OPERATION Transformation leader Tanya Carroll was last night revealed to have lost 22lbs before she gained a weighty rock.
The RTE show wrapped after eight weeks with her boyfriend Mark surprising her with an on-air proposal.
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He shocked the 33-year-old, with whom he has four kids, after she walked the catwalk to show off her fab new look in a red jumpsuit.
She then watched a video of her weight loss journey, which ended with a message from her partner.
Mark said: "Its been a long eight weeks, were all so proud of you.
"The kids are so proud of you, cant believe how fantastic youve done, your parents, everyone around you are so proud of you.
"But theres one more thing I need to ask you, I just need you to turn around please."
And when she did, Mark was waiting on one knee, where he asked: "Tan, will you have the burden of me as your husband?"
Emotional Tanya quickly said yes before their family, friends, the other leaders and the coaches ran to celebrate the good news.
Speaking on Ray D'Arcy's RTE Radio One show today, the Cork woman said: "I'm over the moon he did it. I just remember the leaders screaming and running towards me. It was brilliant."
And the happy couple have already set a date, as the shows finale was pre-recorded at the weekend.
They will walk down the aisle on August 27, with her eldest daughter Abby and best friend Mary as bridesmaids.
It came after she hopped on the scales for the last time, where she weighed in at 1st 8lbs lighter than when she started.
She now weighs 13st 3lbs and lost 35.75in from her body.
Slimmed-down Tanya also broke her Coca-Cola habit, which saw her drinking up to 12 cans a day.
She added: "That was my biggest challenge, giving it up.
"It was crazy, the amount of it that I drank. Now I look at it and Im like, thats disgusting."
Also celebrating his success on tonights show was Shane Farrell, who dropped 2st 13lbs to a final weight of 17st 8lbs and a 42in loss.
The 30-year-old was the first leader to cross the finish line at the 5K in Dublins Phoenix Park last Saturday, breaking into tears as he did it in just under 34 minutes.
When he first started on the show, he admitted he had been depressed but covered it up, admitting: I am the Greatest Showman, its all a lie, its a broken man.
An accident where he broke his knee as a teen led to numerous stays in hospital over three years.
As a result he lost the use of his bladder and had to insert a plastic tube into his penis to go to the toilet.
He previously told the show he thought about leaving it all behind as he was in a "very dark place".
He added: "I didnt want to be on this planet. I think I had my mind made up, I was done."
But tonight, he told presenter Kathryn Thomas: "Ive overcome so many fears and so many low moments in my life that Ive never gone through before."
The Galway music teacher recalled when he first was chosen to compete for a place in the show and going through the bleep test with personal trainer Karl Henry.
He said: "That was torture, but Karls plan has worked. The food plan has worked and the exercise has showed Shane Farrell can run a 5k in 33 minutes."
And Shane said there was one main change in his life after losing weight, explaining: The big thing was prioritising my family, and thats the most important thing in life your family and your friends.
"And they werent coming first, it was all work, work, work, go, go, go. And look, life is for living and I am going to start living my life."
His wife Clodagh broke down when she saw his new slimmer appearance on the catwalk.
She said: "I am so proud, Im completely overwhelmed right now. From the moment I met Shane, I fell in love and hes always been my rock.
"But over the years, Shanes smile got smaller and his confidence was near the floor and it was hard to watch.
"But this programme has made his smile as wide and his eyes glint again so were extremely proud of him."
And Shane now hopes to get life-changing surgery as he continues his weight loss, where a device that would allow him to urinate normally will be implanted in his back.
Couple Barry and Andrea Rea were a force to be reckoned with throughout the series.
Cork man Barry was the tallest and heaviest contestant ever seen on the show weighing in at 29st 4lbs at the start of his journey.
But the physiotherapist was determined to change his life ahead of his 40th this July, adding: "I ate for two people, hence why I was the size of two people.
"When I was playing rugby I could get away with eating whatever I wanted, and when I stopped playing, I never realised that there was one more big change to make and that was my eating habits.
"It took me nearly 20 years to learn that."
And he said he doesnt think he could have lost what he did 3st and 7lbs without his wife Andrea, who was also a leader.
Barry, who also dropped 38.25in, added: "Its very rare that both people would have a bad day at the same time, so it was very easy for one of us to keep the other one on track.
"As were going to do in the future, its very much so.
"Weve looked at this on how were going to live after OT is done, its very much a team plan."
Andrea broke a record herself, losing the most inches of any contestant, 44.5, while also dropping 2st 5lbs to 18st 11lbs.
She said: "We said at the start, this is the start of our journey, this is not the end, but we both exceeded our expectations so Im really proud of what Ive achieved."
Meanwhile, Lorraine O'Neill struggled throughout the show to drop the pounds but her final weigh-in showed she lost 11lbs.
The Cavan woman, 46, said: "It has changed so much in my life. I feel alive. I feel that Im just on top of the world, theres nothing I cant do."
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And Lorraine said the small numbers on the scales wont stop her.
She added: "I found it really hard to not get disheartened over them because believe it or believe it not, I was putting so much effort in and yet it didnt seem I was getting the returns.
"But when I speak to so many women around the country, theres so many the same. But I am not stopping this. And if its a slow journey, so be it."
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Originally posted here:
RTEs Operation Transformation sees tears, pride and proposal in emotional finale as leaders celebrate weight - The Irish Sun
