The saying life begins at 40 surely rings true for actress Aiko Melendez.
The day she turned 40 in December 2016, Aiko surprised everyone when she posted her photo showing her in a hot pink two-piece bikini.
It served as her announcement that she was 52 pounds lighter and at her happiest.
The photo went viral.
How she lost all that poundage is quite a story.
At the media launch of Contours Advanced Face and Body Sculpting Institute, Aiko revealed she would google pictures of her fat self to push herself to work out every single day.
She told the press, “I have to thank Google because every time I google my picture before, I used to be so fat.
“I didn’t even recognize myself. Is that really me?”
In her room, Aiko posted a photo of herself when she was at her heaviest.
She weighed 210 pounds at one time.
“Siyempre, you wouldn’t want to come back sa weight na ‘yon.”
With "half of her life" spent on “the big side” of things, the mom of two wanted a leaner figure, preferably "with abs" this time around.
FITNESS INSPIRATION With Aiko posting photos of her weight-loss journey on Instagram, people are reaching out to tell her how much they have been inspired by her.
“In my Instagram, I’ve been getting so many messages from ordinary women asking me, ‘How did I do it?’
"I said, ‘I had a goal, determination, and then I watch what I eat.’
“When you achieve a certain weight and you start to get comments, that’s when you get inspired.
“Parang, ‘Wow, I shouldn’t stop here. I should do more.’”
And it's not just the women. Aiko has also inspired some men to start a healthy lifestyle.
“When you read it, it makes you happy.
“I hope one day, when I have the time, I hope to write a book about how I lost weight and be able to inspire people.
“Lalo na sa mga people na naba-bash din, nabu-bully because of their weight.
“One day, I’ll get to inspire in my own little way.
“It’s never too late to take care of your body.”