TWELVE months ago Elaine Watson was barely able to walk up two flights of stairs but she has now conquered England’s highest mountain.

In just one year the 47-year-old, from Wigton, has lost more than 13 stone - half her old body weight - and has dropped from a size 28 to a size 14.

Elaine has struggled with her weight since she was a child and tried many diets over the years but nothing worked for her.

When she began to get pain in her foot and was told she was pre-diabetic, she turned to Silverlink Clinics in Carlisle.

"It was kind of a last ditched attempt before I tried to get surgery, something like a gastric band. I thought I've got to try something," said Elaine, who works as an environmental health officer for Copeland Council.

"When I was younger I knew I was overweight but I just thought 'well that’s me'.

"Had I known how much more alive I feel I would have done it years ago."

Elaine followed a medically supervised weightloss programme comprising of prescribed nutrition, ultrasound treatment and skin tightening treatment.

While she missed out on her Christmas dinner last year she was motivated when she saw the weight dropping off and was thrilled to be able to reach the summit of Scafell Pike.

She started exercising during lockdown and is now going to G&S Fitness gym in Wigton, where she attends spinning classes and PT sessions.

Elaine said she no longer has to worry about making sure there is a big enough gap when parking her car, or the size of her wet bum print when leaving a sauna. She can now go on rides at theme parks, sit on bar stools and chairs without worry and no longer dreads clothes shopping.

"If I could bottle how much energy I've got now, compared to what I had, I would make a fortune. It's given me a totally different life," she said.

Chris Matthews, CEO of Silverlink Clinic, said Elaine's transformation was "outstanding".

"She is an inspiration to those who think they can't do anything about their weight," he said.