Aliya Parcs: Half-Filipino, half-Dutch and totally committed to fitness

Aliya Parcs, is like a breath of fresh air, with her charming looks and endearing music. This gal is half-Dutch and half-Filipina. She grew up in Netherlands mixing sports and music – playing soccer and tennis in school and singing publicly from the age of four.

The love for music took center stage in her life. A romance she brought with her when she reluctantly joined her parents in Bacolod City in 1998. Her parents decided to set up business in the Philippines, so Aliya had to say goodbye to on-cam assisting jobs for a Dutch variety show. But soon enough, something not difficult to happen in music-gifted Philippines, she found a newly setup local band Azul. Gigs paved the way to her discovery as the co-host for a Saturday lunch show on ABS-CBN Western Visayas.

There’s no stopping from there. With mom as guide and mentor, Aliya flew to Manila to scout for a manager (she now has a three-year contract with Ronnie Henares). There’s so much going on for Aliya Parcs in Manila right now. More than a dozen TV commercials, modeling and co-hosting stints and shows plus a budding career as a recording artist.

Holland was home, a place she reluctantly left and vowed to return to in 2000, if she didn’t like life in the Philippines. Now, Manila is home and Holland is only a place to visit to see relatives and friends.

But how about Aliya’s other passion – sports and fitness? What is its score at this point of her life? Join us as we ask her some questions and marvel, like me, at the deep convictions of this beautiful person.

Was there ever a point in your life when you were over- or underweight?

Aliya: Not severely. I gained a little bit of weight when I got to the Philippines because the food was so good. But it was not extreme. Maybe just a size or two sizes bigger. There was a time when I was very much into sports: Tennis, soccer, aerobics, fitness. I was never extremely over or under-weight. The minute I get a little over-weight, I get worried. I stop myself. Okay, this is it.

So what was the main motivation for you to stay fit?

It is to stop weight changes from being extreme. When I feel I am gaining weight, it is like a bell rings. Now, it is time to do something. I have to work into going back and maintain my ideal weight. It should not be higher than a certain number, and lower than another. Anything in between is fine.

What should a person who is trying to lose or gain weight do?

For me, I am a person with a lot of willpower. If I tell myself that I shouldn’t do this or that, then I really stick to it. I know a lot of people tend to get lazy or neglecting. Your body talks to you. And people tend to ignore that or get lazy. And I don’t in my case. I think it’s a choice really. Because everyone can do it, it is just your choice to make.

How often do you exercise?

I used to workout extremely much, this was from high school until end of college. That was from the time I was 13 to 18. I did something every day. I would bike to school every day for one. It is transportation but for me it is also sports, right? In Holland, there are more bikes than cars. We have gym class twice a week, and I am really into it. I have soccer two to three times a week. I play tennis once in a while. I played tennis for six years. I would do fitness thrice a week. It is either or.

On the average, it was three hours (of sports activity) a day. Everything from group or team sports to cardio to martial arts. I love the variation. I love a little bit of biking, a little bit of karate, a little bit of tennis, not sticking to one.

How do you keep fit when you travel?

I don’t travel a lot. But I love to do out-of-town gigs. Honestly, when I moved to Manila, I did not work out at all. Because I was singing with a band five to six days a week. When you sing with a band, you are dancing on stage while singing straight for three hours. When people ask me if I work out, I say no. But dancing while singing for three hours was actually my workout.

I don’t really go out. My work is really straining. Because I don’t only do one thing. Like I said, I sing, I host, I model. Sometimes, it’s two or three things a day.

Do you have a fitness philosophy?

In my case, variety is extremely important. But I don’t think it should be for everybody. It is not for everybody, but it is for me. I hate routines. Routines get me bored, and when I get bored, I get lazy. And I hate being lazy. I am very active.

Active as you are, is there a fitness challenge in your life now?

At this point, my challenge is scheduling. I am so busy with work that I do not have time to work out. Work is first. Actually, the fact that I worked out twice this month is already pretty good considering my schedule. I make that effort. It is about making a choice, taking action, and making the effort. And willingness.

Do you follow any diet?

Diets do not work for me. I eat whatever I like. I do not eat pizza often. I love candies and chocolates a lot. If today I feel healthy, I will eat a salad and take juice. I don’t believe in saying no to something you like for a long period of time because you will repress yourself. And when you repress your desires, the more you want them. The more difficult it is going to be. If you deprive yourself of things, it will work the opposite way. I have a sweet tooth. So I just satisfy my taste buds. 

How do you manage stress?

There is no person in this world who can tell me that they don’t have any stress. In my case, there are people in my life that I turn to when I am stressed. They really know how to calm me down. They advise me. They know the right things to say at the right time. I have changed. I have grown. I have matured extremely a lot. But I am extremely happy where I stand right now. This is the most complete I have been. So when I am stressed, I sit down and think that this is just a moment of my day but overall, this is what my life is and what I want it to be. I do not make it affect my whole being. I just concentrate on how to fix it.

What is wellness or total well-being for you?

It is the completion of every aspect in your life. Total well-being to me is having everything in your life in the right order for you. And you know it yourself. There is no person in the world that can say "Oh I am not sure." Everybody’s conscience speaks. You always know if you are not doing enough of something. You always know if you are not working out enough. It is your choice to get up and do it. I am not working hard enough. You always know it. You are the first to tell yourself it is not enough. It is your choice to take action, to make it enough. 

Step by step, I have been working very hard to get to where I am now in every aspect of my life. The only thing that makes me feel bad is that work doesn’t give me much time with my friends. But my real friends will understand. So it is also a good test to see who your real friends are.

This year is a stepping-stone in my life. It is a phase, a new chapter in my life. When I got here it was finding myself, finding who I am, looking for the pieces of the puzzle. I found all the pieces of my puzzle. My life at this point is what I wanted it to be. And I am lucky to have found it at this age. I am extremely blessed. But I am also very patient and determined. One word that describes me well is determination. But it is worth it, all the struggles I have been through. I have all my pieces, I just have to improve. Make it stronger. Make it more colorful.

I left for Manila precisely to do more. I am somebody to me. I can do so much more with my life than bum around. I was born for determination and success in my own bubble. I am not doing it for other people. I am doing it for myself because it makes me more of a person. And if I can motivate other people around me, then that is a bonus.

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Truly, Aliya is not just FHM’s 100 sexiest, she is also a role model for her self-determination and resolve to be the best she can be.

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E-mail questions and comments to mylene@goldsgym.ph.