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By Howard Hernandez, MD
TWO controversial celebrities who
have both headlined the tabloids for the past year take a respite
from the bickering and negative items on the showbiz pages to
promote good health and fitness.
Former beauty queen turned unwed
mother Carlene Aguilar and recently separated actress and Quezon
City councilor Aiko Melendez share their triumphant stories on
weight management and discuss the gains of being physically fit and
mentally sound.
Carlene misses
her model figure
Carlene Aguilar started to gain
weight when she found out that she was pregnant with the child of
movie star Dennis Trillo. “It was unplanned. I was thinking of my
baby so I started eating thinking that I shouldn’t deprived the
baby any food or nutrient. I never thought of the consequences of
over eating that’s why I gained so much weight.”
Aguilar admits that she felt bad
and regretted the fact that she didn’t take good care of her body.
“Imagine, I was a model before then suddenly I couldn’t find
anything nice to wear. Plus the fact that being overweight has its
risks.”
Some of her friends suggested
liposuction but Aguilar has hesitations.
“I’m always afraid of
surgical procedures. There are always risks involved. And at this
time that I already have my baby, I cannot take those risks that can
affect my life and wellness,” she explains.
When Aguilar was looking for
non-invasive options, she discovered Marie France. I researched and
asked all the questions. “It’s like working out pero naka-relax
ka lang. And the procedures really target specific body parts na
hindi mo napapapayat sa gym, like ’yung mga love handles,
cellulite, etc.” she explains, adding that her favorite treatments
include the Endermologie (a machine assisted massage for body
shaping and removing cellulites) and the Ultrashape (a treatment
that targets the protuberant fatty areas where fat cells are
destroyed).
She shares that she lost almost
four inches in two months, from a 32-inch waistline to 27 inches.
“I’m halfway to my target. I’m truly happy and I’ve been
getting a lot of complements from people. I have also regained my
confidence.”
Aiko continues
to win her fights
Like Aguilar, Aiko Melendez
thought that she had to eat for two persons when she got pregnant
with her first baby Andre (courtesy of Jomari Yllana). “I spoiled
myself and started to eat everything that I fancied. Then I
ballooned,” Melendez starts her weight-gain story.
After some time, she observed
that everyone was giving her unsolicited pieces of advice.
“They’d start by telling me—‘Ang ganda ng mukha mo kaya lang
ang taba mo,’ which was pretty harsh. I really lost my
self-confidence and I would sulk and find an escape. Sometimes,
eating more became an escape.”
Melendez says that she tried
every diet there is—South Beach, After 6, Atkins. She saw
improvements but would gain back the weight she lost, and more. She
admits trying diet pills (but she just ended up in the hospital) and
she had numerous appointments with her liposuction surgeon.
“I had liposuction done in my
arms, my back, my legs, my tummy—basically everywhere. And yeah,
you do lose the weight. But if you don’t watch your diet or
exercise and regain the weight again, it becomes double, even triple
of what you lost before,” she lets out a warning, adding that
liposuction involves anesthesia and it can have adverse effect on
one’s body and the memory.
Then she tried Marie France, when
her weight went up to a dramatic 181 pounds. Like Aguilar, Melendez
likes Endermologie, and she also swears by the and Physique, a
machine treatment that tones the abdominal muscles and stimulates
225 sit-ups in 15 minutes.
Carlene Aguilar and Aiko Melendez
reiterate that the battle of the bulge cannot be solved by instant
treatments. Maintaining one’s ideal weight is a life-long
challenge and it involves keeping a healthy mind, regular exercise,
eating right and being positive.
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