In today’s column, I talked to Your Big Fat Boyfriend author Jenna Bergen – a local gal (now working for Philly Mag) – who will be hosting a book signing this Saturday at the Camp Hill Barnes & Noble.
Jenna chatted with me about tips on staying thin when your boyfriend is an eating machine. Click through to see what she had to say:
- When you’re going out to eat/drink, dress up – even if it’s something as simple as your favorite pair of jeans, a shirt that makes you feel great or a spritz of perfume that you love, it will connect you to your body and remind you that you want to eat something that not only tastes good, but that makes you feel good too – and that won’t weigh you down for the rest of the evening.
- If he’s eating wings, etc. at the bar, I would recommend a burger without the bun. Use your fork and knife and save the carbs for the fries you know you’re going to snitch off his plate. Even better? Try a portebella mushroom sandwich in lieu of the meat.
- Instead of microbrew, go with a light beer or order a seltzer-based mix drink. A great combo is seltzer, raspberry flavored vodka and a splash of cranberry juice with a twist of lime. Notice that you’re saving tons of calories by using seltzer in place of the sugar-soaked tonic water and by only asking for a dash of juice instead of asking for a vodka cranberry. This is a great trick and can be used with all different types of flavored vodkas and juices.
- Another menu item that’s always great in a pinch at a bar joint is a grilled chicken salad – ask for simple balsamic vinegar on the side (it’s so tasty, you will probably find you don’t even need the oil) or another light dressing you like on the side.
- If you really want that burger with the bun, request that they don’t butter the bun (most places do, which adds on tons of extra calories without you even realizing it), skip the cheese to save about 100 calories per slice and try swapping out the fries for either a baked potato, or even better, a side salad.
- Another good thing to remember is swaps. If you’re going to be drinking, try forgoing the appetizer or dessert. Or, if you’re really set on having dessert, skip the appetizer and don’t even let them set the breadbasket on the table. If it’s in front of you, the chances are you’ll eat it! So it’s a give and take. Don’t let him talk you into order one item (or two or three) from each category. The entrees alone are usually big enough to count for two meals or more. And if he insists he’s gotta have an appetizer or dessert, tell him to pick one you really aren’t that interested in anyway. Some of the better app choices would be shrimp cocktail or tomato and mozzarella – mostly protein based and not high in carbs.
- Finally – when you finish dinner, don’t just sit there! Get up and dance, play pool, go for a walk, go bowling – anything you can do to move around and burn off some of those calories is great for your body and even better for your relationship. The book has tons of active date ideas that even tells you how many calories each of you burn (remember, he’s bigger, so he’ll burn more calories than you will on that dance floor, too – not fair, but true!)
