The Revenge Body Is A Real Phenomenon, According To A New Study

When you go through a bad breakup, it’s normal to be heartbroken. You cry, you get angry, and maybe you work your way through a few pints of Ben & Jerry’s. Then you pick yourself up and decide to start working on your revenge body—at least according to a new study.

  1. Nearly 40% of women are inspired to lose weight after a breakup. This is according to a new survey by Treadmillreviews.net of 1,000 people recently out of a relationship. A whopping 39.3% of women were ready to hit the gym and get fit post-split compared to a lower 34.1% of guys. According to 85% of female participants, their main objective was to lose some weight whereas 50% of guys were more about getting buff.
  2. The hard work pays off. The participants reportedly lost about 25 pounds on average after their breakup, while those aiming to beef up gained an average of 11 pounds (presumably of muscle mass). That’s a pretty big accomplishment.
  3. It wasn’t all about weight loss… well, kinda. The female participants were split when it came to their motivations for trying to improve their physical health. While roughly 85% wanted to look and feel better physically, the same amount were hoping for a mental and emotional boost. For guys, their motivation was mostly physical (81.1%) but they still hoped for a bit of post-breakup healing too (78.4%).
  4. Yes, there’s definitely a revenge element. About 35% of women and 25% of men admitted that part of their newfound love of fitness came down to wanting to make their ex-partner jealous. Similarly, 21.4% of women and 36% of men said they hoped that getting fit would help them find another partner more quickly. It’s about more than just looks, people!
  5. Certain breakups lead people to lose more weight. For those who decided to start a fitness journey after ending their relationships, the cause of the split often determined the amount of weight lost, though without much variance. For men, money issues, different priorities, and just plain growing apart were enough to get them motivated after ending things. For women, being cheated on, trust issues, and falling out of love topped the list.
  6. Self-confidence suffers post-split—at least for guys! While 74.9% of men reported feeling confident during a relationship, that number drops pretty drastically post-split to only 55.1%. Interestingly enough, it was women who fared best, with their coupled-up confidence levels at 59.4% and their post-breakup levels at 54.9%.
Piper Ryan is a NYC-based writer and matchmaker who works to bring millennials who are sick of dating apps and the bar scene together in an organic and efficient way. To date, she's paired up more than 120 couples, many of whom have gone on to get married. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Cut, and many more.

In addition to runnnig her own business, Piper is passionate about charity work, advocating for vulnerable women and children in her local area and across the country. She is currently working on her first book, a non-fiction collection of stories focusing on female empowerment.