In the March 2010 issue of Women’s Health, Judy Ann Santos, almost a year after marrying Ryan Agoncillo, reveals some diet and fitness secrets that have helped her maintain her figure and buck the plus-poundage perils of wedded bliss.
For starters, she runs around her village with her adopted daughter Yohan regularly. “It’s bonding time for us,” she says, and it gives her “time to think. Kahit na 10 minutes lang, meron kang time for yourself.” Her body has been accustomed to her mini-workouts, no matter how tired she is. “Hinahanap ng katawan ko na lagi akong may ginagawa,” she says. This gym-hater prefers sweating it out in the outdoors. “Hindi ako puwedeng mag-jog in place,” she reveals, saying she needs to feel the sun, the wind and the environment. ”Gusto ko nakikita ko ang mga aso, ang mga tao, ang anak ko. Gusto ko may nararating ako pag tumatakbo ako.”
Pork and beef have also been scrapped off this culinary school graduate’s menu, and she sticks to chicken and fish. She also swears by the South Beach diet, which she says also gives her a sense of discipline and control, making it easier for her to ward off tempting treats around her. “May motivation ako na if I finish this 14-day plan, I know I will lose weight. Alam kong masusuot ko na ulit ang mga dresses kong size zero.” Some of the favorite South Beach-friendly fare that she likes to make for both her and Ryan: Egg-white omelettes with three cheeses and onions and grilled Kobe beef with string beans and garlic in sesame oil. More of her diet and fitness tips:
1. Drink eight glasses of water a day, a trick she learned from Ryan. “Bring a 1.5 liter bottle of mineral water with you and try to finish it. Kahit hanggang madaling araw, up ka kasi hydrated ka.”
2. Try to eat veggies as much as possible. “Kahit salad o pumapak ka ng pipino na may suka. Basta make it a point na may veggies ka sa diet mo kasi fiber ‘yon eh. ‘Yun ang magki-cleanse sa ‘yo.”
3. Find healthy substitutes. “Kunwari manonood ka ng sine. Imbes na soda at popcorn ang ngangatain mo, pick up a smoothie na nandu’n na lahat. May wheatgrass, may soy milk, kahit may kaunting sugar, okay lang. Busog ka na, alam mo pang healthy ang kinain mo.”
4. Take a walk. “Kung hindi kayo fan ng exercise, kahit walking na lang. Don’t take the elevator anymore. Kung second or third floor lang naman ang pupuntahan, take the stairs. Para kahit paano may gumagana sa katawan mo.”
5. Check the label. “Huwag masyado nagpapaniwala sa mga ‘no trans-fat.’ Basta processed, there is always something in it you don’t want. Basta kakayanin, always choose fresh.”
6. Reward yourself. “Once in a while, have a chocolate bar, a glass of wine, a bottle of beer. Basta hindi mo pakiramdam na parusa sa ‘yo ang kinakain mo.”
Read more about Judy Ann in the March 2010 issue of Women's Health, out now.
(Photographs by Raymund Isaac)
