The three contestants in the health challenge are delighted with their results. Sylvia Thompson reports
Dermot O'Sullivan was declared the winner of the VHI Turn Your Life Around Challenge at a healthy lunch in a smart city centre restaurant in Dublin on Saturday.
Announcing the winner, stress management expert Karen Belshaw said that all three contestants had been fantastic.
"We were impressed with their co-operation and commitment but Dermot went one step further in terms of his stress management," she said.
"He changed from being sceptical at first to being the person who gained the most out of the techniques," she added.
Responding to his win (a €2,000 holiday voucher), O'Sullivan said that he was committed to continuing the programme.
He believed that how he communicated what he did through the diaries on the VHI website and through The Irish Times Health Supplement was a key to his success.
"The lifestyle aspects and trusting the stress management techniques were the hardest parts for me.
"But through Jenny Ditzler's book, Your Best Year Yet, I developed a lifestyle plan for the year and I'll continue that."
He also admitted that the publicity was a great incentive.
Declan Moran, director of business and marketing development at VHI healthcare, told all three participants that they should be incredibly proud of their achievements.
"We expected at least one of you to stumble but you didn't. And, apart from the healthy impact on your own lives, you have inspired a lot of other people to change their lives."
Accepting her runner-up prize of a health spa voucher, Fiona Gilboy said she never expected to win. "It would have been very difficult to compare myself to the guys who were doing so much more exercise. I did as well as I possibly could and I'll continue eating healthily and going to the gym.
"I'll also continue with the positive self-talk which has helped me be more aware of how to reduce my stress."
Passing his runner-up prize of a health spa voucher to his wife, Martin Whelan said: "I think I did very well and I'm pleased with the whole experience. The key thing I've learned is better time management.
"Now, I take time to have a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've also replaced bad habits with good ones.
"Going to the gym and getting fit is so important for me personally."
Thanking the participants' partners for their support, Declan Moran said that the Turn Your Life Around Challenge was an unusual one for VHI Healthcare.
Interestingly, Martin Whelan's wife, Sarah Whelan, and Dermot O'Sullivan's wife, Orla Kane, both found that they lost weight themselves over the six-week programme.
Fiona Gilboy's fiance, Iain Beresford, said that he found the supportive role quite easy.
"I walk to and from work and I'd been encouraging Fiona to get fit for some time. I didn't used to go to the gym myself but now I've joined one too."
Dietician Nuala Collins said that she was impressed with the holistic approach of the programme.
"They all surpassed their goals which was probably due to the competitive element and also the fact that exercise accelerates weight loss. I'm not used to such commitment to exercise."
Likewise, Philip Phelan was impressed with the participants' commitment to the programme.
"The key to an exercise programme working is to have a finite end to your goal rather than having an open ended plan.
"When you have a measurable programme that you stop, you will always feel you have succeeded," he said.
The VHI website received a 10 per cent increase in page impressions over the six-week period, attracting approximately 4,000 visitors per week.
The two books featured in the programme, Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler and the Irish Heart Foundation Happy Heart Cookbook, were the two best-selling products on the www.vhi.ie health shop for the past six weeks.
Dermot O'Sullivan:
When he signed up for the programme, Dermot O'Sullivan was only interested in health and fitness but found that he gained much more than that.
He started out focusing only on the numbers but was surprised with the benefits from the life coaching and stress management aspects of the programme.
The stress control techniques of deep breathing and positive self-talk are "part and parcel" of his life now: "They sound so simple but they really work."
From the simple but effective life planning tips he learned that "you can change things by making small but meaningful changes".
Dermot said he would have run a mile from the idea of "planning" his year prior to the programme, but was now a total convert.
"I found it challenging and thought it was clinical or cynical but now I'm in danger of becoming a bit of a bore spreading the good news."
If he was building an extension onto his house Dermot would put lots of planning into it so why not his life, he explained.
On the exercise front Dermot plans to keep up his twice-weekly run into work, which doesn't interfere with the family routine. He aims to do a spinning class once a week and maybe one visit to the gym.
Fiona Gilboy:
Now just a few days before her wedding, Fiona Gilboy is continuing with the good habits she picked up during the turn-your-life-around programme.
"I got so much more out of it than I expected and now that it's over it's not like anything has changed. I will keep it up, there's no question about it. Especially the gym and healthy eating."
Looking back over the past six weeks, Fiona described the programme as a "real learning experience" and said she "couldn't have done it without the help of the experts".
The real highlight for Fiona is her new-found fitness. In her new life Fiona now regards the gym as a pivotal aspect of her life and, along with her husband-to-be, she has joined her local gym.
"It's really hard to describe but I feel stronger and fitter than I ever have before.
"I'm a size 10, which I never thought I would be, and none of my clothes fit me and that's a good thing."
The healthy eating regime she followed during the programme has become second nature.
Buying lots of fresh fruit and vegetables helps keep her on track and she doesn't miss the sweet foods she used to over-indulge in.
Martin Whelan:
The programme did exactly what Martin Whelan wanted. It was never just about losing weight or reducing his waist, it was about health and it has worked, he said.
"It changed my behaviour and put more discipline on my time. Now six weeks on I am 24 pounds lighter, I have 16cms off my waist. I haven't felt this fit in a very long time. I have loads of energy and my demeanour has really improved - I am always upbeat." The most important thing, he said, was that he feels healthy and now had the "confidence and motivation to do more".
Improvements in Martin's time management was also one of the unexpected benefits of the programme. "Time is always short in my life - the day starts early and ends late. Now my days are planned more. Just like my food which is planned and I value it more, I value time much more. I now have more time to spend with those who are dear to me."
Although Martin is relieved that the programme is over, he said he would continue most aspects of the regimes. He has set out a number of goals for the year. One of which is to get down to 13 stone.
- (Additional report by Fiona Tyrrell)