jtb87

I spent a year in PA in 2008 and I gained about 30lbs in that time. When I returned to the UK, it started coming off again though. Now that I am back in the US, in Texas this time, my weight is stable and hasn't changed yet, but I am trying to be more active. Even though it is often too warm here to be very active.

Bink

Yes! Although it's a combination of things for me I think.
Driving everywhere versus walking an hour a day to get to trains/tubes/work/lunch is certainly a big factor. The real issue though is increase in food (though I've always eaten a lot) and decrease in the amount of exercise. Working on slimming back down though, especially now it's footy season and playing 90 mins in Houston heat sheds weight pretty quickly...!

Hotscot

My diet is much healthier, salads, vegetables, fish etc...but I do so much driving compared to the walking I used to do. No choice.

And I do enjoy the wine

VenturaBlvd

Interestingly, I have lost about 50 pounds since moving here in February 2013. I surf twice a week and run 5 miles a day. It's such a cliche to say that L.A. is the reason why I lost weight. I did it for myself but I can't deny that the warm climate and attitude to healthy living was the perfect catalyst for losing weight and toning up.

Even though it's a pretty healthy part of the country, I must say it is still really amusing that we all DRIVE everywhere to run, hike or surf. Everyone has roof racks and bike racks here on the westside of LA. Heaven forbid we should run to our run...

Sarah

Yes, it's a battle for me, always has been. Eat when I'm sad, eat when I'm stressed, eat when I'm happy etc. My husband was thin as a pin his entire life and then after he stopped climbing trees for a living and started sitting at a desk he got a tummy and was utterly aghast.
As for me, with driving everywhere, a diet of cheap junk food from when we were poor and unemployed and then a pregnancy, yes, I'm a lardy bum at the moment. My kidlet has just turned 3 years old and I've only lost about 10lbs of the pregnancy weight. Oy vey.

Sarah

I'd really like to experience the L.A healthy lifestyle obsession. See how it differs from when I lived in Philly and everything was slathered in cheese and NYC where there's cupcakes on every corner and pizza is considered a vegetable.

Just a tidbit - when my husband was in college a few years back studying Forestry Science, L.A was used as an example of how not to plan a town/city when taking the natural forests/enviro into consideration, because of the urban sprawl and the negative effect it has not only on the human population (like you said, driving everywhere) but also on the environment as a whole. Less trees, less animal habitats etc

GeoffM

Having had DS at two schools now, and seeing their pretty much identical lunches, it's a wonder his waistline hasn't grown. While they tout their healthy options and that every child has to choose a vegetable/fruit and milk, what they end up with in their stomachs is another matter entirely.

For example: Pepperoni pizza slice, apple, chocolate milk. He eats the pizza and drinks the sugary milk - he's perfectly happy drinking plain milk at home. Apple gets thrown away.
Day 2: Tacos, except it's just ground meat, squirty cheese-like-product, some veggies on the side. Veggies get left. At home we mince the veg into the ground meat and use something like apple juice for a bit of sauce.

Now, to be fair, the kitchens here aren't really geared up to actually cook anything, just reheat frozen/dried/foilpacketed pre-prepared portions. Jamie's work is far from over!

VenturaBlvd

Your post made me hungry I miss pizza.

Yeah, I think a big part of LA's problem is the physical terrain - there are hills and mountains everywhere - where I live it's all canyons and hilly roads with no sidewalks.

I'd love to spend more time in Philly.

N1cky

I put around 10lbs on in the 3 years we lived in LA, lost a little when we moved to No. Cal. then put another 15lbs on in the last two years. When we first moved here I walked to drop and pick my daughter off at school, so that was just under 4 miles a day. I also joined the Y and did U-Jam, Cardio Kickboxing and Zumba classes 3-4 times a week.

Then we moved to a new house, so could no longer walk to school, work got crazy busy so I never got to the Y. Then my daughter got super healthy and joined a comp team where she trains 3 nights a week. I pick her up from the gym at 6.30pm, so that doesn't give me much time after work to do any exercise.

I love food and wine too much to diet, although we do eat healthy food most of the time.

I have today bought a Groupon for a 6 week boot camp, 4 days a week, I start on Monday. I'm determined to lose this weight, fed up of feeling uncomfortable all the time.

RICH

No. I have been 175lb +/- 5lb for 20 years or so, long before I moved to US 10 years ago.

I do, however, use "gotten" more often than I should.

Sally Redux

My husband enrolled me for a year's membership at the uni swimming pool. Have been once.

WEBlue

We're in a New England town where there are decent sidewalks/pavements (not everywhere but many places) for walking, as well as a dedicated cycle route within reach. We made these things a priority in our househunt, and since we no longer have to worry about anyone else but ourselves (children all grown & gone), we finally found a place that fit the bill.

Our weight still varies a bit from time to time, but not a lot. We try to walk or cycle every day. Both become extremely difficult in the winter, of course, so we substitute shoveling snow.

CAdreaming

Up n down with me -I have found that in CA generally portions are not all that big - i was expecting massova platefuls but alas not!

The hot weather has made me more "body conscious" - more on show but much harder to keep in shape as i get older!

I gave up all junk food/processed food about 3 months ago and dropped 9 pounds strangely even tho im eating lots of "whole" foods - nuts avocados etc - the fact t'other half is into exercising big time helps ..

I was surprised when i first registered with a doc here that the first thing they did was weigh me - (and BP of course ) now that never happened in Blighty!

Ps i have to say since giving up sweeties ive totally lost the craving!!! How very odd!!

Sally Redux

We just got registered with a GP and they are hot on the preventive stuff now. Weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption

N1cky

I find eating at independent restaurants the portion sizes are fine, but the chain restaurants are all ridiculous. It's such a waste, it really annoys me.