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Daily Record

World

Dianne Bourne & Hannah Mackenzie Wood

Couple who splurged £50 a night on takeaways shed incredible seven stone

Sarah Smith UP (Organization) Adam Greggs

A couple who would splurge on £50 takeaways every night with a bottle of red wine have lost an incredible seven stone between them - and say the transformation has saved their marriage.

Mark and Sarah Smith, who both work for the same financial company, were stuck in an endless cycle of coming home from the office and being too tired to cook. Instead, they would reach for the delivery apps and wash down the fast food with a bottle of wine - which saw them quickly pile on the pounds.

However, when 39-year-old Mark had a health scare with his heart, the couple knew it was time to make a change and ditch their unhealthy lifestyle once and for all, the Manchester Evening News reports.

After watching Instagram videos of celebrities getting into shape with the help of 'tough' trainers at Manchester's UP Fitness gym, Sarah decided reached out to the fitness centre. After having a look at what was on offer, the couple, from Winton, Eccles, decided to dive into the deep end with UP's total body transformation programme in October last year.

With the help of expert trainers, the couple swapped their lunchtime trips to Greggs with hour long gym sessions and ditched their nightly takeaways for healthy, homemade meals. Now, their commitment has paid off, with the couple losing a combined total of seven stone - and saving their marriage in the process.

The couple's incredible transformation. (UP Fitness)

Sarah, 44, shed an incredible three stone and is in the best shape of her life, with her energy levels soaring. Meanwhile, Mark has lost an impressive four stone and turned his 'beer belly' into a ripped six pack.

Speaking of their transformation, he said: "I'd been really unfit for quite a long time, and a couple of years ago I had a vascular issue where the blood flow was restricted to the left hand side of my body and my eye dropped on one side. I did make some changes to my diet at that time, but quickly slipped back into old habits of eating takeaways and drinking wine every night.

"I was generally living an unhealthy life. We both put quite a bit of weight on and we were both unhappy.

"We were arguing all the time, we weren't active. It got to the point that Sarah said 'right, we need to do something about this'."

Sarah adds: "It was a combination of everything, I was not coping with my grief after I lost my dad, and my emotions were all over the place. I was worried about Mark's health and really unhappy at home - we were both miserable, grouchy and we'd take everything out on each other.

"We were just existing. We were in this constant cycle of get up, go to work, get home, have a drink and feel alright for a while but then waking up and feeling sad."

The couple had fallen into the same routine of coming home from work and, being too tired to make a meal, opting for a takeaway instead. While waiting for their food to arrive, the couple would share a bottle of wine - which quickly turned into two or three bottles a night.

Looking back, the couple can't believe they used to splash out £50 to £60 a night on their fast food habit - with the money now going towards their gym sessions instead.

Mark says: "If I gave you access to my Deliveroo account from that time you'd be shocked. I've now deleted the App off my phone as it was just so easy to order a takeaway every night without hardly thinking about it when it already has your card details stored.

"The neighbours joked about the amount of takeaways we used to have - you know it's bad when even the neighbours are commenting. We'd have a takeaway at 7pm, then sometimes be ordering a McDonalds takeaway with desserts at 11pm."

Sarah adds: "I'd hardly eat in the day, and the first thing I'd sometimes be having was wine at night when we got in - then the food later on. We very very rarely cooked at home."

Sarah was first came across UP Fitness on Instagram, watching trainer 'Evil Steve' putting Strictly star Gemma Atkinson through her paces. She knew it was exactly the kind of "tough love" that she and husband Mark needed.

They initially signed up for two workouts a week, but soon added another. Sarah says: "I knew they'd be tough and put you out of your comfort zone, they do push you and that's how you achieve personal best. But they look after you at the same time."

Mark was paired with personal trainer Adam while Sarah was with Joe - and the first thing they needed to address was their takeaway habit. They were encouraged to delete the delivery apps and focus on whole foods and home cooking instead.

Sarah says: "I was actually glad when they said that the takeaways and the wine needed to stop - I needed someone else to say it and now I have that accountability. I can control it now."

Mark, 39, and Sarah, 44 have lost an incredible seven stone between them. (UP Fitness)

Mark adds: "Adam was pretty clear at the outset that changes needed to be made, if you don't listen and don't be honest they can't help. I knew going into that what I needed to change but I just needed help to do it.

"I went in with an open mind but listened to what they said. You've got to be open to change."

Mark, who is 5' 10", had a starting weight of 15 stone 8lbs, but is now a lean 11 stone 7lbs. It took him just six months to drop the 30kg and he had dropped from a 38" waist trousers to a 32". Sarah, who is 5' 7", has gone from her top weight of 11 stone down to 8 stone - and has toned up her whole body in the process. She has gone from wearing a size 12/14 to a size 8.

Mark says: "We both feel absolutely incredible, the change in everything that this has made is absolutely ridiculous. I'm fitter, I look better, I feel better - all that sort of stuff it's been a complete transformation.

"It has completely changed our lives and our relationship. It's rescued it to a certain degree."

Sarah said: "I'm so much more confident. In the past I would always get Mark to come with me to things, but now I do things on my own.

"I never used to drive, but now I've started driving more and I've even had a tattoo. We cook together now, it's like another hobby we've got together."

The couple even celebrated their transformation with a professional photoshoot at the gym - and still can't believe how much their bodies have changed.

The couple are now happier than ever. (UP Fitness)

Sarah says: "Before when we've tried to lose weight, it's almost like you're frightened of food and think you can't eat. But with this it was actually the complete opposite - we weren't putting the right food in, we were having takeaways constantly. Now we have the tools to fuel our bodies."

Mark adds: "For me, before I was living off 3,5000 calories of junk food and low energy, now I'm on 3,500 calories of whole foods - and obviously I'm now healthy and maintaining."

The couple's family and friends have applauded their transformation. Mark says: "The response has been mega, my family are so proud of me for making these changes for my health.

Sarah adds: "At first friends thought there was no way we could go without a drink but we've proved them wrong. Now we still enjoy an occasional drink when we go out."

Mark says: "We don't touch alcohol in the week at all, if we have a drink at the weekend it's just a glass with a meal if we feel like it. We've completely changed the mindset of 'if you're opening a bottle, you might as well drink the whole bottle'."