How Cosmo girl Myrza Sison stays fit & sexy at 46

Name: Myrza Sison.

Age: 46.

Position: Editorial director, Summit Media and Cosmopolitan.

In fitness and in health, Cosmopolitan editorial director Myrza Sison has tried almost everything there is out there, from tangga-requiring aerobics to her most recent routine of muscle-lengthening Pilates. Here, she shares how staying dynamic and updated in fitness, health, and fashion has kept her looking and feeling better through the years.

PHILIPPINE STAR: What is your fitness history/background?

MYRZA SISON: Ever since I can remember, I’ve incorporated some form of physical movement in my life, but I just wasn’t into sports. I started ballet at age five and continued until I was 13. I really loved ballet and wanted so badly to be a ballerina, but unfortunately was not talented enough. But I remember always wanting to be fit — even as a child. I even have a memory of, at age 10, furiously following a Farrah Fawcett exercise routine I saw in TV Times — with leg raises and donkey kicks! When I got older, I worked out every day to the Jane Fonda Workout video and became an aerobics and weight-training buff. I’d squeeze in workouts during lunch hour at Powerdance, a stone’s throw away from SGV & Co., where I worked. I pretty much tried most of the fitness crazes that followed through the years, like step aerobics, Tae-bo, Ashtanga yoga, rock climbing, and even Ultimate. I was into Bikram yoga a couple of years ago, and now I alternate Pilates and cardio, a combination that works and that suits my hectic schedule and lifestyle. I haven’t seen results come as quickly as I have with Pilates, so I got hooked!

How has your approach to fitness and health changed over the years?

Fitness has always been a necessity and priority, only hampered by illness or extreme busyness. (For instance, from 2007 to 2009 I had hyperthyroidism, so my endocrinologist forbade me from exercising.) But like anyone, I’ve had my own ups and downs of laziness (and attacks of gluttony!) and lack of motivation. Making time for fitness has always been a challenge, and I would, from time to time, get waylaid by various reasons, but I’ve still managed to keep it a constant aspect of my life.

As for health, I stopped eating red meat and chicken in 1991, initially for reasons of vanity, and later for humanitarian reasons (although I still eat seafood, which is still not humane). I’ve tried to give up seafood as well, but have not succeeded — it’s really hard to give up my favorites like oysters, caviar, aligue, danggit, tuyo…Through the years, I’ve also tried as much as possible to avoid white carbs (white flour, white rice, white sugar) and processed food and drinks. I still slip once in a while — it’s just impossible sometimes, say, in Europe, or when you’re confronted with a really good croissant, cupcake, éclair, macaron! I do try to live a little and deliberately fall off the wagon on very special occasions or when it’s really, really worth it. I love to eat, and it doesn’t help that I’m married to a restaurateur. But I’ve come to realize and accept that at my age and with a slower metabolic rate, I can’t really eat everything I want and in the same massive quantities I used to. I won’t deny myself a taste of something worth burning off later if I really must, but I’ve learned to sublimate my desires whenever possible.

I was quite frustrated about gaining weight through the years despite steadily eating healthy and working out. It wasn’t until last year when my sister, who had lost 50 pounds on the Cohen Diet, really inspired and encouraged me to emulate her eating habits. Eventually, I realized that I really didn’t need to eat excessively and could get by with just what I needed, and that eliminating sugar, bad carbs, junk food and additives really works wonders. I learned the art of portion control and came to accept that it’s not just making wise food choices that matters, but also really eating in moderation. I read somewhere that abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym: maybe it’s true that our diet is really 70 percent of the game, and exercise is just 30 percent. Downloading the My Fitness Pal calorie counter app also really helped me monitor my food intake and prevent myself from eating mindlessly. Since I started using it religiously three months ago (in tandem with my regular workouts, of course), my body fat percentage went down, my muscle tone improved overall, and I lost inches even if I didn’t lose pounds.

I’ve also realized that the earlier I get my workout done and out of the way, the less likely I am to skip it as my day gets busier. I’ve learned to integrate fitness into my daily life and treat sweating it out as if it were part of my morning rituals, like washing my face or brushing my teeth. I think I’ve even conditioned myself to feel dirty if I’ve skipped a workout!

What is a typical week like for you in terms of work and workouts?


I do cardio two to three times a week and Pilates thrice a week. My trainer Che Rivera of Allez Hop puts me on the Reformer for the basic core routines, but she also incorporates some suspension training and body weight-bearing moves to tone my arms and legs and add more challenge. She also gives me lots of additional core exercises because that’s my major problem area. On alternate days, I spend 45 minutes to an hour on an elliptical machine at the gym.

On weekdays, I work out at 6 a.m. so I can be in the office by 8:30 a.m. I make sure I work out at least five times a week. My rest days are usually Mondays and Fridays (the start and end of the week) when I like to be at work even earlier. I really, really do my best to try to work out whenever I can, and this includes weekends and vacations, wherever I am in the world. Workout wear and shoes are always the first things I pack in my suitcase! Some friends think I’m weird for working out on weekends or while on vacation, but I really cherish being able to do so. I’ve come to think of working out as a privilege (am grateful that I am able to, because there are others who really can’t!), not a chore. These workout sessions are also great stress-busters and an opportunity to catch up on my reading (on ”lighter” days) and thinking!

What keeps you dedicated to staying fit and healthy?

Well, there’s definitely pressure when you have eternally hot friends like Tweetie de Leon Gonzalez and Apples Aberin who have defied the ravages of time, gravity, and childbirth! These women are not only moms but are extremely busy career women. If they can do it, I really have no excuse! They are my fit- and thin-spirations! Seriously, I’ve realized that life is too short to be plagued by health problems, and too short not to live it in your best physical condition and appearance possible. Also, I can be quite goal-oriented, so measurable goals help motivate me. When working out, I push myself to hit certain numbers (i.e., number of minutes, calories burned, etc.). My Fitness Pal really works for me in this aspect — working with numbers on myself really appeals to the nerdy side of me!

It didn’t used to, but lately fashion has helped keep me going. There’s nothing like an unforgiving bodycon dress that will make you want to do crunches and stay in plank mode forever. Karl Lagerfeld once said â€œFashion is the healthiest motivation for losing weight” — I’m not sure it’s the healthiest, but for me it certainly works!

It could also be a midlife crisis! I still can’t believe I’m now in my mid-40s, so I guess you could say I’m trying to trick my body and mind into thinking the same way!

Who are your fitness pegs/ inspirations?

My fit-spirations (They work hard for their bodies, and it shows!): Tweetie de Leon Gonzales, Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanpoel, Heidi Klum, Elle Macpherson, Izza Gonzales, Kerry Washington. My thin-spirations (they are naturally and effortlessly sylph-looking!): Apples Aberin, Jo Ann Bitagcol, Marina Benipayo. My Pilates trainer Che Rivera inspires me the most. She’s super-fit, strong, and has the kind of lean, lithe but strong body I’d like to have. That’s a really powerful motivation. It’s not as inspiring when the trainer or teacher isn’t living and visual proof that all your hard work will yield results.  

What one life-changing realization have you learned from all the health and fitness philosophies you’ve come across?

It’s strategy rather than willpower that works. It’s really mind over matter, but a strategic mind at that. We’re only human — we can rely on the strength of will only so much. But we can use our mind to plan around expected (and unexpected!) challenging situations. Instead of setting yourself up for temptation, make a plan and find ways to curb the temptation using substitutes that are better for you. Make your own portion-controlled healthy food and bring baon to work instead of allowing yourself to get tempted by or to settle for bad food choices. Always pack workout wear and shoes in your suitcase or car to tick off one excuse that will prevent you from working out. I know some people who sleep in their workout wear to curb early-morning laziness! Make sure your gym is near your house or workplace — otherwise, you’ll find excuses not to go. Always have the foresight so you can strategize about overcoming all possible roadblocks along the way. I think a big part of sticking to your goals is always finding ways to outsmart yourself! It’s certainly true in my case! If there’s a will, there really will be a way. You’ll find a way — otherwise, you probably don’t really want to achieve your goal that much.

Your top three tips for health and fitness?

1. “Small daily improvements are the key to staggering long-term results,” I read on an Instagram meme. Don’t quit! Do something fit and healthy every day, no matter how little.

2. Eat mindfully, especially if you’re no longer a youthful metabolic machine. Remember, fat lasts longer than flavor — learn to sublimate your gluttonous desires whenever you can, giving in only when something’s really worth it, or if you’re sure you can burn it off in the very near future!

3. Integrate fitness into your daily life. The sooner you stop fighting it and start accepting that it is as vital as eating and breathing, the better your life will be. Gwyneth Paltrow’s trainer Tracy Anderson said there’s no other way to lose weight and keep it off but to exercise a minimum of an hour for six days a week, for the rest of your life.

What are common mistakes you think people make that lead them stop working out or eating healthily?

Not being aware of or keeping track of what they eat during the day, mindless eating due to boredom or restlessness (I used to be so guilty of this!), resorting to fad diets and fasts or shortcuts, and making excuses instead of just making time or finding a way. After decades of trying to get around it, I’ve come to accept the truth: There’s really no way to lose weight and keep it off except through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Sorry!

It gets tougher to look good as one gets older. What easy (non-workout) tips can you give to stay looking fit and young?

Keep your look updated. Keep abreast of the times so you look current. Wear of-the-moment (not necessarily trendy, but not dated!) clothes that fit your body type well and make sure your hairstyle and makeup don’t age you. Don’t get stuck in a rut! A look that’s stuck in the past is the biggest ager! This goes for your mindset and attitude as well. Nothing ages you more than a closed, inflexible mind.

One quick and easy food-related/diet change the readers can make that will make a big difference?

“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants,” is how food author and activist Michael Pollan summed it up in seven words in his book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. And it’s true. I managed to start on the “mostly plants” part in my 20s, but the “not much” part I only managed to do last year! I really suggest giving up (or avoid, unless it’s an emergency!) white carbs (Michael Pollan said, â€œThe whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead”), soda, and other non-natural, processed foods with chemicals, additives and artificial ingredients that cause your body more harm than good both on the outside and on the inside. When food shopping, try not to buy anything that comes in a box, can or jar — shop in the outer rim of the supermarket where the fresh produce is.

Makeup by NELSON AGUILAR, Hair by NATO GOTO of Hairworks, Shot on location at ALLEZ HOP PILATES, Makati, Special thanks to FRAN BALLMER