Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

Yes, we all put on weight as we get old, but I was kind of curious: Are you noticing that you are gaining more weight in the USA vs your peers (or possibly siblings) in the UK? Or do you think you are gaining more weight living in the US than you would if you were back home?

Just wondering if you think the portion sizes, price and lifestyle (i.e. driving a car) in the USA is leading to weight gain vs. if you were back in the UK?

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

It took me a long time to stop clearing my plate at restaurants and get used to asking for a go box.

Jogging with the dog has helped get me back to a normal weight pretty quickly much to the annoyance of my wife who doesn't find it as easy.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

Not from the UK, but my husband put on 25 lbs the first year he was in the USA, due to fast food, eating out, and not walking everywhere like he did in Turkey.

He kept that weight on for a few years, but didn't gain more. Then he got his cholesterol checked, and it was sky high. He went on a strict new healthy eating plan and has now lost all that weight and has normal cholesterol numbers, without meds. I'm very proud of him.

Rene

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

No chance. Fitter than I've ever been. No drinking or smoking. Running, sailing, hiking and swimming. That does the job.

Maybe it's an LA thing but everyone around here seems to be into fitness.

In the UK I would mostly sit in the pub. (Although I should say, I do miss it).

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I have, like Eccles, it took a long time before I was able to leave food on a plate. My favourite exercise is different here too. I like walking but the excess of trees here, makes me less likely to go to the mountains despite their easy access.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I can eat a whole burrito now - when I first arrived I could barely manage half. I drink more beer (mostly solo unfortunately, a slippery slope). Yet I'm still about 12st (168lbs) - though admittedly it did get up to 175 at one point. I'm rather sedentary sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day with a commute from the bedroom to the office via the kitchen. We have a ton of exercise equipment sitting out on the deck just gathering dust.

However, even before I arrived in the US, ideally I should be around the 11½st area. Oops. It would be very easy to put on weight but then I see some people that are quite frankly grotesque and that makes me reign myself in a bit.

One dilemma I have is that while I do like a cola a day, I find full fat cola to be too sweet, yet diet cola has stuff like aspartame which is not really a good thing. So HFCS or other chemicals. Hmm. I should drink water.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

Yes put on weight, far too much.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I don't have anyone in the UK to compare myself to, but I gained weight in Canada vs what I was in San Diego.

I largely think its due to the winter not being outdoor friendly, so I end up not being nearly as active, along with in San Diego, I walked the 100 acre zoo every week, on top of taking transit everywhere and walking to work from trolley stop about a mile each way.

I went from year round weather and being active, to only having 3-5 months of decent outdoor weather.

If I had the spare cash, I'd join a gym. I am a bit overweight, but all my numbers (cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure etc) are all in normal ranges, and I cut out fast food, sugary drinks and foods earlier in the year, so probably healthier overall diet wise, just heavier.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I'm thinner than when we arrived here. I don't feel like I have to eat everything when we eat out as it's Texas, so you always get far too much. I don't think the cold weather helped when we lived in Aberdeen. Here when it's hotter you are more likely to eat a salad. I seem to be fairing a bit better weight wise than a lot of my peers, especially as we have had another child since moving. There would be no point comparing myself to my sister as she is tiny and frankly, I couldn't be bothered to live that way. I could still stand to loose a few pounds, especially as the swimming season will be over soon. I should probably stop buying wine for a few months.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I've put on about 40 pounds and I think it's almost entirely down to not walking. I used to walk everywhere. Work, grocery shopping, to my friends houses. Here I can barely drag myself to the pool.

I know I also had the Babychog but with the HG I only actually put on 7 pounds during pregnancy and she weighed 7 pound 2 oz when she was born.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I prefer to use the term "sturdy".

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

Despite the quite legendary amount of sweets I eat (and, if one believes the tide of public opinioin, despite the fact that I gave up smoking before I moved over), I have actually, on average, lost weight since moving to the US.

I wonder if it is down to eating more rice and pasta than potatoes as accompaniment to dinners at home, because when I was just over, I ate spuds with almost every meal and put on a stone :blink:

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I really just need to be slightly less inert.

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

I would have walked more in the UK than here, though I do play football out here and I didn't back home.

I put it down to the fact that I had more money for more sweets there :D

Re: Have you gotten bigger living in America?
 

Yes but maybe just because I haven't had a kitchen for the last month! I am finding New York seems a very active place, lots of joggers etc.