'A Place in the Sun' couple lose 12 stone after being shocked by their size on TV
A couple who appeared on A Place In The Sun have undergone a massive transformation, losing almost 12 stone in weight between them after being shocked at their size when they appeared on TV.
Lisa Sanderson, 49 and her husband Paul, 46, were thrilled to have secured a £72,500 three-bedroom bungalow in Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca, but the airing of the Channel 4 show in July 2019 made the couple realise they had to make a change to their diet and.
Lisa says her weight crept up to 17 stone 2lb after enduring five sessions of chemotherapy following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2015.
After getting the all-clear from cancer, the nurse, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, decided she wanted to enjoy life to the full, which included indulging in her favourite foods.
Her husband, Paul, had also seen his weight rise to 16 stone 7lb during the summer of 2019.
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Shocked by their appearance on TV, the determined pair set about transforming their lifestyle by revamping their diet and walking to work.
In just over a year, the couple had lost a combined 12 stone, with Lisa dropping five dress sizes from a size 22 to a size 12, while Paul has slimmed down to 12 stone and now wears M sized clothing, down from XXL.
“Seeing yourself on telly is so different. We knew we had to do something," Lisa says.
“When I finished my chemo treatment we were so into enjoying life we weren’t thinking about that - I was just eating all my favourite food and living.
“We both feel so good now, we feel so much better both physically and mentally.
“This has really changed our lives. We feel healthier than ever.”
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The mother-of-three said her life turned upside down after she was diagnosed with stage 3 neuroendocrine breast cancer in March 2015.
She had two successful operations, five chemotherapy sessions and 23 radiotherapy sessions over the course of six months.
After she beat her cancer she said she just wanted to enjoy herself, but it had an impact on her weight.
The couple said landing their dream home in Spain also provided motivation, as they wanted to be able to enjoy it for many years to come.
The couple joined a Weight Watchers diet plan in November 2019 and would battle each other to see who lost the most weight each month.
Watch: The Keto diet explained.
Before undertaking their healthy regime, Lisa admits to eating "two days worth of food" for dinner each night, but has since cut her daily calories to just 1,200.
Paul, who admits to previously having "no self control" used to consume six packs of Quavers a day as part of a 5,000 calorie a day diet, but has now cut down his daily intake to around 1,500 calories.
“It’s been really great to be able to do this with Lisa, it’s been a competition of sorts but it’s also been brilliant to share this with her," Paul, a security supervisor, explains.
The couple, who have been together for nine years and married for eight, said they can’t wait to start sharing memories and adventures in Spain once they’re allowed to fly.
“Now we’re just waiting to be able to fly to Spain and enjoy our new home and our new figures,” Paul adds.
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Lisa before (3,000 calories a day)
Breakfast
Tiger bread toast with margarine
Lunch
Sandwich or fish and chips
Dinner
Lamb shank which was two days worth of food
Lisa now (1,200 calories a day)
Breakfast
Special K berries
Lunch
Weight Watchers Red Thai curry sticky rice
Dinner
Chicken wings or chicken skewers with peppers and onions
Paul before (5,000 calories a day)
Breakfast
Bacon sarnie, full English
Lunch
Fish and chips
Six pack of Quavers during the day
Dinner
Kebab
Paul now (1,500 calories a day)
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs on Danish toast
Lunch
Weight Watchers meal, like cottage pie or chilly and wedges
Dinner
Chicken breast and salad
Additional reporting SWNS.
