Now at her ‘happiest,’ Bea Alonzo recalls her struggle with body image

Bea Alonzo

Bea Alonzo once dreaded entering her 30s, thinking that it would limit the roles she could play onscreen. And then, there’s the societal expectation that women at that age should be settling down.

“I used to think that when I turned 30, there would be less opportunities for me. And I feel like society tells us that if you’re a woman in your 30s, then you should be marrying already. But back then, the circumstances in my life were different. I wasn’t there yet. And I was like, ‘What am I going to do?’” she said at her launch as the new ambassador of the beauty and wellness brand Beautéderm.

But now, at 34, Bea realized that being in her 30s wasn’t the career limbo she thought it would be. “I realized that nothing really changed. I’m still energetic. I still have lots of projects coming in. And I realized that I can represent other Filipinas who have yet to settle down and are willing to discover new things,” she related. “Being in your 30s isn’t an endgame. That doesn’t mean you can no longer fulfill your dreams.”

‘At my happiest’

And from a personal standpoint, the GMA 7 star can proudly say that she has never been happier. “I feel more comfortable in my own skin now. I can talk about my weaknesses, my vulnerabilities — things I wasn’t able to do when I was in my 20s and had a lot of reservations and insecurities. But now, I can freely say what’s in my heart.”

“I’m at my happiest now,” she added.

That wouldn’t be possible, she said, without self-love and contentment.

“If it weren’t for the pain, hurt, rejections and victories, I wouldn’t be able to get into this mind-set and headspace. I still have a lot to learn and endure, but I want to enjoy this moment,” she said. “You feel happy when you’re grateful for what you have. I have a beautiful family, a handsome boyfriend (Dominic Roque) and I have the liberty to do projects I have never done before.”

Bea has always been open about her struggles with body image and weight concerns. And it continues to be a balancing act for her. But the difference now is that she has learned to approach those issues in a way that’s healthy for her, both physically and mentally. Because there was a time, she admitted, when those aspects of her life suffered.

“I once did a shoot in Singapore. And I remember feeling that some of the people I was working with weren’t happy that I wasn’t as slim as they thought I would be. So I felt I was unable to deliver. I was hurt. So I vowed that I would be in shape for my next shoot with them,” she recalled.

Alonzo

“I resorted to crash dieting. And sure it worked… I lost weight for the following shoot. But all the weight came back thereafter, and then some. Since then, I realized that I had to protect not only my physical, but also my mental health. I told myself that I shouldn’t let myself get affected by outside noise,” she added. “I realized that I have to deal with it in a healthy manner.”

Physical appearance, she said, shouldn’t be the sole motivation for being fit. “There’s a deeper reason for us to be healthy. I feel like now is the time to invest in our health and immune system (because of the pandemic),” she said.

As the latest addition to Beautéderm’s roster of celebrity ambassadors, Bea promotes the Reiko Slimaxine and Reiko Fitox health supplements, which aims to promote digestive wellness and improve gut health. “I’m not perfect, and I can’t say I’m sexy. But I know there are a lot of people who can relate to me. I know there are women who have the same struggles, and I’m happy to represent them,” she said.

Moving forward, Bea said she doesn’t want to repeat her past mistake of not savoring every moment of her life. “In the past, I used to worry and be so scared about what could happen in the future. I feel like I always have something to prove. I was a perfectionist and was hard on myself,” she said. “Now I want to seize every moment, no matter how small.” INQ