Not that I should answer for them, but my guess is a big, fat “NO” here. At least not in the sense that it’s unattractive for a woman to dig into a burger or savor a glass of wine with an out-of-this-world cheese plate. Any man I’ve ever had the pleasure of dating or talking to about their thoughts on women and food, has always, always said something with a similar meaning to this: “I want a girl who eats. Food is a hugely enjoyable part of life, and I want someone to enjoy it with me.”

I ask the question because a recent article posted on ScienceDaily.com stated “If you are a woman who dines with a man, chances are you choose food with fewer calories than if you dine with a woman.” Though it supports the beginning stages of the entire BFB phenomenon—check out chapter 1, The Downward Slide Into Fat Pants, for the full recap— this article was based around a study published in the online version of the international journal Appetite that  found women eating in university cafeterias chose foods lower in calories—i.e., salads, etc.—when they were sitting with men than when they were dining with other women.

Why the difference?  Meredith Young, PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University in Ontario and study author believes it has to do with something entirely outside of health reasons or personal tastes: Continue Reading →

It never ceases to amaze me when I find out that someone new has picked up YBFB and connected with it and found it useful. So the other day when this writeup by Kaydeelynn from her blog The Last Ten popped up on my BlackBerry, I was, of course, smiling the rest of the afternoon and more excited than ever to get into my kitchen and try out a new turkey chili recipe (more on that soon!). She had lots of sweet things to say, and you can check out her thoughts on why YBFB got the thumbs up below. (My favorite line, because I think it sums up why you can embrace your makeup-loving, “tries on seven different outfits before choosing your favorite sundress anyway” side while still being super-smart, has to be: “Truly educational and truly girly. I highly recommend it.” Thanks, Kaydeelynn! So happy you liked it! Xoxo! Continue Reading →

The adorable Jenn and Erin over at Fit Bottomed Girls read YBFB and had some great things to say about it—and now they’re giving away five free copies! So hop on over there and leave a comment for your chance to win. (But please, do come back and let me know what you think!) And before you go, here are some of my favorite comments—and my comments on my favorite comments! Thanks, Fit Bottomed Girls!

MizFit said… “Am I too old to read it? :) my husband still wants to drag me down the Ben and Jerry path where the trees are made of oreos.”

[Husbands are only BFBs with rings. Seriously. Soo many women have stoped me and said, "This is my life! But I have a Big Fat Husband!" Same rules apply! ]

Megan said… “This sounds like an awesome book. My boyfriend often gives me grossed out looks when I suggest trying a healthier alternative.”

[Oh, have I seen the face you're talking about, lol. Like you offered him a root canal instead of a bite of your salad!]

The Decayed Gentlewoman said … “I’ve had this exact problem with a previous S.O., but my current boyfriend is very fit. The problem though, is that he’s trying to gain weight (b/c he’s really into weight lifting right now)- right when I was in the middle of a diet! Its so frustrating to watch him adding peanut butter to everything while I eat my salads. LOL.”

[Skinny/fit guys can be the biggest BFBs of all, simply because they're eating more and more often. And studies show that simply seeing food can make a girl hungry!]

Brooke said… “Who wouldn’t love a light hearted dieting book?! it would be a nice change from the standard fare that is out there.”

[Thanks, Brooke! That was part of my hopes for the book—I wanted it to be a fun read as well as a cheerleader for women and couples to get healthy and fit without obsessing over calories!]

Lee said… “That workout first thing in the morning advice is something I’m going to start following. It makes sense that the chances of something coming up to derail a workout would only increase as the day goes by. This book sounds great to me. My husband has a hyper metabolism. Understanding that I can’t eat foods in the same amounts is something I have to be reminded about continuously.”

[Working out in the AM is the best way to make sure you actually do it. And trust me, it's never easy for me to wake up—but once I'm home, showered, and on my way to work, I'm so happy I did it!]

AmyJo said… “I’d love to date a guy who WASN’T a dating disaster for once! Every guy I’ve ever been with has been addicted to fast food (either Taco Bell or McDonalds!) and I’ve had to work off the weight I gained with a guy every time! I definitely need this book :P”

[I hear ya, AmyJo! One of the women I interviewed for the book said that even after she and her fast-food-loving BFB broke up, she found herself swinging through the drive-thru solo—and she never ordered fast food before him. So it's super common, but it doesn't mean it has to happen with the next boy you meet, either! There are lots of ways around it!]

Renae said… “Oh my goodness!!! I totally want this book! I have dated guys (one of whom was a chef) that could shovel food down their throats with wild abandon and not gain an ounce! For awhile my eating habits would stay good. No seconds, only eating half of my portions at the restaurants, but before I even realized what was going on, I was slipping and eating more like them.”

[Renae, this is my story, too! Even though I was still working out and eating all of my yummy veggies, all of the bites here and nibbles there of his food started to add up over time. It is way too easy to gain a pound. It only takes 500 extra calories every day for a week!]

There are so many more wonderful comments and you can read them all here. And please, let me know what you think! I’d love to hear from you. Xoxo!

Dunkin’ Donuts’ “6 Donuts for $3” deal can make any penny-conscious consumer pause, especially in these recession-riddle times. But stop for a coffee in New York and the same donut deal looks a lot less appetizing; It’s now paired with a calorie count that’s shocking enough to make even the most wallet-worried spender rethink bringing a box home to those they love. The Big Apple banner? ”6 Donuts for $3 (1,140 – 3,060).” Suddenly, the parenthesized calories make it seem less like a tasty treat and more like an attack on personal health.

Though I can only imagine the heart-attack-inducing moment most fast-food CEOs had when they learned they would have to start posting the caloric tally of everything from Big Macs to banana splits last April, it doesn’t seem to be keeping BFBs from walking up to the counter. It does, however, seem to be affecting what they order. Even the most unconcerned-with-calories of New York-residing guys have slowly found themselves ordering differently, switching from Subway’s 560-calorie meatball marinara to the less-heavy 280-calorie turkey sub or leaving the 120-calorie whipped cream off their frozen latte.

“It’s hard not to be affected by it when it’s staring you in the face,” says one guy, chomping down on his new lighter breakfast: an egg-and-cheese on an English muffin—a major switch from the bacon-egg-and-cheese bagel he used to order. A recent survey by Chicago-based foodservice consultants Technomic, Inc., agrees, finding:

… 86 per cent of New York City restaurant-goers were surprised by the calorie count information now listed on menus or menu boards, with 90 per cent of them claiming that the calorie count was higher than expected. As a consequence, 82 per cent suggested that calorie disclosure is affecting what they order, with 60 per cent indicating it is affecting where they visit.

No, it’s still not “health food,” but the fact that a fast-food run in New York gives on-the-spot lessons of how many calories go-to-grub contains means two great things for New York-residing ladies: 1) They no longer have to cringe when their boy tosses out a comment like the 2,000-calorie burrito he just downed “was a snack” and 2) Guys that never before thought about calories are starting to flip over packages to read nutrition labels elsewhere, like the grocery store—which means healthier foods in the house for both of you.

So, guys, girls: If you live in New York, have the calorie counts changed what you or your date decides to eat? And if you don’t live in the Big Apple, do you think that if your state started posting calorie counts it would change what you and your honey pick off the menu??

I’m sure you’ve seen the recent headlines declaring that if you want to lose weight it doesn’t matter which diet you follow, you just need to eat less—basically, it’s all about calories, not content. The recent flutter of news is thanks to a new study published in the February 26th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study compared four different diet plans and found that after two years, participants had lost about the same amount of weight—six to seven pounds. However, I found this article by Serena Gordon for HealthDay News very interesting. She writes:

This might not be the end of the debate, however. In an accompanying editorial, Martijn Katan, a nutrition professor at VU University in Amsterdam, pointed out that although the researchers had anticipated that the contents of the diets would vary greatly, the actual differences in content between the plans averaged just 1 percent or 2 percent. Continue Reading →

I’ve heard this Q a few times now, so I thought it would be good to post an answer. Obviously, at first glance, the title of the book sort of implies that your Mr. Right (or Mr. Right Now) has to be a big guy physically. And many BFBs may, in fact, be bigger guys. But I also mean that he could just have a big appetite! (In fact, all of my BFBs have been on the thin side!) So, the answer is … NOT AT ALL! Some of the most dangerous, most pound-packing guys are the always-hungry, skinny-as-a-rail ones. The ones that could plow through a bag of potato chips and look up innocently and ask if you have anything around for a snack before they’ve even had a chance to brush away the crumbs from their skinny little chests. Or the ones that are 6′2”, basketball-playing boys that could eat a meat-and-potatoes meal and be ready for another dinner two hours later.

So why are they dangerous? Simply seeing food can make a girl want to eat—even when you’re not actually hungry. So the more often he eats, the greater the quantity … all can make it easy to snack or reach for seconds. So the short answer is that ANY BOY CAN BE A BFB, regardless of their size. Beware the skinny sweethearts!

Is your guy a closet BFB?? Tell me why he makes it hard to stick to serving sizes!

Of course, it seems obvious: You’d eat better when you’re dieting. But not all experts agree, saying that dieting leads to weight gain and binging, while others are insistent that without restriction, you’re sure to gain weight. Researchers at Brigham Young University found that over three years, middle-aged women who did not restirct their eating were 138 percent more likely to gain 6.6 pounds than those that did. But must it be so black and white? Must we all either be “on a diet” or left to scarf down any open box or bag of food that comes our way? (And thanks to the BFBs out there, there are, and will always be, many opportunities to do so). And must we think of avoiding “junk” food or opting for more nutrient-packed picks as restriction?

Only a few days ago, I posted that I hoped dieting wasn’t in anybody’s resolutions for the new year, that instead we would all focus on building a healthier lifestyle, one without rigid restrictions, held together instead by healthy guidelines that leave room for a little leeway. I believe it’s about common sense. No, you can’t guzzle soda and subsist on sugary snacks; In fact, the more whole foods you reach for, the less refined carbs you munch on—aka pretzels, chips, white bread, etc.—the better you’re going to feel. But when that—when counting out every calorie or swearing off sugar—is the main focus of your day … I think that is when the word “diet” takes on a destructive note and the only thing you usually end up losing is your sanity.

But what do you think? Do you treat yourself better when you’re on a “diet” or when you’re not?

From hanging lights to chopping down the tree to making one final, last-minute dash to the mall, there are tons of fun ways to burn off — or, at least, make a small, tiny dent! — in those holiday treats. How will you and your BFB stay active over the holiday??

Pizza and wings, beer and brownies, guys love to chow down on the worst-for-you foods out there. What’s his favorite junk to munch??