What ‘sexy’ truly means to Kylie Verzosa
MANILA, Philippines — Kylie Verzosa admitted that she gained weight after winning the Miss International crown in 2016. But it was during the pandemic that she turned to the pescatarian diet to manage her weight gain.
“If you check my past photos, I was at a bigger size. Fifteen to 20 pounds heavier. During the pandemic, it really opened my eyes. I wouldn’t say I was big but I was on a bigger weight. That was when I was introduced to the pescatarian diet,” she told The STAR in a one-on-one interview during the launching of her first business venture Sola, a shapewear brand, at the 205 BGC in Taguig City held recently.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. I thought I can’t do without chicken, beef, and pork,” she said. But then she tried and became accustomed to it over the past four years. “I ran a lot so it limits your, you know, digestion period if you (eat) after a big meal, a junk food.”
She also does running, weight lifting, pilates, and yoga as part of her routine.
“I really take good care of myself. Healthwise, I take a lot of vitamins and minerals, I try to sleep early, I wake up early. I go to the gym early, I run, I work on cardio, I do yoga. I recently got into the sauna and ice spa,” continued Kylie.
The beauty queen/actress-turned-businesswoman usually starts her day by trying to avoid her phone, drinking a glass of water, a cup of coffee, stretching, sauna and an ice bath. After that, she will check her phone and write on her gratitude journal.
“So it’s a gratitude journal (about the) three things you’re grateful for and three things you wanna happen. And at the end of the day, (you write) three things that made you happy. And then I go on with my day. My day still goes on with work from movies or in the showbiz industry or Sola,” she shared.
Just lately, some netizens have commented on her bikini photos on the beach in Instagram, saying she’s become “too skinny.” They also expressed concerns over her health.
“Not na-offend but more on I was just shocked by the amount of feedback I was getting no matter how much I think I take care of my body even if I’m at my healthiest right now,” she told this paper when asked for a reaction.
“I lift weights and everything. I look healthy. So I’m just amazed by the number of things they can say even though I really, really take good care of myself. So honestly, I just ignore it because I know what I do with my body and I’m happy and I’ve never been this healthy,” she went on.
Her message to people who are posting comments about her body is: “I hope you are happy and healthy, too. Haha! ‘Cause I am. I hope you guys are happy and healthy. Health is very important and I’m happy to say that I’m at my healthiest right now. And I wish you guys the same thing.”
For Kylie, “Sexy is something internal.”
“It’s not just physical, it’s something that you have within you. It’s your attitude, your personality, the way you carry yourself, the way people see you. It’s something innate,” she explained on her definition of sexy.
“There may be a girl that you don’t find too attractive but is so sexy. It’s something about their personality, with their aura, so it’s something innate when it comes to like fulfillment with being happy about yourself. ‘Cause there are so many girls that are sexy. That I find so sexy. It’s confidence.”
Through her newly-opened business, Sola, she hoped to share the message of body positivity. From fitting to product development, Kylie was very hands-on on her brand.
Sola is a women-led team, as Kylie described it. “We are a small but growing team… There’s something that I’ve realized. We’ve been exposed to many different brands. Brands that we absolutely love but they still remain very aspirational but at the same time still not attainable.
“So that’s how Sola came to life. We wanted to build a brand that was aspirational but at the same time, still very attainable. So that your dreams don’t have to be dreams anymore, you can afford it. You can buy it. It’s in your hands and in your body. And that’s what Sola is,” she remarked in her opening speech.
Kylie and her team just launched their first shapewear collection, called Mercury, which comes in five different styles, three different colors and six different (Asian) sizes.
Having her own line of business was Kylie’s dream ever since. She came from a business-minded family who owns hotels and restaurants. She graduated with a degree in Business Management with a minor in Marketing from Ateneo de Manila University.
She said, “If you’d ask me when I was a little girl what you would wanna become, I would wanna have my own business, a restaurant or something. But I got into showbiz, and business-inclined yung family ko. And I love showbiz. But it’s always at the back of my head (like) when would I start? That something I would love.” Hence, Sola was born.
Meanwhile, Kylie has maintained a private relationship with her non-showbiz partner.
“We agreed that we both wanted to keep it private. It’s more peaceful this way, it is better this way. He is very supportive in everything that I do. We both agreed to keep it private. But right now, my focus is on Sola and my business and my career,” she stated.
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