Practising what she preaches – Nurse loses almost 100 pounds

Christina Atland always dreamt of helping others. Her mission led her to become a nurse. But she soon realised that to care for her patients, she first had to look after herself. This inspired a lifestyle change that resulted in the professional losing almost 100 pounds.

“I had such a hard time in nursing school. I kept eating junk and got so carried away that I forgot about life itself. Being exposed to a lot of cardiac patients, with the majority of them [being] overweight, had diabetes, hypertension, and other comorbidities, [I wanted to make a change],” she told Lifestyle.

She told her clique that being on the floor felt as though God was sending her a message to change. It didn’t help that her mother had diabetes, and so did her late grandmother, which meant that she was also predisposed to the condition.

So she embarked on this transformative journey that was both new and familiar at the same time.

Growing up, Atland was an avid athlete. Her active life included playing on the girls’ football team. She was also the sports captain and cheerleading captain while attending Holy Childhood High School.

“I played a lot of scrimmage with the boys in my area. It was the best of both worlds and genders. I danced too. I was very active in high school, I was on the dance committee, and any dance that existed, I had it down to a T,” she shared.

Then life happened. She migrated to the United States in 2017, getting her prerequisites in check to become a registered nurse. Travelling back and forth helped to keep her weight in check. But with more driving, she began gaining more weight than she expected.

Starting nursing school in 2020 was a different ball game. There was so much to learn and do in a limited time that it began to take a physical toll on her.

“I ended up in the emergency [room] while attending nursing school because my blood pressure was sky high from all the stress of studying, working and just being present with myself,” she said. That brush with life and death was depressing at first, but it became the wake-up call she needed to take matters into her own hands.

On June 1 last year, just one week after graduation, Atland vowed to improve her health.

“My daily routine is simple. I work at night, sometimes on eight-hour, 16-hour and a few 12-hour shifts. I leave work, head to the gym, treadmill for one hour, go on the elliptical for 20 minutes and then the bicycle for 15 minutes,” she explained.

Her exercises are mainly cardio-based, with strength training in the mix, focusing on her legs, butt and arms.

“I love working out after my shifts. I use it as a stress reducer. My job is very hectic and requires so much of my attention, so when I go to the gym, I feel a different kind of energy, like I need to be there, and I just burn those calories,” she pointed out, adding that she works out three days per week.

If she cannot make it to the gym, her bedroom becomes her fitness room, and YouTube videos provide her with the right relaxation techniques. “I do yoga stretches and meditation a lot. This is kind of new for me, but I am really enjoying it. There is also dancing in my bedroom mirror and making fun videos of myself then sending it to my friend,” she revealed.

Because she works at night, her meals include a snack like a protein bar at 12 a.m.; breakfast, which is most likely coffee, cereal, oatmeal and fruits at 4 a.m. and post-gym, she will have mozzarella cheese, a boiled egg or make juice from the fruits in her fridge.

Dinner takes place at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. when she wakes up. She then naps again and goes to work by 11 p.m.

Atland declares, “I eat a lot of salads, soups, and smoothies. I eat a lot of fish and chicken breast and take my vitamins. I have cut down on fried foods. I do not eat sugar any more or white foods; everything is high in fibre and grains. If I must eat a cheeseburger, I use lettuce as the bun, no fries, and no soda. I limit my alcohol intake, and I drink more water.”

Before she made all these lifestyle changes, Atland weighed 289 pounds. Today, she is at 198, with the goal of returning to her pre-America or Jamaican weight of 180 or taking it a step further to 179.

“Losing all this weight has made me more energetic. I find myself having a more positive outlook on life and health and just being there for me. I am healthier, fitter, moving faster, and feeling like my old active self that was involved in everything. And I have been sharing my experience with people. I feel more empowered,” the nurse asserted.

But what she loves most about the journey is the improvement in her mental health. With her mind now clear, the goal is to continue on this enlightening trajectory so that she can age backwards, “Health is wealth. I just want to keep being my authentic, beautiful, energetic self.”

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com

Christina Atland has five tips for those looking to lose weight in 2023.

1. Find out what is limiting your weight loss and address It. “I have polycystic ovary syndrome and that was a hindering factor for me as well. So I changed the way I eat and it has been up, or rather, down the scale from there,” she highlighted

2. Instead of eating out, make a small meal. instead of sleeping all day, walk around the block, Instead of saying I am [feeling] depressed, call a friend, or take it out at the gym,

3. Avoid white foods; eat a high fibre diet. Eat protein first, then vegetables you will be so full, you won’t have space for starch.

4. Chew food for two minutes. Don’t eat and drink, eat then drink 30 minutes later or drink then eat 15 minutes after.

5. Get rid of and avoid your munching temptations. Surround yourself with healthy foods. “My biggest thing was giving up sugar and alcohol. I love a good drink. I like my wine at night or vodka with cranberry. I literally have no alcohol and no sugar at home, and all my snacks are sugar free or protein snacks,” Atland shared.