This week's Glow On podcast with Grace invites you to hear health lessons from Jeab Lalana Kongthornin about her formerly extreme lifestyle—intense work, sleep deprivation, and improper weight loss—that broke her down internally, causing panic attacks, yo-yo effect, and office syndrome. She has since reviewed her life, including diet, sleep, exercise, skincare, and prioritizing health and family in her 30s for sustainable quality of life.
What roles do you have?
Jeab Lalana: I have work in the entertainment industry and also a regular job. There are several things.
Do you take very good care of yourself?
Jeab Lalana: Many times, I didn't make it. I didn't fall apart on the outside, but I did inside. When I was sleep-deprived, eating poorly, and not sleeping well, I was breaking down internally. As I mentioned, I have panic disorder. I thought I was okay, but when it reached a point where my body showed symptoms, I had to get treatment.
What does eating poorly mean?
Jeab Lalana: I used to live extremely, no middle ground. When I was sleep-deprived, it was for three days straight. Early in my career, if you saw me in person, I'd look normal or even small. But on screen, as a young 18-year-old pageant contestant, my cheeks still had some fat because I am tall with a big frame. Outside, I looked normal, but on camera, it was different. The first time, when I was a freshman in university, I'd eat two plates of fried oysters at once and never dieted. My genetics didn't make me fat, and I'd eat what I wanted. But when I entered the industry, comments started about my weight on my first film.
What did you say then?
Jeab Lalana: I was upset about being called fat, but really, I wasn't. People saw me as that size on camera, but outside, everyone said I was small. That was the first time I had to change how I ate — to learn what dieting meant at 18. Back then, there was no Google to search how to lose weight.
Before, wanting to be thin meant just not eating, which was wrong?
Jeab Lalana: Yes, starving was very wrong. During filming, I ate only red guava because someone told me that was a method. I didn't eat rice, just guava. When hungry, I'd eat guava. I did lose weight, but after filming, I binged on banoffee pie, eating whole trays. This cycle repeated. Losing muscle mass meant when I ate normally again, I gained more weight than before due to the yo-yo effect. My weight bounced back to a new high.
How much did you weigh then?
Jeab Lalana: I went from 52 to 57 kilograms very quickly, like a possessed spirit took over. Worse, the film crew called for reshoots—not wide shots but close-ups (CU). So when I bent down to pick something up, my face still looked thin, but on close-up, my face was round. Why was I being punished like this? Bending over briefly made me look like a manatee. The last scene was reshot by the sea, and I looked like a dugong.
Did anyone notice?
Jeab Lalana: Back then, there was bullying about the lead actress not being pretty or why she was chosen. I accepted all criticism, speaking truthfully, but some words hurt me. That led me to try losing weight again, still in the wrong way.
Were those wrong beliefs passed down in that era?
Jeab Lalana: Back then, people didn't understand the yo-yo effect. Actually, when losing weight, you shouldn't be hungry or lose muscle mass. From my many experiences of losing weight in my first and second university years, when I had baby fat, I reached a point where I was tired of dieting and decided not to do it anymore.
Did you exercise then?
Jeab Lalana: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I was relaxed and let myself go. I was studying and staying up late doing everything.
What time is late?
Jeab Lalana: I didn't sleep at all because I had to work. I couldn't eat breakfast; after work ended at midnight, I'd go to a 24-hour landmark place and eat fully, then go to McDonald's for ice cream before going to bed. That lifestyle changed me—from someone who couldn't gain weight no matter how much they ate (due to family genetics) to someone who looked fat on TV. As I aged, I developed love handles. Now, I no longer care about being beautiful or anything like that, but I want to be strong. I exercise daily and eat better because I want to avoid illness, stay strong, have energy to climb stairs without getting tired. Looking good is just a bonus.
How bad did it get?
Jeab Lalana: When I wasn't sleeping or eating well, panic disorder came along with physical problems. Not exercising or stretching led to back and neck pain, feeling tired while walking, and feeling bad without a clear reason. I felt annoyed and irritated with myself. It's said that people who live life to the fullest often get panic disorder as a 'reward'.
How is panic disorder now after taking care of yourself?
Jeab Lalana: I had to get treatment and find the cause, which was sleep deprivation. I took medication and changed behaviors that triggered it, like stopping sleep deprivation. I had to adjust my work hours seriously. Gaming is also hard to resist; I'm addicted but now trying to control it. When younger, I prioritized work and games, but in my 30s, my priorities are health and family.
Have you ever neglected yourself to the extreme?
Jeab Lalana: Everyone has days they are disciplined and days they let go. You can't be too rigid. One thing about me, even if I'm not great at cleanliness, is that I care a lot about my face. Before entering the industry, maybe due to youth, after finishing high school and starting university, I began caring about beauty—not in wanting pretty skirts or makeup but fearing wrinkles. If I don't take care now, it will affect my future.
Also, my younger sister told me she went to a hairdresser aged 60 whose hands looked firm. She said it was because she always used cream. That inspired me, combined with youthful energy wanting to look good myself. I don't know how to tie hair or do makeup, so my face has to look good—it’s the only thing that can save me.
So I started applying cream from age 18 until now at 38, never missing more than five days. When I stop, it feels like something essential is missing. Even if I don't shower, I wash my face and apply cream. Otherwise, it feels incomplete. People often ask how many times a day I shower because my skin looks very clean. This isn’t boasting, but people who meet me say, 'Jeab, how many times a day do you shower? You look so clean.' But I actually don't shower in the morning. But my clear skin probably makes people think I'm very clean.
Have you ever felt burnout?
Jeab Lalana: Of course, everyone does. Burnout is a natural human condition unless you can be completely calm. Even doing something you love, like gaming all day and night, you get bored. Add work stress and health neglect, and physical burnout is inevitable. I coined a new term: the skin can also experience burnout.
It's not a serious medical term, just a metaphor. Our skin can feel overwhelmed, like our body. Even if our skin looks good, if we overdo it—like diving, sunbathing, staying up late—it breaks down. Our skin cries out, so we must quickly repair it.
I notice signs like makeup not applying well. Usually, I just use cushion foundation for content, no heavy makeup. But if skin is neglected, even cushion won't stick, and skin becomes dry and cracked. If neglected, the skin signals distress. Sometimes, after a bad night’s sleep or late partying, pores look large and skin dull. If ignored, damage worsens. Luckily, I’ve learned to recover in time.
How did you restart?
Jeab Lalana: First, you must live well. Poor sleep causes dark circles, dull skin, and large pores. Staying up late makes your face look saggy. Everyone knows these basics. I think my advantage is drinking lots of water. Then comes help from skincare products. I've tried many creams; my face is like a radar sensing what works or not. Some are great, others not suitable. First, choose certified products, not random ones—that's a mistake. I care a lot about my face and won’t use just anything.
What physical therapy did you do?
Jeab Lalana: I played games, then did coloring while holding my arms up, sometimes for eight hours without realizing it, and my back broke down. I never had office syndrome before. Suddenly, it happened. When I heard people say office syndrome was just soreness, I thought so too. But it’s more than soreness; it’s painful. Some days I wake up unable to turn my neck or fully raise my arm.
Recently, I went to Korea on a cheap flight at 2:00 a.m. arriving at 10:00 a.m., which triggered panic attacks. I wore heattech and a puffer jacket but got neck pain and office syndrome again. I couldn’t move. In the taxi, the driver turned the heater on, and I couldn’t remove my inner layers and had trouble breathing, leading to panic attacks. I had to open the window and breathe like a golden retriever. After returning, I started physical therapy. I realized physical problems trigger mental issues. So don’t underestimate your health and body.
If office syndrome doesn’t improve with stretching, should you do physical therapy?
Jeab Lalana: At first, I did therapy and felt better for a day or two, but then pain returned. When I went back, they asked if I did the prescribed exercises at home. I hadn’t, and I felt guilty, like being scolded by a teacher. They said those small daily stretches are what help. Without them, pain persists. Machines help temporarily, but discipline to stretch daily is key. After my Korea trip, I went to Japan and stretched every morning, which really helped. You must learn what your body needs and avoid overdoing it. Aging is inevitable, but you can maintain your body as best as possible.
Do you have a recovery diet?
Jeab Lalana: As I said before, we from Gen Y grew up without the internet and mistakenly thought dieting meant starving. All celebrities back then did that—starve and run. You’d feel faint when standing. Nowadays, we know better. Recovery is not starvation. My goal isn’t a 24- or 25-inch waist but to avoid back pain, maintain good health, and look good in clothes long-term.
It’s not the beauty standard from 20 years ago. Everyone should have good health and confidence in their own body shape. That’s my mindset now. I exercise but eating well is more important. Exercise builds muscles and supports cardiovascular health. My recovery diet isn’t fancy. Back then, we misunderstood no rice and just side dishes was right. You must eat all five food groups in balance.
I aim for sustainable habits. In the past, weight loss was temporary. Now I eat fully but choose better foods. I’m wary of extreme dieting. My idea of 'clean eating' differs from others—it’s normal food. If I want to eat out with my boyfriend, I do. If not, I just have rice with air-fried salmon and simple sauce—delicious and easy.
I eat to satisfy my body, not out of greed. That’s how I live daily. If I can choose healthy meals, I do. If not, I eat normally. But don’t do bad eating every day all month—that ruins you. Live your life, but on days you choose good food, do so.
Any final advice?
Jeab Lalana: It depends on your age. When we were young, our focus was work, earning money, achieving goals—graduating, getting a job, having money, a home, partying, and doing what we love. But in our late 30s, family is now our first priority. Before, we’d choose friends over family—staying out, partying, skipping going home.
Now, I schedule time to go home Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays to be with my parents because time is limited and can’t be postponed. Time is a gift to give them. Next priority is health. Before, my schedule was all work and social plans; exercise wasn’t in it. Now, exercise and self-care are top priorities. Exercise is scheduled, as is visiting parents, but applying cream is instinctive—it’s been part of me since 18.
If you could turn back time, would you take better care of yourself?
Jeab Lalana: Honestly, if the bad things hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have realized. I’d still be extreme, thinking I was like a Norwegian female soldier surviving three days without sleep. I wouldn’t have known better. So everything that happened was a lesson teaching me "this will happen." When I was in my 20s, I didn’t care about office syndrome, skin damage, or panic disorder. You don’t care until you experience it yourself.
It’s good that these lessons taught me and gave me time to take care of myself. You don’t have to make big changes; try to adjust to your life. You don’t need to join a gym or buy expensive clean food. For example, if you order stir-fried basil, ask for less oil. Everyone’s time is different, but just start small consistently and gradually adjust. Changing even the smallest thing can improve your life, like cutting down a little on sugary milk tea gradually without harsh restrictions.
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