A couple lost a collective 10 stone after buying a 'his and hers' gastric band surgery package deal holiday to Lithuania for £7,000. 

Glenn and Sophie Harris, aged 38 and 35, from Redditch, weighed a combined 45 stone and were terrified of early death and leaving their kids alone.

They lived on takeaways - indulging in extra large pizzas and curries - but Mr Harris admits he was “worse” than his wife.

Their wake-up call came when Ms Harris realised she wouldn't be able to continue treatment for a pre-existing medical condition unless she dropped the pounds.

So in August last year, they travelled to Vilnius in Lithuania on a 'package deal' which included gastric sleeve operations, flights, hotels, recovery, a handler and even taxis.

Redditch Advertiser: The pair feel much better since the surgery The pair feel much better since the surgery (Image: SWNS)

Mr Harris said: “I started off a lot heavier than my wife but she’s also disabled and couldn’t keep having surgeries while gaining weight.

“We decided we needed to make a drastic change - so started looking into gastric bypass surgeries in Lithuania.”

Mr Harris reckons he was eating around 3,500 calories a day before the procedure and at his peak, he weighed 360lbs while Ms Harris' “all-time high” was 275lbs.

She also suffers from a pre-existing condition called Charcot joint, which causes swelling, inflammation and redness in her left ankle, so the extra pounds were affecting her mobility. 

In just six months Mr Harris has gone from 25st 7lb to 14st 13lb and now wears a 34in waist. 

While Ms Harris, who weighed 19st 6lb is now 13st and 9lb (191lbs) and has gone from a 24 to a size 14-16 clothes.

Mr Harris, an operations manager, said: “The lifestyle change came after we decided we wanted to do more for ourselves and live longer for our kids.

"Now I’ve got loads more energy. We’re still cheering each other on.

“Ever since we had the surgery, we put a couples’ tracking chart on the wall - we sold all our clothes and we go shopping for new outfits together."

Ms Harris added: “We just feel great now. We can do so much more as a couple, feeling like we have the confidence to go to clothes shops and try on new fashions.

“Health-wise it’s been great - we’ve got so much energy.”

A couple of months before the surgeries, the couple began consulting with surgeons in the UK, seeking reassurance they were making the right decision.

They also met with their Lithuanian surgeon on Zoom who recommended a package deal.

Redditch Advertiser: The couple bought a 'package deal' to Lithuania The couple bought a 'package deal' to Lithuania (Image: SWNS)

Ms Harris said: “Obviously, it was nerve-wracking and a very big step. It was something we definitely wanted to do, but we were apprehensive at first.

“Especially going abroad - we were nervous. But we did lots and lots of research, having loads of Zoom calls.”

Mr Harris added: “The diet was very, very samey - after living on just meat before the operations, we were only able to drink half a cup of water a day, for the first two weeks.

“It was really difficult - we weren’t allowed back onto solids until the six-week mark.

“We were on less than 500 calories a day, weighing ourselves daily - it was really, really draining.

“But we were losing about eight pounds a week - you could really see the difference.”