#206: Trucker Steve - How He’s Lost over 170lbs on the Road
How Trucker Steve Keeps it PLANTSTRONG!
In April 2023, we first aired this special Facebook Live Friday episode with Trucker Steve.
Steve lives on the road as a semi-truck driver. As you can imagine, this is NOT an easy life, especially when you’re trying to keep yourself healthy. Long days in the truck, gas stations, truck stop food, lonely stretches for days on end…you get the point.
Well, after hitting over 500 pounds, Steve committed to a whole food, plant-based diet and, at the time of this recording, had lost almost 200 lbs!
How does he do it? What are his favorite on-the-go meals? What does he always have stocked in his truck cooler?
Steve shares some of his tips from the road that, no doubt, will help anyone who does a fair amount of traveling.
Episode Resources
Watch the Original Episode on YouTube
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Full Transcript (via AI Transcription)
Rip Esselstyn [00:00:01]:
Hello and thanks so much for joining us today. If any of you have remotely been considering joining us for a PLANTSTRONG retreat, now is your chance. Sedona, Arizona this October for an immersive experience with folks from all over the country. And lucky for us, October is the absolute best time of year to enjoy the incredible Red Rock Vistas without the crazy heat that is currently crippling the state of Arizona right now. Now, if you're wondering, during our retreats, we enjoy all kinds of talks from the Brockstar experts of the PLANTSTRONG team, including the incredible Dr. Doug Lyle, the extraordinary Dr. Michael Clapper, and many, many others. We play pickleball. We go on epic hikes. We have dance parties, bonfires where we tell ghost stories, stargazing parties, and best of all, we enjoy endless buffets of glorious plant based foods. It is a vacation from cooking and a chance to really relax and celebrate all that plant based living has to offer. Come spend the week with us. You will not regret it. Simply visit Plantstrong.com today and click on events for all the details. See you soon. I'm RIF Esselstyn. And welcome to the PLANTSTRONG. Podcast. The mission at PLANTSTRONG is to further the advancement of all things within the plant based movement. We advocate for the scientifically proven benefits of plant based living and envision a world that universally understands, promotes and prescribes plants as a solution to empowering your health, enhancing your performance, restoring the environment, and becoming better guardians to the animals we share this planet with. We welcome you wherever you are on your plantstrong journey and I hope that you enjoy the show. We are smack dab in the middle of summer and many of you are traveling and doing your best to keep it planned strong. Well, I'm here to provide a little inspiration for you today. I want to share this recent interview and Facebook Live that I did with a gentleman who calls himself Trucker Steve. Steve essentially lives on the road as a semi truck driver. As you can imagine, this is not an easy life, especially when you're trying to keep yourself healthy. Long days in the truck gas station and truck stop food, lonely stretches for days on end. You get the point. After hitting over 500, yes, 500 pounds, steve committed to a whole food plant based diet and at the time of this recording had lost almost 200 pounds. How does he do it? What are his favorite on the go meals? What does he always have stocked in his truck cooler? Well, we're going to find out together how Trucker Steve keeps it plant strong on the road right now. Keep it. Trucking Steve 2023 is zooming along and I've asked Carrie Barrett to stay with us for this episode of Facebook Live as we kind of grill down with Trucker Steve, our special guest, and really try and understand, how does somebody that is a trucker for a living how do you make the plan? Strong lifestyle. Like, I'm trying to get my head wrapped around it. And trucker Steve, you're going to help us figure it out, because if you can do it, I'm sure just about anybody can do it. So, trucker Steve, where are you right now? Are you in your truck?
Trucker Steve [00:04:12]:
I am in my truck. I'm in Indianapolis right now, just north of there. So I'm headed out west.
Rip Esselstyn [00:04:21]:
Wow. And how often are you on the road?
Trucker Steve [00:04:26]:
I'm on the road. I mean, the last time I've been home was Christmas. But often I don't go home often, so I'm on the road 24/7 days a week, months at a time. I take time off. I was just on vacation about a week and a half about a week ago.
Rip Esselstyn [00:04:48]:
Yeah. What kind of a truck do you drive? And do you work for a company? And what do you usually haul in your trucks?
Trucker Steve [00:05:01]:
I have my own business. I have a 19 freight liner, and I haul drive in. But I've done a lot of other stuff reefer, flatbed. But right now I'm doing dry van. Right now I go and haul food products all the way to manufacturing products, clothing products, general freight. So right now I have some conveyor belts in my truck. Right.
Rip Esselstyn [00:05:37]:
How steve, tell me, how did you become a trucker?
Trucker Steve [00:05:46]:
Well, my dad always did it, and I learned from him. He taught me how to drive, I mean, at a young age, and it was a passion of mine. I used to stay home in the northeast, and I had the opportunity of working for some companies, and I wanted to see the rest of the country and what better way of seeing it by driving a truck and getting paid for it.
Rip Esselstyn [00:06:14]:
So tell me, what's the best thing about being a trucker and what's the worst thing about being a trucker?
Trucker Steve [00:06:24]:
The best thing is seeing different parts of the country, seeing different people in their journey, seeing manufacturing places of how they produce stuff, make stuff. That's probably the best. The worst could be roads, people driving, thinking that we could stop on a dime. We call them four wheelers. But cars, a lot of people don't really give us the benefit of the doubt because everything comes in ships by truck. And no matter what your product is, what you wear, what you have, what you own, it all comes by a. And I think that's what people don't realize.
Rip Esselstyn [00:07:22]:
Yeah. So, trucker Steve, you're plant strong, aren't you?
Trucker Steve [00:07:27]:
I am.
Rip Esselstyn [00:07:28]:
So how did you come to find this whole food plant based lifestyle?
Trucker Steve [00:07:42]:
She's a friend now, but through a YouTube channel. And she knew that I didn't feel good and I had angina everything, and she knew I didn't feel well. And she motivated me by just, hey, because I always made the excuse. And she's like, oh, just try a veggie burger. I said, okay. And then I tried it, it was actually good. And then after that, she just motivated me and pushed me hard and said that you have to take care of yourself because nobody else is going to take care of you. And she's been a great motivational tool for me. That's one of the biggest things. How I survive out here, is you need that motivation and that push to say, focus. You're going to enjoy your life. Like I said, when I started this in July of 22, I had angina and chest pain, and I knew I wasn't going to make it.
Rip Esselstyn [00:09:07]:
Steve, again, I am so excited to hear about your story. How did you get to 550 pounds? Did you just eat an enormous amount of food? What was it?
Trucker Steve [00:09:24]:
It was eating late at night. A lot of stress in my life at the time. It was just eating emotionally, which is not good. Like I said, stress is a big part, really big part. And I just wasn't eating healthy. Eating late at night, you eat late and then you go to bed. It's like, oh, that's not good. Eating soft drinks are really bad. I just was unhealthy food. I went to chef school, so I always loved my meat like that. You really look at it. It's unhealthy for you.
Rip Esselstyn [00:10:30]:
How old are you, Steve?
Trucker Steve [00:10:31]:
I'm 48.
Rip Esselstyn [00:10:32]:
Okay, 48. How much weight have you lost? First I want to say I appreciate because you join a lot of our Facebook lives, and so you're always chiming in, and I see your comments and stuff, but for those that don't know who you are and haven't come across you on our Facebook Friday lives, how much weight have you lost since about 175?
Trucker Steve [00:11:02]:
Since July of 2022.
Rip Esselstyn [00:11:04]:
Okay. I think the question that I have, and I'm sure that everybody else does, is how do you lose 175 pounds in that short a period of time that seems like a lot in less than a year?
Trucker Steve [00:11:23]:
I think a lot of it was water weight because I was bloated in a lot of water weight. I stopped and just eating healthy. I love my oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon and throw a little nutmeg, because nutmeg is good for you.
Rip Esselstyn [00:11:41]:
Okay.
Trucker Steve [00:11:42]:
I got my blueberries in it, which I love.
Rip Esselstyn [00:11:45]:
What kind of blueberries you throw in there? Frozen or fresh or what?
Trucker Steve [00:11:48]:
They're dried. Yeah, good dried, but just eating a lot of veggies salad, no oil. When I cook, I cook with water and a little bit of, like, my veggies. I cook with white wine, little garlic. And then also when you use that water, you could save it and use it as, like, a vegetable stock, so don't throw it away.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:12:22]:
Do you have, like, a little stove in your truck that you use to cook?
Trucker Steve [00:12:26]:
You want to know what I use? I have a rice cooker, pressure cooker. I have a little electric skillet. I have a microwave. I have a toaster oven, and I have my coffee maker that makes well, I call it a coffee maker, but it makes my tea, my hot tea.
Rip Esselstyn [00:12:45]:
So you have all that?
Trucker Steve [00:12:47]:
That's it.
Rip Esselstyn [00:12:48]:
You have all that in the cab?
Trucker Steve [00:12:50]:
Well, yeah, you can't see it, but I have a big mixing bowl. Like your big bowl. I have a bigger one and a smaller one. A couple of whisks. I got some measuring cups, but when I cook, I just throw it in, taste it, because it's me, and if it doesn't taste the best, I add more. I got a tea bag that I showed Carrie.
Rip Esselstyn [00:13:15]:
Yes.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:13:15]:
Show me that bag of yes.
Trucker Steve [00:13:17]:
This is all my stuff in my tea.
Rip Esselstyn [00:13:21]:
Mean what do you mean, your stuff? What's in, like what's in got?
Trucker Steve [00:13:25]:
I got amla, I got cranberry powder, I got pomegranate powder, I got my blueberries, I got barberries, I got elderberries, I got golden berries, and I got goji berries.
Rip Esselstyn [00:13:40]:
Okay, that really is your tea bag. Okay.
Trucker Steve [00:13:44]:
Wow.
Rip Esselstyn [00:13:45]:
Now, Steve, so do you ever eat at the truck stops, or where do you go to get your food? Do you go to grocery stores and then haul around with you?
Trucker Steve [00:13:54]:
Yeah, I got a portable refrigerator next to my truck, and then I got another refrigerator with a little freezer in the back. So like a dorm freezer? Like a refrigerator. It's a double side with technology. Now you could just order online and go to the store and just pick it up. I like to go in because sometimes I like to pick myself. Usually when I go in there, I buy more than more veggies than anything else. But, yeah, that's what I do.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:14:32]:
Were those first couple of months what were those first couple of months like? Because I feel like it's the whole pleasure trap thing, right? Our bodies are so used to that highly palatable, addictive flavoring in all of our foods, and then to suddenly make a switch to vegetables. Were you a grumpy dude for those first couple of weeks until you adjusted?
Trucker Steve [00:14:59]:
It was hard. I don't know if I was grumpy. I think the problem is that you always say, I can't do it, but you can. And the biggest thing is trying to read labels. I mean, I never did that. Even as a chef, I never read labels. And that's the biggest thing. You have to read labels, and you have to know what's in this product, because a lot of this product is unhealthy, and that's why Rip, your product is great. You eliminate the oils and salt and sugar, and a lot of people don't realize that you just have to read the back of the labels. And I could spend 30, 40 minutes just reading labels. I mean, I had probably about three or four months ago, I had a lady. Oh, you'll find what you're looking for. I said, I understand, but I'm just reading labels to see what's in it. So I'm making my choices of that. And she didn't understand why I was doing it. I have a picture of what she had, but it was her husband's birthday party, and it was stuff that was not good for you.
Rip Esselstyn [00:16:17]:
Do you have family, Steve?
Trucker Steve [00:16:20]:
I have family like brothers and sisters and a mother and stepdad.
Rip Esselstyn [00:16:26]:
That's all. And are they aware of what you're doing? And do they care or what do they think.
Trucker Steve [00:16:36]:
They know what I'm doing? A lot of resentment, even though they wanted me to have surgery and I refused to have surgery. Seven. I did a doctor supervised diet where I lost 136 pounds in three months. But I had an unfortunate stressful incident that made me gain it all back and some but this is the lightest I've probably been since high school, college.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:17:14]:
And aside from losing the angina, what other side effects are you experiencing?
Trucker Steve [00:17:22]:
Well, I had psoriasis bad, so I stopped taking my psoriasis medication. I'm still the biggest one in my family. And my blood pressure is lower than my mother's. My mother is probably 100 and 6160 pounds and lower than hers. That's how my blood pressure dropped. It dropped probably almost 20. It was about 126 over 70, I think. And it was about 144 ish. Over 85 ish.
Rip Esselstyn [00:18:03]:
Yeah.
Trucker Steve [00:18:03]:
So it dropped a lot. And like I said, my angina went away in two weeks when I started.
Rip Esselstyn [00:18:09]:
Did you ever have any issues sleeping with needing a CPAD or anything like that?
Trucker Steve [00:18:17]:
I have I still use it. It makes me sleep well. I needed it. I was bad when I took the test back in 19, they said it was 119 times a minute. That I think it was a minute or an hour. I forget. But that's how much I would.
Rip Esselstyn [00:18:43]:
Probably probably an hour. But wow, that's a lot. Geez, steve, what about did you have any kind of acid reflux or anything?
Trucker Steve [00:18:54]:
Like I I'm lucky. Rip. I really know the biggest, probably thing know, me being and basically my angina and stuff.
Rip Esselstyn [00:19:10]:
So were you pre diabetic? How were your no, I was lucky. That is really phenomenal.
Trucker Steve [00:19:20]:
Yeah, I was very lucky.
Rip Esselstyn [00:19:23]:
What about steve, what about exercise? Is that something that you have ever incorporated in your life or trying to?
Trucker Steve [00:19:32]:
I mostly walk now, so before I used to park as close as the truck stop because I always used to walk and pretend my pants were falling down, but it was me stopping because I needed to take a breath. But now I'll park as far as away, and then I'll do my walking. If I have a chance, I'll walk around the truck stop or just keep on walking back and forth from the truck stop to my truck. And that's basically what I do right now. Eventually I'll start doing some more exercise when I lose a little more and stuff.
Rip Esselstyn [00:20:08]:
Yeah. Listen, I want you to know that just walking is phenomenal, and there's so much research to support just ten minutes of walking and what it can do to basically flush out all kinds of toxins. Obviously, we get the endorphins going. Congratulations to you on just walking. That's great.
Trucker Steve [00:20:37]:
Yeah. I just saw one of my buddies I worked with, and he'd even recognized me two weeks ago. I haven't seen him in a couple of years, but we talk every day. And the only reason he knew it was me is because I told him to. Jokingly. But he did not recognize me. Did not recognize me.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:21:00]:
Yeah. And had you ever experimented with a plant based diet before, or was this the first time? I know you said you were under a doctor's supervision diet several years ago, but is this the first time that you went all in on plants?
Trucker Steve [00:21:14]:
Yeah, this is the first time first time all on plants. And the other one was more of limit of your portion size, but this is first time plant based.
Rip Esselstyn [00:21:28]:
So just for everybody that's joining us today, if you have any questions for Steve, throw it in the chat, and we'll see if we can get Steve to answer your questions.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:21:41]:
Yeah, and I think Alicia might that be your friend, because she's saying that your joint pain also improved, so she knows some things about you.
Trucker Steve [00:21:53]:
Basically my role model.
Rip Esselstyn [00:21:55]:
Yeah.
Trucker Steve [00:21:58]:
I didn't see what she wrote, because I'm paying attention to you, Steve.
Rip Esselstyn [00:22:03]:
You're getting a lot of people that are just doing huge congrats to you. You'll have to watch this again, Steve, and just look at the yeah, but somebody here wants to well, Alicia says what are you drinking these days besides tea?
Trucker Steve [00:22:24]:
Just a lot of water. I have at least four teas a day, so I have a big mug. I put two tea bags in. I have green tea and hibiscus tea plus all that stuff I named, and I drink that and then just water. I used to love soda and soft drinks, but that's not good for you. But just valerie.
Rip Esselstyn [00:22:55]:
Valerie says trucker Steve is an inspiration. If he can do this driving a truck, then we all can. Yolanda. So happy for you, Steve. Mike Laro says, what are your favorite foods, Steve?
Trucker Steve [00:23:13]:
I love, love, love mushrooms.
Rip Esselstyn [00:23:17]:
Mushrooms is my really how do you like your mushrooms? How do you prepare them?
Trucker Steve [00:23:24]:
I just like them steamed with little garlic and white wine. And you steam them? I love them. I loved mushrooms since I can remember when I was young, but I love mushrooms. Love them. I could eat mushrooms even out of a can, I could just eat mushrooms.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:23:52]:
They're such a superfood. And I always joke that I married a fungi. I don't eat them.
Trucker Steve [00:24:01]:
I appreciate everybody's comments, and thank you.
Rip Esselstyn [00:24:04]:
Yeah.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:24:05]:
And I think you already addressed this kind of early on, but how often are you on the road? I mean, you're on the road for like, months at a time or a month at a time?
Trucker Steve [00:24:13]:
Yeah, months. I used to do four to six weeks and then take a week off. But since owning my own business, I get a lot more time on the road. But I come back or what I do is take a break where I deliver and like, what I'm going to do, or an area, like, stay in Tennessee for a week, and I'm open and free now to do what I want to.
Rip Esselstyn [00:24:49]:
Go ahead.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:24:51]:
I'll ask Shivam's question first, and then I have a question for you. Are you a complete vegan to accomplish this? Meaning, are you plant strong? Are you completely plant strong?
Trucker Steve [00:25:00]:
I'm plant strong, not vegan, because vegan is different than plant strong. So, yeah, vegan has issues, but plant based 100%.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:25:10]:
Yeah, that's great.
Trucker Steve [00:25:11]:
People don't realize the difference between vegan and plant based, but plant based 100%.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:25:19]:
Well. And I know that it sounds like you're reworking your schedule to make it a little more flexible to you, but I know that there's tremendous pressures on, as you said, people who are driving trucks, because everything that we own is transported across the country at some point or another and that you're under a lot of time restrictions to get things to where they need to be. And so that's why these truck stops and buckies and all of these wonderful places like Love exist to give you. Exactly. But my question is, are you now taking the time to go into a grocery store where you wouldn't allow yourself that time before to restock your food with the good stuff?
Trucker Steve [00:26:04]:
Yeah, you have to make time. You have to. Sometimes I run into a jam where you have to try to find something, but majority of the time I like to go to the grocery store or I have stuff like rip. I have your chili and stuff like that. That's good. Your pizza, the bread. Yeah, I got that. I bought a bundle. I'm going to have to buy another bundle when I come back, but yeah, just wait, Steve.
Rip Esselstyn [00:26:40]:
Just wait. We're coming out with six new chilies and boy. Yeah, and they're really good.
Trucker Steve [00:26:50]:
Am I going to have to give my quota what's good and what's not, or they're all good and what's better?
Rip Esselstyn [00:26:56]:
I would love that. I'd love to get the Steve hierarchy of good, better, best.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:27:03]:
What's your favorite breakfast that you eat?
Trucker Steve [00:27:06]:
Oatmeal. I love my oatmeal with raisins blueberries. Once in a while, if I have apples, I'll throw it in there, but I'll eat the apple on the side. But I put cinnamon and nutmeg in there. More cinnamon? Just a dash of nutmeg. I love my cinnamon.
Rip Esselstyn [00:27:23]:
So what are the regulations as far as how many hours you can be on the road at a time? Are there any regulations?
Trucker Steve [00:27:30]:
Oh, there's a lot. So basically I have a 70 hours clock for eight days. So that 70 hours clock. I could run for eight days. I could do a 14 hours clock on duty, but only 11 hours of drive time. So I can't drive more than 11 hours a day. So basically I like to drive between nine and 10 hours a day because that'll give me usually nine and three quarter hours every day. You could just continue lapping. Sometimes you have to run more. If I don't have any hours on my 70 hours clock, I have to do a reset unless I get hours back after eight days, which is you're basically running on they call recaps, your recap hours. So 34 hours you have to take in either sleeper birth or off duty, and then you could get your 70 hours clock back. So basically it's a break time.
Rip Esselstyn [00:28:39]:
God. Okay, so you said 70. The most you can do is 70 hours over an eight day period. And you kind of figure out and so thinking if you average 10 hours a day, that would be 80 hours. So it's a little less than that a day.
Trucker Steve [00:28:58]:
It's nine and three quarter hours, roughly a day.
Rip Esselstyn [00:29:04]:
Wow. That's a day. I don't like driving more than 8 hours when I got to drive. And I only do that like, twice a year and I'm exhausted.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:29:16]:
And dealing with traffic, like you said, and other.
Trucker Steve [00:29:20]:
Yeah, this is construction time. Well, rip you're in Texas. So they're always doing construction in Texas.
Rip Esselstyn [00:29:27]:
Always. Hey, Steve, how tall are you?
Trucker Steve [00:29:35]:
Well, I was 510, but now I'm about 5958 ish. Five nine.
Rip Esselstyn [00:29:41]:
Yeah, it happens. So you sleep in the back of your truck typically.
Trucker Steve [00:29:47]:
Yeah.
Rip Esselstyn [00:29:50]:
Right over here.
Trucker Steve [00:29:51]:
Got it. So basically I'm sitting in my cab right now and behind that way right here? Yeah, sorry. My sleeper. So you got to realize it's a 72 inch bed, roughly. So it's considered a 72 inch sleeper. So I have a 72 inch bed or 68 inch bed, and I have only probably four x four areas that cook. Because I sit on my bed while I cook, and I have a little table that I put my equipment on, or I'll put my rice cooker, pressure cooker on the floor. But my refrigerators, when I sit in face, I'll be facing the front of the truck, my refrigerator, and then I have my extra one here on the floor, and that's it. I put all my stuff on my bed, like my groceries that I cook and cut, and then I put them in Ziploc bags, put them in the refrigerator. And I like to keep them separate now because when I mix them together, they tend to because I batch cook. You have to batch cook, especially.
Rip Esselstyn [00:31:17]:
We're big fans of batch cooking.
Trucker Steve [00:31:20]:
It's the best.
Rip Esselstyn [00:31:22]:
ABC always batch cook.
Trucker Steve [00:31:24]:
Yeah, I mean, batch cooking is the key because when you run late, you have something already there where you could just heat up so batch cooking is.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:31:36]:
100%, and you're batch cooking things like oats, and you're batch cooking like rice and your rice cooker. Just easy access foods and cutting up your vegetables. Just stuff that's easy to grab while you are on the go.
Trucker Steve [00:31:52]:
Yeah, potatoes. I do potatoes and then let them cool. Put a little know alicia wants me to eat my beans. I know I'm tough on my really, I have to get my beans in more, but put my beans with my potatoes and throw a little vinegar in there. And you could put that on top of your salad. And I'm very simple. I don't do a lot. I just do a lot of the same stuff.
Rip Esselstyn [00:32:27]:
That's the best way for success, I think. Keep it simple.
Trucker Steve [00:32:30]:
Steve.
Rip Esselstyn [00:32:33]:
Bunch of questions, but for starters, have any other truckers been inspired to try this? This is a question from Valerie.
Trucker Steve [00:32:42]:
I haven't met anyone yet. I think there's one in the chat that might be watching us that he has an unfortunate illness, and we're trying to get him to go plant based, because going plant based is probably the best medicine for cancer and other illnesses that people have and people don't realize. But right now I haven't had any. Okay, got it.
Rip Esselstyn [00:33:24]:
Yeah. As Stephen Turner just we a couple of years ago, we had a plant fuel trucker. So Alicia says, you know, share your chiropractor's reaction to your changes.
Trucker Steve [00:33:37]:
So I went to my chiropractor because I get my back adjusted for being on the road. And he's not plant based, but I think he consider him vegan because he eats a little meat and stuff. But basically, him and his wife, excellent people, they came in, I walked in, and their mouths dropped, and they're like, oh, my God, what did you do? Because I haven't seen them in a while. Their motivation helped me also by he's like, what are you doing? What happened to you? You sick. I'm like, no, I'm plant based. And they were so motivated, and they were phenomenal, and unfortunately, they're motivated compared to some other people that I've known.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:34:39]:
You just have to stay your course. That's all any of us on this call can do, is just live by example. And Rip interviewed Max Lamana for the podcast yesterday, and Max had a very similar quote of, like, everyone's welcome at our table. No matter where you are in your journey, we just want to share our experiences. And I love that that's what you're doing in your authentic. It just it sounds like being prepared with your foods and keeping it simple have been your keys to success. Do you have any other advice for other people who might be struggling to start or keep it going?
Rip Esselstyn [00:35:21]:
Yeah, like Tomas here. Right. Who's in a similar situation. Yeah.
Trucker Steve [00:35:27]:
The biggest thing is don't say no. You have to start in baby steps. You need a good motivator motivation. I'm sorry. You need someone to motivate you. It can't be a family member because family members are not good motivators. They want you to be good and healthy, but they're not. You need someone to help you motivate, hopefully outside of family. And basically you can't make excuses for yourself and you just got to have a mindset also. And I know Rip, you guys have motivation people that help people on this. And I commend you for that because it's hard. You have to be motivated for.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:36:25]:
Yeah, yeah. We do have a coaching program that helps people through. So I know somebody asked about needing some inspiration, I think was it Amy who is going on vacation next week. Amy oh, you're hitting a cruise ship. That's just wow.
Rip Esselstyn [00:36:43]:
But the reality is, to me, cruise ships, they're going to have oatmeal, they're going to have veggies. Hopefully they're not swimming in butter or crisco and they'll have rice. I mean, you should be able to make it work. Just don't be tempted by all the other stuff.
Trucker Steve [00:37:01]:
A lot of fruit. If not, go to the waitress or the waiter and ask them, listen, hey, good point. I'm on a specialty diet. Can you steam veggies? Most likely they'll do it. Have your own salad dressing, make it in advance, or just use vinegar for now. I don't know what they have on there.
Rip Esselstyn [00:37:37]:
Good advice, Steve, for sure.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:37:40]:
Basically, your rig is a cruise ship. You set sail every morning and you make it happen. But you don't have an all night dessert bar like most cruises.
Trucker Steve [00:37:51]:
Well, yeah, you got to have the urge to know when your limits are and just walk away. Sometimes I vegan. It's hard, but you have to walk away. I was at a thing in Florida and people just walked away when they did bad stuff, not just eating bad stuff.
Rip Esselstyn [00:38:20]:
Hey, Steve, do you have a favorite time of the day when you like to drive and be on the roads?
Trucker Steve [00:38:27]:
I like sunrises and sunsets because you get gorgeous pictures. I take a lot of pictures on the road. I have over 18,000 pictures on my phone. That's probably the best is sunrise and sunset.
Rip Esselstyn [00:38:50]:
Right.
Trucker Steve [00:38:50]:
Times at night when there's nobody on the road. But then you got to watch out for animals and certain other people that are not driving properly.
Rip Esselstyn [00:39:07]:
Do you have an Instagram channel?
Trucker Steve [00:39:11]:
I have a YouTube channel. It's more of I do drones, but it's just trucker. Steve and I forget what the name is, but I haven't update a lot of stuff yet. I have other things to take care of first. But I do have a YouTube channel.
Rip Esselstyn [00:39:43]:
I just figured with 18,000 photos of sunrises and sunsets. Yeah, it sounds dreamy.
Trucker Steve [00:39:50]:
Yeah. I have some video on there too.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:39:55]:
But yeah, somebody put a comment in there that said they were thinking about becoming a truck driver, but steered away. Pun intended, I'm sure, because they heard it was too. Hard to eat healthy.
Trucker Steve [00:40:09]:
It's not hard. The problem is people want the easy way out where they want to be in the go go, but you have to sometimes take care of yourself and your health is more important than it's just like driving in bad weather. I don't in bad weather, I'd rather make it safe than hurt someone or drive in bad weather. And if the broker and the customer don't understand it, then I just won't do business with them because you have to be safe out there. Hey, Steve. Yeah, sorry. No, no.
Rip Esselstyn [00:40:49]:
I was just like, what kind of cab do you have? Is it a Peterbilt? What's the latest and greatest these days?
Trucker Steve [00:40:58]:
People call it the Freight shaker, but she's not shaking anymore. I have a 2019 Freightliner Cascadia.
Rip Esselstyn [00:41:07]:
Wow.
Trucker Steve [00:41:09]:
It has a dual bunk, but at the top bunk I have a lot of my storage because basically I live out of my truck and this is my home.
Rip Esselstyn [00:41:18]:
So this is your own business. So this is your truck that you either bought or making payments on.
Trucker Steve [00:41:24]:
Correct. Wow. Yeah, I just started back in, actually, August. The companies I was working for, I wasn't happy, and they made the decision for me to purchase my own truck again. I used to do northeast, but it's just getting too much, and I wanted to see different parts of the so.
Rip Esselstyn [00:41:51]:
What so what is your route? Like, what's your territory if you.
Trucker Steve [00:41:59]:
I've done. I've done. From Florida to Massachusetts to Rhode Island to Vegas to Cali, to Washington to Oregon to Maryland to Ohio, then to Florida in probably two weeks. Three weeks? Three weeks, I think it was. Yeah. So I did about 7000, 8000 miles in about two to three weeks. Yeah.
Rip Esselstyn [00:42:25]:
Do you have a favorite state right now?
Trucker Steve [00:42:29]:
I love Washington State. Certain parts of Washington state is know. Like Tacoma area north of Know. Tennessee is gorgeous. Just the mountains.
Rip Esselstyn [00:42:44]:
Yeah.
Trucker Steve [00:42:45]:
Florida, but it's too hot down Know, like the snowbirds. But the water in Florida is gorgeous. Like the know. I love Texas a little bit, but starting to get dry and too dusty. Parts of Colorado, even parts of California are beautiful, but you have to know where to stay and where not to stay.
Rip Esselstyn [00:43:16]:
Have you ever have you ever been in an accident?
Trucker Steve [00:43:22]:
Not with my company, not here, but in seven I was in an accident. That's what happened. Why? My decision of, you know, my my stress happened. Yeah, it was, it was but not not anything else. No, I've been safe. That wasn't my fault. That wasn't my fault.
Rip Esselstyn [00:43:46]:
Yeah.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:43:47]:
Do you feel that now you are because it sounds like that last diet you said was very calorically restrictive, and so you were working on portion controls, and now with the plant strong way of eating, it's like eating copious amounts of food you could almost not eat enough. And do you feel like that's a better equipped your mind for these long hours and just your moods. Somebody else asked about your digestive systems. Has that improved overall? Do you feel like eating this plant based way has just been more abundant for you?
Trucker Steve [00:44:26]:
Yes. When you say portion control, I always make so much salad that I can't finish it. I have to learn how to you fill up quick on plants when you eat the unhealthy stuff, you eat and eat and you always feel hungry. But with plant based food, you fill up very quick. And the answer to the other question, digestive system, much better. I know people don't like to hear it, but when you have a bowel movement, it's much easier. You're not straining when you eat other types of foods. But with plants, plant based.
Rip Esselstyn [00:45:23]:
Good living.
Trucker Steve [00:45:25]:
Right. I know what you're saying. Rip.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:45:29]:
I had a conversation with my 84 year old mother yesterday who I have her eating Rip's big bowl with a tablespoon of flaxseed every day, and she's so excited to tell me how much she poops now. It's great. I love it.
Trucker Steve [00:45:42]:
People don't realize you have to study. People may think it's disgusting, but you have to discuss or look at your bowel movement because it'll tell you if you're eating properly, even your urine. Unfortunately, if it's the wrong color, you're dehydrated and you're not drinking enough water. So people don't realize that.
Rip Esselstyn [00:46:09]:
No. So true. And what is it I'm asking everybody out there, what is it about plants that allows us to make such wonderful, wonderful or I should say take such wonderful dumps. What is it?
Trucker Steve [00:46:31]:
I don't know. But instead of sitting ten minutes on it well, I'm giving outrageous speech here, but when you're sitting ten minutes to go to the bathroom, compared to like a minute, not even, it's much better. And you're putting less strain on your insides.
Rip Esselstyn [00:46:53]:
Hazel got the answer. It's fiber. Yeah, fiber.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:46:58]:
You don't have to force yeah, you don't have to force anything.
Trucker Steve [00:47:02]:
Yeah, I should have known that. But I wasn't paying attention.
Rip Esselstyn [00:47:06]:
I was putting you on the spot, Steve. I was putting you on the spot.
Carrie Barrett (Podcast Producer) [00:47:11]:
I think we know the answer to this one, but I'm going to pop it up here anyways. Yeah. Siobhan wants to know, do you have any cheat or party days? And I think we already know the answer to that one.
Trucker Steve [00:47:23]:
I had one party day a couple of weeks ago where I had an alcoholic beverage and it didn't go well, so no more alcohol. I did it no more because another thing that I do every day is take my weight. So I take my weight in the morning before and after. So before I go to the bathroom because it tells you a different scale. But after I had that alcohol, my weight didn't do well no more.
Rip Esselstyn [00:48:02]:
Well, congrats on moving away from alcohol.
Trucker Steve [00:48:10]:
I wasn't driving a truck. I was on vacation because I have a CDL, and I'm not losing my license because of being something stupid. I just want to clarify.
Rip Esselstyn [00:48:23]:
Yeah, good for you.
Trucker Steve [00:48:27]:
But rip yes. I just want to tell you, when I started this, back in July of last year, I went to a baseball game in September, and I did so much walking, I probably walked about it felt like 10 miles. And the next night, when I wasn't on the plant based, I was always hurting. Didn't have a problem. My legs were fine. My knees were fine. And that's another thing people don't realize. When you eat healthy and get to your weight, you're not carrying all this weight, and your limbs are not hurting. So that's another big thing.
Rip Esselstyn [00:49:10]:
Yeah. I just want to show this comment because I think it's really powerful, and that is this plant based girl here, 58, says I can't have cheat days because it throws me completely off course. And I have found this in working with people for the last 1415 years that, yeah, some people can get away with it, but a lot of people can't. And so if you're one of those people and you know yourself and the cheat days just throw you off course, then do your best to just keep it nice and black and white. That's a smart way to do it.
Trucker Steve [00:49:52]:
That is a good.
Rip Esselstyn [00:49:59]:
Trucker. Steve man, this has been really great. Thank you so much for agreeing to come on and share your story with Carrie and the whole tribe here.
Trucker Steve [00:50:12]:
Rip it's been a pleasure. I still got chills, and it's not because of the AC is on. You are a very motivated person, and you are very dedicated in what you do. And when I watched your video in the beginning, it was inspirational to me. So I appreciate you having me on. Carrie, it's great seeing yes, great to see you. I had a blast. Rip I would do it again when I lose 400 or 250.
Rip Esselstyn [00:50:55]:
You have an open invitation to come on our Facebook Live. Yeah, we would relish in watching you continue on your plant strong journey. Nothing would make me happier, so thank you.
Trucker Steve [00:51:13]:
Steve rip, I didn't tell you I was a volunteer firefighter, so, yeah, I've done that. Saved I saved, you know, rescued people out of cars and stuff like that. But, yeah, I'm always there. I'm always there to help the people. And some people don't have that drive or they don't have anybody to fall back on. So that's why you're inspiration to a lot of people. And I hope, you know, in years.
Rip Esselstyn [00:51:52]:
To look at look at all the people saying all these know, inspirational things about you. Steve yeah, for sure. All right, Trucker Steve man, have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you on the chat next Friday.
Trucker Steve [00:52:12]:
I'll be there. I'll be there. I appreciate bye, everyone.
Rip Esselstyn [00:52:17]:
Keep it plantstrong. Steve, Carrie, thank you for listening to the PLANTSTRONG podcast. You can support the show by taking a quick minute to follow us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Leaving us a positive review and sharing the show with your network is another great way to help us reach as many people as possible with the exciting news about Plants, thank you in advance for your support. It means everything. The PLANTSTRONG podcast team includes Carrie Barrett, Laurie Kortowich, Ami Mackey, Patrick Gavin and Wade Cark. This season is dedicated to all of those courageous truth seekers who weren't afraid to look through the lens with clear vision and hold firm to a higher truth. Most notably my parents, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn jr. And Anne Crile Esselstyn. Thanks for listening.
