Claire Bierton, 36, would spend £70 on three Chinese takeaways a week. However, that all changed in 2020 when she overhauled her lifestyle, leaving her ‘unrecognisable’
A mum has undergone a dramatic transformation, shedding 12 stone and achieving the ultimate ‘revenge body’ after a break-up. Claire Bierton’s weight began to escalate following the birth of her children, often seeking solace in food.
The self-proclaimed “food addict” would splurge £70 on three Chinese takeaways each week, tucking in to leftovers for breakfast. At her heaviest, the 36-year-old weighed in at 20 stone and was forced into size 22 clothing.
She battled with depression, low self-esteem, gastrointestinal issues, fibromyalgia, and mobility difficulties. Claire reached her breaking point during the 2020 lockdown and decided to shed the weight once and for all. She started exercising five times a week at home and completely overhauled her diet.
Once restrictions were lifted, the mother-of-four joined her local gym where she developed a love for exercise and now competes as a bodybuilder. She became “unrecognisable” and other mums at the school gate thought she had undergone weight loss surgery after slimming down to 10st 7lb and a slender size 8-10.
Claire, who is launching her own online coaching business from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, said: “My diet was terrible – I’m surprised I didn’t have diabetes. My local Chinese knew my order, I would over order so that I’d have enough for dinner and then breakfast the next day.
“I was so unhappy and became really ill, and I knew I needed to change for my kids. It was like a switch, one day I just decided that I had to change. It was hard, but it’s changed my life. It makes me emotional to think about how far I’ve come.”
Claire “never” had “issues” with food growing up, but noticed the weight start to pile on after having her four children aged 16, 15, 11 and nine. She would indulge in weekly takeaways and cook herself a full English fry-up every morning “without fail”.
She would even wake up in the middle of the night to binge on chocolate and crisps – calling her eating habits “out of control”. Claire said: “The weight piled on and I barely recognised myself. I felt unhappy in my relationship and turned to food for comfort. My joints were agony and I could barely walk around.”
Claire found herself hospitalised in December 2019, battling severe diarrhoea and extreme stomach pain. Initially, doctors at Lister Hospital in Hertfordshire worried she might be dealing with a bowel disease, but it soon became clear that her “poor diet” was to blame for her health woes.
Describing the harrowing experience, Claire said: “I couldn’t stop going to the toilet and became so dehydrated I thought I was going to pass out. I was in so much pain and had to go to hospital, and I thought I might not see my kids again.”
Claire, a determined mother, decided to make a change for her children. She bought an exercise bike and started following YouTube workouts five times a week. She also downloaded a fitness app that calculated the macronutrients she needed daily to lose weight. Claire shared: “All the gyms were closed, so I found a cheap exercise bike on eBay and started doing home workouts.
“I’d get up early before homeschooling the kids to do a workout. “I knew that if I was going to lose weight, I’d also need to tone up the excess skin, so I ordered some weights and implemented that into my routine.”
Claire managed to shed the pounds by replacing her food addiction with a love for exercise and healthy eating. She explained: “If there’s any stress in my life, I go to the gym and it gives me peace.
“Some people said I was obsessed, and I lost friends because my whole lifestyle changed. I had to make a lot of sacrifices. But I’ve made lots of new friends at the gym and I’ve never felt better.”
Claire has participated in eight bodybuilding competitions and is currently preparing for PCA in Watford in October 2025. She is also using her experience to launch her new online coaching business Coached by Claire.
Claire added: “My eldest daughter came to my first show, and it was really emotional to have her there. She’s seen me go through a lot, not just the weight loss. I want to set a good example to my kids – we have better food in the house and they’re learning healthy eating habits.
“I’ve been studying nutrition and I’m going to be launching my own coaching business soon. I’ve met so many inspiring women, and now I want to use my story to help others.”
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