Dateline: Amarillo, TX
I just got this blog re-started, and already I've skipped a couple of days. I can see it's going to be some work on my part to make this a habit, a regular part of my day. Oh well, that's part of lifestyle change, isn't it? But let's move on from this self-flagellation, shall we?
So far I've had mixed results in my efforts to get myself to get some more exercise and eat better. I have been doing some walking every day--at least an hour each day so far--and my legs are feeling tired today in response. (The bad part about having the time to get in long walks every day is, as a truck driver, it means I'm not moving as many miles each day as I could. And since I get paid by the mile...well, you get the idea.) And I have been eating less for the most part, though I'm still not always making the healthiest of choices. But let's recap.
Friday was an all-burrito day. (And mostly a wasted day as far as the job goes. It took all day to get our pickup straightened out, so we wound up staying another night in Denver, but this time at a truck stop across the highway from the one where we started the day.) I had breakfast burrito (with eggs, cheese, sausage, green chiles, potatoes, onions, & peppers) from the truck stop where we spent the night. Boy, that was pretty tasty for a pre-made (but not frozen) burrito. I just wonder what the caloric damage was. Lunch was a chicken burrito from the Green Burrito section of a Carl's Jr. menu at another truck stop outside of Denver. For dinner I wound up back at the same Qdoba as the night before, once again ordering a chicken fajita burrito. That, of course, necessitated another good walk from the truck stop to get to it, so I'm calling that day pretty good as far as my new fitness regime goes.
Yesterday (Saturday) we finally got to hit the road again, heading south to Amarillo, TX. We stopped for breakfast en route at a small truck stop with a Wendy's, and I had a Fire Roasted Burrito and small side of seasoned breakfast potatoes. For lunch--and a late lunch at that, around 3:00--I finally broke the burrito binge and got me some wings and a salad at Amarillo's Buffalo Wild Wings location. Although that was a bit more food than I should be eating on my new plan, well, I am still weak of will at times. Besides, most of it was a SALAD! And that meal held up through the rest of the day, 'til after 10:00 when I just got too hungry to go to bed hungry. So I snagged a hot dog from the truck stop we're staying at (a Flying J). After lunch I did go for a good walk of about 3-1/2 miles, down to the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch and back, with a break there to re-hydrate a bit. Again, all-in-all not too bad of a day, though there is room for improvement.
This morning my student and I hiked back to the Big Texan for their breakfast buffet. This time I did overeat for sure: an omelet with ham, bacon, onions, green peppers, and cheese; some skillet potatoes; and a cheese enchilada. Even with the walk there and back, I hope to find some energy in my legs today to get a little bit of a run in to burn off that breakfast.
So that's where things stand at the moment. A so-so start to my new habits, but I'm pleased that I have started. I hope to keep building on my resolve and my discipline to keep it up and get back into my skinny jeans one day. I look forward to feeling light on my feet again.
Thanks for reading today. Feel free to share your stories of weight-loss successes and temporary setbacks. I hope those of us who need to shed a pound or two (or two dozen) can support each other along the way. See you on down the road.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Back on the Air
Well, I see it's been quite a while since I added a new post to this blog. Many apologies to my loyal fans, but I've found Facebook to be an easier medium for posting my daily exploits. Being a trainer with students on board with me most of the time, it's difficult to find enough quiet time to haul out my laptop and compose essays that are of the standard that you are all used to seeing from me. But now I'm thinking I'm going to resume posting here, but with a bit of a different focus.
I'm finally (I think) going to take the bull by the horns and start working on increasing my fitness and decreasing my tonnage--er, weight. As you may know by following me on FB or my previous posts here, it's very difficult to find time or space to exercise. So in the three years since I was home (and in the hospital) with pneumonia (which turned out to be an effective weight-loss method), my weight has crept up by nearly 20 pounds. So it's time to get serious about getting fit. And to help me keep focused on that, I'm going to use this space to document my efforts toward that end.
If I'm public about my intent and what I'm doing along the way, I'm more likely to "stick to the plan" than if I was going solo. You all can be my coach or training partner, whichever you prefer. I urge you to encourage me when I need a lift, and shame me when I fall off the wagon, so to speak. I'll try to be honest about what I do--or don't do--each day to get fit, both good and bad. I'll recap my physical activity and what I ate, so we can all see what I'm doing right and wrong. So let me start out here by telling you what difficulties I face out here on the road in terms of getting fit, and then I'll recount yesterday's and today's highlights and lowlights.
As I mentioned earlier, it's difficult to find time and space to work out while roaming from truck stop to truck stop. Especially when my student reaches "Phase 2" of the training program, in which we run as a team. That often means driving almost around the clock, leaving little time for exercise. But even during "Phase 1", when we do stop each night, we usually need dinner by the time we do stop. Since we often need to get going again in the morning ten hours after we stopped, that does not leave enough time to eat and digest dinner and get in a workout before getting a good night's sleep. Not to mention time for a shower and breakfast in the morning. (And don't suggest I get up and work out in the morning--my body just can't handle that. It needs to be fueled up and warmed up before powering through an effective workout.) So I'm going to have to develop--and implement--strategies for being ready to work out when we stop. Carrying healthy snacks on board will be step one.
Difficulty number two is the shower situation. Not every place we spend the night has showers available, OR I may not have "shower credits" to take one there. Drivers can earn shower credits at certain truck stop chains when they fuel up their trucks with 50 gallons or more. One credit for each fill-up of 50-plus gallons. My company authorizes us to fuel up only at certain locations of a couple of chains (Pilot Flying J and Love's), so if we spend the night at any other chain--or a "mom-and-pop" truck stop or a rest area--I can't get a free shower to freshen up after working out. And no, I ain't paying $7 to $12 for a shower at the other places. So that is a problem I have to overcome.
As for the space to work out, manymanymany truck stops are in areas that are not "pedestrian friendly". That means walking and running are just not available as a means to burn calories. I do try just circling the parking lots every now and then, but that does get old in a hurry. And don't forget that the weather is quite often a deterrent to outdoor perambulation. Many T/A and Petro travel center locations have added exercise rooms, and I applaud them for that. But as I mentioned above, they're not on our fuel network, so I can't earn any shower credits there to clean up after using their facilities. Here's a plug for the other chains to start adding exercise rooms to their facilities. So those are the major obstacles I face in getting physical activity. What about diet & nutrition?
Since I can't just park a big rig anywhere I want, I'm limited to eating what there is wherever I can park. And that usually means truck stops. They all have at least a convenience store, but their offerings are overpriced, to be sure. Most of the national chain truck stops also have fast food outlets in them, and many have full-service restaurants as well. So it's not a problem finding something to eat. The challenges for me will be to: A. Limit the amount I eat (stay away from the buffets!), and B. Select the healthier choices. I'm also going to have to develop the discipline to limit myself to only one splurge meal per week, to save myself calories AND food cost$. It's been way too easy lately to fall to the enticement of the local Mexican or Wings restaurant whenever I park at a truck stop with such establishments nearby. Most of the time I'm fine just getting a sandwich and don't really want (or need) a full meal, but I succumb anyway. It's time to put a stop to that. Now let's move on to what I've done the last two days.
Yesterday was just terrible in terms of gluttony. We stopped in Amarillo, Texas and had lunch at the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch. I had an 8-ounce sirloin (yum!) with a baked potato (butter & sour cream, of course), side salad, and roll. I was pleasantly full after that. That meal wasn't the problem in itself, though. When we stopped for the night in Walsenburg, Colorado, we ate dinner at the A&W the truck stop had inside. (Those are rare!) Don't ask me why, but I had a bacon cheddar hot dog and an order of chili cheese fries. I wasn't particularly hungry, what with having had that big lunch, but my eyes apparently did the ordering instead of my stomach. So that's what drove me over the edge to start this journey to reclaim my fitness.
After dinner, since it was a GORGEOUS night out, in Colorado, in a small town in the middle of nowhere, I decided to go for a walk up the 2-lane state highway next to the truck stop. It was a nice, straight road and had a mile marker sign ("1") that made it easy to estimate the distance. The road curved about a quarter-mile past that sign, so that was a good place to turn around and head back. So I had about a 2-1/2-mile walk in a little under an hour. (I didn't say I was going to walk fast!) It was still relatively early when I was completing the walk, so I decided to follow that up with a brief run. I changed into what defaults as my workout clothes (the shorts I sleep in and a T-shirt) and headed back up the road.
Now, since I haven't run at all in a few months, and haven't had ANY regular exercise in years, the run probably would have gone better if it hadn't been at 6000-plus feet of elevation. AND if the first half mile hadn't been uphill. AND if I hadn't had those chili cheese fries. But at least I went out there and did it. I covered probably another 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 miles in about 30 minutes, but more than half of that was walking. But at least I went out there and did it. Yay me!
Today I did a little better with the food choices--at least I ate less, anyway. Wild Grape Pop Tarts (2) and apple juice for breakfast, a Wendy's Spicy Chicken sandwich for lunch, and a Qdoba Chicken Fajita Burrito with queso and guacamole for dinner. Since we were stuck in Denver (Commerce City, actually, I think) waiting for a pickup tomorrow, I had time to go for a nice walk. It was on that walk that I found the Qdoba at a shopping center down the road. All told I walked about 1-1/4 hours. My legs aren't really sore at all after yesterday's run, so that's a positive.
OK, I've been at this for a while now, and it's about time to wrap it up. I hope to find--no, make--time each day at least to record my eating and exercise results for that day. Please chime in with your encouragement, suggestions, and admonitions as necessary. I look forward to your input as I go along. Thanks in advance for that, and thank you very much for taking some of your valuable time to read my little essay. I hope I can encourage some of you to join in the search for fitness by my efforts. Let me know about that if you do, too.
See you on down the road!
I'm finally (I think) going to take the bull by the horns and start working on increasing my fitness and decreasing my tonnage--er, weight. As you may know by following me on FB or my previous posts here, it's very difficult to find time or space to exercise. So in the three years since I was home (and in the hospital) with pneumonia (which turned out to be an effective weight-loss method), my weight has crept up by nearly 20 pounds. So it's time to get serious about getting fit. And to help me keep focused on that, I'm going to use this space to document my efforts toward that end.
If I'm public about my intent and what I'm doing along the way, I'm more likely to "stick to the plan" than if I was going solo. You all can be my coach or training partner, whichever you prefer. I urge you to encourage me when I need a lift, and shame me when I fall off the wagon, so to speak. I'll try to be honest about what I do--or don't do--each day to get fit, both good and bad. I'll recap my physical activity and what I ate, so we can all see what I'm doing right and wrong. So let me start out here by telling you what difficulties I face out here on the road in terms of getting fit, and then I'll recount yesterday's and today's highlights and lowlights.
As I mentioned earlier, it's difficult to find time and space to work out while roaming from truck stop to truck stop. Especially when my student reaches "Phase 2" of the training program, in which we run as a team. That often means driving almost around the clock, leaving little time for exercise. But even during "Phase 1", when we do stop each night, we usually need dinner by the time we do stop. Since we often need to get going again in the morning ten hours after we stopped, that does not leave enough time to eat and digest dinner and get in a workout before getting a good night's sleep. Not to mention time for a shower and breakfast in the morning. (And don't suggest I get up and work out in the morning--my body just can't handle that. It needs to be fueled up and warmed up before powering through an effective workout.) So I'm going to have to develop--and implement--strategies for being ready to work out when we stop. Carrying healthy snacks on board will be step one.
Difficulty number two is the shower situation. Not every place we spend the night has showers available, OR I may not have "shower credits" to take one there. Drivers can earn shower credits at certain truck stop chains when they fuel up their trucks with 50 gallons or more. One credit for each fill-up of 50-plus gallons. My company authorizes us to fuel up only at certain locations of a couple of chains (Pilot Flying J and Love's), so if we spend the night at any other chain--or a "mom-and-pop" truck stop or a rest area--I can't get a free shower to freshen up after working out. And no, I ain't paying $7 to $12 for a shower at the other places. So that is a problem I have to overcome.
As for the space to work out, manymanymany truck stops are in areas that are not "pedestrian friendly". That means walking and running are just not available as a means to burn calories. I do try just circling the parking lots every now and then, but that does get old in a hurry. And don't forget that the weather is quite often a deterrent to outdoor perambulation. Many T/A and Petro travel center locations have added exercise rooms, and I applaud them for that. But as I mentioned above, they're not on our fuel network, so I can't earn any shower credits there to clean up after using their facilities. Here's a plug for the other chains to start adding exercise rooms to their facilities. So those are the major obstacles I face in getting physical activity. What about diet & nutrition?
Since I can't just park a big rig anywhere I want, I'm limited to eating what there is wherever I can park. And that usually means truck stops. They all have at least a convenience store, but their offerings are overpriced, to be sure. Most of the national chain truck stops also have fast food outlets in them, and many have full-service restaurants as well. So it's not a problem finding something to eat. The challenges for me will be to: A. Limit the amount I eat (stay away from the buffets!), and B. Select the healthier choices. I'm also going to have to develop the discipline to limit myself to only one splurge meal per week, to save myself calories AND food cost$. It's been way too easy lately to fall to the enticement of the local Mexican or Wings restaurant whenever I park at a truck stop with such establishments nearby. Most of the time I'm fine just getting a sandwich and don't really want (or need) a full meal, but I succumb anyway. It's time to put a stop to that. Now let's move on to what I've done the last two days.
Yesterday was just terrible in terms of gluttony. We stopped in Amarillo, Texas and had lunch at the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch. I had an 8-ounce sirloin (yum!) with a baked potato (butter & sour cream, of course), side salad, and roll. I was pleasantly full after that. That meal wasn't the problem in itself, though. When we stopped for the night in Walsenburg, Colorado, we ate dinner at the A&W the truck stop had inside. (Those are rare!) Don't ask me why, but I had a bacon cheddar hot dog and an order of chili cheese fries. I wasn't particularly hungry, what with having had that big lunch, but my eyes apparently did the ordering instead of my stomach. So that's what drove me over the edge to start this journey to reclaim my fitness.
After dinner, since it was a GORGEOUS night out, in Colorado, in a small town in the middle of nowhere, I decided to go for a walk up the 2-lane state highway next to the truck stop. It was a nice, straight road and had a mile marker sign ("1") that made it easy to estimate the distance. The road curved about a quarter-mile past that sign, so that was a good place to turn around and head back. So I had about a 2-1/2-mile walk in a little under an hour. (I didn't say I was going to walk fast!) It was still relatively early when I was completing the walk, so I decided to follow that up with a brief run. I changed into what defaults as my workout clothes (the shorts I sleep in and a T-shirt) and headed back up the road.
Now, since I haven't run at all in a few months, and haven't had ANY regular exercise in years, the run probably would have gone better if it hadn't been at 6000-plus feet of elevation. AND if the first half mile hadn't been uphill. AND if I hadn't had those chili cheese fries. But at least I went out there and did it. I covered probably another 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 miles in about 30 minutes, but more than half of that was walking. But at least I went out there and did it. Yay me!
Today I did a little better with the food choices--at least I ate less, anyway. Wild Grape Pop Tarts (2) and apple juice for breakfast, a Wendy's Spicy Chicken sandwich for lunch, and a Qdoba Chicken Fajita Burrito with queso and guacamole for dinner. Since we were stuck in Denver (Commerce City, actually, I think) waiting for a pickup tomorrow, I had time to go for a nice walk. It was on that walk that I found the Qdoba at a shopping center down the road. All told I walked about 1-1/4 hours. My legs aren't really sore at all after yesterday's run, so that's a positive.
OK, I've been at this for a while now, and it's about time to wrap it up. I hope to find--no, make--time each day at least to record my eating and exercise results for that day. Please chime in with your encouragement, suggestions, and admonitions as necessary. I look forward to your input as I go along. Thanks in advance for that, and thank you very much for taking some of your valuable time to read my little essay. I hope I can encourage some of you to join in the search for fitness by my efforts. Let me know about that if you do, too.
See you on down the road!
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