10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

APRIL 2006 TRUCKER TALK
FOR YOUR HEALTH
By Writers and Owner Operators Rod & Kim Grimm

We Americans are getting more and more obese every year. This obesity is contributing to all sorts of health risks, not to mention added expenses, to our lives. And as drivers, we know how “healthy” our lifestyle is. Rod and I decided to finally stop talking about doing something and actually begin making necessary changes in our lives to get us to a more healthy weight. And we decided to commit it to print – for all of you to see.

Barry Powelik of Hinton, Oklahoma has spent years researching and creating a program for drivers to help them change their eating and exercise habits. Recently, Barry put together a team of 24 drivers to study while they all try to lose weight and get healthier. Rod and I are now proud to be part of that study team.

Committing to this program is a change for life. Let’s face it, what is on the menu at most truck stops? Chicken fried steak, available for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. A few menus include some healthy choices, but most of the time it’s the standard fare of hamburger and fries, or everyone’s favorite, the buffet. All you can eat – and it’s all soooooo good for you! Once in awhile you can get your chicken baked instead of fried, but not usually. It’s like the truck stops have given us all a license (and their blessing) to overeat.

Fast food places are becoming the norm in truck stops these days. KFC, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Subway are just some of the “restaurants” often seen at truck stops. At some of these places, you can get a salad or a relatively healthy sandwich, but you really have to pay attention. It always seems so convenient to just order something that is easy to eat while you drive. And if you’re in a hurry or you eat and then lie down and go to sleep, it’s even worse. Both of these are really bad habits and most of us in this industry have them.

Most trucks have a refrigerator now, which makes it easier to bring along your own food. If you go to the grocery store before you leave home or stop at a super-center along the way and pick up some fresh produce, lean meats and whole grain bread, that can be a really good start. Something else I’ve noticed now that I’m really looking is all of the new smoothies that are available out there. Look to see if they’re made with puree or if they’re made from concentrate – puree is better. We will now be taking along snacks of fruits and veggies, which are not only better for us but they save us a little money as well. A lot of truck stops are offering these now, but most of the time they look pretty pathetic. Having good food with you and planning ahead helps to prevent those unhealthy, impulsive choices.

To start, all 24 of us drivers participating in the study took a complete physical. Dr. Tutt and associates in his office in Oklahoma City, OK are overseeing the study. Barry, who has a degree in physical education, will be putting together the exercise part of the program while Sue Nickel will be overseeing the nutrition part. We will be taking a complete multivitamin and supplements. After taking them for less than a week, we both can tell a decrease in appetite and an increase in energy.

Some drivers in the study had significant health scares that helped to motivate them and, in one case, the physical revealed a heart problem that could have proved deadly down the road. Listening to the radio and television news reports, there is a lot of talk about heart disease and how it has become the number one killer of women. Heart disease kills more people than the next 12 diseases combined. That fact alone should motivate you to do something – especially if you are at risk for heart disease.

So, we’re going to change some ancient habits. We will be stopping more along the way, which should be good for our dog Lizzie as well, as she’s a little overweight too. And Starbuck, our younger dog, is always up for a good walk. Now that it’s spring, the days will be more pleasant than those of winter. And we’re fortunate to have a bunk big with enough room to do exercises in if the weather isn’t so nice. We will also be making better food choices. You get just as full eating the right things as you do eating all that junk. Have you read some of the food labels closely? With the staggering amounts of fat, carbohydrates and cholesterol, it’s no wonder we look like we do. I told Barry that I’ll still need that banana split or occasional sweet treat from time to time, and he said that was okay.

Barry says, “It’s not what you eat, but what you do with it.” We have been eating and not doing much with it for a long time, so it won’t be easy. But we know that the weight we need to lose didn’t come on in a week and it won’t come off in a week either (although I think that would be great). That’s not how it works, so we’re working on the schedule of a year. I will update you of our progress in six months. And if you want to join in on your own, please do so.

We all know what we should do, it’s just getting the right motivation to do it. Rod and I made the standard New Year’s resolution to lose weight, as we and many others do every year. Most of those resolutions last a few weeks at best. This time we’re making a real commitment to lose weight and get healthy too. People who know me think it’s a great idea for me to get even more energy! Now, if only I could figure out how to get more hours in a day, so I could accomplish even more.

In parting, here are a few tips. Stop and get out every four hours and take a little walk. When stopping at a truck stop, or even shopping at home, park far away instead of right by the front door. If you haven’t had a complete physical in a while (men, are you listening?) go get one. What you don’t know can kill you, but if you find out about something bad soon enough, you can probably do something about it. Really think about the food you’re putting into your mouth. Nutrition labels are now supposed to be written in a language that the average person can understand, so be sure to check out what is in the food that you are eating. Get an exercise program that works for you and your schedule. We hope that you and yours join us in getting thinner and getting healthy. Good luck! Consider the family portrait above (taken a few months ago) our “before” picture.