If In The Know did not see her photos from her daughter Isabella Padilla’s first birthday party last October, it would have been hard to think that Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla hit the scale at 178 lbs.
Mariel says she was depressed at the time since she was hiding from everybody so that no one would see her, “I couldn’t see people when I get invited sabi ko hindi ako puwede because I’m too fat to be seen. I couldn’t go back to work I would even send my photo na okay lang ba I look like this? Hindi talaga kaya.”
Mariel knew she was so heavy but she had to do it because her milk supply was low and she had to exclusively breastfeed her first born.
“Akala ko when I gave birth that I would return to normal right away I had this picture in my mind. My heaviest was not even when I gave birth, my heaviest was when I had to breastfeed Isabella for 14 months and I was at my heaviest at her first birthday party. I had to eat my way as in kahit hindi ako gutom kumakain ako, kakain ako after ko mag-pump!”
The weight gain was an issue for Mariel who is very particular with her appearance—she did not even shy in admitting she had a rule of not repeating clothes. But because of the extra pounds, the first-time mom experienced difficulty in buying new clothes at her new size.
“Maternity clothes pa rin suot ko, as in lima lang. I did not want to buy new clothes because ibig sabihin nun na yun na yun, I’ve resigned to my heaviest weight, pero hindi puwede na yun na yun!”
Because of her will power, Mariel made a deal with herself to lose the weight as soon as Isabella stops being breastfed. She did not go under the knife, she just went to Marie France three to four times a week and on weekends she would have five-hour sessions.
She also cut her food intake in half and is so proud that in six months time, she lost the baby weight.
“I also did juicing from time to time which I used to do naman before giving birth.”
Mariel is set to return to television in roughly a month’s time and she made a promise to lose an extra 15 pounds. Besides her discipline and motivation, her husband Robin Padilla has been her biggest cheerleader all throughout her weight-loss journey.
“He knew I was eating so much. Never siya nag-complain. Kaya yung bigote niya never din ako nag-complain! Kasi hindi siya nag-complain na mataba ako so hindi rin ako nag-complain tungkol sa bigote niya.” (M.J Marfori, TMT)