Dada Chan Gained 20 Pounds for “The Secret Diary of a Mom to Be”

The Secret Diary of a Mom to Be < Baby復仇記> stars award-winning actress Dada Chan (陳靜), who gained 20 pounds to portray the role of a pregnant woman realistically. Although the 30-year-old originally planned to lose the weight slowly, she was forced to shed the extra pounds within one month for another film, so she resorted to unhealthy means.

“I was tight on time, so I only ate one meal every day, and I exercised daily,” Dada revealed. “There was a bit of fasting, and I didn’t allow myself to eat too much during each meal. I know it wasn’t good, but there was no other way. My health deteriorated, and I’m taking herbal medicine to slowly recuperate. I don’t think I will do it again.”

Her Hiatus From Work

In fact, she has a history of pushing her limits when it comes to working. In 2017, she had to take a one-year hiatus from work due to inner ear imbalance caused by stress. Dada also said the pressure came from bottling up her emotions, as she did not know how to get along with herself back then. Whenever she felt unhappy, she would not tell her family and handled everything herself. “It turns out they can accept me and even give me solutions,” the actress said. “When I stopped working, it didn’t have a big impact on me since I lived with my family, and I’m not the type to splurge.”

Although she recovered from the illness, she still has to take herbal medicine to prevent dizziness. Luckily, it has not relapsed. “Now, I try to sleep as much as possible. In the past, I thought I could stay up all night and watch a lot of movies and dramas at night in hopes of absorbing more experience. I now know how to allocate my time,” she shared.

Gaining Weight for the Movie

In The Secret Diary of a Mom to Be, Dada plays a career-driven woman who loves to party. She is married to Kevin Chu’s (朱鑑然) character, and they have a consensus not to have kids, but she unexpectedly gets pregnant.

When director Luk Yee Sum (陸以心) asked Dada to gain 20 pounds for the film, Dada was hesitant at first. “I told the director that many pregnant women today do not gain a lot of weight during pregnancy, and their limbs remain slim. But the director thought it would be better for me to get into character if I had the extra weight,” Dada shared.

Fortunately, she puts on weight easily with the help of starch and fries. “After gaining weight, I felt swollen and weighed down. I also had to carry a fake belly and wore minimal makeup. Every time I looked in the mirror, I wanted to cry, so I understood the director’s intention because it would’ve been hard for me to understand the challenges of a pregnant woman.”

She Looks Forward to Being a Mother

In reality, she can’t wait to have a family of her own. Since her sister has three children, Dada feels that becoming a mother is a fortunate event. However, she also understands she’d have to put in a lot of time to take care of her family.

“Ideally, my other half will take care of the children with me and not just put bread on the table,” Dada said. “As someone who grew up in a single-parent family, I did not experience a complete family, so the environment in which a child grows up in is really important.”

Still, the currently single Dada hopes to accomplish more in her career before starting another chapter in her life. “I haven’t dated in years,” she revealed. “I haven’t met anyone suitable yet, but if I do, I might get married immediately.”

Source: Ming Pao Weekly

This article is written by MelodyC for JayneStars.com.