Son helps trucker dad shape up and eat better on the road
Written by Carolyn Magner w/Mike Adams
Original Source: http://www.truckersnews.com/fit-for-the-road-16/
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| Dad and Me May 2010 |
Mike Adams is a 57-year-old company driver from Liberty, Texas. He recently quit a long-time smoking habit and lost nearly 30 pounds since teaming with his son Jeff to help him lose weight and get in shape. Here is his story:
Mike Adams and son, Jeff Adams
I was always proud of my son Jeff and how he helped military personnel get into shape. Jeff is a former Navy Physical Readiness Training Instructor who used to coach service men and women who had difficulties meeting body fat and fitness standards. This year he decided to take that training information and apply it to truck drivers. I was his first case.
He started me out with an exercise program and healthy diet. I used to eat a lot of junk food and he cut all that out. As I did these things with more consistency every day, I found myself thinking more and more about my health. I had quit smoking before but kept going back to it. This time I realized my thinking about health was changing. Every time I ate a healthy meal or finished a hard workout, it felt good. I could see my health was improving.
The more I made healthy meal choices and worked out, the more I kept thinking about quitting smoking. Finally, one day I bought nicotine patches to begin stepping myself off the nicotine addiction. I think the first level of patches was actually more nicotine than I was used to. Still, I stuck to the patch program, kept doing my workouts and eating my five small meals per day.
Every day I reinforced my new healthy mindset. I think it’s been over seven months since my last cigarette and I haven’t missed them. I have a new behavioral addiction and that’s getting fit and healthy! Even though I gained about 12 pounds back after quitting smoking, I’m back to [the weight] I was and am moving forward.
There have been other health gains. Since losing nearly 30 pounds, I’m now down to half of my blood pressure medication with almost a normal blood pressure reading. I’ve averaged about 110/75, the lowest in years.
Everyone wants to know how I am doing this. I wish I could say there was a magic fitness fairy. However, I can credit my success to my son’s determination to help me do a workout in my cab and telling me how to eat healthier on the road. We decided to use the Tony Horton, P90X workout program and modified it by mounting bands in key places in the truck. I use weighted resistance bands in the truck and kneel for some of the overhead lifting moves. We placed plywood and a mat under my mattress so I can lift the mattress out of the way to do abdominal exercises. I mostly do cardio outside the truck now.
I cut out junk food and added a meal replacement shake, “shakeology,” to my diet. The drink is low in calories and high in nutrients plus it makes me feel full. As the weight started coming off, I increased the amount of exercise I did and continued to eat frequent, small healthy meals.
Honestly, success is its own motivator. I feel better, my wife started flirting with me again and I wasn’t ashamed to be seen outside the truck. It starts with small changes to your diet such as eliminating junk food and, soon, it’s just part of your life. Same thing with fitness; you start with a few easy weights and a walk around the truck. Slowly you build up to a level that’s right for you.
My son helps drivers through his Facebook page, Truckin’ Fitness, and we’ve teamed up to do some fitness coaching as well. I want to “pay it forward” and hope to help other drivers make healthy choices.
FIT FOR THE ROAD
Be sure to visit www.fit4theroad.com for more information on weight loss, healthy recipes, information on health products and more.
The point is, the healthier you get; the more you want to stay healthy. I’m doing this for my family and because I love my trucking job. If you are out of shape and medically unfit, you may not be able to keep your trucking job. My advice is to start right this minute. Don’t put it off.
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