Self-confessed “food addict” Claire would have three Chinese takeaways a week
A mum got the ultimate ‘revenge body’ after looking a whopping 12 stone. Claire Bierton’s weight spiralled after having kids and she would often turn to food for comfort.
The self-confessed “food addict” would spend £70 on three Chinese takeaways a week – tucking into the leftovers for breakfast.
At her biggest, the 36-year-old tipped the scales at 20 stone and was squeezing into size 22 clothing. She struggled with depression and low self-esteem, as well as gastrointestinal problems, fibromyalgia, and difficulty walking, LancsLive reports.
She reached breaking point during the lockdown in 2020 and decided to lose the weight once and for all. Claire began exercising five times a week at home and completely changed her diet.
Once restrictions lifted, the mum-of-four joined her local gym where she developed a passion for exercise and now competes as a bodybuilder.
She looked “unrecognisable” and mum’s 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, 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, from Hertfordshire, “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 was hospitalised in December 2019 after suffering from diarrhoea and extreme stomach pain. Medics at Lister Hospital, Hertfordshire, grew concerned that the mum might have bowel disease.
However, doctors determined that her issues had all been caused by her “poor diet”. Claire explained: “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.”
Determined to change for her children, Claire purchased an exercise bike and followed YouTube workouts five times a week. She also downloaded a fitness app which calculated the macronutrients she’d need every day to lose weight.
Claire said: “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 beat the bulge by turning her addiction to food into an addiction to exercise and healthy eating. Claire 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 competed in eight bodybuilding competitions and is currently training for PCA in Watford in October 2025.
She is also using her experience to launch her new online coaching business “Coached by Claire.”
Claire said: “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.”