Nanette & Marissa

Two showbiz heavyweights share their diet tips

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Marissa says being fat and big boned runs in the family. What makes matters worse is the fact that she simply loves food.

“I ate really BIG,” she says. “Rice was my middle name. I used to take a pot full of rice with my favorite Filipino dishes like sinigang, adobo, beefsteak.”

She had to put a stop to her care-free days, however, after learning she was diabetic “I had this unexplained hunger pangs,” she recalls. “I felt them even shortly after big meals. I was urinating a lot and my eyesight was becoming blurred. And there was this overall feeling of discomfort.

Lucky for her, a group of medical people offered free blood sugar testing at one corporate show she was doing. “I took the test and the result said my sugar level was at 300,” she adds. [The normal range is 130.] That sinking feeling crept all over me. I felt this was it. I would die before my time.”

The doctor she consulted was a big help. He gave her a diet, which made her lose 40 pounds in ten months. His recommendation: one small cup of rice with every meal with two small pieces of meat or substitutes (chicken, fish or seafood) with vegetables, if she was up to it.

“Luckily, I am not hooked on soft drinks from the very start, even chocolates and pastries. I easily take to fruits, especially those low in sugar such as lanzones, bananas, and unripe mangoes. Of course I would skip the regimen sometimes and indulge in ice cream, pop corn, and pandesal.

“I cried when I started on the diet. I couldn’t relate to so little food on the plate. It looked so unreal to me. I wasn’t used to chewing the food well when I ate. I would just swallow it whole.

“But now I have learned to savor what I eat. In order not to feel bad, I would tell myself, ‘This is my last meal,’ or ‘The second bite will taste just like the first.’ I would also drink lots of water to make me feel full. Water is the only item you can take lots of that will not harm your body.”

Like all successful dieters, Marissa exercises a lot. She plays badminton for an hour or two each day with friends in showbiz. Diet and exercise enabled her to lose 40 pounds. Even her cholesterol level has normalized. “The advantage of being thin is that I can buy ready-to-wear clothes,” she proudly says. “When you are thin, you look and feel good. Your self-esteem is high because you feel loved and desirable.

“It is definitely healthy too. I have more resistance to illness. And I don’t pant and gasp for breath.”

Marissa thanks God for the gifts of singing and comedy and the people for helping her make her dreams a reality. It is not an easy job, but she likes the good pay and the perks.

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