A 58-year-old whose job required hours of sitting lost 75 pounds in 12 months with these simple changes.

• A man gained 50 pounds after leaving the military and starting to drive — and stay — for a living.

• A fitness and nutrition program designed to reverse diabetes has helped him lose 75 pounds.

• He still stays up longer, but packs his own lunch and makes sure to exercise 6 days a week.

When Jerry Clark decided to leave the military, hit the road, and start driving long-haul truck routes 34 years ago, he had no idea what a dramatic effect the career change would have on his body.

“Truck driving is the worst job in the world for health,” Clark told Business Insider.

Of course, no one needs to stay at work more than a truck driver. And we all know sitting is the new smoking.

Clark spent years tag-teaming around the country on truck routes with his wife. At one point, before he retired, they were logging 8,000 miles together each workweek. The pair would drive nearly three full lengths across the continent every week, eating whatever they could find to sustain them along the way.

“We eat on a greasy spoon,” Clark said, explaining the average truck driver’s meal plan. “Everything is oiled, or fried.”

All that sitting and eating greasy food can lead to chronic health problems and body imbalances. Clarke developed a strong left leg by driving his clutch and a strong right hand while at the wheel half the time of the day. He also gained more than 50 pounds over the course of three decades.

An employer-provided nutrition program made a big difference

About a year and a half ago, when he heard his employer was offering free nutrition coaching for people with diabetes through Virta Health, he wondered if he might be eligible to join the low-carb program, as promised by the company, even though he had normal blood sugar and “didn’t need to reverse type 2 diabetes.” Of course, his employer allowed him to try it.

Clark has lost more than 75 pounds in the program and has renewed energy for both work and hobbies, including woodcarving. He says he’s trimmer now than he was when he left the military in his mid-20s. He has been working on maintaining his weight and building muscle for the past several months.

She lost over 75 pounds with diet, exercise, and guidance from a trainer

“I look pretty good for a 58-year-old now,” he said. “Getting back almost a six pack.”

He has helped his son lose more than 100 pounds using nutrition techniques he learned, which are in line with some of the most recent federal nutrition guidelines released in January.

It’s no coincidence: Virta co-founder Jeff Volek helped draft the Trump administration’s new dietary guidelines for Americans, which encourage people to ditch ultra-processed foods and added sugar, preferring animal protein and “healthy” fats.

Clark now eats more whole foods than ever, including fruits, vegetables and meat. He doesn’t fuss too much about fat, especially the kind found in lean proteins like nuts, fish, and chicken.

“My journey is not over, but I’m getting there,” he said.

You don’t have to eat low carbs to lose weight

Many nutritionists say that low-carb ketogenic diet plans like the one he follows aren’t right for everyone. Generally speaking, people without diabetes can benefit from more fiber and whole grains than this style of food typically provides. Still, there are some nutritional basics that almost every “healthy” diet plan agrees on. Virta’s low carb strategy is no exception. Plants such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are good. Extra sugar and empty calories from white bread, cake and soda? Not so much.

“There’s this base of knowledge that’s very translatable between different dietary camps,” nutrition scientist and ultra-processed food researcher Kevin Hall, co-author of the book “Food Intelligence,” previously told Business Insider. “All camps can agree on non-starchy vegetables and reducing added sugar.”

Studies have shown that low-carb diets are no better than low-fat diets when it comes to how much fat people lose. Low-carbohydrate diets may be helpful in stabilizing blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes, but it is the quality of the individual’s diet that is most important.

“For the majority of people, it’s really the processed and refined carbohydrates that they should avoid,” Hall said. Carb-forward beans and strawberries, packed with fiber and antioxidants, are great choices for many people.

Former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Another big reason for the success of Virta patients like Clark, according to David Kessler, is the “built-in accountability” that patients get from Virta’s intensive, personalized training model, as he describes in his new book, “Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving.”

As for Clark, he has some evidence-based nutrition tricks that he credits with helping him make sustainable dietary changes that he plans to stick with for the long haul.

Here are 7 of her best pieces of diet advice:

Eat more vegetables

When Clark drives his 600-mile route from North Carolina to West Virginia and back overnight, he brings his own “lunch” or gets a few essentials from the supermarket. No more greasy spoons. Broccoli, leafy lettuce, and cucumbers are now staples at his home for lunch and dinner.

“I’ll pack a chicken breast and some broccoli, and then in the middle of the night when I get to the truck stop, I’ll pull in and pop it in the microwave, and I’m so happy,” he said.

With the help of her nutrition coach, Clark began meal prepping and shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store, a classic pro-nutrition move.

“A lot of crap is in between,” he said.

Change Your Rhythm – It takes time, but will curb sugar cravings in the long run

Clark has found that over time, he’s craving less sugar. It helps to avoid junk food in the house, as it is usually loaded with sugar, saturated fat and refined flour. Now, he finds her wants Vegetables and other whole foods, deer and rabbit for dinner, and blueberries as a sweet treat.

“Food itself tastes better as long as you change your taste buds,” he said. “It takes a month for your taste buds to change.”

Studies suggest that most of our taste buds regenerate every 10 days, but some take three weeks or more.

Avoid ‘added crap’ like refined flour and sugar

Clark said he still enjoys many of the same foods he used to eat, he just prepares them differently now.

“You can have the same stuff,” he said. “You can’t have all the crap America puts into it.”

For him, that means rotisserie chicken instead of fried chicken and homemade ice cream made from whipping cream and eggs, with far less sugar than store-bought tubs.

Although Clark House generally steers clear of fast food and ultra-processed groceries, there is occasional wiggle room for a low-calorie, low-carb, ultra-processed dessert like Cool Whip with Jell-O. That’s also pretty rare these days, Clark said.

Use your hands to measure food

Clark says his biggest challenge on the program is learning not to overeat. It’s something he talked about with his coach.

“I’m a big eater – that’s my biggest problem,” he said. “I like large amounts of food.”

Obesity medicine doctors say the reason Clark’s “enough” point may have gone awry: As he gained weight, his brain sent signals to his body to eat more and store more fat in defense mode against starvation.

With instructions tailored to her body shape and kitchen scale, Clark began measuring out the recommended 7 ounces of protein for lunch and dinner. But her coach also gave her a quick shortcut to thinking about her portion sizes.

“Your hands are your best tool,” he said. “The palm of your hand without your fingers is about 7 ounces, that’s one portion of meat.”

Don’t obsess about the numbers on the scale if you know things are going in the right direction

When Clark began adding regular weightlifting to her workout routine, the numbers on her bathroom scale stabilized. His coach encouraged him to focus on other metrics instead.

“My muscles are getting bigger, and my waist is getting smaller,” he said. “My coach said, ‘If you’re happy with what you see in the mirror, be happy.’

Build your tribe

Clark has been openly sharing his nutrition strategy with family and friends. His son has lost over 100 pounds using his technique, and one of his long-distance trucking buddies has lost over 80 pounds.

“We talk every night: ‘Hey man, what did you eat today? Did you work out?'” Clark said. This is another time-tested strategy: Couples, friends, and families who lose weight together have better long-term success.

Now, Clark’s wife is interested in the program.

“She sees me, and she’s like, ‘Man, you’re doing really well. I want to try that.’

Treat yourself to an hour of movement every day

Finally, Clark has developed a new routine of working out 6 days a week, alternating heart-healthy cardio (such as running) with lifting weights every other day. Building muscle mass is a great way to achieve the right kind of weight loss, encouraging the body to shed fat instead of muscle. If he’s hungry, he grabs a protein shake “to replenish my muscle stores.”

“I told my wife: One hour a day, I don’t want anyone to bother me,” Clark said. “No phone calls, ‘Honey, you have to clean the toilet, you have to mow the lawn.'”

Now, he looks forward to dedicated, sacred time for exercise.

“An hour a day? Come on. That’s nothing. Give it to yourself and then work on it,” he said.

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