckers requires eating foods that are available at truck stops and fast food shops. Fortunately, the demand for healthy food is increasing, and many chains are now offering healthy choices.

Pilot/Flying – J/Loves/Truck Stops

Truck stops regularly serve healthy options like salad, fruit, and sandwiches.

These prepackaged meals are typically stocked during the morning, so get there early if you want to stock up with the freshest ingredients.

Fast Food

Lots of fast food chains offer salads, and many of them are actually quite delicious. For instance, Subway, Chipotle, TacoBell, Captain D's, and even McDonald's all have a great menu with several healthy selections.  Just stay away from fried food and starchy bread.

Healthy Choice Power Bowls

Power Bowls are a great addition to anyone's diet. They're super convenient, delicious, and low in calories.

There's also several to choose from, which means they can be used for multiple meals throughout the week.

My personal favorite is the Sweet and Zesty Seasoned BBQ Pork, but the Korean-Inspired Beef is a close second.

Whey Protein

Protein shakes are a great way to add some variety to your diet. They're typically low in calories but filling enough to replace an entire meal. Choose a whey protein powder without added sugar and mix in some creatine for an added bonus to your workout.

Utilize Intermittent Fasting

If you're not hungry, don't eat.

That's the first rule of intermittent fasting. Of course, it's customary to schedule a couple of days or time slots throughout the week, but there is no reason to eat if you're not hungry.

Intermittent fasting takes advantage of your body's natural ability to store and use energy when needed.

When you go several hours without eating, your body begins to use stored fat cells for energy; thus loss ensues.

To implement fasting into your diet, choose 2-3 days in the week to go without eating for 12-18 hours (including sleep). If you find you're getting hungry during the fast, try eating a snack with only protein or fat.

This will help hold you over but won't kick your body out of ketosis.

Over the Road Exercise

It's important to incorporate some physical activity for at least a couple of hours throughout the week, but working out doesn't have to include going to the gym.

Fortunately, here are a variety of bodyweight exercises that can be done almost anywhere. Squats, push-ups, burpees, lunges, jumping jacks, and dips can all be done in a hotel room, parking lot, or local park.

Focus on keeping the workout as intense as possible for 30 minutes at a time, resting for 30 seconds to a minute between sets.

Your new friend & health coach,

Stuart Carter
Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “The Fit Brit”
Bragging Rights: 16 Years in the fitness industry, Author of ‘The Easy Fitness Guide', Father of 4 boys and Husband to a Venezuelan beauty.

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on weight loss for truckers.