A MUM-of-one has lost an amazing 10st in a year after being told her weight was stopping her from being able to have a knee operation.

Lisa Ellison, of Clifford Street, Leigh, weighed more than 22st and had been diagnosed with requiring knee surgery following osteoarthritis and cartilage problems before joining the Slimming World group based at Kingsleigh Methodist Church last January.

The 47-year-old medical secretary has since won a Slimming World award for shedding nearly half her body weight.

Lisa, who now hits the scales at a little over 12st, said: “Before losing the weight I had stopped going out as I felt people were looking at me all the time.

“Now I feel really good about myself and have come out of my shell a lot since joining the club.

“I have made a lot of friends in the group who are really nice and have given me tips and encouragement along the way, supporting me through good and bad times.

“As well as my knee problems I suffer with high blood pressure, which has also improved considerably since I have lost weight.

“For anyone thinking of joining a slimming club I would tell them not to feel embarrassed and that lots of help is given to keep them focused.

“It makes you feel great when you see the results.”

Her Slimming World group's consultant Sarah Cargill, who started the role on the same day that Lisa joined, said: “Losing that much weight in a year is an amazing achievement.

“It just goes to show what you can do if you have grit and determination like Lisa.

“She was a quiet woman sat at the back of the room when she first started but has blossomed into a confident person who is an inspiration to everyone in the class.”

Lisa says that the pain in her knee has reduced significantly following her mammoth weight loss.

As a result she is now planning to put knee surgery on hold until she is eligible for a knee replacement operation in her 50s.

She combines eating healthily with the help of Slimming World with swimming three to four times a week and still has another stone to shed before achieving her target weight.