Claire Corcoran has struggled with her weight for all of her adult life.
The Dublin native, who now lives in Meath, had tried everything to shift the weight but nothing worked for her in the long term.
Now, she is over 12 stone down and feels happier and healthier than ever.
Read more: Cork mum Karina has dropped eight stone and feels fitter, happier and more confident
Speaking to RSVP Live, she said: "I have been overweight for all of my adult life, basically.
"I have tried so many things before to lose weight, and I have lost weight previously, but regained it again. I was always under the impression that I could lose weight again, but it took me a while to realise that surgery really was my only option."
Because of her struggles to keep weight off long term, it became clear to Claire that a gastric bypass was the best route to go down to her. After being overweight for so long, she wanted to become healthier for her family so that she wasn't missing out on anything or holding herself back.
"I have a daughter and she's eight, and I felt like I was missing out on a lot and she was missing out as well because of my weight," said Claire.
After making the decision about getting weight loss surgery, Claire's main focus was preparing herself mentally for the experience. It went smoothly and now she is around 12 and a half stone down.
"I can't even compare how different my life is," she said. "There was stuff that I didn't even realise I was being held back from, it's only now that I'm so much more active and so much more confident that I see it.
"It's amazing being able to just walk into a shop and pick clothes up and not having to worry where to get it or just buying something because it fits even if I don't like it. It's completely changed everything."
Claire has an Instagram where she shared updates on her weight loss journey, which you can follow here.
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