Jeff Jenkins And The Weight Of Representation

What does it mean to carry the weight of representation as a fat, Black traveler on the global stage? In this episode of Big Sexy Chat, Chrystal and Merf sit down with Jeff Jenkins, award-winning travel and food personality, speaker, podcast host, and creator of Chubby Diaries. Jeff is also the former host of Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins on National Geographic, where he brought inclusive, joyful storytelling to audiences worldwide

We dive into:

• Jeff’s journey from personal travel diaries to global advocacy for fat travelers.
• The realities of airline seats, resort furniture, and clothing access - and the small fixes that make a world of difference.
• How representation in media and tourism changes not just experiences, but lives.
• Jeff’s philosophy on confidence, self-acceptance, and finding joy outside your comfort zone.
• What’s next: new projects, a documentary in the works, and his mission to humanize fat people worldwide.

This conversation is about more than travel; it’s about visibility, belonging, and the power of living fully in your body, wherever you are.

🔗 Connect with Jeff Jenkins:

• Website: chubbydiaries.com
  
  
• Instagram: @chubbydiaries
  
  
• Facebook: Chubby Diaries Travel
  
  
• YouTube: Chubby Diaries
  
  
• LinkedIn: Jeff Jenkins
  
  
• Pinterest: Chubby Diaries
  
  
• TikTok: @chubbydiaries
  
  

🎧 Tune in and feel the weight of representation transform into fat joy.

Chapters

• 0:00 Meeting Jeff Jenkins: Travel Trailblazer
• 8:47 Finding Fat Joy While Traveling
• 15:31 Navigating Airlines as a Plus-Size Person
• 29:08 Adventure Activities for Fat Bodies
• 36:07 Future Projects and Community Service
• 40:09 The Power of Self-Acceptance

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome back to Big Sexy Chat, the show where fat joy knows no bounds. Today we are beyond excited to have a truly inspiring guest with us Traveler, storyteller and host of Never Say Never on National Geographic the one, the only, Jeff Jenkins. From chubby diaries to breaking barriers in the travel industry, Jeff brings joy, representation and a whole lot of adventure everywhere he goes. Let's dive in. Hey, you made it. You're just in time for a little something juicy with Crystal and Murph, or a little something juicy with Crystal and Murph Talking fat Sex, big feels, hot Takes and kinks. We're breaking all the rules, babe. What you think it's big Sexy change. Say it back now. Big Sexy change.

Speaker 2: 1:10

Let's go Sexy Chat. I'm Crystal and I am so excited today to have a very special guest with us today, someone whom I've been following for years and years, it feels like, but Jeff Jenkins. Hi, jeff, hello, hello, I'm excited to be here today, thank you, and my gorgeous and beautiful, amazing co-host, murph hi. Murph hi, I make sure my phones are off all the vibration, literally all the vibrating things need to be off y'all. So, jeff, welcome, so excited.

Speaker 2: 1:43

I've been a big fan of yours haha, I am big, I'm a fat fan of yours and your show. Never say never. And I love your, your diaries, chubby diaries, forever and ever, and just so happy to have you. Thank you so much for coming with and joining us today. Of course, I'm glad to be here, seriously, at 8 am on a Saturday. Saturday is, if you knew me, you know this is challenging. So tell us what is going on with you. You are everywhere. I see you. I guess I follow a lot of fatties and fat bloggers and all that stuff. I do follow the other fat travelers, but you are everywhere. These days it seems like.

Speaker 4: 2:22

Yeah, I mean, that was the plan. Yes, you're doing it, it was getting started. But to me right now, like my biggest thing, like there's so much going on in the world and it's like always like moving, like it's so much uncertainties in a lot of ways, and right now I'm just trying to figure out how to navigate all of that, but then also how to serve, uh, even for the people that even might feel even more marginalized. I want to be able to serve those communities as much as possible and that that is us uh, plus us community, uh, people of color. Like I really want to make sure that I am serving us and then also bringing some joy and some hope into an through my entertainment on social media and things like that as well. And I have multiple projects that are in the pipeline to tackle some of the things that are, tackle some of the challenges that plus size people have in the travel space, but then also just curating events for everyone else as well.

Speaker 2: 3:29

Speaking of fat joy and you are so joyful, so that's one of the joyful things. One of the first things I noticed about you is how much joy you're filled with and you could just it's coming off the screen into my living room. I'm like this he embodies fat joy, and Tigress and I are organizing a fat joy event here in San Jose October 19th, and we're talking about this is how I say it we're not letting that MF-er steal our joy, our fat joy, and she's going to do a talk about how to create and retain your fat joy, even while fighting the power, which is what we all have to do right now. So you're right, there's so much uncertainty it's on every level so much uncertainty and that makes people really kind of like shrink right.

Speaker 2: 4:14

We're not shrinking. We're not shrinking. How long have you been comfortable with the word or identifying as fat?

Speaker 4: 4:20

I'm comfortable with it. I just don't say it often. I think it's for me what I do only because of like the branding of stuff. I think in this like, even in our sphere, like like it or not, sometimes that work can come off problematic and when it comes down to when I'm normally using it, in my branding I usually don't say fat, I usually say plus size, only because I'm trying to reach as many people as possible. But I love the word fat diaries that I even accepted and embraced calling myself or just using the word fat and liberating myself from just whatever negative notions that I had around fat, the word fat.

Speaker 3: 5:17

When you were starting this process, did you have a situation or a traveling experience that really built your confidence as a fat person? Was there like one thing that kind of stands out to you?

Speaker 4: 5:31

Nope, you know, to me I always, just always, I just I knew I was fat, so right, like I just knew it. I mean I've been it forever, forever and um, but I was like I traveled so much and and it was like I'll be looking through my 20 years of traveling now are about to be 20 years. Um, I was like a while ago I was like I don't see a lot of fat people traveling like me. And I was like, and I know that we're there in America. Why is it that I'm going international and I barely see anybody? I'm usually the largest person from America every time I go somewhere. And so I was like, hmm, what's up with this? Like what's going on? And so I think that's that thing that I had for myself of.

Speaker 4: 6:17

Like my cousin helped me realize, like why don't you just share your experience? Like you don't realize it, but there's probably a whole bunch of plus size people, fat people, that want to hear your experience. Like you don't realize it, but there's probably a whole bunch of plus size people, fat people, that want to hear your experience. Like how are you navigating this?

Speaker 4: 6:29

And maybe I was lucky, maybe it was just like from a young age I've been able to just travel so much that I don't even think I thought of some of these things as being challenges or obstacles, and so me being able to share those experiences is what got me excited to be like oh wait, I can't talk about this. And you have asked yourself that question of like I don't see fat people traveling as much as you and like, and so I always where I'm at today and where I was at before was all about problem solving. Like, what is the problem? Like, why is this happening? How can I help bring solutions to problems? And then I was able to find that out by just me sharing my experiences that there's a lack of accessibility and comfort and inclusion within the travel space, so many problems to overcome.

Speaker 2: 7:18

when you're traveling as a fat person, it's wild. You and your wife travel together a lot. You know here at big sexy chat we kind of lean towards the sexy. So have you all been able to find some like romantic travel places that felt like super romantic, just felt like a great time to really have more me time, our time, the time the two time with my kids. You get eight in the morning, time for the two of you and your, your relationship Are there sexier?

Speaker 4: 7:54

places that you guys really enjoy traveling to? Um, well, we've had multiples, I don't know. I would say Fiji. Fiji was one. Um, italy, uh, definitely Italy. Italy, costa Rica I think we love some tropics, anything tropical. That's where we get. I feel like that makes us both feel alive and things like that.

Speaker 2: 8:20

I'm fond of talking about hot hotel sex. We don't have to go there, but vacation sex, hotel sex, oh it's the best. But yeah, Italy he found Italy to be very romantic. And Costa Rica, because that's really high on my list of places. I want to go Costa.

Speaker 4: 8:36

Rica is fun, fun times. And I was like Oaxaca or not Oaxaca, lord, that's in Mexico, but Oaxaca Oaxaco is the name of it and so to be able to go out into, like the rainforest and where we did the ATVs through the rainforest waterfall, you just feel so like a kid and there's so much like jovialness in that.

Speaker 2: 9:01

Joy, fat joy, I love it.

Speaker 3: 9:03

Yes jovialness in that joy, fat joy. I love it. Yes, when you're traveling with your wife and and kind of looking at destinations, have you found um, like resorts or places that have been really inclusive in terms of um, you know, like the furniture or the things like that, any, any neat places like that?

Speaker 4: 9:21

um, yeah, I mean, in some ways I I can't tell if they're intentional or what, but yeah, like I mean, sometimes it's the designer, like the designer of that hotel, that actually brings in armless chairs that work for me. But I think one of the biggest things for me is being married to a woman who's not fat and her being able to understand some of my challenges and obstacles that I face, and her being able to try to accommodate me even when we're in a place, Like she knows that sometimes these beds be jacking me up, and so I'm going to go sit in the chair how tall are you, jeff? I'm six foot, right at six foot and so I'll be in the bed and I have to go switch over, or she'll allow me to be on one side, or whoever. But yeah, we have our routine just to make sure that I'm accommodated well.

Speaker 3: 10:19

That's great. It's like having an advocate with you. You know an ally that can speak to it. So if you're getting somebody with an attitude or something like that, she can kind of step in and neutralize stuff. For sure, for sure, that's awesome.

Speaker 2: 10:32

I have the same counterbalance with my partner too. He doesn't really have to worry about things, but he worries about things for me. You haven't really had a really bad travel experience. So you go somewhere where the toilet's so close to the wall that you have to sit sideways on it.

Speaker 4: 10:49

Oh my gosh, that's often yeah, you see that a lot, especially in Europe, when you go to. Europe and places it's the pits it really is. But I also have found places where now I've learned how to ask for different rooms at times, and I've even heard that people have told me some of these different like some rooms might be shaped different and they'll try to put you in that room that has like a larger, like wall toilet area. That's awesome.

Speaker 3: 11:36

Do you find that, because you're going all over the world, right, there's so many issues with finding clothing in our sizes, and so when you're packing what has been your experience going to places where you're trying to find extra clothes Say like, oh, I only brought a couple pairs of underwear and I needed more. What has that been?

Speaker 4: 11:58

like In the 20 years of me traveling. I think the first trip I went on was to Japan and knew some tiny people and ever since that moment I made sure I had everything I needed. So there's no trip that I go on to where I can't wash some clothes or do whatever, even if I got to go use the sink.

Speaker 2: 12:21

Have you ever had a lost suitcase? Because that's my fear, like holy shit if they lose my suitcase.

Speaker 4: 12:27

Never lost. Delayed but never lost.

Speaker 2: 12:31

Because, yeah, if they do that, I won't be able to buy any clothes. I'll just have to wear the same thing the whole entire time. And not to be a buzzkill, but I talk about this a lot when there's big emergencies or things like Katrina, for example, or other things like that. Fat people are so screwed so many different ways, but when you are fat, you can't just run out and get a whole new wardrobe if all your wardrobe floated down?

Speaker 2: 12:54

the lake Fat people just do not get considered and you can't just go rent any store like they can.

Speaker 4: 13:01

I'm glad you said that, thank you, I mean, you're totally right and I think that's an easy fix in some ways. And I think in some ways some people don't actually advocate for it or talk about it enough, and I think that's something. Well, I don't even know where FEMA is these days.

Speaker 3: 13:22

Yeah, there's that.

Speaker 4: 13:23

I think that's something that should be added and that's one thing that I would even say. So, through my journey and I don't even know if y'all have been asking this question, but through my journey of just advocating for fat people in the travel space, a lot of times I've heard, and I genuinely feel it, I genuinely feel that these like CEOs and leaders of these companies literally don't think about the plight of plus size people at all, Like it's just not even in their brains, Like they're, they know, like, oh well, it's made for these people. They don't think about us at all. And, um, I remember having one CEO one time, a really popular company.

Speaker 4: 14:07

He cried because he said man, I've been getting on planes for so long and he said I'll see a fat person get on the plane and I'll just start thinking to myself like, oh, how uncomfortable I'm going to be, or even how this person is going to make somebody else uncomfortable on this plane. And he said it wasn't until I talked to you that I thought about, oh wait, what about that person? Like how uncomfortable they are to get on this plane? And he just cried. Like he actually just cried because he was like man, I think I don't even think.

Speaker 4: 14:38

I thought of you as a human in some ways and I was like that is something that I've always ran into, and so I've been trying to bring the awareness and I keep telling people like man, humans are innovative, Like one. If we're talking about planes right now, we fly in the air. There's hundreds of people on these planes, all this cargo, and then don't get me with the military stuff they put other planes, helicopters, cars, all of these things. So I was like there's no way that y'all cannot make some things or be innovative enough to create new seedings and things like that for, and make it more accommodating for, a plus size.

Speaker 2: 15:24

And instead we're kind of going backwards in that yeah it is Because Southwest Big Jack oh man, it's getting out of there. Everything in the world is regressing. It's really terrible. So what about people ever like? Do they actually ever say anything to you about your body or your blackness or your fatness? Do they ever make any rude comments to you about your body or your?

Speaker 4: 15:46

your blackness or your fatness? Do they ever make any rude comments to you? You know, not in person microaggressions oh wait, a lot of microaggressions I get caught on time you know when I'm in asia or, uh, africa, a lot of times. Well, not not all of africa, because, like south, south africa, um, I think that it is man, there's a lot of fat people there, like a lot of plus size people. It is like very like, oh hey my people are fat, how you doing so.

Speaker 4: 16:16

You talk about like armless chairs. Nowhere Like you can find clothes for our size there. It's very cool, but in like Asia I'll go, just like Asia. Or I remember there was one time in Croatia. I felt like in Croatia it was the only time I've gotten. I can see the microaggressions and then I can see people's faces. It was the way that they were treating me. It was very interesting, it was. But yeah, I think it's just nobody says it to my face and then I also have this killer personality. You can be a bigot and I promise you I'm going to woo you over. I don't know how it works, it just works.

Speaker 2: 16:56

We talk about that a lot, about performing. I'm cheerful, I'm joyful, I'm happy, I'm smiley, so I can sort of hopefully deflect or maybe negate any bullshit coming my way. For sure, I'm just like, I'm on, I miss personality, and I'm going to win you over. It gets exhausting, though, isn't it?

Speaker 4: 17:15

It does, it does, but I would say it's my superpower and it is so natural to me, and my whole family is like this, to where it's not as exhausting as it would be, because even with my wife she only got a couple of smiles in her. She hey, how you doing, guys, that's my partner and she's on Like, when I tell you the amount of recouping time she needs, it's just like oh.

Speaker 2: 17:42

Oh, you're with an introvert, your wife's an introvert. Yeah, oh, big time. Yeah, my partner too. He needs a lot of recharging time. The battery gets really low really fast.

Speaker 3: 17:52

It's a good little balance to have you be the extrovert, then be the introvert for sure. Would you say that there's, um, you know a an issue with the industry not listening to plus size travelers now, like we've seen that flip with Southwest and things like that. Have you seen that more in the recent years? Like that it's kind of changing.

Speaker 4: 18:17

No, no, I think it just stayed the same. In some ways I felt like there may be just a little bit of progress. You thought was happening and it still is. I still think it is. And even with Southwest like I'm going to be honest, like it almost sounds unpopular as an opinion, but it isn't Like they did not take away the policy at all. The policy is still there. I think it's still industry leading and it's the most accessible or the most fat-friendly policy still there. The only thing that they did that I'm really disappointed by is that they tightened up how the refunds work and I think best case scenario, the fight doesn't sell out and you still get that extra seat. But I also I started doing the math and I actually think I'm going to make a post about this.

Speaker 4: 19:12

Southwest is so expensive these days. They have not been cheap for a very long time. Nope, right, I'm going to try to get two seats from there, seats from there. I've learned that now because in my brain, trying to do basic economy on one of the legacy brands like Delta or someone like that, and I was like, oh, my brain was like I can't do that because it's a small seat, but you start finding out their prices are amazing like $130 round trip to where I can go buy two of those tickets and still pay less than a Southwest ticket. So Southwest has been doing stuff to themselves that's not friendly to anybody, in anybody's pocket, so I'd rather just go buy two tickets from Delta and call it a day.

Speaker 3: 20:02

I literally just bought husband because we live in California. From Sacramento to LA on American Airlines First class was cheaper than Southwest Come on, come on I just was like are you kidding me? This is wild.

Speaker 4: 20:18

I don't know what they're doing and so and cause that's the other thing I'm I'm just to even get the refund. If I had to go buy two tickets, I'm not spending what it would cost to go, just fly first class, and I fly first class a lot. So it's one of those things where it's just like. I'll tell you, if you want a bang for your buck and you want the most, the cheapest first class seats you can get is on Spirit. I thoroughly enjoy it. I fly it still now.

Speaker 4: 20:52

Like, I still fly them Like and to me, I think, most of the like if you use the app and you can use your Spirit app. Well, spirit actually is the only flight that like, they have the least amount of delays and cancellations. Uh, or they're top now. Um, that was last year's thing, I don't know what this year's is. But they also like if you use your app and you can do so much in the app to where, like, most people's problems with, uh, with Spirit, uh, you can handle most of that in the app. But then also they have their big boy seats in the front and those are first-class seats, just like when I'm on American or Delta. It's the same exact seat and you get all the space in that seat and most, I promise you I think the most I've ever spent on one of those flights was like $500, $540. And there's no first class flight I can get for $540. And, like you say, southwest, I would have spent that easily on just to sit in one seat.

Speaker 2: 21:55

So don't forget Charging to check your bag.

Speaker 3: 21:59

And yeah, it was interesting going on Southwest. Just recently I came back from a conference and things are changing and now they're going to have assigned seating and that starts in January, I think. And yeah, I just was like, okay, it's time to start looking. So Spirit has been really positive. What does their first class look like, other than just the extra room for seating?

Speaker 4: 22:24

Yeah, it's usually just the first two rows and yeah, it's like the leg room, the seating. I think it comes with drinks and snacks included now, because that wasn't even a thing before, but now they include it. It comes with the two free bags two free bags and the carry on so you can take like multiple things on there. So it's to me it's one of the best deals period in any airline and it gets you to the places you need to get to.

Speaker 4: 22:51

I had no idea, yeah, I'd never have an issue with them Till this day. I remember when I first flew them and trying to stay in the line and get our ticket printed. But once the app came out and the app, like the app makes everything easy and I and I would say this just for everybody uh, using the airline apps might be the best thing that you can do, like because a lot of times people say they have a lot of issues, especially if they got to read book stuff. Uh, I see people don't use them enough. Um, and you can get almost all your stuff answered and flights changed by just using these airline apps and going through their whole like text message thing that they have. It's easier than talking to somebody, that's awesome.

Speaker 3: 23:35

Yeah, I had no idea. You see so many memes of the Spirit Airlines being like you know the budget, good luck if you get there. You know, like those kinds of things.

Speaker 4: 23:45

And it's unfair. I do think it's unfair. Now, the people that be on the flight sometimes that might be another story Like but the airlines themselves. I think they're fine.

Speaker 3: 23:56

I think, yeah, that's unavoidable right now with what? We're experiencing.

Speaker 2: 24:01

You've both flown first class before, I haven't, so are the seats like literally inches wider. Are they bigger seats?

Speaker 4: 24:07

Yeah, it feels like the seats that you're like a regular seat that we normally are in, like that office chair like you. You get your spacing Like it's. Oh, I, I. When I tell you the lack of anxiety I got the first time I sat. I mean I was having like a whole come to Jesus moment. I was confused. I was like, oh, oh, like this is like a regular. They made me realize like it was like me flying so much. It made me feel like being in, just being in the economy, and they made me feel it's like the seats economy. And they made me feel it's like the seats are so small they make you feel bigger than you are, or like man. This goes against what I normally sit in or something like that, and so, but when I get to sit in first class, I'm just like, ah, like here we go, these are regular again, like and so there's, there's something to that and that also just shows you once again that what the practice is that airlines are doing.

Speaker 2: 25:20

And where you don't fit in the seat, I promise you it's corporate greed. They've made the seat 17 inches wide. So it's not you, it's them. And, like you said, if they were innovative and their CEOs gave one crap about us, they would innovate and find a way. We are the majority of the population. There's more fat people than thin people in the world, so it's time for them to kind of like start thinking about that. But anyway, I digress. I could go on and on about that, but never say never. I love your, I love it. I to me. You're like a tall, handsome, joyful, black, fat man who's also James Bond. I love it. You're James Bond to me. But yeah, you want to know something I use.

Speaker 4: 26:00

People call me 007.

Speaker 2: 26:02

Hey, I use. People call me 007. Hey.

Speaker 4: 26:05

I'm telling you, yeah, a lot of times it's because of like my relationships and like my relationship building to where, like I could have a conversation with somebody in a corner and people would be like, wait, y'all talk. And it was like yeah, and he gave me so much advice, like all of this stuff, so it's like man, it's the way I work, sometimes too. It's like incognito, you can't even see me move.

Speaker 2: 26:28

That's right, stealth. And I was thinking too when you fly, you have the addition of being tall. That must make the leg room is like probably a real you know what for you it is. So never say never. But then let's flip that as Ashley suggested. What would you want your clients or your community to never have to deal with again when they're traveling? Ever Is there anything you could think of that you don't want them to experience that you've had to experience?

Speaker 4: 26:53

Oh, just a experience, or just by one. I want the airline stuff, cause I think that's the the beginning of most people's challenges when it comes down to traveling. But yeah, like weight limits and size restrictions, I think those are the things that I think of. Like, if we didn't have to worry about that, that would be incredible. I think at Disney like Disney is like a place that I get to go to and I feel so included. I feel like people thought about me, and it's not every ride, but majority of them. I am enjoying myself. Let's get on again, and I can't do that in other places.

Speaker 3: 27:35

And I think that's something that other companies could learn from, because it's like when you are more inclusive, people are going to spend their money there, like that's where you know, if I feel comfortable, I'm going to pick that place to go more often and spend my money there, and they just don't seem to understand that.

Speaker 4: 27:55

Well, and you know that was, I got like some wise words from a guy. I don't even know this guy anymore, like somebody introduced me to him literally years ago, like maybe 2018, 19. And he said, jeff, he said, at the end of the day, all they care about is their bottom line. And when I was like, oh so if they was like they don't talk, they don't talk white, black, they talk green. And I was like, oh okay, so that's what I started like advocating on was the dollar of this marginalized group of people that if you made slight modifications that accommodated and made it more inclusive, these people will go spend their money with you Easily.

Speaker 3: 28:39

Absolutely. We had a question from someone on our socials and they were talking about how they see you go and doing ziplining and these types of things, and how do you ask about weight limits and inclusive aspects to activities when you're traveling?

Speaker 4: 29:07

Most of the time I don't ask, I go look up, I do the research before I even go. So once again, I want to make sure that I don't want to feel isolated or any kind of hint of embarrassment before I get to a place, like I lived in Orlando, born and raised in Orlando, and so even going to like Universal, I remember the first time like I got all the way to the front of the line and they tried to put the thing down, the lap bar down, and they did not go. I said, oh, and so getting off, and all these people are in line and they're like looking um, now I wouldn't even care, I'm like whatever. But uh, everybody doesn't have that like stomach like I do, and so, uh, I go, I go ahead and look at stuff ahead of time. But then also I've done so much through my like years of traveling that me and the guy guy can look at each other and be like maybe not, this might not be it. I can tell just from that because I know my scenarios now. But I'm telling you the main thing I do is go online. A lot of times people do put their dimensions or their weight limits or I know, with zip lining. I can't go zip lining. I still have it, but I actually have not been zip lining ever. Um, but that's something that I want to fix and I'm with my show and everything like that.

Speaker 4: 30:33

I knew the producers from my show would be what would produce and they're just like, just like tv and movie magic. I feel like producers are way more innovative in their thought. Like we got to make something happen. All right, let's make this happen. What do we need? Do we need Somebody figured out? I don't know who from my crew that figured out like, okay, Jeff needs a harness. Where can we get a harness from that can fit Jeff? Oh, you know the light pole workers that do like light poles and have to be on. They wear harnesses.

Speaker 4: 31:15

And it's the same exact harness as the zip line harnesses, but they have extended sizes. So I was like what? So it's like it's small things, like there's these little things that you, like some industries just have to like figure it out.

Speaker 4: 31:30

Or when I went white water rafting down that waterfall in New Zealand, I had a wetsuit, for normally the wetsuit will work the way that it does, but the way that you have to sit up on the raft on the white water or for white water rafting, it impeded, like me, being able to sit straight up. So all they did and I told them this, like I had to, like hey, I'm telling y'all when I sit is going to do this. And do you know, all like the person that we did, the person that was the excursion person that ran the excursion, they, they went and just added a little extra like strap piece to the, the wets, or to the um, to the life vest, and now the life vest fits perfectly and I'm able to do this. So I was like, man, it's small little things that can be done to make it more accessible for plus size people.

Speaker 2: 32:29

I can tell you the wetsuit. When I saw your episode with the wetsuit I was like mind blown. How did he find a wetsuit to fit him? I just assumed it was never going to happen for me.

Speaker 4: 32:40

I thought the same thing. Have you known it for me? It did something to me because I was like I've never seen anybody wear a wetsuit before, and so one that one was custom but you can get online and I did not know Amazon, the first wetsuit I ever got. Once again back to my story from before, just doing the research ahead of time. I wanted to go great white shark diving in South Africa and you, it said, mandatory wetsuit needed like because that water's cold. So I was like, oh, I don't think they're going to have my size. I tried to call, nobody picked up. And so I was like you know what? I'm still going to do this adventure, I'm going to figure this out.

Speaker 4: 33:17

And so I got online and I went on Amazon Amazon has like wetsuits to 6X and I was like, wait what? And that was the first time. So then I was like, will this actually fit me? And so I just remember the anxiety that I had because I'd never seen at that time any fat person put on a wetsuit and to be able to put that on and it fit. But it was super tight at first and then I learned wetsuits through the time, like it's going to be tight at the beginning, but once you get in the water it like stretches a little bit. So it's, it's. I want to do that representation. I want to be able to show people, uh, that you, if I can do it, you can get out there and try to do it as well.

Speaker 3: 33:54

Is there um a brand or a site that you really feel has had more inclusive options for fat folks?

Speaker 4: 34:07

Oh, you know, okay, okay, not for like wetsuits and stuff, but you know, columbia, columbia got you. I am very impressed by those folks. They always have like clothing for me, because I feel like I do see that women get a lot more extended sizes than men. But Columbia, oh man, it pants, shirts, everything and they look good, like. It don't look all like, it's like the same, it's the same design. As somebody who isn't like that, and so I think that to me, is really cool definitely good to know.

Speaker 3: 34:46

Yeah, I any kind of brands that are doing those types of things. It's like let's shout it from the rooftops come on big time.

Speaker 2: 34:55

Jeff, did you know that disneyland is more accommodating than disney world for fat bodies?

Speaker 4: 35:00

you know I would say yes to that and I've been to both and I did not know, but I believe it.

Speaker 2: 35:09

Yeah, A lot of my friends that blog and do these kinds of blogging and stuff. They always talk about how Disneyland is much more accommodating to fat bodies. You can ride like 90% of the rides at Disneyland. Disney World might be more like 50%.

Speaker 4: 35:22

Wow, okay, yeah, learn something new every day. And people actually use the carts at Disney like at Disneyland more than they do at Disney World and I shoot, I feel like I need to use the cart more at Disney World because it's a lot of walking.

Speaker 2: 35:38

Oh yeah, you can rent those. Yeah, we love having you on, jeff, and we could talk to you for hours and hours and we would. We would bend your ear because we have a million questions, but we don't really have time for that today, but it's been lovely having you. But I want to know what are you doing next? Like I know you've, you always have your community in mind. I know it's really clear how much you care about your community and how much you love them. But what's next for you? What are you going to bring to your community next? What's going on in your world?

Speaker 4: 36:07

Well, I mean, like I mentioned earlier, was like I'm trying to solve problems, like I want to solve them, like when it comes down to zip lining, like I want a zip line system that works for plus size people, a zip line system that works for plus size people and it can be mass produced in a sense to where other plus size people can have that kind of experience, even if it's parachuting. I know somebody who asked me hey, I know how to get you up in the sky and doing parachuting Like like I know Shut up, yeah, and so to be able to. So it's like me being able to tackle that stuff I think will be a lot of fun, like a YouTube channel or something like that.

Speaker 2: 36:48

Do you?

Speaker 4: 36:48

have a YouTube channel. I do have a YouTube channel, but I will document all that stuff on that YouTube channel. Yeah, like it's being able to do stuff like that. A documentary is in the works right now. We're in the early stages of it, but it's to humanize fat people. That's one of my main goals right now.

Speaker 2: 37:11

Let's give everybody their humanity. Everybody Trans people, fat people, black people, Jewish people. Let's just give everybody their freaking humanity.

Speaker 4: 37:19

And so I have my sphere of influence and this is where I can influence. This is my experience and so being able to target this group, a marginalized group of people, and like doing something for that, and so it's, it's that, it's those things to me that I'm like wanting to do, and it's like it's all service, like I want to continue to serve, like that's what brings the most joy to me. That's why my, my heart is full. Most of the time is because you can see that it's clear.

Speaker 2: 37:47

It's. I comes, it jumps off the screen. Come on, it does. Yeah, so you have some things going on there in the works. We just have to watch your, your socials and we'll kind of be in your world.

Speaker 4: 37:58

Yes, oh, and more TV shows coming. Yes, that's yeah. It's a lot of cool stuff going on still, so it's really Is it with future TV shows?

Speaker 2: 38:09

Is it with Nat Geo or something else?

Speaker 4: 38:12

It's something else.

Speaker 2: 38:14

Oh, I'm so excited Cool.

Speaker 4: 38:16

Congratulations. It's once again continue to be that representation and just having fun with this life that we have. You know, we only got one life to live. Some people get caught up in it, but like I really do believe that, like I'm going to enjoy these moments that I have on this earth and, and hopefully in the best way I know how to do it, is doing it with others, and so, yes, Community, community.

Speaker 2: 38:39

especially when things are so uncertain right now and the world is on fire. Your community is the most important thing you probably have in your life right now your community and your family, because it's rough out there right now.

Speaker 3: 38:51

Yeah, I'm wanting to end our session with our standard question, but I'm going to tweak it a little bit. So we normally ask what's your favorite sex toy, sexual aid, those types of things. I'm curious what's your advice for when people are feeling not confident or just struggling with kind of being in their space? It can be sexy or not related, but just like what would be something you'd want everyone to really know about accepting themselves.

Speaker 4: 39:29

You know, y'all hold on one second. Hey, y'all put it in the questionnaire. And I said, oh, I know exactly what I'm going to say. Hold on, hold on, I need this one, come back to me. All right, I'm going to just look up something. Here we go, I have stuff to say. Okay, yeah, oh, great question, great question.

Speaker 4: 39:52

You know, for me, like, one of my biggest mottos is like life begins where your comfort zone ends, and that sounds harder than it is on ends, and that sounds harder than it is. But the more I learned to love myself and the more I learned to accept who I am, and this is what I'm bringing to the table, like literally. Oh, I remember one thing. So I remember when I used to like I was out with one of my friends and this is when I was in college, like about to graduate, and I don't know what I said to my friend and she said you know what y'all? She was like man, I love so much about you. And I was like what do you mean? She was like. She was like I like that little wobble you have like when you walk, and I was like you do. And then she was like yeah, and then when you like. You like always like going around and like picking up your pants. So she was like that is adorable to me. She was like I love that and I was like for real. And she was like, yeah, so she was.

Speaker 4: 40:52

I didn't even know that she even thought about that Like, and to me I was making this like a thing, like I was weaponizing it or making it like, making beat myself up over it. And then she asked me to do something. She and I challenge anybody to do this. She said have you ever thought about? Or she was like you should do something.

Speaker 4: 41:11

She's like I want you to go to and like when you get out the shower, I want you to go to the mirror and look at yourself in the mirror. This is one of the hardest things to do. I still remember when she first said it. My heart was like pumping. She said I want you to go look in that mirror and I want you to just look at every inch of your body and be like I like that, I like that. Oh, this is it. Like look at the little flap. You see it, that's you, baby, that is you. And she said that and that brought so much confidence. The moment I was able to go, look in the mirror and do that, it changed my world. It changed my perspective or who I was, because, guess what, at that point, it was me accepting or just knowing who I am and not allowing the world to come in and tell me who I was, and that brought so much joy and confidence to me.

Speaker 2: 42:06

What a great friend and it's just a great human. Wow, that's a cool experience.

Speaker 4: 42:11

Same things, but that also helped me in the bed, you know.

Speaker 3: 42:16

And so once again.

Speaker 4: 42:17

This is who I am baby. This is what I got. Hey, this don't work this way. We got to flip that way.

Speaker 2: 42:23

There's only one. You, jeff, I mean you're perfect, exactly as you are right now, right this second, not in 10 pounds from now, right this moment.

Speaker 3: 42:31

Yeah, and you definitely embody that and I think that's such a confidence builder for other people. So I'm so grateful that you're showing your life and living your life and giving people that confidence of like look at, jeff go, maybe I could do that. That's really incredible.

Speaker 2: 42:49

And you bring up a good point. Whatever thin people do in the bedroom or anywhere else fat people can do, we just might have to make a few adjustments here and there. So, where there's a will, there's a way. Jeff, hallelujah. Yes, thank you so much. So we want you to tell everybody where they can find you, tell everybody where is the best place to connect with you and stay in your loop.

Speaker 4: 43:10

Yeah, you can find me on all of my socials, at Chubby Diaries, c-h-u-b-b-y-d-i-a-r-i-e-s, or you can visit me on chubbydiariescom, and with chubbydiariescom, we just actually am launching a new newsletter, and so we're looking to connect on there. We have so many like excited things, because one of the things that's happening now I have a new COO that just came on and his whole job is to help me bridge the gap to our community so that we can be more engaging. And just, yeah, so you can follow my adventures, and then I also want to hear about your adventures as well, and so, yeah, that's incredible.

Speaker 3: 43:57

Well, thank you so much for your time. We're so excited to have you and we're definitely going to need to bring you back.

Speaker 4: 44:03

Jeff, we're going to have to talk. We would love to. That would be great. We can get a little bit more down into the nitty gritty.

Speaker 2: 44:12

I love it. Your wife is a lucky lady. The two of you seem like you have a really great relationship. It seems very authentic, very beautiful. Appreciate it.

Speaker 3: 44:25

I appreciate that. Well, you can find us at big sexy chat on all the socials and if you have questions, you can send those to big sexy chat pod at gmailcom. And um, I think we're good to go crystal yep, that's it.

Speaker 2: 44:38

Thank you again, jeff, it was really lovely chatting with you. See you later, alligator after a while. Crocodile I wish I had what let's think. Never say never with jeff jenkins.

Speaker 4: 44:51

Goodbye ciao okay, yeah, never say never with jeff jenkins. Goodbye.