Losing big

The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition had kept my husband Orange and I awake late at night for the past few months. It was very admirable how dedicated the contestants were in losing weight despite so much difficulty. We had our guesses on who would be the biggest loser.

Thirty-seven-year-old Pinoy Biggest Loser winner Larry Martin shed 101 lbs. in the five months that he stayed in the Biggest Loser Camp. He never lost focus. His motivation? Larry lost his father when he was in Grade 5. It was a difficult childhood growing up without a father, and he did not want his children to suffer the same fate.

The challenges were physically, emotionally and psychologically tormenting for Larry and the other contestants. He thanks Nadine Tengco, the nutrition coach, and coach Jim Saret and host, Tita Sharon Cuneta. Larry and his Tita Sharon regularly exchange text messages, and she has always been very encouraging.

I also bumped into two other “Losers” in the gym: 40-year-old Alan Choachuy and 22-year-old Eric Limatog, who are both from Cebu. They’ve joined marathons after leaving the Biggest Loser camp, and are aiming to join the Ironman.

More than losing inches, having a healthy lifestyle is the motivation of the Biggest Loser contestants. This spells the difference from an exercise becoming merely a gruesome routine to a lifestyle. Losing pounds and inches will surely follow.

Dyan Castillejo: Eating right is part of the staying healthy equation

Broadcast journalist, Alvin Elchico started exercising a little over a month ago, and he lost 10 lbs. already!

Alvin says, “Thanks to Salamat Dok, I’m more conscious of what I eat. It’s a struggle but the key is discipline. From zero exercise, I now go to the gym everyday to run on the treadmill. Once I lost the desired excess fat, I’ll probably do more muscle and toning exercises to remain fit. So help me God.”

Sports anchor and DJ Boom Gonzales also shares his fitness secret. “With the hectic schedules that we have I still make sure to find time to stay active. I do interval running, circuit training, suspension training, Olympic weightlifting, a little of plyometrics, too. Not at the same time, of course. Alternately. If there is time during weekends, I try to play basketball and tennis, whatever I can with little time.”

Boom works six days a week. His radio shift is at 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Magic 89.9, and does TV work at 3 to 10 p.m. for Balls on ANC and Studio 23.

Alvin, on the other hand, works seven days a week. He has a daily program on DZMM, does field work the whole day, has several shows on Saturdays and Sundays.

It’s a crazy schedule.

“That’s why we have to stay fit,” says Boom.

I am short of breath already just imagining Boom’s exercise routine, but that’s Boom.

Friends have been encouraging me to try out running, which I have, and I’m quite contented with my speed walking. I can handle Bikram yoga  love the stretch!  while others would die staying in a heated room. I’m trying TRX to strengthen my core (Consumer Report’s best exercise routine), rebounding for the lymphatic system, and also work on the elliptical and rowing machines in the gym. We have to look for a routine that will suit our personality.

TV anchor and DJ Boom Gonzales stays fit to keep up with ‘crazy’ working schedule

Eating right is also part of the equation to having a healthy lifestyle. There are two people whom I’ve seen having an entire cooler for a lunch box: Iya Villania and Dyan Castillejo! Iya, for one, stocks up fruits in small plastic containers to fuel her for the rest of the day.

We’re bombarded with fast food, and you’d want to have good food available when you need it. If you want to increase your metabolism, you have to keep on eating small portions the whole day.

You wouldn’t want to eat late at night because your body would not be able to digest it properly.

If we want to live healthy, we need enough sleep! Sleep is when the body heals itself. The brain functions better, and our skin rejuvenates itself.

Also, when we lack sleep the body will conserve energy and slow down our metabolism. You don’t want that if you want to lose weight.

Looking good is a by-product of a healthy lifestyle. Choose healthy and you reap the benefits of looking good inside and out.

(Email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @bernadette_ABS.)