Operation Transformation is a lifestyle change!
24 February
Yahoo, I'm down again this week and feeling great with the whole LIFESTYLE change that will without a doubt continuing when Operation Transformation is finished.
It's amazing to think eight weeks can change your life in one way or another, also amazing how emotional a journey like this can be on so many levels. I decided that 2010 was going to be my year. Something that I wanted to achieve for me and my family. I started to study part time despite having a 7month and a 4 month old with me. I wanted this to be my year.
My relationship with food was awful, no breakfast, no lunch and then when I would have dinner I would later snack on junk food to make up for what i was missing throughout the day. I realise now that my body was craving for all the wrong reasons. I thought that there was nothing wrong with what I was doing. Yes I got fat but I thought I could stop anytime I wanted but boy was I wrong.
My weight crept up more and more and I was classed as obese, a word that eventually scared the living daylights out of me. It made me stop and think about my family and how selfish I was being. I was suffering with Irritable Bowel and was on tablets for low iron. I was always tired and didn't have the energy to run after my eldest sun.
I always said I would 'start tomorrow'. I lacked motivation, drive and I didn't know where to start. Then the opportunity arose to talk part in Operation Transformation through the group mumstown.ie. The group was a website where I chatted with like minded parents who felt the same. So the journey to change our lifestyle in eight weeks began.
It's all so far so good. There has been emotional times, wanting to cave, pulling back from the biscuit tin, the smell of the chocolate stand and trying to focus on the long term results. This wasn't going to be a quick fix just to fit into that dress.
I have personally learned so much about food in many aspects and about staying positive. I've also learned to pay attention to what we give our kids, how to read labels and understand calories. This is something I never did before. Once it said 'low fat' I would think I could eat twice as much but I never looked at anything else. I now read labels even on the naughty stuff and make responsible choices for my family's health.
My relationship with food has now changed. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I feel so much better. I have tried new foods. My Irritable Bowel is improving and my iron levels are rising. I don't get out of breath when I run after my son anymore. We have become more active as a family and I am hoping that after this experience our lifestyle will change for the better. My cheap affair with junk food is over and my love affair with healthy eating is now red hot and hoping to get even hotter.
For those embarking on a new adventure for whatever reason, you can do it! It is tough to retrain yourself but you will get there. For every hurdle you cross there is hope and strength along the way and that light at the end of the tunnel gets less crazy and clearer as you focus on it.
Here's to the final weeks of Operation Transformation, a lifetime of good health and a change for the better!
Sonia at Mumstown
Anna: I'm not disheartened!
11 February
Hi everyone,
Well another week in and we are all still pluggin' away with the programme and seeing the results on the scales!Again I just want to say a thank you to everyone supporting the five of us. We do really appreciate it!
This week I didn't hit my target (as you all know from watching the show last night but I'm not disheartened. The numbers are still going in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. And if any of you had the same this week just keep the chin up and plough on.
Keep your eye on the prize...the new slimer, healthier and happier you!
Till next time
Anna
The Parents get their skates on!
10 February
This week some of the the Mumstown Parents group went skating with Fergus O'Dowd from the TD's group. We met at Funtasia is Drogheda where they have a disco roller rink. We all started our 45mins session a bit unsteadily but soon most of the parents were spinning around, while poor Fergus was hanging on for dear life!
One of our lovely Mums, Sonia from Mumstown actually took off her skates at one point and held his hand to help him around. However he was persistant and stayed on for the full 45mins. By the end, he was able to skate (albeit wobbly) by himself and hands free!
Fergus likes it so much he is coming with us again next Monday night. We meet at 7.50pm, it's great exercise and anyone can come along. All the details are on www.mumstown.ie. It's taking the misery out of the Op Tran exercising for us as we giggle our way around the floor to Lady Gaga and Beyonce.
We met Dr. Eva on Saturday and we all loved her! She is so much fun! It was reall nice to have some time with her, she is full of great advice and good craic too.
We would just like to say how much we are getting out of Operation Transformation. It has affected not just the 14 of us but so many other parents who are following us on mumstown.ie. The food and exercise regime has really changed our lives for the bette. Even our neightbours and friends are following us and getting active too. It's having a positive knock on effect on so many people and we are really glad me got involved!
Siobhan and all at mumstown!
Conor: 3 Weeks In & Doing Great!
02 February
Hi everyone,Transformation going to plan. I'm down 18 and half pounds to date, but it's early days and I'm coming near the end of week 3. They say it takes 21 days to break a habit so we're all nearly there. I have to say I'm so proud of everyone who is following us and I've no doubt in my mind you'll achieve all your goals and dreams. Never ever give up, even if you're feeling down, find that place inside yourself to stand up and fight. There's no better feeling than getting on those scales each week and finding out you've shed another few pounds.
To all the groups out there too, the Mums, Shed of Shame (SOS)--good name by the way--the taxi drivers and Politicians yis are doing fantastic. But just remember folks its all about team work, I know sometimes we can all get a little selfish about trying to achieve our own goals we're only human at the end of the day but just remember someone in your group will definitely be struggling right now as I speak so please make sure you keep each other motivated and stay strong for each other. If yis can do this simple task then you will succeed I guarantee ya. I hope some day over this 8 week period we as the 5 leaders get to meet some of the groups.
Best of luck and I'll be dying to find out how yis all got on next Tuesday.
The Parents: Resisting Temptation
01 February
I have a confession to make...
I have been
very very bold. In an emotional hour with a friend in need earlier this
week, I crumbled, quite literally, into a scone! Oh the shame, the
horror, the disappointment! But it was an emergency - no salacious
details will be revealed I'm afraid, mum is DEFINITELY the word on this
one - yet also reinforcement to myself, that I am without doubt, an
emotional eater. I didn't even actually WANT the damn thing, but the
occasion demanded it, as did my friend, and so I caved. But I did only
have half, didn't have butter or jam, and have to say most definitely
did not have it warmed up, a strange habit here in Ireland that I still
can't get used to!
D day tomorrow though! At least the all the chewing of the
fingernails I'm doing in anticipation of my date with the scales of
doom should shift an ounce or two!
Food now mastered, exercises duly undertaken with if not gusto, then at
least gung-ho! But grip on determination by the time of the third, and
most challenging weigh in yet, with a 3 STONE TARGET to achieve between
us, is definitely slipping.
I'm in it for me, in it for my family, and in it to win it for the team,
so you'd think with all that riding on me I would be able to resist
the temptation to be bold. But when there's a three year
old hanging off your leg wanting to land his airplane model as if in
a cross wind on your shelf-like rear, a six year old wanting you to
explain the periodic table to her because daddy told her to be a
scientist when she grows up, and the migraine from hell creeping in at
the temples, it's hard to say 'No' to the untouched cheese sandwich you
are emptying out of the husband's lunchbox.
If it were not for the immediate
empathy and support of those on www.mumstown.ie,
the local parenting group through which we all in The Parents
Group met, I think I'd be swimming in a vat of Ben and Jerry's finest
by now. It's so much easier to put that butty in the bin, when,
within three minutes of posting how you feel on the threads regarding
the show, you've had messages from those with you on the programme or
supporting from the sidelines telling you not do it and that you
deserve so much more.
So, onwards and upwards. We're having our wobbles, all of us, but we
wouldn't be human (Dr Eva, take note!) if we didn't, and here's hoping
that we're all gonna continue heading in the right general direction!
Chin(s?) up, one and all!
Heather (The Parents Group)
Amanda: Feeling Nervous About Tomorrow's Weigh In
01 February
Hi guys,
I'm really feeling the burn today from the challenge in the Curragh at the weekend, I could hardly lift my legs out of bed this morning.
Just finished my new weekly programme from Karl, it definitely works as I am in bits! This is the first week that I'm nervous about the weigh in tomorrow as I had a really busy week. Fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amanda
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