If you're following Operation Transformation 2019, you'll already be well acquainted the five incredible leaders who are inspiring the nation to lead healthier and happier lifestyles. You'll know all about the show's brand new expert, the weekly shopping lists and Karl Henry's new fitness plan.
What you might not know, however, is that there is a sixth leader in our midst.
Online Leader
This year, RTÉ has got a brand new 'online leader' in the form of RTÉ 2fm Presenter and social media extraordinaire Carl Mullan.
We need your consent to load this Facebook contentWe use Facebook to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Four years ago, Carl followed the Operation Transformation plan and documented his progress on 2fm with Nicky Byrne and Jenny Greene. Taking part in the radio show gave Carl an "extra incentive" and led him to lose an incredible three and a half stone by the end of the year.
"I had been putting off getting my health back in order because, to me, it was such a big deal and it was going to be a massive two or three-year process. At the time I weighed nearly seventeen stone so I was thinking it would take a long time to fix it.
"In the few weeks that we did OpTrans on the radio, I had lost a stone and a half - really, by only making very small changes. Then, over the course of a year, I lost almost four stone."
Over the Christmas period, Carl found himself slipping into old habits and decided that in January 2019 he, like so many others, would watch Operation Transformation to "re-set" himself.
"It's all about routine. In terms of following the show, it's lovely to be able to watch it every week and to see these people who are going through it, they're doing the same thing and there are always these little nuggets that you pick up."
2009 vs 2019 pic.twitter.com/X5Id4mUoCy
— Carl Mullan (@CarlMullan) January 14, 2019
Carl, who lives at home, says that his family has given him great support when it comes to following the food plan - even taking turns to cook the selection of recipes.
"When you have an Irish mammy, everything comes with potatoes or multiple potatoes," he laughed. "My family have been great though. I've done it before and they tend to follow along with it. Even small things like, rather than having rice, we'll have cauliflower rice."
Despite working in RTÉ, Carl insists that he has no extra help and doesn't expect Kathryn Thomas to be showing up to the office with a weighing scale anytime soon.
"I'm like anyone else who is watching this at home. I'm watching the TV show and I'm taking advice from the TV show. It's not like I have my own RTÉ personal trainer on the side - I don't.
"That's what I love about Operation Transformation, it's about realistic, small, pieces of advice that over the course of twelve months can make a massive difference."
So at the end of 2018 I mentioned that one of my goals for 2019 was to get out and see a lot more of our amazing little country...
— Carl Mullan (@CarlMullan) January 14, 2019
If you feel the same, here's a bucket list I've made of some CLASS looking places I'd like to visit! pic.twitter.com/QcaE6XzNJd
Watch the video at the top of the page to find out which OT leader Carl relates to most and how he plans to stay fit in 2019.
You can follow Carl's progress on his Instagram and RTÉ One's Facebook.
