How much weight have you put on since moving to America?

[scotinmass 588]

Is everyone having the same problem as me eating way too much? The food here is just too good and the portion sizes are enough to feed a whole family. On top of that my wife makes some really delicious meals and the best apple pie in America.

I've managed to put on 40lbs in less than 2 years!

[Kengux 3]

Laughing... Bruhahahahahahahaha..

[K&E2009 71]

Is everyone having the same problem as me eating way too much? The food here is just too good and the portion sizes are enough to feed a whole family. On top of that my wife makes some really delicious meals and the best apple pie in America.

I've managed to put on 40lbs in less than 2 years!

Haha, this is a great question. Has anyone gone to America and NOT gained weight!?!

I would disagree with the food being 'too good' though. I personally don't think the food is of a great standard. In fact, if anything, it's poor quality! Especially the meat.

Portion sizes are the problem. No need for anybody to eat a 20 oz. steak! Also, steaks in the EU and in most other places don't some that size. The reason being the growth hormones that are fed to cattle and poultry in the US.

Growth Hormones are banned in the EU and nearly everywhere else in the world.

Food is much cheaper in America, too. Again, down to the low grade of the food I would think.

http://www.bsas.org.uk/about_the_bsas/issue_papers/hormone_growth_promoters_in_cattle/

[Maranda 3]

I spent 3 months last winter in the Netherlands and between the portion sizes and all the walking, I lost about 20 lbs.

Of course I gained it right back after being home in the States over the past year.

My husband, Arnold, on the other hand, has gained about 30 lbs. after living here for a little less than a year now. He likes it though, because he insists he was too skinny to begin with. My family agrees that he'll be a "fat American" in no time!

His dad visited last summer, LOVED the food, and was thrilled to tell everyone that he gained about 8 lbs. in the month of his visit. He was also thrilled to be able to buy Levi jeans at an outlet store for $20 a pair when he needed to go a size up.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Is everyone having the same problem as me eating way too much? The food here is just too good and the portion sizes are enough to feed a whole family. On top of that my wife makes some really delicious meals and the best apple pie in America.

I've managed to put on 40lbs in less than 2 years!

Lol. I'm more like 10-20lbs but it's not because the food is good. It's because the food is fatty and kinda gross. It was hard to find good food so a lot of the food I *had* to eat, that I COULD eat was not good for me. Bread is awful. Cheese is awful. Beef mince is flavourless and fatty... While we were closing on our house we were staying with friends/family so we didn't eat very well (quick meals to get our from under their feet). Since we have our own house now I've still gotta shift that extra weight but my health is totally fine (sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure etc) which is all that REALLY matters... right? lol

You should ship some apply pie here for me to try though ... I miss good apple pie. A lot of the ones I find here have too much cinnamon so I'll have to start making my own... and eat it with some custard

[scotinmass 588]

Haha, this is a great question. Has anyone gone to America and NOT gained weight!?!

I would disagree with the food being 'too good' though. I personally don't think the food is of a great standard. In fact, if anything, it's poor quality! Especially the meat.

Portion sizes are the problem. No need for anybody to eat a 20 oz. steak! Also, steaks in the EU and in most other places don't some that size. The reason being the growth hormones that are fed to cattle and poultry in the US.

Growth Hormones are banned in the EU and nearly everywhere else in the world.

Food is much cheaper in America, too. Again, down to the low grade of the food I would think.

http://www.bsas.org.uk/about_the_bsas/issue_papers/hormone_growth_promoters_in_cattle/

I've heard a lot of people saying the food is much cheaper in America. In Massachusetts it's way more expensive than the UK. I can spend $200 in a supermarket on the same amount that would cost £50 in the UK. I would agree the quality of meat isn't as good but we have an abundance of excellent restaurants in the Boston area that can more than make up for that with the other ingredients they use.

[xxxwabbiexxx 70]

I stay at home all day and could pig out all day on snacks but I'm strict with myself and literally find myself telling myself off if I go to the cupboard lol (crazy lady) and as a result I've only put on the weight I lost for the wedding which is no more than 7 lbs which doesn't bother me too much because I still fit in my dress (with a bit of breathing in lol). Just try being strict on yourself and writing everything down that you eat in a day - once you see the amount you'll know what you can cut out.

As for food here being great I think NOT - we hardly go out to eat because the food here is that s**t - full of fats and oils. I cook most night and my hubby prefers my food which is nice of him . We hate chain restaurants aswel, they tend to be the worst for processed and fatty foods (in my opinion) - you could try looking for new independently owned restaurants I personally find them better because they tend to make the food a bit more fresh.

When you're in a restaurant ask for a separate plate and put smaller bits off the main plate onto it and when your full put a chewing gum in your mouth that might stop you picking at the food when you're full.

Just a few things that might help.

[david'sgirl 134]

Lol. I'm more like 10-20lbs but it's not because the food is good. It's because the food is fatty and kinda gross. It was hard to find good food so a lot of the food I *had* to eat, that I COULD eat was not good for me. Bread is awful. Cheese is awful. Beef mince is flavourless and fatty... While we were closing on our house we were staying with friends/family so we didn't eat very well (quick meals to get our from under their feet). Since we have our own house now I've still gotta shift that extra weight but my health is totally fine (sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure etc) which is all that REALLY matters... right? lol

You should ship some apply pie here for me to try though ... I miss good apple pie. A lot of the ones I find here have too much cinnamon so I'll have to start making my own... and eat it with some custard

Where are you eating that is fatty and gross? We do not go to fast food places and we try to avoid chain restaurants with a couple exceptions. He likes the 99 and we both like the Cheesecake factory but we really only go there for special occassion or to take visitors from the UK. We are fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you view it since we are dieting)to live in an area where there are literally hundreds of decent dining options within a short drive or train ride from home. for example the North end section of Boston alone has dozens of amazing Italian restaurants, bakeries and gelato shops within a short walk from the train. When we go to Maine our options are much more limited We do eat at home most nights and we take take turns cooking. David makes a really good Shepherd's pie, roast beef and mashed potatoes. Pretty much everything else he "cooked" in Scotland consisted of a sauce poured over sauted chicken, mince or Quorn and served with rice. I try to make a lot of different dishes and we try new places on weekends and vacations. We visited my daughter and we tried a Cuban restaurant in Florida. I went home and tried to make the yummy chicken riojana dish we had there and came up with a reasonable facimile.(btw if anyone actually has the recipe I'd love it!) When I bake I use Splenda in place of sugar. It tastes the same and takes the guilt out of it. We have it with sugar free ice cream. You can get decent bread at most bakeries or try Country Kitchen brand or bake your own. We get Hoffman's sliced cheddar for sandwiches and we get Vermont Cheddar cheese for snacking and Mac n cheese. Mince is always flavourless. we use Oxocubes in it for shepard's pie and I mix it with garlic,Progresso crumbs and parmesan and spices for meatballs. I suppose what you think of the food is going to vary by what part of the country you live. The only decent meals we ever had in the Uk were a couple in a restaurant in Pitlochry in Scotland and a few in the Audley pub in London. I think the only thing I really ever thought was good over there was the roast beef and yorkshire pudding! That is the one thing i cannot master! I have made a batch of truly awful that were the consistency of a muffin and another batch of little hockey pucks!

[david'sgirl 134]

I stay at home all day and could pig out all day on snacks but I'm strict with myself and literally find myself telling myself off if I go to the cupboard lol (crazy lady) and as a result I've only put on the weight I lost for the wedding which is no more than 7 lbs which doesn't bother me too much because I still fit in my dress (with a bit of breathing in lol). Just try being strict on yourself and writing everything down that you eat in a day - once you see the amount you'll know what you can cut out.

As for food here being great I think NOT - we hardly go out to eat because the food here is that s**t - full of fats and oils. I cook most night and my hubby prefers my food which is nice of him . We hate chain restaurants aswel, they tend to be the worst for processed and fatty foods (in my opinion) - you could try looking for new independently owned restaurants I personally find them better because they tend to make the food a bit more fresh.

When you're in a restaurant ask for a separate plate and put smaller bits off the main plate onto it and when your full put a chewing gum in your mouth that might stop you picking at the food when you're full.

Just a few things that might help.

My hubby wasn't really looking for help with dieting. He really does love the food here and was thinking maybe everyone else felt the same. I've gotta say I am surprised to hear other Brits saying it is not better here since the food (excet for stuff we bought and prepared) was on the whole very bland and mainly seemed to include a serving of something fried and chips (the ones we call steak fries) and there is no place to get a decent breakfast or an iced coffee.

[K&E2009 71]

My hubby wasn't really looking for help with dieting. He really does love the food here and was thinking maybe everyone else felt the same. I've gotta say I am surprised to hear other Brits saying it is not better here since the food (excet for stuff we bought and prepared) was on the whole very bland and mainly seemed to include a serving of something fried and chips (the ones we call steak fries) and there is no place to get a decent breakfast or an iced coffee.

Define 'Decent breakfast'.....

'Cause if it includes; pancakes (drenched in syrup to hide their rankness), 'bacon' (fatty, stringy, shite), and scrambled (destroyed) eggs, that one can get in I-Hop... then your definition of a 'decent breakfast' is warped.

Also, Iced coffee... I disagree with it.

[xxxwabbiexxx 70]

My hubby wasn't really looking for help with dieting. He really does love the food here and was thinking maybe everyone else felt the same. I've gotta say I am surprised to hear other Brits saying it is not better here since the food (excet for stuff we bought and prepared) was on the whole very bland and mainly seemed to include a serving of something fried and chips (the ones we call steak fries) and there is no place to get a decent breakfast or an iced coffee.

Without meaning to sound too rude (genuine here I'm not 'miss attitude'), he's 40 lbs overweight, there are health implications from this - I know you were asking for diet tips I was forwarding advise based on health concerns.

My mother-in-law put on 50 lbs when they moved here from South Africa in 1996, and in 2009 she'd had enough she shed that weight and more and looks AMAZING and she feels so much healthier aswel.

And nothing in the world beat an English fried breakfast with a good cuppa lol

My hubby does say the food is bland sometimes so he 'ruins' it by adding sauces lol - I supposed its what you're used to at the end of the day.

Edited January 8, 2012 by xxxwabbiexxx

[Travis and Meghan 24]

Haha, this is a great question. Has anyone gone to America and NOT gained weight!?!

I would disagree with the food being 'too good' though. I personally don't think the food is of a great standard. In fact, if anything, it's poor quality! Especially the meat.

Portion sizes are the problem. No need for anybody to eat a 20 oz. steak! Also, steaks in the EU and in most other places don't some that size. The reason being the growth hormones that are fed to cattle and poultry in the US.

Growth Hormones are banned in the EU and nearly everywhere else in the world.

Food is much cheaper in America, too. Again, down to the low grade of the food I would think.

http://www.bsas.org.uk/about_the_bsas/issue_papers/hormone_growth_promoters_in_cattle/

Totally agree!

[david'sgirl 134]

Define 'Decent breakfast'.....

'Cause if it includes; pancakes (drenched in syrup to hide their rankness), 'bacon' (fatty, stringy, shite), and scrambled (destroyed) eggs, that one can get in I-Hop... then your definition of a 'decent breakfast' is warped.

Also, Iced coffee... I disagree with it.

I've never eaten in Ireland except at the airport on my way to Edinburgh so I can't really compare. In Scotland we got a traditional fry up at a grocery store because it was the only place serving breakfast before pubs opened. We had a breakfast once at the Loch Rannoch Inn too but it was nothing special. I hate that you have no choice in how you get your eggs cooked. You get them sunny side up and usually served cold with some bacon, way too much sausage,beans(which I actually liked)and toast. To me a decent breakfast is a nice slice of ham or steak, eggs over medium, home made toast not fried bread and home fries.

You don't need to have iced coffee but I doubt I am the only person who craces it once in a while. Don't get me wrong. I love tea as well but I could get that when I wanted it. I was mentioning what I could not get over there.

[K&E2009 71]

Without meaning to sound too rude (genuine here I'm not 'miss attitude'), he's 40 lbs overweight, there are health implications from this - I know you were asking for diet tips I was forwarding advise based on health concerns.

My mother-in-law put on 50 lbs when they moved here from South Africa in 1996, and in 2009 she'd had enough she shed that weight and more and looks AMAZING and she feels so much healthier aswel.

And nothing in the world beat an English fried breakfast with a good cuppa lol

My hubby does say the food is bland sometimes so he 'ruins' it by adding sauces lol - I supposed its what you're used to at the end of the day.

I think you'll find nothing beats an IRISH fried breakfast with a cup of tea!

[david'sgirl 134]

Without meaning to sound too rude (genuine here I'm not 'miss attitude'), he's 40 lbs overweight, there are health implications from this - I know you were asking for diet tips I was forwarding advise based on health concerns.

My mother-in-law put on 50 lbs when they moved here from South Africa in 1996, and in 2009 she'd had enough she shed that weight and more and looks AMAZING and she feels so much healthier aswel.

And nothing in the world beat an English fried breakfast with a good cuppa lol

My hubby does say the food is bland sometimes so he 'ruins' it by adding sauces lol - I supposed its what you're used to at the end of the day.

His entire post was meant to be a bit of fun not the opening for a lecture. btw no one is ever gonna say an English fried breakfast is a healthy alternative. lol

I think you'll find nothing beats an IRISH fried breakfast with a cup of tea!

What is in an Irish breakfast? I know some pubs in Boston say they have it but the idea of breakfast in a bar seems well, wierd.lol