How Jessy Mendiola slew her personal demons to become ‘fit for life’

Jessy Mendiola

For Jessy Mendiola, it was only when she accepted her imperfections that her lingering fitness woes and body image issues truly turned for the better. The shift in mind-set, in fact, made her the sensible, even erudite person she has become since show biz began knocking at her door at age 13.

We couldn’t think of a better testimony to promote “Fit for Life,” the brand-new, 11-episode heath-and-wellness show Jessy hosts for TV5 (Sundays at 7 a.m.) and Cignal TV’s Colours channel (Mondays at 7 p.m.), than the inspiring story that the lovely and luminous 27-year-old actress shared with us last Wednesday.

We don’t do a lot of interviews with local celebs because our hectic schedule doesn’t always permit us, but we were thrilled to finally “meet” ­@senorita_jessy, albeit virtually.

As we told the actress, we always considered her superstar material because she possesses the face of a movie queen and the grit and temperament of a star—especially after her thespic showdown with John Lloyd Cruz in 2014’s “The Trial.”

That may have yet come to pass, but that’s not just us pulling Jessy’s leg. In fact, when our brother saw by accident a screen cap of our chat with Jessy on Zoom, he wondered which familiar-looking Hollywood star we just finished interviewing. We rest our case.

In this exclusive one-on-one chat, arranged for Inquirer Entertainment by TV5, Cignal TV and the go-getting media.Xchange team, Jessy said there are life lessons she was more than eager to share with her followers.

“I’m not doing this just to perpetuate a sexy image,” Jessy said when we asked if this was an image-boosting strategy intended to sustain the flattering image she got after topping FHM’s 100 Sexiest Wo­men list years ago. “I want to be healthy—not for other people, but for myself. When I won that poll in 2016, it took me another two years to begin taking my health seriously.

“Fit for Life,” which airs on TV5 and Cignal TV’s Colours channel, is Jessy’s first hosting gig.

“My weight was fluctuating at the time, and I didn’t know anything about working out. It was at that point when I star­ted feeling insecure about my body—mostly because of my legs, kasi dun ako na-bash, eh (laughs).

“Kaya siguro I struggled with that at the time because when you start at a very young age, people are always critical of how you look and tend to dictate what weight you should maintain or the things you should change [to look better]. In my case, I grew up being criticized for the way my body looked, lalo na kapag napapansing lumalaki ang legs ko (laughs).”

As it turned out, Jessy’s “issues” went way beyond her healthy, hefty legs and thighs.

“But not anymore,” Jessy said as she flashed a lovely smile. “In 2018, I let go of the insecurities that I had and started to appreciate my body more. This is me speaking from experience: I lost all the unwanted weight, literally, kasi naging happy ako sa sarili ko.

“In my teens, I would work out so much and follow a very strict diet, to the point that I wouldn’t eat anything. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t lose weight! I was so frustrated I almost gave up. Then, I told myself, ‘Listen, tanggapin mo na malapad talaga ang legs mo!’ Eto ako, eh! Why would I want to be somebody I’m not?

“That’s when things star­ted to change for the better. I began to notice my clothes getting more loose—parang naging maluwag na sila. This is clear proof that when you stress out unnecessarily about things you can’t control, nothing happens.

“Kasi, ano ba naman ang gagawin ko sa legs ko—alangan namang tapyasin ko ’yan! Malaki talaga eh, guys (spoken like she’s addressing her six million flowers on Instagram). At least I can still run or jog to prevent them from getting bigger, right (laughs)? So, nakakatuwa na totoo pala talaga that when you become positive with yourself, your body responds accordingly. That’s the first step of getting the result you want.”

But acceptance comes with age, Jessy pointed out. “We’re all human. Wala talagang perfect na tao,” she stressed. “I’m sure we all have something to be insecure about. My other issue was, super puti ako to the point na minsan, nabubura na ako sa camera and I become part of the white background (laughs).

“With age comes maturity. You’ll reach that point where you’ll just have to be at peace with what you can’t change. That’s what I tell myself when I feel insecure about something. Grow up! I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive to be better, but you have to first accept this in order to move forward. From there, you can work hard to become the best version of yourself.”

It’s this positive outlook that served Jessy well during the long lockdown. But there was something else that helped her cope with anxiety attacks and worrying. “During the first few months of the quarantine, I started reconnecting with God in what I’d call a ‘spiritual awakening’ of sorts,” the actress disclosed. “At this point, we were wondering what the future had in store for all of us.

“When ABS-CBN was shut down, I began to wonder if I’d ever work again. Where will I get my source of income? Makakabalik pa kaya ako sa pag-arte? So, this is where praying helped me a lot during this pande­mic. Pagdating sa hobbies, I had more time to work out because suddenly, I had all the time in the world (laughs). Now, I’m into baking.

“That’s why I’m very grateful na may work pa rin ako until now, thanks to ‘Fit for Life.’ I’m also excited because it’s one that’s right up my alley! I was still doing a ‘teleserye for’ ABS-CBN when this was first offered to me.

“‘Fit for Life’ isn’t just something I’m passionate about. The show will be enlightening for viewers because maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something we all need to do, whether there’s a pandemic or not. And while I have yet to see how it feels to be in a TV5 studio, I’m grateful for the warm welcome. I’m also happy that the network has announced its willingness to take artists and production people who lost their jobs as a result of the ABS-CBN shutdown under its wing. Things have a way of working out, after all.”

What sets “Fit for Life” apart from other shows of its kind?

“The fact that it’s my first time to host a show makes me nervous (laughs),” Jessy quipped. “We just finished taping all 11 episodes, and I’m wondering kung paano ako tatanggapin ng mga tao as TV host. We just aired our second episode (the third episode airs today), and so far, feedback has been positive.

“People might think it’s just another fitness program, but it’s really an all-in-one show that takes a holistic approach to fitness and wellness. Aside from the workouts, we’ll have experts dispensing practical advice about mental health and other concerns. We have a segment about how to prepare healthy recipes—something we can do on your own so we need not spend a lot of money on takeout food.”

To help her fans get on the health-and-wellness bandwagon, here’s Jessy’s advice. “Find the workout regimen that’s right for you—dapat hiyang sa ’yo,” she explained. “Hindi puwedeng whatever others are doing, that’s what you’ll do, then you expect the same results. It doesn’t work that way. Find one that makes you feel energized throughout the day.

“And working out isn’t enough. In order for you to be fit for life, you need to take care of your whole self—that means your mental, physical and emotional health. Change has to take place inside-out for this strategy to work. If you’re at peace with yourself, that will manifest in your mood and aura.”

Asked how different she is now from the Jessy who was first introduced as a member of the 15th batch of Star Magic, the actress laughed out loud. “Oh my God. Bagets na bagets pa ako nun, around 13 or 14. I was very reluctant, impatient, even impetuous,” she squealed. “I never wanted to become an actress. But I eventually thanked God for the opportunity that not every aspiring actor is given.

“Kaya siguro naging confident ako. But I was launched only when I was 16, then tuluy-tuloy na. I was 18 when I starred in my very first show ‘Sabel,’ ‘Maria Mercedes’—at pa-sexy agad! So, I really had a lot of growing up to do (laughs).”

Knowing that she recently celebrated her fourth anniversary with boyfriend Luis Manzano last June, we asked Jessy if cooking or baking was preparatory for, ehem, “bigger” plans ahead? “Well, baka …,” Jessy replied with hearty laughter.