Solenn’s journey to good health, fit body

MANILA, Philippines - It’s hard to imagine that Solenn Heussaff, who has ubiquitous billboards all over the Metro showing her whistle-bait figure, used to be obese.

How big was she? She was only given the moniker “Free Willy” referring to the big whale in the movie of the same title, in high school.

“When I was 13, boys and girls would tease me and call me ‘Free Willy.’ I was fat and the boys made fun of me,” Solenn told entertainment journalists at the launching of her book Hot Sos: Your Guide to Getting Fit, Eating Well and Loving the Body You’re In at the Glorietta 5 last Sept. 3.

As young kids, Solenn and her brother Erwan liked to eat a lot and during family outings, they would pig out on pizza and cheeseburgers.

The constant teasing and bullying led Solenn to crash diet that almost became fatal.

“So my parents were gone for a while and I did a stupid diet which I don’t recommend and kids shouldn’t do. I was eating half an apple every day, that’s all I eat. I was really depressed and I got sick. I was hospitalized and there, I lost a lot of weight,” Solenn recounted.

But she regained the extra pounds when she worked as a waitress, hostess and bartender while pursuing her studies in Paris.

“I would end up drinking something with alcohol and eating something heavy before bed. Pizza, fries, steak, croissants. I was pretty much feeding my body shit,” Solenn shared.

When she came home to Manila, people were more merciless and called her mataba (fatty).

The teasing got to her and led her to more crash diets. But she soon realized that she was shedding the pounds for the wrong reasons.

And when it finally dawned upon her that it was more of self-esteem issues than anything else, she started to exercise for the right reason — because she loves herself and wants to take care of her body.

“If looking hot is what drives you to start working out, that’s OK. But that can’t be the only thing that keeps you going, because it’s very hard to sustain,” Solenn said.

“I don’t exercise to get abs, I work out to be stronger,” she added.

Thus, all the things that she learned on her journey to get a healthy and fit body, she wants to share to people through her book.

Solenn said she readily agreed when Summit Books offered her to write a book on loving your own body. It took her almost a year to finish the book.

“The thing is I already have this in mind (writing a book). Somebody approached me and asked me to do a book of loving your body, I’m not the type who reads a lot so I need to have a lot of visuals, photos on my book. It’s more of a guide for people who are not working out yet. It’s helpful on how to get there,” Solenn said.

Solenn is the first one to share that she gets bored when she does routine exercises, that’s why in her book, she advises readers to vary in their workouts like hiking in the mountains.

One particular hike that she suggests is to climb Mt. Daraitan in Tanay, Rizal.

 “I also have workouts that I do as a pair, with my friends or my husband Nico (Bolzico),” she recounted.

Solenn counts her husband Nico as one of her greatest motivators in staying fit.

“My husband works out every day and never cheats on his diet. Between the two of us, I’m the one who hits the snooze button instead of getting up to run, and I’m the one who orders pasta. So yeah… I’m the normal one,” Solenn shares in her book.

Both of them are planning to have a baby at the end of next year.

One thing that Solenn is proud of is her original recipes.

For those who are trying to avoid eating rice, she has an alternative recipe called “Just Caul me Fake Rice” using cauliflower as, well, the fake rice.

Solenn hopes the book will help those who want to be better, fitter and stronger.

“This book is supposed to help you start living a healthier, better life, whether or not you choose to stick with it is up to you. Don’t ever compare yourself to others when losing weight. I have friends who have stopped eating rice for a week and lost 10 pounds and I’ve not been eating rice for five years and my body’s still the same,” she said.