Your Big Fat Boyfriend

A Conversation With The Author, Jenna Bergen

By Habib Wicks, PEERtrainer Co-Founder
We had a chance to do some Q&A with Jenna Bergen, author of the new book Your Big Fat Boyfriend: How to Stay Thin When Dating a Diet Disaster. We found this interesting!

What was your inspiration to write this book?

Health has always been really important to me. Two of my siblings are type 1 diabetic, and diabetes really runs in my family. My grandfather and his siblings struggle with type 2 ... I don't want to go down that path. I was also a heavy kid between third and sixth grade, until I started eating healthy and working out and getting involved in sports. Ever since then, I've loved working out and taking care of myself, and finding fun ways to make food taste good and still be good for you.

When I started dating, I was shocked how little most guys knew about basic nutrition, which foods were good for you, which foods weren't. And even though I never gave up my big leafy salads and trips to the gym, all the tastes there and nibbles here added up over time and I realized I was gaining weight. Once I was aware, I found little ways to cut fat, calories and carbs and sneak in extra activity while still having fun with the guy.

After awhile, I started talking to other women and hearing how much weight they were gaining in relationships—some were gaining 10, pounds, 20 pounds, or more. A few pounds isn’t anything to cry over, but when it starts to affect how you feel, how your clothes fit or when it’s a big enough jump on the scale that you’re suddenly at risk for obesity-related health issues like type 2 diabetes, it’s a serious problem.

Around this time, I was also reviewing diet books for Women's Health. That's when I realized there wasn't a book out there about relationships/weight/health. And I also didn't enjoy reading most diet books. I found many of them were very complicated (eat this meal at this time and make sure it has X amount of carbs, protein, etc.) and I knew I would never follow something like that.

Many of them were also very scientific and a bit boring. I had learned how to break down a lot of scientific info and make it fun and readable while doing all of my work for Men's Health and Women's Health, so I knew I could write something that was not only factual and truly helpful, but also fun and entertaining. I also didn't want it be about dieting. I wanted to inspire women and couples to be healthy and active for life. Continue Reading Interview...