A new mum who once weighed 170kg after “almost eating herself to death” has revealed how she dropped more than half her body weight in an incredible transformation.
Claire Burt, 31, from New Zealand, was “barely living and only existing” before having life-changing gastric-sleeve surgery.
At 182cm tall and weighing 170kg, Claire confessed she was desperate to save her own life.
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“A binge-eating disorder completely took over my life and I gained so much weight that I could hardly function or even move, which affected me so much mentally,” Claire tells 7Life.
Claire’s body image issues started during childhood.
“I was taller than the average child, so I struggled with bullying. I went from having bulimia to anorexia, and then binge eating,” she explains.
At her heaviest, Claire was bingeing on massive quantities of food such as “two large pizzas and two sides in one sitting”.
“Sometimes it was seven burgers from McDonald’s — I even went as far as eating 50 chicken nuggets in one sitting and then had a burger straight after,” she says.
“I mentally had checked out and didn’t want to be alive, I stopped seeing people and isolated myself and I hardly left my bed.
“It got to the point I couldn’t reach around and wipe my bum properly or clean it, so I had to ask my mother to come around and help me.”
This was the catalyst that made Claire realise it was time to make a drastic change.
Claire wanted her life back and to be healthy, and so made the decision to undergo the transformative surgery.
“I had gastric sleeve surgery which is where they cut 80 per cent of your stomach out — I had rare complications after and almost died,” Claire explains.
“I had to have another surgery to fix what had happened, but thankfully after that it was all up from there.”
Claire shed an impressive 80kg in her first-year post-surgery and has now lost 92kg in total.
“Gastric sleeve surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself and my health — I finally have my life back,” she says.
“I have a whole new relationship with food, which I have never had before the surgery.”
It’s now been four years since Claire had the life-changing surgery but she says the restrictions on food still exist.
“I can only eat small portions at a time. I don’t stop myself from eating anything in particular but obviously have built healthy relationship with food where I know how to stop and also don’t obsess over it,” she says.
Before Claire had surgery, she was told she wouldn’t be able to have children due to her weight.
“I was heartbroken as it was all I have ever wanted; I have wanted to be a mother since I was little,” she says.
“I nannied for 10 years on and off after high school because I loved children and looking after them.”
Having children was one of Claire’s biggest motivators — she now has a nine-month-old daughter, Lulu, and is pregnant with another one on the way.
Claire says the biggest change she experienced after surgery was that she “started living”.
“I started socialising and working again and made memories that I never thought I would experience,” she says.
When she looks at old photos now, Claire realises just how far she has come.
“It makes me sad remembering how sad and lost I was but also so happy with how far I have come and what life I have now,” she says.
When it comes to others struggling with their weight or considering gastric sleeve surgery, Claire’s best advice is to “go for it”.
“The only regret I have is not doing it sooner, it saved my life in so many ways,” she adds.
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