Aga is the first to admit that he became so relaxed with his life – especially after he got married to Charlene Gonzales and his twins Atasha and Andres came into his life – that he started to take life easy. And with that came the weight gain he did not notice at first.
"I stopped working out and I would go to my place of refuge in Batangas. I would eat anything. I did not have any sense of what was healthy or not. I just ate what I wanted to eat," admits the boyish actor who started his career over 20 years ago with the Bagets film. Aga started to live the life he had worked so hard to make for himself. It was quiet and everything he dreamed.
In fact, Aga says that once, when he was so depressed, he locked himself in his room and ate for five days straight. He really loved to eat and eating was his way of coping with stress.
He would hie off to his Batangas home after his shooting days, and there he would spend all the time he wanted with his family. "It was far away from all the stress of city life, and it was great," he says with a twinkle in his eyes.
In Batangas, Aga had time for Charlene, Atasha and Andres, his pets which consisted of dogs, macawas and kois, and his latest passion – growing plants.
But with the quiet came the weight gain, the aches and pains that abandoning working out in the gym, playing basketball, and mountain biking brought. "At the start, I could overlook that I was gaining weight because at the back of my mind I thought it would be easy to lose weight anyway – just like I did when I was younger," Aga smiles.
But when people started to notice how Aga was packing on the pounds (he was a hefty 205-pounder!), it started to affect him. It became an issue because everyone who would see him would comment on his weight.
"And then I started feeling pain, so I went to the doctor in December 2004," he shares. "I discovered that I had gout and high uric acid."
The signs were too serious for Aga to ignore. "When I was super heavy, I couldn’t wear the clothes I wanted to because I did not look good. It also affected my self-confidence," he adds.
Aga has started his trek on the road to recovery. He is hell-bent on making healthy living his lifestyle now. He is back in the gym doing boxing and lifting weights. He has started to play basketball and badminton again and the gears of his mountain bike are well-oiled as he takes it for a spin often. He has gotten over his bout with gout and his cholesterol levels are just great.
"I know it is not easy. But I am determined to live the healthy lifestyle because I love my wife and my kids and I want to be here for them," he stresses. "It’s great to see my kids growing up."
And Aga’s youthful looks? "I am basically a happy person. I don’t like problems," he says. "I stay away from situations which will cause problems. If one is really happy, it will show."
Aga has brought his weight down to 188 pounds. His target is 170 pounds. By June. But he is confident that the 160 pounds he aims for will be within his reach before the year ends.
More than the weight and the good looks, it’s good health that comes with a new life that keeps him happy and his life looking up these days.
Here’s to healthy living, Aga-style:
• God comes first. I know I wouldn’t be here if not for the Man up there.
• Be a good husband. I told my wife that our kids will grow up knowing that I love her more than them. They are here because of our union. If we are not OK, then the kids are not going to be OK. I am not a single guy so I don’t do what single guys do. We are human beings and we are weak and I know that I should stay away from the temptations that come to single men.
• Be a loving dad. I spend time with my kids and try to teach them all I can. We play a lot.
• Work hard. But always make family first. I take my job seriously and I do my best in all my projects. But I know that all this I do for my family and for myself.
• Make healthy eating a way of life. I begin each day with a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal. I grew up with Quaker and now I am glad that it is part of my life again. My cholesterol levels are great and I feel great, too. No more junk food for me. I eat mostly grilled fish, chicken, and vegetables. Charlene and I enjoy adding a scoop of frozen cooked oatmeal to our protein shakes. Great! There are no shortcuts to losing weight. I should know – I tried all the fad diets and I know how they destroyed my metabolism. Never again.
• Exercise counts. Eating right is good, but exercise is also a must. I go boxing, do weights, go biking – I just love the way I feel.
• Get a dog. I have a new black Labrador whom I call Pedro. I also got two teacup Chihuahuas (Zoro and Yoda) for Atasha and Andres. The kids love them and they are learning to feed and care for them.
• Kois are de-stressors. I have converted the pool in my Alabang home to a fish pond where I raise koi. I love watching them eat and seeing them grow. These fish make me relax. I also have ponds in Batangas.
• Birds keep me grounded. I have set aside a space for the birds. I have macaws and ringnecks. They follow a rigid feeding sked, which I know by heart. In the morning, they have vegetables and walnuts. In the afternoon, it’s sunflower seeds and fruits.
• Grow plants. I recently picked up the habit of caring for plants. It is such a wonderful experience to watch something that you plant grow. I love the way it keeps me in tune with nature.