UNABLE to do normal tasks like using the bathroom or taking a few steps down the street, Claire Burt's self-esteem had hit an all-time low.
Tipping the scales at over 26st, she realised that binge eating almost her whole life had left her morbidly obese and plunged her into a deep depression.
It got so bad that at one point, she gained over 3st in just six weeks.
She says: "I was completely done with everything – I had reached the point of no return, both physically and mentally.
"I had lost and gained weight too many times in the last decade than I cared to remember. Each time Iost, I'd regain it again a lot more. I tried every diet, every medication, and every magical weight loss cure.
"Nothing worked. My weight was a constant battle for my entire life and it took its toll on me."
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Claire, from New Zealand, couldn't stand the sight of her own image so much that she cut all contact with the outside world.
But she finally saw a glimmer of hope when she was offered the opportunity to have gastric sleeve surgery in 2020.
Grateful for the life-saving surgery, she now believes if she had not been given the lifeline, she "would have ended up eating" herself to an early grave.
Excruciating pain
Just as Claire believed her fortunes had changed, she was dealt a devastating blow when the coronavirus pandemic caused a total lockdown in New Zealand in March 2020.
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Although she had mentally and physically prepared for the momentous surgery, she received a call informing her that it had been cancelled just two days before it was meant to take place.
Not knowing whether the surgery would ever happen at all, Claire resorted back to her old ways and once again began to binge eat, gaining over 3st in just a matter of six weeks.
She says: "I was in lockdown while going through the emotions of it being cancelled and obviously not having a clue when it would happen so was only able to talk to friends and family via video call.
"They were as supportive as they could be but no one could get me out of the depressive state I was in. That's when I gained that whole 3st in 6 weeks, getting to more than 26st from consuming a lot of food from multiple binges. I would say it was a form of self-harm."
Desperate and in excruciating pain due to her excess weight, she finally received a phone call from doctors in April to inform her that she'd finally be able to have the operation.
"They asked, 'How would you feel about having surgery in five days?' and I said, 'Yes, absolutely, 100 per cent," she says.
Ecstatic yet anxious, she went into the operating room on April 28 for the surgery – when she woke up, she felt like a brand new person.
She says: "As soon as I woke up from the surgery, my brain was at complete peace as if it knew this was going to be a life-changing experience.
"Ever since then, I haven't thought about obsessing over food – not one thought about binging. It's as if my extreme food addiction has completely vanished."
Although she felt better and lighter, her health took a turn for the worse when her body initially rejected the surgery, which had removed 80 per cent of her stomach.
Claire suffered rare complications with her organs shutting down at one point, resulting in two corrective surgeries.
Vicious trolls
When Claire was finally released from the hospital and got back to normal life, she was viciously attacked by online trolls who slammed her and said she had taken the "easy way out" of her ordeal.
Claire doesn't blame them for their ignorant comments, however – she believes it's all down to a lack of compassion and education about obesity and binge eating disorders.
"When people see a big person, they assume they're lazy and overeat, but it's not that simple," she explains.
"When people think of eating disorders, they tend to think of anorexia and bulimia, but binge eating disorder isn't discussed enough."
"When people seek help for binge eating disorder, they're often told there is nothing wrong with them. This is a major problem because binge eating disorder is frighteningly prevalent, yet it's rarely discussed openly and seldom recognised as a condition requiring treatment and support.
What’s the difference between a gastric bypass, band and sleeve?
WEIGHT loss surgery is used to treat people who are dangerously obese.
Most types involve cutting off a section of the stomach so it can't digest as much food at one time.
When coupled with exercise and a healthy diet, weight loss surgery has been found to be effective in dramatically reducing a patient's excess body fat.
Recent research in the United States found that people with gastric bands lose around half of their excess body weight.
Meanwhile gastric bypasses reduce this excess body weight by two thirds post-op.
However, it's not always successful – and patients still need to take responsibility for eating well and working out.
What is the difference between a gastric band, bypass and sleeve?
The three most widely used types of weight loss surgery are:
- Gastric band: Where a band is used to reduce the stomach's size, meaning you will feel full after eating a reduced amount of food
- Gastric bypass: Where your digestive system is re-routed past stomach, so you digest less food and it takes less to make you feel full
- Sleeve gastrectomy: Where some of the stomach is removed, to reduce the amount of food required to make you feel full
"Many people who may be suffering from it have no idea what it is, or how to fix it."
To raise awareness about the condition and help others suffering from it, Claire has now decided to share her experience on her Instagram page, Life of a Binge Eater.
She chronicles the highs and lows of suffering from an eating disorder and shares her post-surgery achievements, including losing over 14st and fitting into clothes she never thought she'd wear again.
"I hope to initiate that conversation and raise awareness about binge eating disorder," she says.
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"By sharing my experience, I hope to save others from years of torture and encourage them to seek help.
"My gastric sleeve surgery was the best thing I could've done for myself, and every milestone I reach is cause for celebration."
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