Operation Transformation review: Andrea does well in an emotional week
Operation Transformation: Andrea Daly had a difficult week but was commended for her bravery.
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home but this week on , it was the heart of most issues for the participants.
The changes to the RTÉ show are becoming more apparent at the weekly check-ins as we see less focus on weight - and no more weighing scales.
But the biggest challenge this week seemed to be getting to grips with the all-important meal plan.
In Wexford, a new week means principal Lorraine Dempsey is back at school after the holidays and receives a cheer as she enters the staff room. “I hope there’s no chocolate on that table,” she jokes.
But the ban on chocolate seems to be helping as at her check-in, the mother of three is down four pounds. While acknowledging that it's not all about weight, Lorraine admits she’s glad to see some results after her hard work.
Meanwhile, Stephanie Bowden gets a bit of a shock upon seeing herself on the website for the first time.
“I should have just put my bun up. Everyone knows me for me bronzer, me bun and me bum,” the Dubliner says.
The 31-year-old gets stuck into her new meal plan and makes a burger — but not without first Googling how to cut a tomato. Thankfully, the video tutorials pay off and even her partner Brian can’t believe she made it herself.
At check-in, Stephanie is thrilled to learn she is down five pounds. It must have been Brian’s cooking all along, she says.
But to kick her habit of constantly checking her heart rate, like a pupil caught with a mobile phone in school, Stephanie hands over the smartwatch to Dr Sumi. And so begins a new challenge.
Culinary issues continue in Co Tipperary as Marie Clear checks her mayonnaise measurements with mammy Angela who takes on the role of cheerleader for her daughter’s resistance training.
“Jesus, Mammy will you help me out a bit,” she says as Angela puts her to the test with what feels like the longest 20-second plank ever.
It's an emotional week for the 32-year-old as she sees clips of herself on the show for the first time but assures us she’s strong enough to get through it. And by check-in, things are looking up as Marie is down four pounds and “on cloud nine”.
Tomatoes become a reoccurring issue as Thomas Hayes struggles to see sense in having them on his burger.
It’s a family affair for our Longford leader, with wife Eileen and son Harry joining in on a resistance session and the next day, Thomas is feeling it. So much so that he thought he would need a crane to lift him off of the toilet.
His hydration levels have come down but with a loss of seven pounds, Thomas admits he’s thrilled.
Meanwhile, it’s been a particularly difficult week for Andrea Daly, who marked the fourth anniversary of her son Dylan’s death but she says her kids are keeping her going. “You’re the best mammy,” daughter Macy tells her in a touching scene.
With chicken pox in the house, Andrea was thrilled with a successful soup for the family, but she might be the only person ever to say a prayer before eating salmon, which is the one food she has been dreading.
With a loss of four pounds, Andrea is commended for her bravery by the experts and those viewing at home.
