For most people, the good life is a concept colored with indulgence and richness. But for Chef Carlo Miguel, nothing is good if it isn’t balanced—whether it’s good food, or good health.

Words by Francesca Ayala
Photographs by Ben Chan

Ask anyone with a passion for food and they will tell you not to trust a skinny chef.
Chef Carlo Miguel, however, is breaking this stereotype. Or, rather, losing it inch by inch.

The culinary extraordinaire—known for catering to the hearts of Filipinos as the award-winning executive chef of restaurants Sala and Sala Bistro is now making his mark as an advocate for healthy living.

After placing second on reality show The Biggest Loser Asia, Miguel has inspired thousands of Filipinos to rethink the way they eat.

“Once you say you’re going on a diet, you’re already planning to fail,” explains Miguel. “If you view [eating right] as a diet, then it has to end. If you view it as a lifestyle change, then it doesn’t.”

From the age of eight, Miguel says he had been overweight, which grew into “full-blown obesity” at 360 pounds. He tried to lose the weight for his wedding through over-exercising and under-eating, but couldn’t break his plateau after losing 50 pounds.

It was then that Miguel auditioned for and got cast in The Biggest Loser (his sister-in-law’s favorite show). He lost around 120 pounds on the show and continues to abide by the principles of healthy living that he learned during that stint. 

Initially, such a drastic lifestyle change was difficult to adapt, admits Miguel. “The beginning was pretty much hell on earth,” he said. “I felt like a prisoner of war for a while.”

He says his trainers gently eased him into a strict workout regimen. What started out as a daily 4-hour exercise routine turned into 12 hours a day. Despite the pains of having to make such physically and mentally taxing adjustments, Miguel eventually followed through. His efforts earned him a new physique, but more importantly, a healthier outlook on life. Today, he maintains this new lifestyle with an exercise regimen and healthy diet.

“I look at it like protecting an investment,” shares Miguel. “I invested a lot of time and effort into losing the weight and I don’t want to let go. My family, my wife and daughter…I want to be an active part of their lives.”

Miguel has since given up the chaos of running fine dining kitchens. He now works as a consultant chef and does catering. A goal in the not-so-distant future is to tailor calorie-controlled meals for clients who are looking to improve their eating habits.
As for advice to people who want a healthier lifestyle, Miguel says, “Start today, don’t give up on it and never make excuses.”


Q&A with Carlo Miguel

Q: How have your eating habits changed since you were on The Biggest Loser?
A: It’s influenced my cooking in the house and what I cook and eat for myself. Before, I wouldn’t even really have lunch. I was working all day, eating my way through the kitchen and eating everything around me. 

Q: How do you eat now?
A: I have five to six small meals a day. I stay away from refined carbohydrates. I eat whole wheat breads, sweet potatoes, lean proteins—like tuna, salmon and chicken breasts—and lots of fruits and vegetables.

Q: What was the first thing you ate after you were on the show?
A: My wife and I went to Thailand with family as soon as the show finished. They filmed [The Biggest Loser] in Malaysia and from there, we flew straight to Bangkok. We spent a week eating and I ate whatever I wanted to.

Q: Were you tempted to continue eating anything you wanted once you got back to Manila?
A: I immediately went back to eating healthy food. I developed a taste for it so I didn’t really go nuts. I worked with what I learned, which is to watch 80 percent of what I eat and use the other 20 percent to eat what I want.

Q: What was the first thing you made for yourself that fell into that 20 percent?
A: I’ve always had a real passion for cheesecake, so that was the first thing I made for myself to cheat. I made the full fat version. It was very good.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to cook right now?
A: I’m really into dry rub marinades for my proteins: chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, or lean pork chops. I mix up the spices myself and slowly grill the meat; it’s really healthy but big on flavor.

Q: When you’re craving “bad” food, what do you look for?
A: I like burgers a lot. If I want to indulge a little bit, I go around and look for the best burgers or ribs in town.

Q: Has anything stood out so far?
A: I haven’t gone back to many places, but I recently had a burger at Mr. Jones in Greenbelt 5. That’s one that stood out.

Q: Will you ever get back into running a fine dining kitchen?
A: I resigned as soon as my wife and I had our baby. Working 12 hours a day wasn’t good for my health and my family life.

Want to get in touch with Chef Miguel? Email him at chefsmiguel@gmail.com.


Workout Like a Skinny Chef

To keep from packing on the pounds he lost on The Biggest Loser, Chef Carlo Miguel says an exercise routine is absolutely necessary. His new goal is to build more muscle. A typical gym session for Miguel starts with cardio (usually a 3-5 kilometer run), weights and core exercises. When asked if pushing himself has ever led to an injury, Miguel says it’s happened once, when he tried to bench press too much without a proper spot. Now he makes sure just to focus on working one muscle group a day.

Chef Carlo Miguel’s Favorites

Healthy Restaurants
Corner Tree Cafe. “I give myself one or two vegetarian days. This place is really good.”
Kai. “I like the light options and clean flavors.”
Gloria Maris. “I go for their shabu-shabu.”

Cheat Restaurant
Summer Palace at EDSA Shangri-La. “I’ve always loved Chinese food. Hands down, this place has the best dim sum.”

Wine
d’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz. “For a great meal, I like full-flavored Australian reds.”

Champagne
Billecart Salmon


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