Check Out Celebrity Makeup Artist Albert Kurniawan's Weight Loss Journey

The pandemic made him gain a lot of unhealthy weight, but he is determined to lose the bad habits and make better ones for his mind and body!

Kate Paras-Santiago

<p>You know him as the talented hands behind some of the most stunning celebrity faces and brides in Manila. <strong>Albert Kurniawan</strong>, the effortlessly creative makeup artist and entrepreneur is always a breath of fresh air. He lends his skills to the country&#x27;s top photo shoots and campaigns, is the brainchild of cosmetics brand Teviant, and continuously makes his presence felt online, with free beauty workshops and classes on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHgd5yDSGqEo-J1sfhaJhxw/videos" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>. </p><div><br/></div><p>Apart from his 24/7 job in beauty, Albert has become somewhat of a fitness buff recently, as he took to Instagram to share his weight loss journey. &#x27;One thing I learned is that our bodies and minds are our personal property, and we should be the ones to decide what and how to care for them. Exercising not only made me look nice, but it also made me feel good physically and psychologically!&#x27;, Albert posted. We talked to Albert and found out how he was able to embark on this journey to health, what challenges he met especially during the pandemic, and how he plans to keep moving forward. Keep reading and get motivated! </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/69b5571e-041a-4de2-82a3-1f81235e07d5_284849281_699584604595268_9053092098874022986_n.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Albert Kurniawan<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> @abtkurniawan  </em></span></span></span></span></div><div><strong>Metro.Style: Tell us about your weight gain—how did this happen? How long did it take for you to gain all the weight? </strong></div><p><strong>Albert Kurniawan: </strong>Before the pandemic I was 75kg and when the lockdown hit, the first three weeks I was so motivated to do Zumba and yoga classes with the help of YouTube tutorials and other apps and by that I got down to 71 kg. After two months of lockdown, <em>dun na nag</em>-kick in <em>ang</em> anxiety and depression <em>ko.</em> Of course as a makeup artist I was always on-the-go, and dealt with people everyday. And of course, it was added pressure that everything was slowing down, and that time I remember I had to refund 80 brides, since they canceled their wedding and it was a huge loss financially.</p><div><br/></div><p>At the same time, the Teviant office was not operating onsite and must adjust to working from home. Because of the stress that piled up, coupled with anxiety and depression, I found my comfort in food. Of course, at that time, social media was not helping because everyone became their own version of a chef at home. Everyone cooked, baked, and sent food, <em>ako naman</em> I ate everything that was sent to me, and also I did not have proper sleeping habits which caused my metabolism to slow down. I remember I woke up at 10 am and slept at 5 am. It felt like I lost my sense of urgency since at that time I didn’t have any appointments and there were lots of canceled weddings. On top of that, dealing with the Teviant office, I remember that no one in the warehouse team was able to show up to the warehouse due to lockdown, so me and my partner walked to the warehouse a couple of blocks away from our house, we packed to fill up the fulfillment needed that day.</p><div><br/></div><p>Apart from food, I believe that watching K-drama was also another factor in my weight gain. You know when you start watching K-drama, <em>lahat ng pagkain andon</em>, so you want to experience it too, and by watching it you want to eat instant noodles, ramyeon, ramen and so much Spam! Without knowing it, I gained 20kg within five or six months. With that, the anxiety and depression got worse, first <em>bumaba</em> self-esteem <em>ko. </em>A couple of months later, <em>bumalik na paisa-isa ng konti ang</em> bookings, so thanks to wearing PPE, it helped me hide my body before. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/bd1293d5-532f-458c-bc6d-06e21fc48b50_screen shot 2022-07-13 at 2.10.42 pm.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Albert, before the weight loss.</span></span></span></div><div><strong>MS: What made you decide to change your body? </strong></div><p><strong>AK: </strong>When I gained that weight, I didn’t know what to do at first. Because there’s a part of me that was in denial. <em>Wala, ganun talaga,</em> it is part of the process and then I made it an excuse that yes I have anxiety and depression, and it&#x27;s through food that I find comfort. There is also a part of me <em>na parang na-</em>realize<em> ko bakit parang napabayaan ko na ang sarili ko? </em>Way before, I never skipped working out twice a day. In the morning, I&#x27;d lift weights, and in the afternoon, swimming. <em>Iniisip ko lagi na parang laging may </em>excuses because it was lockdown. </p><div><br/></div><p>I remember in August 2021, the time that I found out that I have irregular blood pressure because that was the first time that I visited the dentist ever since the pandemic happened. My dentist always checks my BP before doing anything, so <em>nagulat siya</em>. My blood pressure was 180/160 and so she sent me home. It happened, again and again, so she sent me home and introduced me to a cardiologist. So, the cardiologist gave me medicine to regulate my blood pressure again but inside I believe that it is not about the blood and there is something else wrong. </p><div><br/></div><p>And then, I met a doctor, an endocrinologist, Doc. Austin, a general doctor. He asked me to do some tests and he found out that I have a hormonal imbalance due to high impact of stress and cortisol which is produced by my body. If not used properly it turns into estrogen, which is a female hormone that makes you become more sensitive, more lazy. My body was not how it used to be and that&#x27;s why I became more emotional and anxious. </p><div><br/></div><p>So he encourage me to work out again, he introduced me to his friend who owns a gym somewhere in Mandaluyong <em>na pwede mag</em>-workout while still following health protocols, and he asked me to do boxing at home. It took me three months, my BP became normal but my body wasn’t. I remember I was looking at myself in the mirror. I was 89kg. It was really really really hurtful for me, until Doc Austin suggested for me to correct my diet. It was challenging because for two years, my stomach got used to eating a lot. </p><div><br/></div><p>Slowly, he encouraged me to eat, meaning I can do anything I want but with healthy guidelines. If I eat something, there is a weighing scale next to me so I can measure my protein, carbs, and vegetables. Anything I ate, I had to weigh. At first he saw what I ate, and then he slowly lessened what I ate. </p><div><br/></div><p>I remember in November 2021, I looked at myself in the mirror and that was the time that I had to shoot for my YouTube channel, and I realized that none of my clothes fit. That was my wake up call, that was the time I realized that no one will help myself but me. So I started taking it all seriously. I really looked at what I ate, I even bought my own food, bought a rice cooker for diabetic patients (it separates starch in rice) so I can still eat rice. I also cooked my food to watch out for salt and oil and bought Skinny Seasoning. So, everything I ate was accounted for. Totally no sugar and chips. When the time came, I noticed there was still no change in my weight. That’s when I realized that I forgot to cut out alcohol, and that’s when I started trimming down alcohol. I started seeing results then, and as I continued my routine, <em>nasanay nalang</em> body <em>ko</em> and now I am back to 71kg. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/acf4878e-f71f-486d-a4f6-1aa11eb3292f_albert food.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Albert&#x27;s diet food diary</span></span></span></div><div><strong>MS: How did you get back to working out? </strong></div><p><strong>AK: </strong>Some people say weight loss is all about 70% what you eat, but for me, it’s all about balance. Some sacrifice by working out and controlling their diet very strictly. But when they get the chance to cheat, they eat a lot. For me, I do not crave cheat meals because I can still eat what I want but in a healthier way and in lesser amounts, and when I eat outside I don’t eat carbs, or I have less carbs, no dairy, and no sugar. I do not work out intensely but I make sure that I work out for an hour or an hour and 30 minutes every day but if I cannot do it every day, I make sure that from Monday to Friday I still workout.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/00156b3f-26f3-4840-89e8-b081c129c038_screen shot 2022-07-13 at 2.42.13 pm.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Albert in the gym</span></span></span></div><p><strong>MS: What are the challenges you faced?<br/>AK:</strong> The challenge that I faced is the doubt that I have in myself. I am the type of person who does not listen to people; first of all, I do not care what people will say because of course when you are already that fat and everyone else is skinny, people will say “<em>ah ayan ka nanaman </em>diet<em> ka nanaman</em>”, or “workout <em>ka nanaman</em>”. That’s not the challenging part for me. It is believing my capabilities, and doubting that I can do it myself.</p><div><br/></div><p>Yes, it took me some time, but you just have to take that first step. Once you take that first step, it’ll become a habit, a routine. Your body will be programmed, your body will start looking for it. Believe it or not, from November up to today, I only ate in a buffet once. I ate regular rice, regular <em>ulam</em>, overall a normal meal, but believe it or not, I got an upset stomach! I guess my body is now under a routine.</p><div><br/></div><p>So the challenging part was taking that first step. I started believing in myself not only in being able to lose weight. In my case, it was to make myself feel better, not only in my anxiety and depression, but also to lower my blood pressure. Nobody else can help you but yourself. If you have to do it anyway, do it now because if you won’t do it now, when? </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/22fcf56d-a658-49c6-98e2-fb3b0892ab24_screen shot 2022-07-13 at 2.43.06 pm.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Albert, after.</span></span></span></div><div><strong>MS: What are the most valuable lessons you learned along the way? </strong></div><p><strong>AK: </strong>The first is—anything you do to yourself is beyond anyone’s control. Just like me, I gained weight because of my own will and I lost weight because of my own will too. Second, never neglect your body as it is your temple,<em> nag-iisa lang yan</em>, you only live once, take care of it, utilize it properly, and give it the best nutrients. After all, when you look good, feel good, and you have a healthy body, you have all the energy and capabilities to achieve whatever dreams you have.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>MS: How do you plan to maintain your physique?</strong></div><p><strong>AK: </strong>Now that I already lost weight, I still watch out for the food I take, I sleep enough, and work out regularly. Basically, I promise to not only maintain losing weight but also promise myself to keep staying and living a healthy lifestyle because, at the end of the day, it’s not just to maintain the number on the scale. I have never feel this good before! I always feel energetic, ready, alert, and optimistic. There is something in exercise and a healthy diet that will help the way you think and the way you respond to people, it’s more of the positivity that I like. I became more positive that I will maintain this healthy lifestyle.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/wellness/fitness/lourd-ramos-fitness-century-tuna-superbods/33311" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Celebrity Hairstylist Lourd Ramos Shares His Tips On How To Be Fit And Fab At 43</a></div><div><strong>MS: How do you treat yourself?</strong></div><p><strong>AK: </strong>One time I was supposed to shop for myself. I went to this clothing store, but when I went there I felt like it was not something rewarding anymore. Because let’s be realistic, I don&#x27;t need to buy more things I do not need. Believe it or not, <em>kinalkal ko</em> before <em>yung mga</em> old clothes <em>ko</em> and they fit me again, and it feels so rewarding because everything I worked for finally paid off. In addition to that, I also reward myself by reconnecting with my friends. Before, I became distant due to anxiety and depression, so it feels so refreshing to see them again. Getting back to all I used to love is also one of the considerations I treat myself with. </p><div><br/></div><div><em>Follow Albert on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/abtkurniawan" target="_blank">@abtkurniawan</a>. Watch his beauty videos online on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHgd5yDSGqEo-J1sfhaJhxw/videos" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a>.</em><em><br/></em></div>

The pandemic made him gain a lot of unhealthy weight, but he is determined to lose the bad habits and make better ones for his mind and body! 