A mother who weighed 170kg after nearly eating herself to death has shared how she lost more than half her body weight and transformed her life.
Claire Burt from New Zealand developed binge eating disorder at the age of 28 and refused to leave the house because of her appearance.
He couldn’t tie his shoes, so he wore sandals “all year round” and could barely breathe as he walked to his home, which was located on top of a small hill.
It got to the point where I was eating 50 chicken nuggets and two large pizzas in one sitting, and I would have these “mega meals” three or four times a day.
“Sometimes I would faint and not remember eating anything, then I would find crumbs on my cheek,” she told FEMAIL.
“But every time I got up I ate more food.”
The woman, now 31, compared crippling binge eating disorder to “an addiction.”
Desperate to heal, Claire made the decision to undergo gastric sleeve surgery..
Claire Burt from New Zealand developed binge eating disorder at the age of 28 and refused to leave the house because of her appearance.
It got to the point where he was eating 50 chicken nuggets and two large pizzas in one sitting and then binge eating three more times a day.
She is now a happy and healthy mom (pictured today)
On April 28, 2020, he underwent surgery and had 80 percent of his stomach removed, meaning he could no longer consume supersized meals.
In just over 12 months she lost no less than 92 kilos. She then became a mother to her daughter Lulu and is pregnant again.
“Before, I didn’t live, I just existed. I didn’t leave the house because I was embarrassed to go out in public,” she said.
‘I spent my days in bed or eating.
‘I lived in a bubble. I only relied on my closest circle of friends and family to visit me. It was a vicious cycle because the more you get fat, the more depressed your mentality becomes, so you eat more and so it goes on.’
At her peak, Claire could barely perform simple everyday tasks.
“It got to the point where I could barely pull up my underwear or do things for myself. I had lost all hope.”
Claire suffered constant bullying throughout high school, which eventually triggered her eating disorders.
“I was taller than the average kid, so I had to deal with bullying at school. I went from having bulimia to anorexia and then to binge eating,” she said.
“I suffered from eating disorders at both extremes. Binge eating disorder was the most destructive.”
Claire said she was suicidal because of her binge eating and weight gain, and said the surgery was her “salvation.”
After the procedure, she suffered a “rare” complication and almost died because her body rejected the operation and her stomach twisted.
“Before, I didn’t live, I just existed. I didn’t leave the house because I was embarrassed to go out in public,” she said.
At his heaviest, he was suicidal and said weight loss surgery was his “salvation” because it changed the course of his life.
“I couldn’t keep anything down, not even water. I don’t have many memories of it, but I had to go to the hospital. Then I was on fluids for six weeks,” she said.
After recovering, she was able to repair her broken relationship with food and start a new life.
“I started running and going out, socializing and learning to love myself. I basically started living life at 28,” Claire said.
“But it makes me sad to feel like I’ve wasted a big part of my 20s.”
Claire lost weight by running, drastically reducing her food intake, cutting out fast food and eating fruits and vegetables.
“I’d never eaten healthy food before, but now I love it,” she said.
Claire acknowledges that “there are no good or bad foods” and doesn’t count calories because she doesn’t want to obsess too much about what she eats.
“I did everything on my own. I started with my runs, I didn’t focus on a strict diet and I ate everything in moderation,” she said.
“I no longer had a voice in my head obsessing over food and telling me to eat. It went from being a constant voice to silence. It was amazing.”
Their meals are now “super basic” and include fish, chicken and vegetables.
“Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’ve lost weight and I’m not the big girl I used to be,” she said.
Sharing her extraordinary story, Claire, who documents her inspiring weight loss experience on her Instagram page called Life of A Binge Eater, said she wanted to break the stigma surrounding weight loss surgery.
Now the proud mother of her daughter Lulu is expecting a child with her partner Charlie
She met her partner Charlie in 2022 and the couple will soon welcome their second child later this year.
“When I weighed 170kg I was told I would never be able to conceive. It was so heartbreaking because I’d always wanted to be a mum. Now having Lulu and another baby on the way is amazing,” Claire said.
If she could, she would tell her younger self to “not lose hope” and that “the world will be a bright place for you.”
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