Operation Transformation- One Week In | Heather Steele

Operation transformation is into its second week and the programme has been met with great success. The leaders have completed their first week and have had their first in-programme weigh-in and review on Tuesdays. Already the Operation Transformation leaders have made real changes. The programme will run for a further six weeks. UCC Operation Transformation hope to hold events on campus that will encourage the whole university community to get involved.It is easy for all students and staff to follow closely the progress of the leaders via the Facebook page ‘UCC Health Matters’. Following the weigh in and review on Tuesday a detailed chart progression of each leader was uploaded onto the page so people could see the real changes being enacted by the programme. All the leaders have lost weight in the short week since the programme started. Also they are each meeting their personal goals of exercising more and increasing their fitness alongside it. Some of the leaders wish to give up smoking during the 8 weeks. Niamh McGettrick Cronin has had particular success this week cutting down from twenty cigarettes a day to four.A highlight of the programme has been the meals that the leaders receive from KSG (Kylemore Services Group).  Charlotte Cummins, resident KSG nutritionist, has developed the nutritionally-analysed menu plan which is available to the leaders and also everyone else at UCC. KSG have developed a series of healthy eating menu choices mirroring the RTE Operation Transformation Menus. Students and staff can follow the daily menu choices on the UCC website under the student health service heading. They hope to have recipes that offer tasty alternatives to unhealthy foods and useful tips for keeping hunger pangs at bay.