In week three of the challenge to turn their lives around, Sylvia Thompson finds out how the three candidates are feeling at the mid-way point
After three weeks, all three candidates have settled into their various regimes of fitness training and healthy eating plans while regularly practising techniques to cut down on stress.
Setting goals for the year, broken down into monthly targets, is another part of the programme which is perhaps less easy to put into action over the six-week period.
All in all, it's no mean feat and, as Dermot O'Sullivan says, it's the combination of the expert help and the publicity that keeps him going.
Half way through the programme, Dermot has lost 10lb, Fiona Gilboy is pleased with her developing levels of fitness and better eating habits. And Martin Whelan has lost 14lb - his target weight loss for the entire six-week programme.
All three are being advised by a panel of experts made up of fitness coach Philip Phelan, nutritionist Nuala Collins, stress management expert Karen Belshaw and life coach John Sharry. They are taking part in the VHI Turn Your Life Around Challenge.
You can keep up to date on their progress every Tuesday in the HealthSupplement and by logging on to www.vhi.ie where the three post regular updates on their activities.
Dermot O'Sullivan (41), programme manager, from Cabinteely, Co Dublin, married with two children.
Goal: Get fit and trim.
In week three, Dermot's challenge from the nutritionist was to monitor his portion sizes closely. The bulk of his calories must come from cereals, bread and potatoes but he must also remember that one portion is equivalent to one bowl of cereal, one slice of bread, three dessertspoons of cooked pasta or rice or one medium sized potato.
Choosing Uncle Ben's brown rice in the bag (two serving per pack) made him aware that up to now he was probably giving himself twice the amount he should have been. Also, cutting out second helpings has became the norm.
On the exercise front, Dermot's fitness coach was pleased with his progress early into the third week. However, his fitness regime was knocked out by a tummy bug as the week progressed (although eating white rice and toast inadvertently led to him losing weight!). This meant he missed one lunchtime run and his spin class.
In a bid to prioritise family life this year, he turned the TV off at 9pm and spent quality time with his wife last week.
Dermot continues to find the five minutes of deep abdominal breathing he does in the morning before getting up a useful stress reliever.
Fiona Gilboy (29) from Stepaside, Co Dublin, works in HR. She is getting married on March 4th.
Goal: Fitter and healthier.
Week three for Fiona was extremely busy with her hen party weekend which started on Thursday evening in her sister's house, followed by an early morning flight to Bournemouth, England where she spent the weekend with an inter-generation group of family and friends. She says doing the programme enhanced her week and gave her ways of keeping stress to a minimum.
"I stayed very focused and on Friday, we went to a fitness centre where I swam, although a late night on Thursday and an early start on Friday meant I could only do two lengths of the pool whereas before I had been doing eight, and had a massage. Later that evening, I drank water rather than wine and opted for the chicken and vegetables with boiled rice rather than sweet and sour chicken I would have chosen in the past."
Her fitness coach added in more weights this week to make her regime a bit more strenuous. "As I'd never been to the gym before this programme, I find I'm not getting bored at all and I even did aqua aerobics after my gym session which made my muscles twinge." She says her pre-wedding nerves haven't kicked in yet and the fitness/healthy eating regime is really helping her.
Martin Whelan (33), a human resource director from Kilcullen, Co Kildare, is married with one child.
Goal: Health and happiness.
Martin is very pleased with his continuing loss of weight, having reached his target weight loss of 14lb half way through the programme. "As the weeks go by, doing the programme is becoming more normal," he says. Martin has also realised, with his fitness coach Philip, that he is able to do a tougher exercise regime than that the one first designed for him.
Foodwise, his challenge last week was to cut out pizza. And he achieved this, despite his wife buying a pizza for him. "After reading the nutritional information on the back of the pack, I baked her pizza and watched her eat it and had fish and vegetables myself," he says.
Overall, his diet has changed radically. "I would have snacked and had a lot of take-away food and fast food whereas now everything I eat is fresh and home-cooked."
Discussing his stress levels, he says he has become more disciplined about time. The breathing exercises and visualisations have also helped.
Martin says the programme has been very good for him. "I haven't spoken to the other competitors and my mindset isn't thinking about the competition [to win a €2,000 holiday voucher]. My competitor is myself and if I don't do this, it's myself I'm letting down," he says.