By Dyan Castillejo Garcia

Sports Unlimited is on a mission: new year, new you.

This 2006, we are kicking off our “LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE PROGRAM.”

Sports Unlimited wants you to live a better life this year than last year.

It’s 2006 and it's time to fix yourself.

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Nadine Tengco is a Filipina, a nutrition expert and fitness consultant based in the Bahamas.

Since Nadine is committed to educating the Filipino about proper nutrition and motivating them to live an active, happy and fun life, we have hooked up with her to help the very first “Chosen Four” of the Sports Unlimited's Live Your Best Life Program not just to lose weight but to also teach them the path towards a healthy lifestyle where there is no turning back.

Meet the very first “Chosen Four“ of the Sports Unlimited Live Your Best Life Program:

Pinky Marquez is no stranger to the big and small screen.

On stage, she has dazzled Filipinos with her gift of song and her passion for entertaining for many years. Pinky has everything you would look for in a woman. Sassy, classy, Funny and after she undergoes our three-month long Live Your Best Life Program she is determined to be sexy and healthy.

Ana Mendoza is a single and successful Cebu Pacific executive whose mantra all her life has been “like me, or leave me.“

She is one of those rare, real, tell-it-like it-is people. This year she is getting real with herself. She admitted that she is sick and tired of “battling the bulge” that has hindered her from experiencing the best life has to offer. After she undergoes our three-month long Live Your Best Life Program she is determined to be a healthy hottie.

Mariles Garcia is your typical super-mom.

She juggles running a business, and a household while having to take care of her three young kids plus having to fulfill her commitment of being a supportive wife. In spite of all the roles she has to play Mariles is happy about the life choices she has made and has absolutely no complaints.

Except for one: “She is not happy with what she sees when she stands in front of the mirror.“

After she undergoes our three-month long Live Your Best Life Program she is determined to be happier about her health and stand in front of her husband and knocks his socks off with her new body .

Iñaki Yrezabal is a very busy special events director and writer.

His work requires him to always be on the go and he often finds himself mixed in with the lime light. He strongly stresses that given the right tools and having a positive outlook you can do all things. If there is one thing Inaki wants to do this year, it’s to shed the heavyweight image and replace it with a lightweight look. After he undergoes our three-month long Live Your Best Life Program he is determined to make people sit up and take notice of his transformation.

Sports Unlimited together with nutrition expert and fitness consultant Nadine will do everything naturally possible to help and inspire our “Chosen Four “ participants become first and foremost Healthier, ultimately happier and consequentially lighter people this 2006.

Nadine strongly stresses the fact that each participant will undergo a different nutritional diet and fitness program based on the results of the routine medical tests that Nadine requires her clients to take, plus of course the personal history given to her by them.

It is imperative that people understand that there is no one diet that will work for everyone for the simple reason that no two people are physically and emotionally alike.

The difference between this three-month long program and other programs is that it’s not just about stepping on the scale and loosing weight, it’s going to be more about showing respect for yourself and your body by feeding it properly and treating it right by giving it enough exercise and rest.

Nadine also wants our “Chosen Four“ participants to see this program as fun and fresh and by no means identified with any kind of suffering and deprivation.

Another key factor to this weight loss program is that each diet is tailor made for each of our “chosen four” participants. They will all be eating healthy foods from now on but the foods Nadine will be choosing for them is based on what they regularly enjoy eating.

The goal is to make food intake as nutritious and tasty as possible so the participants realize that loosing weight is not the main purpose of this program its about eating right and achieving optimum health.

Once our “Chosen Four“ participants change their purpose from loosing weight to gaining health the goal of a lifestyle change will immediately follow and shedding unwanted pounds will come naturally.

Everyone’s test results are in.

Now it’s time for Nadine to lay the ground work. Remember each participant has a different weight loss goal to attain.

Based on their blood test and their physical condition the number of pounds they can realistically loose each month will be different.

Our participants will learn what healthy foods they can substitute for the food they are currently eating that are high in sugar and full of empty calories.

As in life when going on a diet, knowledge is power.

Once our participants have the knowledge to discern what food is good for them and what food is not good for them they will feel more in control of themselves and slowly but surely they will have an appetite for health rather than cravings for junk food.

Nadine personally goes grocery shopping with our “Chosen Four” participants.

She lets them show her their favorite junk foods and she shows them what they can eat instead that could be just as tasty and more importantly healthier for them.

Iñaki loves bread .

Mariles is a cheese lover.

Ana drools when she sees chicharon.

Nadine gives them healthier options during their grocery shopping and teaches them that the key to loosing weight is not how much you eat, its what you eat. In fact, Nadine suggests that instead of eating three big meals a day. She wants our participants to get use to eating smaller portions six times a day .

Pinky chose badminton as her sport for cardiovascular exercise. Her coach is Indonesian and you know that Indonesians are the best in the world when it comes to badminton.

She may not look any where near a world champion player right now but Pinky says what’s important to her is that she is breaking a good sweat and having fun while playing.

Not many know that Pinky has always dreamed of becoming a dancer. So when she told Nadine this she quickly said she will include it as part of her cardiovascular exercise during the week.

Enter the salsa instructor.

Doing something you love to do is directly equated with the success of your program Nadine says. And Pinky you can tell sure loves to move those hips and salsa.

Strength training is a must in a weight loss program.

Cardiovascular exercise must be combined with time spent at the gym. Pinky gets expert training from fitness and pilates trainer Paolo Villa Ruel who not many know will soon be not just her personal fitness trainer but her brother-in-law. Paolo will be part of her family soon.

Hey what do they say? The family that works out together is a healthier and happier family.

Ana says that being in the water has always been therapeutic for her.

Water is her friend.

She is calmest and happiest when in the water. So Nadine made swimming Ana’s cardiovascular exercise. Ana said she may have a very busy schedule but she will definitely set aside time to do laps in the pool.

Watch Ana shed those unwanted pounds quickly through swimming. Nadine says swimming is perfect for Ana since she has a knee problem. Swimming will not put any pressure on her knee whatsoever.

Mariles admits that if it wasn’t for the reason that she wanted to spend more time with her husband who loves to play squash she would never have taken up the sport. Surprisingly though Marilies says after she played it more often she really started to enjoy it and wanted to play it more.

Find a sport that you have always wanted to take up and take it up this year. Go ahead. Use Mariles as an example who knows you might just enjoy it like she enjoys squash now.

Through squash Mariles is committed to squash the excess fat that she has.

Iñaki says from the very first time he was invited to play badminton by his good friend it was “love at first play.“

Now, Iñaki lives and breathes badminton.

If he is not working you can surely find Iñaki on the badminton court. He says it’s a funnier healthier way to spend time bonding with friends. Through badminton he is determined to smash his excess pounds. Nadine says he can realistically loose as much as 50 pounds. If he can do that at the end of three months he says he will look smashing.

On this program Pinky, Ana, Iñaki and Mariles will loose weight the old fashion way, through nutritious eating and regular exercise. Once the weight has been lost, this program will then teach them and everyone else who follows the program on sports unlimited how to keep the weight off without being on a permanent diet.

Here are simple basic steps you can start doing if you want to start getting healthier and lighter at the same time:

· Make sure you eat breakfast no later than an hour after waking up.

· Make sure you stop eating at least 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed.

· Make sure you get in at least 30 to 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise no less than 2 to 3 times a week

· Make sure you include one hour weight training at least 4 times a week

Of course we strongly suggest that you consult your doctor before going on any kind of fitness or weight loss program.

Pinky, Ana, Iñaki and Mariles all agree that life is short and they want to get the most out of everyday .

Together they have challenged themselves to make this year better than last year.

After this three- month long Live Your Best Life Program these “Chosen Four “ are determined to be healthier, happier and lighter people.