Have you gained weight since moving to the U.S.?

[trailmix 77]

A pretty basic poll, but they only allow 3 questions - maybe because there are so many possible answers provided.

Items 2 and 3 are multiple choice, so you can mark one from the weight gain category and one from category two.

Please feel free to snack while participating in the poll.

[Emancipation 2]

lol.. i love it.. i do think that newlyweds generally gain weight too.. something about settling in to a new relationship.. kinda like the freshman 15 or something

[Marilyn. 340]

I put on over 25 pounds and I have been here almost 4 years.... but I gained all the weight within the first 8 or 9 months of moving here .. I have gone down some since then but I still want to lose more

I think I gained the weight because of a change in diet.. I ate way more fast food then I ever did back in Canada .. and also I was stuck at home so my physical activity slowed down too...

[Sprailenes 47]

Um I have gained weight. I came down a size 8 and a nice 135 pounds. But weight is something I have always struggled with so I am not blaming the USA.

However I don't get as much excersise I used to because I drive everywhere now. Also marriage just kind of makes you feel a little too comfortable, he'll love me no matter what size I am, right!? Well true, but I don't love myself as much when I can no longer fit my jeans.

I started to feel like ####### and even though I could work out at home I just don't have the discipline to do it alone. So I go out and work out behind the skinniest girl at the gym, swearing in my mind and how toned she is "that b1tch" and all of a sudden I am inspired and motivated to be thin and healthy once again.

[Emancipation 2]

I started to feel like ####### and even though I could work out at home I just don't have the discipline to do it alone. So I go out and work out behind the skinniest girl at the gym, swearing in my mind and how toned she is "that b1tch" and all of a sudden I am inspired and motivated to be thin and healthy once again.

I am now going to join a gym stat!

[Brian and Jenn 0]

lmfao@ please feel free to snack during poll

ROFLMAO

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Ha! I have gained 9 lbs since I started working(8 months ago) - the first 4 months at home were just fine. We were doing really well, went for walks like 5-6 nights a week.

However...once work kicked in, I obviously have less 'me-time'. I don't get home til 6-ish, then we make dinner and eat later...just no time for walks anymore and some days I'm exhausted

Not the USA's fault - darn job.

I've always struggled with weight since having my daughter 17 yrs ago. Weight Watchers has been a good plan for me since I can decide to eat what I like instead of weird little frozen meals that are different then the rest of the family or huge amounts of meats and cheese a la Atkins. but everyone's body is different, it's whatever works for you.

[Brian and Jenn 0]

I cant help it.........

Tijuana flats, and Chipotle and ..................all so close =(

[Sprailenes 47]

Yes I was going to say Weight Watchers is great! I bought a membership last year just to get the books and stuff and then I quit and kept myself on the plan for quite a long time. But then Superbowl sunday came and there in front of me was a giant platter of hot wings and I just stopped, just like that. But I have been opening my books once again and counting points. It works if you make it work.

[SpiritAlight 1]

Fascinating poll Trailmix.

I have been reading a lot about this "phenomena" as of late...maybe the last 6 months or so.

The research I have been doing keeps coming back to the (usually) same things:

- change in food selection/choices

- the corn syrup thingy and other hidden things in processed foods

- eating more than usual (it is the land of supersize me, regular restaurants' portions are big too)

- the amount of junk food readily available

- feeling busy/harried and indulging in it

- change in lifestyle and no new routine set up

- (there's more I'm sure...)

Once you go in the direction of eating more foods that you know are not great for you, then your body gets addicted to that level of eating...

there's a frequency to everything. Once you lower yours, it is work to come back to centre.

Know what I mean jelly bean(s)?

For whatever reason, I am always about the same weight.

Even without my usual high level of physical activity.

It's strange.

My partner on the other hand has gained some weight since my arrival.

I love carbs! and he does not do well with such foods.

Poor guy....

His level of physical activity has dropped to nil, also...hence....

We both need to make some adjustments if we are to be healthy and strong.

[thetreble 19]

It;s not letting me vote so I'd say I have probably realistically put on about 25 pounds in 2 years. That seems like a hell of a lot and..well..it is! However, I used to be incredibly active and a student. Therefore, I went from eating not a lot because I didn't have a lot of money, and I walked to school and the grocery store, etc. etc. Previously to being in university, I was an all-season athlete who played soccer, ringette, volleyball and badminton competitively. I've always had a sweet tooth but with working out some times, 4 hours a day, in highschool, it never showed.

So I've been putting on weight slowly since I was 18...but nothing ever like this. I contribute it to being held up in a house for so long and not able to do what I usually did...driving my car everywhere...eating more fast food than usual, hfcs, and not doing cardio. Then I started working like an ####### and have little to no time to do my own thing.

My brother in law gets married next Aug. and I would like to drop at least 15 pounds. I don't want to hear any more excuses from myself and I don't want to let myself go before I even have kids, either. That will be a disaster!

Edited December 3, 2008 by thetreble

[Krikit 1,163]

Please feel free to snack while participating in the poll.

I started gaining weight almost immediately. I even had to buy a new wedding dress because the original one didn't fit anymore!

Once I figured out what was going on (all the sugars in everything) I did my best to control what came home from the grocery store. I also bring a lot of grocery items back from Canada with me. I am definitely far less physically active here in the US. At home I used to walk everywhere. Here there is nowhere to walk TO. I can walk around our subdivision, but that gets old pretty quickly. I have given myself a stern talking to and I am ready to do something about it. Just as soon as I finish this Jos Louis.

[Brian and Jenn 0]

I even walk our 2 kids to school everyday, which is only like a 5-8 min walk from our house.

Still gaining weight. Like you all say, it must be the nasty ingredients they put in the processed food.

[trailmix 77]

Please feel free to snack while participating in the poll.

I started gaining weight almost immediately. I even had to buy a new wedding dress because the original one didn't fit anymore!

Once I figured out what was going on (all the sugars in everything) I did my best to control what came home from the grocery store. I also bring a lot of grocery items back from Canada with me. I am definitely far less physically active here in the US. At home I used to walk everywhere. Here there is nowhere to walk TO. I can walk around our subdivision, but that gets old pretty quickly. I have given myself a stern talking to and I am ready to do something about it. Just as soon as I finish this Jos Louis.

I can attribute some of the weight gain to eating more processed foods definately - but like I said somewhere else, it was new and interesting and I had to try it!

Activity level isn't really more or less - so that's not an issue. Anyway, just going to eat more 'normal' foods now.

[xtinab 0]

While I don't officially live here, I can definitely relate. When I arrived I was hovering around 118, however, I was born without a thyroid and have always had a steady metabolism. Within about a month or so I went up to around 133 and have been hovering around that now. I blamed it on my thyroid levels and got them checked when I was in TO, but nope. Not my levels. So I had to look for more reasons (in other words, something else to blame it on ) so this is what I came up with:

In TO I was working as a bartender at one job, serving at another, and doing catering events whenever I could. I was on the go all evening till I was done and into the night. I took ttc everywhere. After work it was usually off to the karaoke show for the night. My meals were basically a quick bite to eat when I woke up (early afternoon usually) A medium size meal during work and then however many bevvies I had that night. Sometimes we'd get wings to split (who can resist half price wings??) Not much food, lots of activity (albeit unhealthy, yet still active)

Compare that to being here in Columbus, I wake up early, 3 meals a day plus snacks. BB drives everywhere. If there was SOMEWHAT good transportation id take it but theres not. I try to do some wii fit every day. I've been watching Addison (our friends daughter) more often so that keeps me active but not as much as before.

Im guessing my thyroid's control of my weight and metabolism took a back seat That sucks for me. I have NEVER been over 120 lbs so Im definitely feeling it. And it was so instant for me. I mean, i gained about 15 lbs in about a month :S (This is taking in the fluctuations of the month/day etc)

After all that, Im gonna turn on the wii fit free step now lol