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SINGAPORE – The Covid-19 pandemic may have led some people here to gain weight, but it had the opposite effect on senior nurse Nadiah Erniyanti Maliki.
The 35-year-old, who works at the Tampines Polyclinic, has lost 15 kg since the circuit breaker last year, in an attempt to control her health so she can better care for her patients.
With Singapore marking the first year since the circuit breaker on April 7, The Straits Times plans to feature stories of people who have made significant life changes, such as Ms. Nadiah.
Despite having been a nurse for 16 years, Ms. Nadiah was not as health conscious before.
“I didn’t really have any personal exercise routine,” he told The Straits Times on Friday (March 19).
Before the pandemic, he would occasionally go for a walk or run when he felt like it.
However, what he did regularly was eat dessert, at least once a day, every day.
“I love food so I didn’t really watch my diet,” said Ms. Nadiah.
He also consumed sweet drinks and snacks very frequently, and at almost every meal he had rice, fried chicken or fish. Vegetables were not essential to her and she was carrying 90 kg at a 1.65 m point on her body.
Ms. Nadiah said that she had always been aware that as a health worker, “health advocate”, as she put it, should try to stay healthy, but it had never been a priority for her.
Everything changed when the circuit breaker started on April 7, 2020.
Like other front-line people in the healthcare industry, Ms. Nadiah found her daily workload increasing as she now had to handle additional tasks, such as scrubbing patients.
She was also assigned to support a medical post in a migrant worker dormitory. This meant that he had to wear full personal protective equipment, including a mask and goggles, in the blazing sun for about four hours a day.
The physically exhausting work took its toll.
“There were days when I felt more tired, very lazy, and I realized that I couldn’t keep up with this,” she said.
He also didn’t want to get sick and be out of action at a crucial time when Singapore was seeing a spike in Covid-19 cases.
“It was during this period that I realized that it is important for me to stay healthy so that I can take care of the community and foreign workers,” he said.
This led Ms. Nadiah to start exercising regularly, something she had never done before. He started out slow at first, and on his days off he took time out to do simple exercises that he found on YouTube.
The process was difficult, especially when her daily nursing duties left her exhausted.
“There were definitely days when I just wanted to relax. The fight is real,” he said.
But she kept going, telling herself that since she had already started, it would be a waste to give up.
And less than a year later, his lifestyle is a far cry from what it used to be. Now she goes to the gym once a week and attends yoga and Zumba classes. She also walks every two weeks.
Additionally, Ms. Nadiah has made big changes to her diet, cutting back on carbs, making sure to have two servings of veggies with her lunch, and opting for sauteed or steamed chicken, with fried chicken being just an occasional treat.
Daily desserts are now a thing of the past, as she only gives them once every two weeks. Most of their meals are also homemade, rather than takeout.
And her efforts have paid off – she now weighs 75kg and feels healthier and more energetic.
The changes have helped inspire her family, made up of her parents and her sister, to eat healthier, and she also encourages her colleagues to push themselves to exercise.
In addition, the time she spends in the dormitories has led her to seek opportunities to volunteer with migrant workers.
Reflecting on the radical changes in her life, Ms. Nadiah said: “The circuit breaker made me realize the importance of feeling healthy in order to take care of myself, my loved ones and my patients.
“I believe it is never too late to embark on something you want to achieve in life. As long as you have the ability, you must start. There is a saying: it is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.
She has words of advice and encouragement for other people who might be thinking of making a change.
“If you have a goal in life, no matter how tired or unmotivated you are, just stick with it. At the end of the day, you’ll feel better for having achieved it.”
Circuit breaker, one year later
On April 7, 2020, Singapore was blocked from controlling Covid-19 infections. Schools moved to learning at home, employees worked from home, and many businesses were forced to close. On June 1, the circuit breaker was lifted, although safe distancing and other restrictions continue to this day.
How did the circuit breaker change the lives of Singaporeans? Did you start exercising, pick up a new hobby, or learn a new skill during the two months? Change job? Backing out? Start a new business?
Complete the sentence “The circuit breaker changed my …..” with a word or phrase and send it along with a photo / drawing and a brief description of your experience.
Share your stories, videos, and photos before March 26. Write us here or contact us via Instagram with a caption describing how your life has changed in the last year; use # CircuitBreaker1YearOn.
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