Eating a good breakfast is the best way to start the day.  Burger King offers a wide variety of choices, some way better than others.  We love their French toast sticks dunked in syrup (25g of sugar!) but there are better options.  Hint: Anytime a fast food restaurant uses these words; “ultimate, enormous, double, triple or decadent,” you can skip right past that item!

Bad choice

BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter

(Eggs, hash browns, sausage, biscuit, pancakes)

Calories: 1,310

Fat: 72 g

Sodium: 2,490 mg

Sugar: 41 g

Double Croissan’Wich with sausage and bacon

(Double serving of ham, bacon or sausage, eggs and double cheese on croissant)

Calories: 570

Fat:  37 g

Sodium: 1,350 mg

Sugar: 5 g

Good choice

We like to order from the kids’ menu whenever we can. They usually have less sodium, fat and sugar.  And, sometimes it comes with an action figure!

BK Kids Breakfast Muffin Sandwich

(Egg, cheese, English muffin)

Calories: 240

Fat: 11 g

Sodium: 550mg

Sugar 2 g

Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper

(bacon, eggs, hash browns, cheese, tortilla)

Calories: 380

Fat: 24 g

Sodium: 1020 mg

Sugar: 2g

Fruit Topped Maple Flavor Quaker Oatmeal

(Oatmeal, maple and brown sugar flavored oats, dried fruit)

Calories: 270

Fat: 4 g

Sodium: 290 mg

Sugar: 29 g

Chipotle crispy shell tacos

Yes, eating at Chipotle is relatively healthy, and the staff here at Truckers News praises the restaurant for using farm-raised and grass-fed beef, chicken and pork. However, choosing the wrong breading at the Mexican grill can be disastrous for weight loss goals.

Good choice: crispy taco shell

Add any of the ingredients to the 60-calorie taco shells, minus the sour cream and cheese, for a low-calorie meal. Each crispy taco meal includes three tacos.

Calories: 60

Fat: 2g

Sodium: 10g

Carbohydrates: 9mg

Bad choice: bag of tortilla chips

The burrito bowl is by far the healthiest option. Just make sure you scoop it with a fork instead of shoveling with a bag of chips.

Calories: 570

Fat: 27g

Sodium: 420mg

Carbohydrates: 73g

In comparison, you’re saving 390 calories and 21g of fat when ordering your Chipotle on a crispy taco shell. Also, the amount of fillings you choose to put inside the tacos is enough to fill you up, compared with the overload of ingredients fashioned in the burrito and burrito bowl. Just make sure to use healthy instincts with the other ingredients, and you won’t see a bulge in your beltline.

The partnership launched at the Aug. 25-27 Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, during which Bob Perry was in booth No. 24154 providing free health and wellness checks for drivers. He enlisted the first 1,000 drivers as founding members of the new Snap Fitness Rolling Strong program.

“The new gyms are designed to accommodate the trucking community and those who travel frequently for business or vacation, so they can get the workouts they need quickly and conveniently,” said Peter Taunton, CEO and Founder of the Chanhassen, Minn.-based Snap Fitness.

Each Snap Fitness Rolling Strong gym will be located at a Pilot Flying J travel center or travel plaza, will be staffed by fitness professionals and will include a variety of fitness equipment. Monthly gym dues are $29.95 for members of the trucking community. The membership includes access to Snap Fitness Rolling Strong gyms as well as any of the 1,300 Snap Fitness clubs worldwide. Family membership options for the trucking community will be available. Current Snap Fitness club members will be able to use the amenities at Snap Fitness Rolling Strong gyms at no extra charge.

“Pilot Flying J understands the challenge professional drivers face in maintaining a healthy lifestyle while on the road,” said Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam. “That’s why we are pleased to partner with Snap Fitness and Rolling Strong and provide convenient locations to drivers to help them improve their health and fitness.”

The first Snap Fitness Rolling Strong gym is scheduled to open this fall at Pilot Flying J, with all 10 locations expected to be open and operating by the first quarter of 2012. Visit www.snapfitnessrollingstrong.com to learn more about locations and amenities.

Prizes will be awarded to the fleet and individual achieving the greatest percentages of weight loss.

Fleet applications to compete in the contest will be accepted from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30. TCA will select five fleets to compete beginning Jan. 24. The fleet and individual winners will be announced in May. Carriers participating in the contest will receive a 25 percent discount on Lindora services and other items during the program.

“Fit people experience fewer health problems, so they’re happier at home as well as on the job,” said Gary Salisbury, TCA’s chairman and president and CEO of Fikes Truck Line. “Healthy employees can work longer and earn more money, so we hope that they’ll stick with trucking all the way to retirement.”

The Lindora Clinic had worked with a team from the Las Vegas division of TCA member Knight Transportation on a weight-loss program. The team – comprising both drivers and office staff – did well on an intense medically based 10-week Lean for Life On-the-Road program that stresses a low-carbohydrate moderate-protein low-fat diet, exercise, nutrition education and lifestyle changes.

I have lost about 10 pounds this month by following your dieting advice. My question is how can I lose ten more? I know you are more about “dating” advice giving than you are about “dieting” advice but what you said really worked!

Bob

Dear Bob,

Hey there big Buddy. You must be the one I told to stop drinking soda and start drinking water? That’s the only weight loss tip I’ve given out lately. And even that made me a little nervous since I’m not a dietician or anything. If you are that Bob, then you were the one who drank 12 fully sugared Pepsi’s  per day! Wow.  That makes my teeth ache. Glad to see it helped melt some poundage.  This week try walking for 30 minutes a day. Check back and let me know how it’s going.

And hey, good luck out there. I know it’s not easy.

I’m just say’n

Carolyn

Miami Citizen Bike

The MIAMI Citizen Bike is a combination of practicality and performance, especially for drivers who have a minimal amount of storage space, the company says. The Value Series folding bikes feature a Shimano six-speed index gear system with a grip shifter that folds and unfolds, making cycling on the road more accessible for truck drivers. Folded, the bike measures 34-by-22-by-16 inches and weighs 32 pounds with all options added. The MIAMI Citizen Bike can be purchased for $200 at www.citizenbike.com.

Gaiam Toning Ring

Sculpt and tone your body with the Toning Ring, a padded and flexible ring with grip pads designed for Pilates exercise. The ring’s shape and light weight makes it ideal for travel. The Toning Ring Kit comes with a workout DVD and is available for $20 at gaiam.com

GAIAM, www.gaiam.com

Gaiam Abs Ball Kit

Improve core strength with the Abs Ball, an 8-ounce, two-handled ball that can be used to shape the torso. The ball is lightweight and makes exercise while traveling more accessible. The Abs Ball Kit comes with a DVD that features two 12-minute workouts instructed by Iron Man Triathlete Jonathan Roche. Buy for $40 at gaiam.com.

GAIAM, www.gaiam.com

Gaiam balance pods

Improve core strength, agility and posture with Balance Pods. Arrange these brightly colored disks in hundreds of patterns for a workout that is continuously challenging. The Core Balance Kit contains four rounded and studded disks and an instructional DVD with two 25-minute workouts: a beginner workout that teaches proper Balance Pod placement and basic body positioning and an intermediate workout that teaches advanced body positioning using hand weights. Purchase for $30 at gaiam.com.

GAIAM, www.gaiam.com

Ball Park Franks

When you’re on the road, the grocery store is closed and there’s no civilization in sight, a convenience store may be your only choice for dinner. If you’re looking for protein, look beyond the hot dogs for something a little healthier.

Good choice: Pemmican Beef Jerky

Bad choice: Ball Park Hot Dog

Calories and Fat: One Ball Park hot dog has 180 calories and 15g of fat, compared to a serving of Pemmican Beef Jerky at 80 calories and 0.5g of fat.

Difference: Hot dogs are a popular gas station food because they’re cheap. That’s because they’re filled with cheap, mechanically processed meat. Not only are hot dogs made of cheap animal parts, they’re filled with preservatives like sodium nitrate. Per serving, each dog has 100 more calories and 14.5 more grams of fat than beef jerky. Hot dogs also pack 40mg of cholesterol and 5g of saturated fat compared to beef jerky’s 25mg and 0g. And when you need a protein punch, beef jerky gives 13g of protein while a hot dog only has 5g.