From Big Loyzaga to curvy Bing Loyzaga

MANILA, Philippines – You probably know Bing Loyzaga (Carla Loyzaga in real life) as a talented actress and singer who starred in many heart-rending dramas. But did you know that in real life, she’s tackled many a heavy dramatic role?

“I had hypothyroidism (which slows down the metabolism, leading to weight gain) and I ballooned to 185 lbs. due to stress eating,” Bing relates. “The stress was triggered by my dad’s stroke and I had him live with me so I could take care of him.”

Bing is the youngest of four children of Filipino basketball legend Caloy Loyzaga, aka “The Big Difference.” He died early this year at age 86.

Bing grew so big that people she’d see, say in the supermarket, would tell her, “Alam mo ba na pinapanood ka namin? Anong nangyari sa ’yo?”

Bing laments, “It’s a typical Pinoy greeting, ‘Hoy kumusta? Ang taba mo!’ I would just reply, ‘Hay, ang sweet-sweet mo naman!’”

We all know how the cruel world of showbiz puts a lot of weight on physical appearance. Under the harsh glare of the klieg lights, Bing relates she was axed from a show she was already cast in. She was just too fat for TV. As she gained weight, she started losing her lead roles and being relegated to sister roles. And then to mother roles. Until finally, there were no more roles!

Bing was desperate. Then, in her late 30s, she had liposuction, which left her literally bruised and bandaged up. She cried like she had never cried before in any of her TV dramas. Her daughters Alyssa and Gabby, who attended to her, cried, too. They made her promise never to go under the knife ever again.

One day, she found the answer to her problem while reading The Philippine STAR. And now, the 45-year-old actress, who has lost over 30 pounds and counting (from 185 lbs. to 155 to 148) without starving or undergoing surgery, takes the lead role in her own slimming success story.

“I saw this ad for a Marie France promo and I asked them, through my manager, if I could get a discount,” she recounts.

To make a long story short, people from Marie France agreed to see her. “They didn’t recognize me when they saw me,” says Bing. “Yeah, back then, I didn’t recognize myself, too, when I looked in the mirror.”

She promptly had her bloodwork done as she was asked and the next thing she knew, Marie France was handing her a contract.

Close to tears as she reaches for a box of tissue paper during this one-on-one interview at her “coming out” party hosted by Marie France, Bing gushes, “I’m so thankful Marie France agreed to take me in because I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want anything invasive because I’m 45 and I’ve got many illnesses — hypothyroid and hypertension.”

She adds, “When they gave me the contract, naiyak talaga ako kasi it’s nice to feel wanted and it’s so nice there are people pa rin pala who are willing to help. But these people will not help if you don’t help yourself so it was really a big blessing that I saw this ad in the newspaper.”

First, she tried the upgraded version of the highly successful FMS (Fat Mobilization System) Elite, a Marie France weight-loss staple hailed by obesity experts around the world. “There are no more cold wraps, which actually work but are a torture,” says Bing. “And no more shivering. The cold is still there, but this is more effective because you can lose half a pound in one session. So, winner!”

She did this three times a week. “Wag tayong addict, halatang addict ako,” says the impish Bing with a chuckle.

Bing continues to walk us through her weight-loss journey. “After that, they gave me another treatment, which is like you’re going to the gym, doing 225 situps in 30 minutes, but you’re just lying down. So, winner! Especially if you’re no spring chicken, gusto mo lang humiga,” she says in jest.

After that, Bing got the Vara Pulse treatment, which targets cellulite. And then the Plasti-Dermi treatment, which helps break up the stubborn fats.

But Bing’s favorite of them all is Marie France’s latest offering — the Thermo Magnetic Pulse (TMP) treatment. It’s the in thing in the US these days. One sexy Latina TV celebrity had it before she got married.

“TMP is a technology from the US and Israel and it has been FDA-approved since 2013,” Dr. Reggie Layug informs us. “The machine was launched only last year and Marie France got the rights to it.”

This wonder RF machine is touted for its four-pronged effects: fat reduction, body contouring, skin tightening, and cellulite smoothing. Dr. Layug enumerates, “It flattens the tummy or any other area by removal/reduction of the fat. It sucks hard-to-reach fat. It contracts the skin to prevent any sagging for skin tightening.”

Dr. Layug shows us how it works: The patient just lies down and lets the machine do all the work. You just feel a little warm on the area that’s being treated. But on the inside, unknown to the patient, the fat cells are heated to a temperature of more than 40 degrees, it’s like your fat cells are running a fever. This heat creates enzymes to basically melt the fats inside. It’s really hot, but it won’t burn or hurt you because there’s a rotational motion that’s being done. You will feel your fats being moved or loosened. Studies show it’s not dangerous as it only attacks the fat cells. And there’s no side effect.

The good doctor discloses, “Usually, it takes around eight to 10 sessions, but the client will be able to see results in just two sessions. It’s a once-weekly session of 30 to 40 minutes or one hour with the preparation. It’s like a lunchtime procedure, you can go back to work after, there’s no downtime.”

Dr. Layug recommends that you target one area at a time. This will help people who have excess fat in specific areas of the body. There is no age limit, anybody can do this, as long as they’re fit and don’t have uncontrolled medical conditions like diabetes.

On top of all these treatments, Marie France gave Bing “the magic of a nutritionist” — her own personal dietician. “Call it an eating plan, a guide to the different kinds of food so you’ll know what you’re putting in your body,” she explains.  “In the beginning, they gave me a diet book, they asked me what I eat every day. So, I wrote down everything. Pagdating ko don, I found out I was eating less for my height (she’s 5’5-1/2”). I was eating below 1,000 calories per day. I was eating only 900 cal. when I should be eating 1,200.”

Bing was put on a meal plan she could follow and even cook at home. “They realized I had to eat more.  Because what happens if you eat less is your body panics. You burn only what you eat and the remaining fat in your body stays, which is why you don’t lose weight. And with my sickness, I was gaining and gaining. So, they placed me on a higher calorie diet (1,300 kcal., less fat, less salt, more fiber). I asked in the beginning: How will I burn all these calories? What they did was, when they increased my calorie intake, they gave me the machine. Plus the rule, ‘Okay, Bing, don’t go to the gym first.’ Because I was too big and I was sick, what happened was I was getting heavier and heavier because I was starting to develop hard fat instead of muscle. My fats were getting stubborn, and they were sticking together because of the gym workout. So, with this eating plan, I would lose one pound in a week. If I’m lucky, I would lose three pounds. May party kaagad sa Marie France!”

While she still enjoys eating out with her family at their favorite restaurant, she would now order a nice bowl of salad instead of wolfing down a big fat steak or pork chop like she used to. Even the waiters were shocked when they saw the new Bing and they asked, “Ma’am, diet pa ba kayo?”

Her husband, actor Janno Gibbs, who has been most supportive, reposted her billboard on EDSA and said in his Instagram, “I’m proud of my Bing Loyzaga through thick and thin.”

Bing started with Marie France in November last year. By March-April this year, she already lost 30 pounds (or in five months). “Feeling ko ang ganda-ganda ko, ang sexy-sexy ko agad-agad. Then I realized, oops, meron pa pala silang machines that they were offering. Naloka ako!”

Bing started her TMP treatment with the new machine last April. “This is already for contouring or shaping up,” says NJ Torres, group head of media and PR, Marie France.

“Before, I was just round,” Bing describes herself then. “Now, I have the shape of a human being.”

No, Bing did not get rid of her now oversized, umbrella clothes (she’s gone from “a size that can’t be found in stores” to a size 6) so they could serve as memorabilia that she would never go back to being overweight. But more than the physical transformation, Bing confesses that her mindset is still: “Where am I really at this point in my life?”

Bing has this message to those who are struggling with their weight and sickness: “Look at yourself in the mirror, love yourself a little bit more because if you want other people to love you, you have to love yourself first. The only way you can love yourself is to take care of yourself, be healthy.”

Yes, Bing Loyzaga is back not just to face the cameras again but also to take on life’s many big challenges.