There is nothing quite as special as a homecoming—coming back to what you know and love, back to the people who understood you and really took care of you, back to where you feel safe. That’s how Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla feels as she comes back “home” to Marie France.
For Mariel, this is a new chapter in her Marie France story which began in 2018 when she lost 40 lbs. after her first pregnancy. Now a mom of 2, she finds herself struggling not only with the weight from her second pregnancy that still won’t budge, but also with the pandemic pounds.
“At my biggest, during Gabriela, I was, like 190 plus pounds,” Mariel says. “I thought that since it was the pandemic, that I would be able to do it on my own. I said, ‘Oh if I just eat the way I ate during the time of Isabella, I could do it.’ Pero bumabalik din.”
Slimming down, on its own, is already a daunting goal. Losing weight for busy moms like Mariel is even more challenging, as these superwomen have to juggle taking care of their babies, their families, and their careers and goals. Not to mention the “mom guilt” of wanting to take care of themselves but feeling like they must always put themselves last.
The emotional and mental toll
At first, Mariel completely let go and ate to her heart’s content because she was breastfeeding Gabriela. But when the breastfeeding stopped, the unhealthy eating habits did not. “When I gained weight after giving birth to Isabella, I didn’t buy clothes. I refused to buy clothes. And the reason why alam ko na nag give in na ako this time is kasi bumibili na ako ng clothes. Sabi ko, ‘Oh my gosh, baka ito na talaga yun.’”
She came to a point where all the dieting just frustrated and exhausted her, and she tried to convince herself that she was done trying to figure out how to lose the pregnancy weight because she was happy with the way things were. But deep inside she knew she wasn’t really happy.
“I’m tired of feeling helpless,” she shares. “I’m tired of not being able to wear the clothes that I want to wear. I’m tired of people telling me “Ang taba mo na“, “Ang losyang losyang mo na.” Losyang is such a painful word ha! Like, yung fat parang feeling ko I can take it because I’m really fat, di ba? But losyang is like, you’ve given up, you stopped taking care of yourself, wala na talaga. I’m tired of hearing those words and I just want to feel good again about
myself.”
The turning point for Mariel
Thinking it was the easy way out, Mariel even considered undergoing a liposuction procedure. “I went that far. When I had that consultation for liposuction, I was told na because I was this big, hindi kaya ng one time. Five times ko kailangang gawin. Dun ako natakot. Because grabe yun!”
The excess weight started to take a serious toll on her health, too. “At 38 years old, naka-maintenance medicine ako for high blood pressure. I could not believe it.” She had high uric acid too, and simple tasks got her feeling tired and winded. “Always akong hingal. I would go up the stairs and be breathless. Sasabihin ni Robin, ‘O, anong nangyari sa’yo?’ ‘Umakyat ako ng hagdan eh.’ My knees were painful. Bigat na bigat my knees!”
That was the turning point for her. “Hindi na lang ito yung, ay hindi na kasya my clothes. Ay hindi ako maganda sa ganito. It was very unhealthy for me already. You know, I have two kids, ages 3 and 6. I wanna live long. I wanna be there for all the milestones of my kids. I need to take care of myself.”
Her Marie France homecoming
That’s why she’s back to her best slimming partner: Marie France! “Ang yabang ko na nga noon eh. Sabi ko, ‘Ay hindi ko na kailangan yung Marie France.’ And yet here I am again! Because then I realized babalik at babalik yung weight if wala yung constant na discipline.”
Because Mariel has already proven that Marie France’s science-backed weight loss solutions and holistic approach really works, having seen it transform her figure in 2018, she feels very confident going on this journey a second time. “I’m so excited to do the treatments because if you’re like me, we don’t want to really get so tired at the gym, we don’t have time for downtime, for surgery. This is really the best place for us. And most especially for me
because I have tried this and it is proven to work and I know that it will be the same this time around.”
With Marie France’s doctor-supervised programs and the expertise of nutritionists and figure consultants, we go beyond helping women just lose unwanted pounds and inches. We educate our clients to make smarter, healthier food and lifestyle choices. After all, it’s not just about helping women look and feel good, it’s about investing in their health.
Marie France’s Dr. Regie Layug, who helped her during her first Marie France journey and is helping her again now, says, “The important thing is she knows what the problem is and she’s doing something about it. This weight loss journey should not be done alone; it should be shared with others. It’s very important that she has somebody to talk to, somebody to give her advice or to motivate her, and to have positive people around her to guide her. Here
in Marie France, we have our doctors, nutritionists, figure consultants, and therapists who are there for all our clients’ weight loss journeys, supporting them all the way until they succeed with their body goals.”
Mariel’s message to the moms and other women who are struggling with weight: “Let’s do this together. Let’s do this for our kids so that we will be healthier, will feel better, and we will be happier. Don’t get me wrong. I said ‘happier’ because I am happy and content with my family. But of course for my personal goal, I want to look good. And I know that I’m not the only mom who thinks this way. So join me in this journey as I go back to Marie France. I’m
so happy to be home once again. I was able to do it back in 2018 and I’m hoping that this year I can do even more!”
For transformative weight loss programs in the Philippines and real, visible, sustainable results, say YES to Marie France. Message us to know how to get started!
