AND so it begins…After a huge response to our search for volunteers to take part in Operation Transformation Limerick, we have found our two participants - Mandy Hogan and Martin Costello. Mandy Hogan lives in Kilbranish Drive, Woodview and is the mother of five children, ranging in age from three up to fifteen. She is due to turn 40 this year and says her top priority is to lose some weight - “to look beautiful again”. “As the years have passed, my weight has crept up faster,” she says. “As they say, life begins at 40, so it’s my turn to look after me and transform my life.” She says she has started lenty of diets and other fitness programmes before but has had difficulty sticking with them. This time, however, she is confident that she will go the distance. “This is the push that I needed. The publicity side alone would make me do it.”

Our other volunteer is Martin Costello from Ballina. Martin, who is in his early fifties, says he too wants to lose some weight - “I wouldn’t mind losing a stone,” he says. Martin admits to never having been in a gym in his life, his main source of exercise being the occasional game of golf. The idea of taking part in Operation Transformation was born - like so many thers - in a pub late one evening but Martin is determined to stick with the six-week plan. Apart from the sessions in the gym, he is expecting the most challenging part to be the abstention from alcohol. “I would say not having the few pints would be the hardest. I enjoy the couple of pints in the pub of a Friday night,” he says.

Over the next six week, Mandy and Martin will work with the team in Ultimate Health to transform their health and lifestyles through their unique health, fitness and detox programme. This will include a detox programme, colonic hydrotherapy, abdominal massage, a nutritional programme and beauty treatment. They will also have twice-weekly personal training sessions with fitness instructor Brian Kennedy who will work on improving their general fitness and help them shed those unwanted pounds.

We will check in with our two volunteers during the programme to see how they are getting on and at the end of the six weeks we have the BIG REVEAL, where we will unveil the new look Mandy and Martin. “We’re all excited - we can’t wait to begin,” says Mandy.

WHEN Berni O’Hare got through the tough apptitude test to join the Garda Siochána and fulfill her lifelong ambition to join the force, she was over the moon. But minutes later, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her as she was told she was too fat to wear the blue uniform.

“I was absolutely humiliated. I’d passed the aptitude test, I passed the medical but then I stood on the scales and she [the doctor] just came straight out with it. She said ‘You’re obese - you won’t be accepted until you lose five stone’.” With her dreams in shreds, Berni left the testing centre. A lesser woman would have slunk away and tucked into an oversized bar or chocolate but instead, Berni vowed to fight back.

“I was stunned, to have got so far and then to be stopped because of my weight. I told my friend what had happened and she said the best thing she could have said: ‘Berni - if it’s what you really want then you’ll work until you get it’.” So when she saw The Clare People Operation Transformation competition, Berni knew she had a way to solve her problem, get fit, lose weight and have another crack at fulfilling her dream to be a guard. The Ballynacally woman is five feet six inches tall and weighs 18 stone, taking a size 22 in clothes.

Working on her transformation with her will be the Ultimate Heath Clinic in the Quin Road Business Park, Ozone Health and Fitness and Anne Leavy Health and Beauty, along with The Monument Hair Salon, JR’s Hair Salon and Norma Jean Boutique. Berni, who has a 10-year-old son, Lee, had previously managed to lose a massive three stone by changing her diet, getting up at 6am and walking four miles before going to work and walking another hour each evening.

“It was fantastic, I had so much energy and I was able to buy clothes in a smaller size. But that was in the summer and once the winter set in, it got too cold to go walking and I got lazy. So the pounds started to pile on again.” Berni - like lots of people who battle the bulge - has tried numerous fad diets and ‘quick fix’ methods, but none worked. And, as a trained chef, her current profession - working in the kitchens in St Joseph’s in Ennis - doesn’t help her to keep the weight down.From the sack-loads of entries which  came in from people eager to take part, Berni’s letter stood out. “We could see she wanted this so badly and everyone felt so bad for her when we read her letter telling what happened to her at the test to join the Garda. Her  determination shone out. We just had to select her,” said The Clare People Life editor, Aoife O’Driscoll.

In her letter to The Clare People, Berni said, “I’d love to be able to look into a mirror and not see the Michelin man  looking back at me because that’s exactly how I feel when I look in the mirror. I also hate being referred to as the fat one. Whether I’m successful or not in your competition, I’m determined to lose the five stone that I have to lose and go back and apply for the job that I was told I was too fat for. My self-esteem and self-confidence is at an all-time low because on the inside I’m thin and fat on the outside. “My eating habits are the pits. I’m a devil for chocolate and fast food and skipping breakfast. Friends and family would describe me as being bubbly but secretly I’m fighting my battle with my weight which makes me hate myself.

As a parent, I personally feel I  should be setting an example for my son that healthy eating and exercise is the way to go.” Joining her in the six-week challenge, which is being supported by the expertise of the Ozone team, is her pal Jessica Chaplin, who is already a member of the force but who wants to shed some weight having gone from being sylph-like to weighing in at 11 stone at five foot four inches tall. “She wants to get rid of the weight that has gone on because she was doing shift work and eating away to her heart’s content. It’s just put on weight for her that she doesn’t want and she’s being fabulous in coming on board with me.” The team will be adopting an holistic approach,  addressing every issue from diet to fitness and body image.

The ladies will have twice weekly personal training sessions with the Ozone trainers while the Ulitimate Health Clinic will be organising a detox programme with their special colonic irrigation treatments, abdominal massage and nutrition programmes, all in the relaxed and comfortable setting of their health suites. At the end of their six weeks, the ladies will be treated to a spectacular makeover to highlight their achievements. “I know I can do this. I’ve never refused a challenge and I’m not going to back away from this one. I want to be a role model for other people and I will achieve my dream,” Berni told The Clare People.

In the first of six installments over the next six weeks we hear firsthand about one Limerick girl’s transformation with the help of the Ultimate Health Clinic and in association with personal trainer Dave Sheahan.

Meet our candidate: Edelle O’Brien.
Edelle is probably your average 31 year old. She loves to live life and enjoys the finer things: pints, wine, cigarettes and tayto sandwiches! Last year she made the first steps to a healthier lifestyle by joining a women’s rugby team and now she’s more eager than ever to get her life on a healthier track for once and for all.
“Hi, my name is Edelle O’Brien, I am a Caherdavin girl, born and reared in Limerick. I work in Goldmine Jewellers on Catherine Street. I started playing rugby for Young Munster last August and I’m loving it. Since August obviously I have been getting much fitter but found myself eating more because I could tell myself “sur’, I’ll run it off on Friday at training”. I like to go out at the weekends, smoke many cigarettes and drink many pints! So, as you can see, I’m your fairly typical girl. I know I should be looking after myself better but I’m young and like to enjoy myself. Or so I thought.
“You see, while trying fad diets and sporadic periods of ‘being good’ I have done some damage to my insides. I suffer from chronic heartburn from a yeast intolerance (I blame tayto sandwiches) and bad digestive problems. Hence I was put in touch with the Ultimate Health Clinic who I knew dealt with digestive problems and skin problems but mostly colonic irrigations. Imagine, I thought, staring with a completely clean slate shall we say…
“I met Lisa and Caroline at the UHC on a Thursday. Can I just say the clinic is immaculate the girls are so friendly and easy to talk to, nothing is taboo and yet so professional. I knew straight away I was going to be in good hands. I have to explain one thing at this point, when I went to meet the girls I was off the cigarettes two weeks (it is January – you have to try) and I had the cold from hell. They had no sympathy for me. They were right. To get the best results they gave me a detox diet. Just to write it like that seems so easy, it wasn’t, it was hard (which is why I had wine, taytos and a wispa the night before starting!). The detox diet consists of porridge for my breakfast, soup for my lunch and because I’m not a fish person I ate mostly chicken with potatoes (thank god) and vegetables, doesn’t sound too bad? I forgot to mention NO salt NO dairy NO sugar NO tea or coffee for five to seven days! Now I hope you’re reading this sitting down because with this diet alone, which as you can tell didn’t kill me, I lost nine pounds!!!!!
“I have to admit I cried a little when they told me. I didn’t lose that much in two months at other weight loss classes. Most importantly, bland and all as the diet was, I wasn’t hungry and had no heartburn or other problems. Also, I was on a bacterial supplement, a good bacteria called acidophilus, which makes your skin glow its amazing.
“Now for the best bit‚ the colonic! Don’t worry, I’m not going to be graphic, I’ll just say that it was nowhere near as bad as I expected it to be. A moment’s discomfort and 45 minutes that fly by. Caroline is a professional and makes you feel relaxed and at ease. I expected it to be painful but it wasn’t at all, there was just a little pressure on my tummy and back, and just when you think it’s becoming too much, it’s all over. The energy you have afterwards is awesome. Just to feel that good after a week – what will I be like after all of them? That’s right, I’ll be back next week with more. Including my first meeting with local fitness expert Dave Sheahan as this is “Operation Transformation” -Limerick style!”

Last week we met our candidate Edelle O’Brien from Caherdavin who was on a big detox rejuvenation from the inside out with the Ultimate Health Clinic. This week she also started her tough training regime with personal trainer Dave Sheahan…
 
“Hello again everybody. This week I have to tell you about the world of Dave Sheehan’s Gym. You may have guessed from last week’s excerpt on my transformation that, besides rugby, I don’t do much exercise. I personally HATE the gym. I think they smell, they are full of ‘skinny malinkies’ and staff that I always felt judged me. Dave’s gym is very different. Every shape of person is here, from every age group, and they have very helpful staff. SERIOUSLY! I met Dave after work on the Tuesday and brought with me a list of the foods I used to eat – mostly made of taytos funnily enough and of course the list of my new food intake. Dave himself is a very charismatic, knowledgeable guy and most importantly he really makes you feel that anything is possible – you just know you’re in good hands! He weighed me, took measurements and checked body fat with some kind of pinchy thing. Dave asked me what I wanted to achieve and I said that ‘I want to play rugby for the next few years and obviously try and change my shape to a smaller less roundy one’, he nodded at me as if this is no problem and, guess what, I totally believe him. Then we go straight to the dreaded treadmill.
 
“I am not naturally drawn to the treadmill but as Dave says, it’s not like I’m going to be rowing or cycling on the pitch! I do some fast walking to jogging to running… You cannot care what you look like at this point, and all the while Dave is beside me encouraging me and in control of speeds etc. From the treadmill we move on to weights which I’m not too bad at – good to know seeing as I’m a prop! (my position on the field for any non-rugby following readers) I will be visiting the gym now every week for four days. Two with Dave and two with just me and the lovely treadmill! When I write it like that it doesn’t sound so bad – and hey, I’m doing it!! So far Dave is really nice and encouraging. The gym itself is clean, everyone is really friendly, genuine and helpful (especially to the silly girl who couldn’t start the treadmill on her own …stop laughing… it was embarrassing!)
 
“The good and the bad news now in food land. This week I was allowed more food yippee!! Or so I thought. I replaced one of my meals (lunch was the easiest) with a smoothie. I was to have 80 per cent from alkaline foods such as more veggies, skim milk, much more fruit (except bananas) and seeds. Then other 20 per cent then was from a list of acid foods like red meat and some fish for example are considered acidic but at least I could have more flavours, spices and garlic! You may notice I used the word ‘seeds’, just a little word, they themselves are only small, but they should come with a big calorie warning sign! I shall explain: I did not lose an ounce this week, and it was all because of seeds! On my list seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame etc. are mentioned so as I am such a good girl I was having them on everything. Sesame seeds on my porridg, a handful of sunflower, sesame, pumpkin and linseed in my smoothies, and loads more in my salads for the week thinking I was awesome! Guess what? It was possibly the worst thing I could have done. Let’s say I’m allowed 1500 calories a day, the seeds I was eating are worth around 1800 in total! Add them all together and it makes a lot of calories – and makes me not very bright!! When I told Caroline and Lisa at the UHC they found it very amusing, and when they eventually stopped laughing and we decided to go again with the list of foods. Two to three carbohydrates a day and I am still going to replace a meal with a smoothie and eat mostly fresh veg and fruit.
 
“This week, after all that, I was in for a little TLC however. I had a deep abdominal massage which sounds like it should hurt a little but I have to say it doesn’t at all. It is intense but not uncomfortable. It lasts about 30-45 minutes and it is all based on your tummy, hence its name. The relaxation feeling afterwards alone is worth it – mix that with your tummy being flatter and the massage could become addictive. I am now also on digestive enzymes which will actually help with my day-to-day digestion. As usual the girls are supportive, especially after the amusement at my seeds story! Now you may laugh… Talk to you next week when I have to leave the comfort of my own kitchen…”

Our candidate Edelle O’Brien from Caherdavin is three weeks into her six week transformation, on the inside and out, with the Ultimate Health Clinic and personal trainer Dave Sheahan…
 
Hello everybody! Well I am three weeks into this and still alive, still off the cigarettes and still not hungry. This week I managed not to eat my own body weight in seeds, which as I learned from last week is a good thing. Also I have created one of the healthiest puppies in Limerick. Lucie is up early in the morning and also has her porridge with me and eats pineapples, kiwi skins, apple skins and my smoothies. If Dave Sheehan would let her into the gym I reckon she would run on a treadmill too.
I had a work trip to Birmingham’s NEC to visit a trade show this week. The boss and I left on Sunday afternoon. I had my porridge before I left thank God! We were very busy that afternoon and didn’t even get a chance to eat. That evening after checking into our hotel we decided to go and get something to eat. The menu looked and sounded gorgeous – for someone NOT restricted to chicken, fish and vegetables. So I decided to have a quarter roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables. The potatoes on offer were dauphinoise (garlic and cream) potatoes or chips. Guess what I had? The chips of course, and you know, it wasn’t worth it. The chicken had been micro-nuked and the chips were burned so that was a bit crap. I know I sound like I’m whinging but I had to sit across from my mother who was eating a beautiful steak and chips and more. Torture! The next day wasn’t too bad, breakfast was fruit and a cereal and for lunch we found a kosher restaurant with lovely soup and rye bread. That night I found a restaurant that was like a steakhouse. I managed to find chicken and baby potatoes with salad. I did give into the temptation and tasted some spare ribs of my mothers and a piece of lamb skewer and felt like death the next day so I suffered for my need for red meat! There is a reason why I’m not supposed to eat any yet and I had to find out the hard way. I was down a few pounds when I went back to Caroline at the Ultimate Health Clinic but when you leave the comforts of your own kitchen things can get hard. My eating won’t be as strict and as severe forever but while I’m getting the results it won’t kill me. I had a lovely abdominal massage again and another colonic with a bit more pressure this week as it was a much deeper treatment but still honestly there’s nothing to it and I mean that. It is uncomfortable like I said for about two seconds and then it’s all over. This week I have a tip though, it is one that I heard before from one of those skinny malinkies: CHEW YOUR FOOD you really do fill up faster. I have spent all these years inhaling my food and we can all see where that got me. Caroline says your food should be liquid leaving your mouth – it sounds gross but makes sense. By the end of the week I felt great again after it all.
Now I’m not technically afraid of exercise – I mean I used to be an outdoor pursuits instructor, but the training for that was in winter with ice and snow in wetsuits, though at least it had regular enough hours… Let me explain, Dave Sheahan continued this week with my interval training on the treadmill and the weights.  I did notice however that the machines and weights are faster, heavier and more of it. My senses tell me that the first week he may have been easy on me, lulling me into a false sense of security, and NOW it’s time for lots of red face and sweating… When I got home off the plane I went straight into Dave. I did tell him I wasn’t feeling well and he had a little sympathy for me, as in he slowed down the treadmill twice! I really do appreciate his work on me though because guess what – in the airport my jeans fell down! A sure sign he’s doing something good! The second day I was with him was an eye opener, it was a different planet from my previous visit. Firstly it was a cold Friday morning at 6am. I mean really 6AM! I wasn’t the only one there though, there was a few of us. I was feeling a bit better, well when I went in I was, and because I had had the colonic the evening before I had a bit more energy. The amount of people that were there when I was leaving was amazing.  Quite a lot of people were taking a spinning class at that time –  it makes sense if you are going to make a commitment to go to the gym, why not get it out of the way early in the morning? I have found that after I go, I am full of energy and vitality. Later that evening I went to rugby training and we had to do suicide sprints, which I didn’t have to stand out of or vomit over which in my rugby career is a massive change! It is getting slightly easier. I can’t wait to play a match and see does it make a huge difference. With the exercise I definitely feel more toned and clothes are fitting me better. I do think having someone there encouraging me all the time helps especially as I am not a gym person or “gym bunny” I think it’s called, you never know maybe I will be after this…