another bloody yank

I have seen this issue hinted at so I thought I'd post about it as it might be something prospective expats might want to be aware of!


If you have, what do you think the reasons are? Too many buffets? Not enough walking? Something in the water? A desire to fit in?

Poll coming soon...

Duncan Roberts

Can you add one for male who gained some weight then lost some, then gained some, then lost some and is now 15% less than arrival?

I do think its very easy to gain weight here though if you are not aware about what your eating, or don't care.

neil

I need a different option too. I came here at age 27 and I'm now 33 and I wonder if age played a factor in the fact that I did gain a little bit of weight in the first few years I was here but in the last 2 years I have started exercising more than I have in my whole adult life (cycle at least 40 miles every weekend and go to the gym 3 or 4 days a week) but I'm still not back to quite what I was when I was 25.

another bloody yank

I did think that aging was probably a factor in weight gain also, with the changes in metabolism and amount of activity possibly decreasing.

Ray

Coming here and retiring from work and becoming sedentary
was a big problem ...

anabella

When I moved to England I discovered Cadbury's chocolate and I put on about 10 lbs.. that came off eventually.. When I moved here I put on about the same eating all the wrong things again but it's almost gone.. It takes a while to adjust to a new place and the combination of feeling a little out of place (and therefore anxious) and finding everything "foreign" when I go to the supermarket doesn't help..

Rushman

Was always 12st 10Ibs from late teens to early thirties. Then crept up to 205Ibs and have been there ever since....except a recent 3 week trip back home and managed to load up 10Ibs (of which 6 has now gone).

I have to admit that when I first came here I was shocked at how many really fat bastards there are here and that shock has stayed in my subconscious. This, I think, is the reason I stay at the same weight because I walk less here but don't veg on the couch and I eat less to compensate for the lack of walking. Still a 34 waist.

snowbunny

Husband's probably gained 10-15 lbs but is still mostly skinny.

If I moved to the UK I'd first gain weight due to my love of food there, then I'd lose it having to do so much more walking.

dbj1000

In the first 3 years here I gained about 20 lbs due to much less walking and things like high fructose corn syrup in everything. My diet here was as good as in the UK, possibly better, so it wasn't that. I didn't eat junk in the UK, and I avoided it even more over here.

Over the last year I've started exercising like I've never exercised in my life. 6 days a week, and a low fat diet to go with it. Now I'm not only 30 lbs lighter, but in better shape than I've ever been. And I mean ever. I was in worse shape as a teenager.

Like Rushman, I think that all the fat people here really scared me off ending up like that.

Well that, and my wonderful wife who has been getting fit with me!

another bloody yank

The poll results are interesting. They show that males and females are nearly equal in the "gained" and "stayed the same" categories but more males have lost. Dunno exactly what it means but gender doesn't doesn't seem to be a factor when it comes to gaining weight, only losing.

Not that this is exactly a scientific study or anything...

lisag8070

when we first came to the US we lived out of hotels for a while and just ate out every night, so the weight just went up and up..

then we finally got an apartment, started to get more settled and I decided it was time to do something, couldn't work (evil H4) ...so I went horse-riding instead, I used to love it as a kid, but then you grow up get a job etc so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get fit whilst doing something I enjoyed (absolutely hate the bloody gym)

Now not only have I lost about 30 lbs but I can honestly say I still love horse-riding..

P.S. you are all right about the obesity in American I was absolutely floored when I first came here, but it is a good incentive..

franc11s

Put on about 40 pounds, lost 20, put on 10, lost 5, put on 10.. Net is, I'm 35 pounds up or so

QUite simply, it's down to EXCUSES on my part. My excuses are :-

* There are too many hils around me (BIG HILLS) making cycling, roller-blading impossible (I live 10 min drive to flat park but that's not part of my excuses)

* I work too long hours (true) and can't make time and don't feel like going to the gym (2 min drive) before, during or after work!

* I pay for the gym membership so I'm nearly ready

* I love food.

* I am constantly on a diet during the week, which I occasionally break with an Indian Lunchtime buffet (trough).

* I find it hard to diet at the weekend because I want to go out.

* I love salads but the low fat dressings are yuk

My goal is to get from my current 235 pounds (I'm 6' 2") to 210 and then I'll be happy.... No more excuses (What the heck am I doing on this board, I should be at the gym)

Have a good day everyone....

krizzy

I gained weight because of using pain killers before moving over doctor never told me about side affects and how long they would last ..I always read them nowadays......then the lack of exercise made me gain more...I hated being skinny anyway...and feel better being bigger...could do with a bit of toning up...I did weight training for many years...so I'm not used to being a bit wobbly....

Bob

gained a few pounds, but it comes and goes....main problem is, don't play footie every other day like I use to back in blighty.

kingfisher241049

Yes I did gain weight when I arrived here. I have begun to lose it now, and my doctor gave me pills to reduce my cholesterol levels. I pigged out on the massive steaks available here, and visited the local buffet restaurants too much. On a strict diet now