‘A long time ago I stopped focusing on my jeans size’ – Kathryn Thomas on how her focus changed after becoming a mum

Kathryn Thomas has said her focus in life changed when she became a mother nearly five years ago.

he TV presenter (44) is mum to Ellie, who turns five in March, and 15-month-old Grace.

As founder of bootcamp Pure Results, Thomas is a firm believer in setting time aside for yourself, whether it be getting outdoors or attending a class.

“For me, it really is about carving out time in the week and ensuring that you stick to it. I always find it more difficult in the winter when you’re working to slot in time for yourself but if you schedule it and you stick to it, for me, that works,” she told the Independent.ie.

“I’m such a huge advocate of rain, hail or shine, getting outdoors – that, for me, is my medicine.

“I only really got back into running when Grace was about six or seven months, and so just taking it nice and handy really and building up my strength.

“I started Pilates last year as well, so I try to get to that twice a week. Once you’ve got three sessions in the week, for me that are non-negotiable, and then it’s about balance.

“I’m very much a believer in the 80:20, I try to stay clean with my food during the week, batch cook as much as I can, have lots of boiled eggs ready to go and lots of chicken or salmon fillets.

“I try and batch cook one day a week, where I can, and then Friday or Saturday comes and it’s either a pizza, a takeaway, cheese or wine.”

The broadcaster said she relies on her energy levels to provide an indicator of how she is feeling.

“I think in terms of being happy where I am at my stage of life, a long time ago I stopped focusing on the jeans size and getting back to where I was pre-children,” she said.

“For me, it’s about my energy levels and it’s also about since turning 40, just as happens we’ve had sickness visit our family and close friends and when you see that happen, it truly makes you appreciate and be grateful for your health.

“It’s how I feel, it’s how I wake up in the morning, it’s where my head is at and it’s knowing I feel good when I eat well.

“That for me is my focus, particularly over the last four to five years since Ellie was born.”

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Thomas was speaking ahead of the Operation Transformation finale tonight.

The mother of two said she is looking forward to taking the foot off the gas for a couple of weeks.

“I have loved every single second of it. When we get to the end of the eight weeks, it’s bittersweet in so many ways because you’ve watched and witnessed amazing transformations with our five leaders and so many people who get in touch and share their own stories,” she said.

“I take the foot off the gas now for a couple of months because we’ve been full-on with OT, we start in November, and the process of actually deciding on the five leaders, there’s a huge amount of work that goes into that as well.

“It’ll be good to take a couple of weeks off now and spend some time with the kids.”

Thomas said the Phoenix Park 5k run on Saturday was a “magical” experience. 

“That day is my favourite day of the whole year I would say, because you get to see the leaders experiencing and witnessing the level of support they have in its true form,” she said.

She has been presenter of the programme for 12 years and immerses herself in all aspects of the show.

“All we want to do as a production team, and me personally, is to stand over the work that we do,” she said.

“When I started out on the show 12 years ago, it was a very different society, it was a very different world, and the show was very weight-centric.

“I think people who have watched the show for as long as they have, have seen those changes happen every year.

“Constructive criticism is always extremely welcome, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”

Operation Transformation airs tonight at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and on RTÉ Player