Operation Transformation review: Half-way there and positive vibes all round
Operation Transformation: Kathleen and her sisters at their beauty salon in Co Cork.
Spring has sprung just in time for our leaders to mark the halfway point of their Operation Transformation journey. “I’m not going to say that I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and have a nervous breakdown because I probably will,” says Stefano in the opening scenes of episode five.
The 32-year-old is celebrating his last day as a smoker by lighting up every cigarette he owns - to his husband Gerard’s dismay. Both are trying to go cold turkey and Stefano has to remind himself that it’s not all about him, which is a very rational response for someone who has smoked since the age of 12.
The whole storyline is very entertaining - for pretty much everyone but poor old Gerard. As for Stefano, his waist is three inches smaller than it was in week one, Kathryn Thomas tells him that he’s glowing and Dr Eddie couldn’t be more proud. Elsewhere in Co Tipperary, supermom Sarah has been working on maintaining her weight as per the experts’ instructions.
She’s frustrated and seems to be taking her anger out on a sweet potato. “The bloody weight loss is being focused in on so much and all this stuff is getting forgotten about. I don’t want this to finish and I’m angry at the end of it still,” she tells Thomas during a home visit.
She’s not hungry and is sick of loading up on food she doesn’t want. So, she decides to “fight back” and go for a walk. The fresh air and longer days do wonders and her mood completely shifts by the end of the week, especially after she’s given a heartwarming hero’s welcome in her son’s school. Success! Sarah has only lost a half-pound this week and everyone is delighted.
The good mood continues as we head to Co Cork, where Kathleen has officially reentered the world following her Covid isolation. And there’s a lot going on. Kathleen is hosting international students on her farm this week - who are very confused by the concept of Operation Transformation - and she’s also back to work at her beauty salon. There’s also some horse riding going on in the background. No wonder she lost two and half pounds this week.
Katie is also back to work this week in Dublin and is welcomed back to applause from her co-workers, who have set up a phone-free zone in the staff room in her honour. Though she received some slack about the layout of her fridge, she was over the moon to hear that she had lost two and half pounds this week and is hell-bent on keeping up her good work.
John is also, quite literally, on his bike in Co Kilkenny. “I look damn sexy so I do,” he says as he hops on his dusted-off bike in full cycling getup. “All the truck drivers will be tooting at me.”
He’s been told to pull back on his running due to pains in his knees and he’s thoroughly enjoying his new way of exercising. No doubt it will help him with his goal of losing two pounds next week.
