Operation Transformed: How past leaders are faring now

MOST of Ireland’s population will have vowed to diet in January. Luckily, the new season of Operation Transformation has begun, but how long after it has ended does the contestants’ new-found fitness last? We spoke to four former OT leaders.

Gavin Walker, 36, is a process technician from Kill, in Co Kildare. He has four children — Ben (11), Amy (8), Chloe (6) and Dylan (5). Comfort eating led to a serious weight problem. “I applied for OT in October 2012, because my marriage had broken up and I had moved out on my own,” he says. “I was putting on weight and was unable to keep up with the kids, so I thought the show would be able to help me with this.”

Starting at 18st 4lbs, Gavin signed off the programme at 15st 4lbs. “Apart from losing weight, I also learned how to cook and eat healthily, and how to excise properly,” he says. “My lifestyle has also changed in every way. All my meals are fresh, healthy and home-cooked. I run four times a week and go to the gym three times a week. My New Year’s resolutions are to try and get into the 13st bracket and do the Dublin City marathon in under 4½ hours.”

An event manager from Dublin, Killian Byrne, 41, also took part in OT in 2012, and started at 19½ stone. He lost 3½ stone. The father-of-two (Keith, 8 and Katie, 6) was delighted because his family has a history of heart disease. “My father was a diabetic and had his first heart attack at age 41 — then died of a stroke at 51, so I didn’t want my children to be without a father like I was. So, during the programme I lost 3st 5lbs — making me the most successful OT leader ever.”

Killian knew that he was the only person who could make it happen. “I made a promise to myself, at the start of the programme, to be honest about my efforts and that really helped to keep me going,” he says. “The key to losing and maintaining my weight loss is just simple preparation. At the start of each week, I prepare a basic meal plan and shop accordingly, and I always make time for training, even if have to get up a bit earlier or go to bed a bit later.”

Monica Percy, 45, lives in Carlow with her two children, Tadhg (13) and Shauna (11). She wanted to lose weight, but also wanted to do something for herself. “I have always had a really busy schedule and, after picking the children up from school, we constantly seemed to be running from one activity to another. I felt like a hamster on a wheel,” she says. “I wasn’t enjoying my life, and was comfort-eating instead of planning healthy meals. I was 13½ stone and needed to get out of the rut I was in.”

She finished the show weighing 11st 11lbs and has lost almost another stone. “After the programme, I made some radical changes to my lifestyle and have realised that organisation is the key — if I prepare food in advance, it makes a huge difference to what we are eating. I have taken up running and plan to do the Lisbon marathon in September.”

Ronan Scully, from Galway, applied to the programme in 2011. The 46-year-old decided to lose weight so he could be around for his wife, Jacqui, and daughters, Mia and Sophie.

“I applied for the start of the 2011 season of OT, because my weight was fluctuating and was about 16st 3lbs, at the time,” he says. “I was letting myself slide, was a workaholic, drank a lot of fizzy drinks and would eat breakfast rolls, and other foods I could pick up on the move.”

Ronan, who works for the charity, Self Help Africa, lost three stone on OT and has since become a seasoned runner.

“One of the main things I learned from the experience on OT was that my health is truly my wealth,” he says. “Getting fit, and eating healthily together, also brought us closer as a family and that was, and is, still so important and I am enjoying that more than anything.

“Nowadays, I spend much more time with my family, eat and drink a lot healthier, and also get involved a lot in charity runs, especially around the 10k or half-marathon type of runs and walks. My health is very good and my weight is still around 13st, which is great, thank God.”

“In 2014, I intend to learn some new cooking tips and techniques; and do a few charity runs, including the Great Ethiopian Run in November 2014, to raise funds for Self Help Africa.

“I also hope to climb Croagh Patrick in May, and walk from Dublin to Galway in the summer, carrying containers of water to highlight what young children have to do in parts of Africa, where they have to walk miles to collect water.”

Ronan’s family have also benefited. “My three girls are delighted with my weight loss,” he says. “I have more energy and lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and I have been made aware of how lucky and blessed I am to have a loving wife and two beautiful daughters.

“Life is too short and I don’t want mine to be shortened even further by not looking after my health,” he adds.