No Longer Taking Insulin!

Brett, any thoughts about how to integrate sustained, consistent low intensity exercise in an OTR lifestyle?

I think the best is just plain-ol' jogging or walking. You need to move enough to get your heart rate and breathing going, but not so fast that you're working hard. If you're in the hills, walking uphill is fantastic. On flat ground, just a mix of walking and light jogging. 30 minutes would be the minimum time you'd want to put in each day.

The nice thing about walking or jogging is it gets you out of the truck and out in the world. There's something very uplifting and invigorating about getting outside. I think it's important for the spirit.

Exercise bands are also a great way to exercise in the truck. They take up almost no space, they weigh almost nothing, there's a variety of muscles you can work, and you can use them right in the truck easily.

In my opinion, if you don't get your heart rate and breathing rate elevated a bit you're not exercising. So the people who count steps or take slow walks on flat ground are not helping themselves. You have to push yourself a little bit.

Targeted yoga may be an additional low-movement wellness tool worthy of consideration for diabetes management, Marc, and beyond.

I've done Yoga for probably 15 years now. I only do it 15-20 minutes a day. It doesn't take much. But the health benefits are incredible. They seem to be powerful beyond what you would expect from something so simple.

and weaning reliance off the compromised role of allopathic medicine.

You're talking my language!

Congratulations!

Congratulations that's great to hear!

Methinks it notable that ice cream hits both sugar AND fat receptors. It's more the "cream" than the "sweet" for me.

Since taste buds are so hugely adaptive, I'm reminded here that my own best journey (again) is away from powdered creamers (bad trans fats) and half 'n half (higher sat fat & calories) to low fat milk in my coffee. Which is a world away from the ice cream experience..... but once planted behind a steering wheel for long hours minus the levels of physical movement I now enjoy, the motivation to trade that off jumps considerably.

Brett, any thoughts about how to integrate sustained, consistent low intensity exercise in an OTR lifestyle? Or export any of your approaches to that?

Points you made can't be stated enough in reforming perceptions about what keeps us healthy, establishing personal investiture in that and weaning reliance off the compromised role of allopathic medicine.

Targeted yoga may be an additional low-movement wellness tool worthy of consideration for diabetes management, Marc, and beyond. Every organ in the body can be worked with a yoga posture. Searching yoga & diabetes points to an emergence of quality studies showing good outcomes for blood sugar levels, lipid profiles, blood pressure, body weight and oxidative stress.

I really lack a grasp still on how even minimally adequate exercise & movement will fit into a transition to driving long hours. Not only for me, but for the dogs I hope to include. For the time being, we love our mountain terrain hikes!

Yoga and meditation are great things you could try on the road.

Another is a very brisk walk. Don't have room, or the location prevents it? Try doing laps around the rig. If you need to start slow, start with 3 laps on day 1, then add only 1 lap each successive day. Try that for a month. On the second month, try to start jogging it. Split it up into sections. 5 laps you do a very fast walk, then the next 5 laps jog it.

Thanks Grumpy, Bobcat, PackRat!

So I get it (Brett) that walking on flat land is not as good as running, climbing, etc.. Still... I was pleasantly surprised to see I hit my 6,000 step target somehow while driving hundreds of miles that day.

Dunno how, but it was what it was!

I was pleasantly surprised to see I hit my 6,000 step target

That's funny. When I mentioned that people who count steps are wasting their time, I had no idea you were one of them. But I know the misconceptions people have about exercise so I try to help them avoid wasting their time. My ma tries to convince me that cleaning her house and walking around the mall is exercise. She gets mad when I tell her she's wasting her time.

I also know that people try to do as little as possible and walking on flat ground takes no effort. Unfortunately, it also produces no results. Trust me, I wish it did. If I could just go for an effortless walk and pop some pills to be healthy and fit, it would delight me.

I mentioned that I train under a professional coach. Do you know how many times he has told me to go for a walk on flat ground? Zero. It will never happen. Why? It does nothing for you.

If you're not elevating your heart rate and breathing, you're not exercising. That's the rule to go by. Yoga is a special case where it's helping you in a unique way without really elevating your heart rate or breathing, but it's not enough by itself. It's only part of a full routine.

Counting steps is about as effective as counting birds flying by or counting the number of blue trucks you see on the highway.

Sorry, but that's just the reality of it.

I was pleasantly surprised to see I hit my 6,000 step target

That's funny. When I mentioned that people who count steps are wasting their time, I had no idea you were one of them. But I know the misconceptions people have about exercise so I try to help them avoid wasting their time. My ma tries to convince me that cleaning her house and walking around the mall is exercise. She gets mad when I tell her she's wasting her time.

I also know that people try to do as little as possible and walking on flat ground takes no effort. Unfortunately, it also produces no results. Trust me, I wish it did. If I could just go for an effortless walk and pop some pills to be healthy and fit, it would delight me.

I mentioned that I train under a professional coach. Do you know how many times he has told me to go for a walk on flat ground? Zero. It will never happen. Why? It does nothing for you.

If you're not elevating your heart rate and breathing, you're not exercising. That's the rule to go by. Yoga is a special case where it's helping you in a unique way without really elevating your heart rate or breathing, but it's not enough by itself. It's only part of a full routine.

Counting steps is about as effective as counting birds flying by or counting the number of blue trucks you see on the highway.

Sorry, but that's just the reality of it.

OK, I get it. But to be clear... I don't literally count steps... my watch does! Maybe it doesn't count as exercise bit it is movement and (at least as far as I know) it does burn calories. I am not an elite athlete. I have made many lifestyle changes recently and plan to continue making more. As soon as I get my own (company) truck I will move in my folding bicycle, free weights, yoga/exercise mat, and portable exercise equipment (the nice elastic bands covered in cloth, 2-piece bar and custom base I made to eliminate need for ankle straps and door strap for most exercises). I plan and hope to be able to make use of them all.

Progress is progress and as everyone is unique what one considers progress may be useless to someone else. If it keeps me moving in the right direction - so be it! I would think the kinder / gentler Brett would see that. I will certainly keep your advice in mind as I continue to remake myself.

If it keeps me moving in the right direction - so be it! I would think the kinder / gentler Brett would see that.

I have been very kind to everyone, you included, and I will continue to be. Everything I've said to you was kind. We've given you a tremendous amount of free help and support for 1 1/2 years now. We will continue to give you help and support for the rest of your life. We'll do it kindly and we'll ask nothing in return.

Marc, I feel like I've made my mission here at Trucking Truth clear, but let me review it quickly so there's no confusion. My mission is to teach people how to become successful truck drivers and help them live better lives. I never said I would lie to people to make them feel better, nor will I allow people to believe things that are not true. That would not be kind. However, I said I would be kinder in the way I offer advice, and I have been, and I will continue to be.

Marc, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to ask you a few questions so I can understand you better and help you the way you would like me to help. Or if you prefer I didn't help just say so and I won't offer any more advice. I'm ok with that too.

1) If I'm an expert on a topic and I find someone who doesn't understand the topic properly, do you believe it's unkind for me to help them understand it better? I would like people to understand truck driving and health and fitness so they can live better lives. In your opinion, is that unkind?

2) Would you prefer to believe something that isn't true because it makes you feel better, even if it will hurt you down the road? Or, would you prefer to receive honest, helpful advice so you can live your life better?

3) There are almost 10,000 people that visit this website daily, all of which come here to learn more about truck driving and how to live better lives. When I give advice it helps everyone who is following along. Would you be willing to allow me to offer my advice knowing that it's helping so many people?

I'm sorry if I've offended you, Marc. My intention was to offer advice in the kindest way possible that would help you continue making progress toward a healthier, better life. If I failed to do so, it wasn't for a lack of effort or good intentions.

If it keeps me moving in the right direction - so be it! I would think the kinder / gentler Brett would see that.

I have been very kind to everyone, you included, and I will continue to be. Everything I've said to you was kind. We've given you a tremendous amount of free help and support for 1 1/2 years now. We will continue to give you help and support for the rest of your life. We'll do it kindly and we'll ask nothing in return.

Marc, I feel like I've made my mission here at Trucking Truth clear, but let me review it quickly so there's no confusion. My mission is to teach people how to become successful truck drivers and help them live better lives. I never said I would lie to people to make them feel better, nor will I allow people to believe things that are not true. That would not be kind. However, I said I would be kinder in the way I offer advice, and I have been, and I will continue to be.

Marc, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to ask you a few questions so I can understand you better and help you the way you would like me to help. Or if you prefer I didn't help just say so and I won't offer any more advice. I'm ok with that too.

1) If I'm an expert on a topic and I find someone who doesn't understand the topic properly, do you believe it's unkind for me to help them understand it better? I would like people to understand truck driving and health and fitness so they can live better lives. In your opinion, is that unkind?

2) Would you prefer to believe something that isn't true because it makes you feel better, even if it will hurt you down the road? Or, would you prefer to receive honest, helpful advice so you can live your life better?

3) There are almost 10,000 people that visit this website daily, all of which come here to learn more about truck driving and how to live better lives. When I give advice it helps everyone who is following along. Would you be willing to allow me to offer my advice knowing that it's helping so many people?

I'm sorry if I've offended you, Marc. My intention was to offer advice in the kindest way possible that would help you continue making progress toward a healthier, better life. If I failed to do so, it wasn't for a lack of effort or good intentions.

https://youtu.be/HaA3YZ6QdJU

Marc, Congratulations the feeling of accomplishment has to be wonderful. And thank you for sharing as it has brought about a good many things to consider and incorporate into my life. I really do not have a leg to stand on as my status here indicates, and it was only back in July that I was told I have type 2 Diabetes. Difficult to outrun family history and age.

I have been blessed throughout my life in that I have always been within 10lbs of my ideal weight regardless of what I ate. Now; however, that has changed. Where I once joked that my wife feels the grocery store is really just another library, I now find myself reading the bloody labels! Sugar is everywhere and in quantities within some products simply too high for me now.

Brett, thank you. Diet and exercise are a major concern, but given my outside looking in status I can only envision what might be. Regarding exercise, and once I am solo, I was hoping that my jump rope and a 25lb kettle bell along with jogging would cover most. Never considered Yoga, but that is an excellent idea, nor have I ever really hiked anywhere (flat lands of central Illinois) Diet, from another post, I am hoping that grocery stores will be within walking distance at some point during a stop or gain permission to drop the trailer and find one. I have no delusion that cooking will be the same as home, I will simply need to learn and adapt.

Again, thank you both and to all here. I take my written exams tomorrow so taking the balance of today to review and take practice exams. Cautiously optimistic, I tend to test well, and the information found here is simply priceless.