Queen HEART
From beauty queen to actress, Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz now gets a new title as a mom, shares her exciting experiences with her baby, and reveals how she shed off the post-pregnancy pounds
Former 2005 Miss International Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz has gone through some big milestones in her life: from having a beauty queen crown above her head, to holding a script in her hands as an actress, and now, to cradling a baby in her arms. She expressed in a heartbeat that the last one is what made her the happiest, as having her eight-monthold son Noah with husband, fellow actor Marco Alcaraz, changed her life completely. Seeing Lara stride into the studio for the shoot, looking svelte and stylish in fitted jeans and a chic top—and with a newfound confidence to boot—it’s hard to believe that she just gave birth barely a year ago. The statuesque beauty surprisingly has a humorous side as she jokes around on the set, pretending to get blown off by the hair dryer and making funny poses in between breaks. But once the shoot resumes, she morphs into a stunning vision, graceful in designer gowns reminiscent of the ones she wore at the beauty pageant. She makes a striking comeback after pregnancy: busier than ever, with a new look and a new perspective in life. Here, she shares her fun and frenetic life as an actress and a mom, and her secrets to losing weight and keeping it off.
WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU BUSY WITH?
I’m part of the drama Juan dela Cruz, may taping kami M-W-F, pero may mga times na every day kasi may mga addition sa scripts or may nababago sa story. Actually, even nung nabuntis ako
nagtatrabaho pa rin ako, hangga’t kaya and kung may offer, I try to accommodate it.
HOW WAS THE TRANSITION LIKE FROM BEING A BEAUTY QUEEN TO AN ACTRESS?
Hindi ko masyadong na- feel, masyadong mabilis kasi after nung manalo ako ng Miss International,
tuloy-tuloy na ‘yung mga offers. Actually, dream ko lang talaga
maging beauty queen nung bata pa ako, never kong naging pangarap
na maging artista. Sobrang bonus lang talaga— it's true what they say, that when you ask the Lord for something, He'll give you more than what you asked for or imagined. So when I was acting, na- realize ko
na gusto ko pala ‘to, enjoy pala, and parang hindi trabaho.
WHAT WERE THE MOST MEMORABLE ROLES YOU’VE PLAYED?
Nagsimula akong maging artista nung
2006. Mula noon, sobrang thankful ako, and I am lucky that I get to
do MMK (Maalaala Mo Kaya) every year. Naging tomboy ako, iba-ibang characters.‘ Yung unang-una role ko sa MMK is memorable kasi kasama
ko si Piolo Pascual. Story ‘nun,
isang batang babae na na- in-love sa matandang lalaki, si Piolo. Iba ‘yung batang artista tapos nung lumaki ako ‘yung gumanap. In the middle of taping hindi na available si Piolo so naging si Jim Paredes ang actor after a few years into the scene. May kissing scene kami ni Jim and nanghinayang ako not because it was with him, but because I was such a huge fan of Piolo! (laughs)
WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU?
‘Pag walang taping naglalaro kami ng anak ko, kumakain kami together, rest day namin. I try to stay at home when I don’t have work, so it's mommy and baby time.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME AT WORK AND TAKING CARE OF YOUR SON?
It's quite difficult, may times na sunod-sunod ang taping ko, na-mi-miss ko ‘yung anak ko so sinasama ko siya sa taping kahit hindi dapat kasi napapagod din sya. Active ‘yung anak ko, gusto niya gumagapang sa floor, gusto niya naglalaro, eh s’yempre sa shoot hindi pwede ang ganun, so medyo mahirap bilang working mom, pero okay din kasi ‘yung husband ko artista rin, so nag-a- alternate ‘yung work namin. We both get to take care of our son. When I'm tired, my husband likes to help out.
HOW HAS MOTHERHOOD CHANGED YOU?
Mas naging responsible ako, ngayon
lahat ng ginagawa ko iniisip ko na
‘yung baby ko, lahat ng decisions ko revolve around Noah, and ang dami kong worries... So siguro ganun talaga
‘pag naging mom ka na... Like, for example, may time na three months after ko manganak, I had to climb up a billboard for a shoot, then I thought, ‘Kung wala akong baby, I could do it, pero now na nandiyan na
si Noah…’ Inisip ko, paano kung may mangyari sa akin, paano na ang baby ko? So there are things that I couldn't do and things that I consider more now that I'm a mom.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING A MOM?
Iba ‘yung joy of having a baby, ang hirap i- describe. Iba ‘yung saya na nadala nung baby sa buhay namin ni
Marco. Makita ko lang siya matulog, masaya na ‘ko.
WHAT KIND OF MOM ARE YOU?
I'm hands-on and protective, and kumuha lang ako ng yaya nung
six months na si Noah, and ‘yung kinuha ko na yaya, dating PA ko pa. Kasi I always feel na ako lang ang may kayang mag-alaga ng tama sa kanya.
WHAT STUFF DO YOU LIKE TO DO AS A FAMILY?
As a family, dahil maliit pa lang
si Noah, we just stay at home and play together. We once took our son on a vacation to Boracay and he really loved the water. My husband loves eating at Korean and Japanese restaurants, while I like Thai cuisine.
HOW DID YOU LOSE THE BABY WEIGHT?
I go to Marie France sessions three to four times a week. ‘Pag talagang naging mom ka na mahirap maalis ‘yung tummy. Marie France helped me with that. They have treatments that help you lose fat and keep it off, of course still depending on your lifestyle. As for my diet, Marie France didn't ask me to go on a very strict diet. I was allowed to eat five times a day. I have a nutritionist who helped me with a meal plan that I follow. Like for me, favorite ko talaga ‘yung taho, so they put it in my meal plan pero s’yempre hindi ganun karami. It depends pa rin on what you like to eat, basta controlled pa rin ang portions.
WHAT ARE YOUR BEAUTY SECRETS?
Hindi ako natutulog ng hindi nagtatanggal ng makeup, and I moisturize my whole body. Lagi ako nagpapa- massage with home service. And I always go to Indigo Salon for my haircut and treatments.