'I wanted to look better on screen': Felicia Chin on nearly falling back into unhealthy eating habits with return to acting

Felicia Chin may have quit her full-time acting career, but it doesn't mean she'll never grace our screens again.

The 38-year-old is playing the female lead in upcoming drama I Do, Do I? releasing later this year, but returning to acting hasn't been smooth sailing.

She recently discussed the unhealthy relationship with food and body image she had early in her 20-year career on the Instagram page for Hai Hao Ma, the faith-based platform she currently works for.

"I ate impulsively and excessively due to stress, I nearly became bulimic," she said in a video uploaded on Sunday (Oct 22).

In it, she sits on a couch in a hoodie while on a staycation. Felicia added that she was with fellow female artistes from a game show, and as someone with social anxiety, it was a way for her to step out of her comfort zone.

Though she doesn't have signs of bulimia anymore, Felicia shared that she continues to stress-eat at night, and her poor eating habits nearly manifested again as she took up her latest acting project.

"I was offered a role four months ago and had to get ready for the shoot in a shorter period of time," she continued. "I was out of shape and I wanted to look better on screen — it started off like this."

However, she was able to "examine her eating habits" and not fall into old patterns.

She also stopped exercising for a while due to an old injury, but has recently started "building good habits" like going to the gym consistently, doing pilates and riding her bicycle.

Felicia also eats nutritional foods and at the right time - like having dinner but not anything right before sleep - and has started doing "body treatments" in places that used to previously give her stress.

"It has helped me with self-love and care for my body," she said. "I like how I am now, I'm loving my body more and more."

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'Maybe I was too enthusiastic'

This recent video was far from the only time Felicia has opened up about her vulnerabilities on the platform.

Back in May, she reminisced about a part-time job she had aged 17 or 18 where she felt her coworkers were uninterested in talking to her.

"Maybe I was too enthusiastic and optimistic and kept attending to customers, while my coworkers were more laidback in comparison, so they might have not understood me," she mused.

She continued: "I wonder if I could have done things differently. For example, I could have asked them if I could do anything to make them feel more comfortable and find an acceptable compromise for everybody."

But Felicia realised that her personality may not have been everyone's cup of tea.

"Some people need time to warm up and some people just need their space.

"It's all about learning and growing while protecting ourselves."

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drimac@asiaone.com

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