"Wife helps out with a ton of things" — My 600-lb Life star Jonathan comments on his marriage

Season 13 of My 600-lb Life debuted on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Titled Jonathan's Journey, the episode showcased Jonathan, a 641-pound individual struggling to take responsibility for his family while relying on his wife Tzena for everything. His weight impacted his self-confidence as a husband since he could not assist Tzena with household chores or finances.

Tzena worked over 40 hours as a nurse to make ends meet. From taking out the trash to paying the bills, she did everything. While Tzena worked endlessly to make Jonathan's life easy, the latter regretted burdening her with financial responsibilities. In one of the segments of the My 600-lb Life episode, Jonathan said:

"My wife helps out with a ton of things, things that she shouldn't have to do as a wife."

Consequently, Jonathan sought the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, popularly known as Dr. Now, to turn his life around. He wanted to improve the quality of his life not only for himself but also for Tzena. He was determined to take the necessary steps to lead a healthier lifestyle and make Tzena proud.

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"I support our family" — My 600-lb Life star Jonathan's wife sheds light on her responsibilities in the house

Jonathan met Tzena while working as an EMT first responder. He eventually popped the question after dating her for a while. While recalling her past with Jonathan, Tzena mentioned that he was one of the few responders who treated the nurses with respect. It was his compassionate personality that attracted her toward him.

While Jonathan and Tzena looked forward to experiencing a blissful marriage, life had other things planned for them. Jonathan's parents' untimely deaths threw him into a tailspin, forcing him to rely on food to cope with the pain. It eventually caused his weight to become a matter of concern. Once it began impacting Jonathan's mobility, Tzena had to step up and bear the burden of the house.

"He gets short of breath just sometimes walking from one end of the house to the other. It's just hard for him to do. So, I work full time, um, and I support our family, I pay the bills and buy everything," Tzena said in a My 600-lb Life confessional.

The burden Tzena had to bear bothered Jonathan. Consequently, he tried to do whatever he could to reduce the workload on his wife, like cooking eggs and taking a shower. In one of the segments of the episode, while detailing his morning routine, Jonathan mentioned that he refused Tzena's help while showering because of the "little shred of being a man" left in him.

Jonathan regretted being unable to perform the "manly stuff" as the husband in the relationship. The My 600-lb Life star claimed that his health condition forced Tzena to do things she should not have to do as a wife.

"You know, there's that, uh, the thing of being a guy is like, you know, takes out the trash and he fixes things, and he works on the car and does that kind of thing. I guess, manly stuff, you could say. I'm not able to do that kind of stuff," Jonathan said.

During a My 600-lb Life confessional, Tzena got emotional while commenting on Jonathan's lymphedema. She said it upset her to watch her husband struggle with everyday tasks. Tzena wished Jonathan could enjoy life like everybody else, having children and going on holidays. She feared they were wasting their lives stuck within the four walls of their house.

However, she was determined to help Jonathan in his weight-loss journey. As a result, when he got accepted into Dr. Now's program, she started dieting and exercising with Jonathan to keep him motivated. As a result of their combined efforts, Jonathan lost 87 pounds after his first consultation.

By the end of the episode, Jonathan had lost over 200 pounds, impressing Dr. Now. At that point, he mentioned he wanted to find a job as soon as possible to ease the burden on Tzena.

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My 600-lb Life airs every Wednesday at 8 pm ET exclusively on TLC.