Feeling the summer slump? As the temperature rises, working out becomes less appealing and the in-cab air conditioning calls your name. Don’t forget your former healthy habits! To get back to routine, here is your motivational to-do list:

1. Sacrifices will be made. On your time, energy and food. This seems like common sense right? You aren’t taking the easy way out, time to get up and get moving.
2. You must be consistent. If your effort is sporadic, it will reflect on your body. Results are based on long term effort…not what you did for three weeks.
3. Motivation will wane. It is inevitable, there will be days where you’d rather throw in the towel. DON’T. Go to the gym, get moving and do it regardless of your lacking motivation.
4. Perfection need not apply. Don’t even try it as no one is perfect. Instead, improve on what YOU did last week. That is sufficient.
5. Results will vary. At times, you will be able to measure lost inches and at other times you will remain unchanged. The scale is not the ultimate judge of success. Hide it, it does more damage than good.
6. Prioritize your hydration. It is easy to become dehydrated in the summer heat. Stay ahead of those muscle cramps by drinking water. It should be as routine as a pre-trip.
7. Get creative. Let’s face it, you’re in a truck, time to improvise. Find work out tips and tricks from your fellow professional drivers.

This list is your groundwork and now for the heart of it:

Nutrition. Everything you eat is made up of calories. The amount you consume will determine if you lose, maintain or gain. You don’t have to eliminate a complete food group. Keep it simple, eat a protein about the size of your palm, with each meal. Fill up half of your plate with veggies. Don’t waste your money on supplements.

Exercise. In the gym, it is usually divided by the cardio section and the weights section. Cardio (treadmill, elliptical, bikes) – important for heart health and endurance. Weight training – any activity that forces you to use your muscles against an external resistance. The more muscle you build the higher your metabolism and the faster your metabolism is, the faster your weight loss will be.

How much time? 1-3 cardio sessions per week (for at least 20 minutes in duration). Weight training – 2-4 days a week (perform 3-6 exercises per workout at 10-12 repetitions each).

That’s it. Make good choices to go on your plate. Train consistently and with gusto! Start today. Give yourself time and judge your results by what you see in the mirror. Happy healthy journey!