A woman has become almost unrecognisable following a breakup – despite being the same weight.
Jade Dulait was with her former fiancé for four-and-a-half years, but found the stress of their frequent arguments had a knock-on effect on her health and looks – with her often appearing “bloated”.
Since ending the relationship late last year, she has been amazed to see the physical effect on her body within a couple of months – looking visibly slimmer, more toned, and with “glowing” skin, despite her weight remaining the same.
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While she has become more active since being single, Jade puts the remarkable change down to the decrease in her cortisol levels.
The highest normal blood cortisol reading for women is 690 nmol/L – Jade’s was reading at 850nmol/L at the time of a routine blood test when she was experiencing issues in her relationship, which her doctor considered “very high”.
“I would wake up feeling exhausted almost every day, regardless of how many hours of sleep I’d had,” Jade, who works in municipal administration for Amsterdam city, told Need To Know.
“I never felt properly rested or refreshed, and would often wake up with a noticeably puffy face.
“At one point, we [my ex and I] actually had quite a regular routine in our relationship, but because we were arguing so often and there were other stressful factors in my life, I felt like my body just wasn’t changing anymore, even when I was trying to lose weight.
“I constantly felt bloated and like I was retaining water.
“My lifestyle also wasn’t always the healthiest.
“My sleeping pattern became irregular and I was drinking quite a lot of alcohol, which I think was one of the biggest factors for me.
“Combined with the amount of stress I was experiencing, I just didn’t feel like myself physically.
“Looking back, I wasn’t taking care of my body in the way I do now.
“Of course my appearance has changed, but the biggest glow-up happened internally.
“I’m still learning, I’m still growing and I’m definitely not perfect, but I’m much more conscious of who I am, what I deserve and the kind of life I want to create for myself.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have to prioritise your own happiness and wellbeing, no matter how much you love another person.
“Loving someone should never mean completely losing yourself in the process.”
Jade was engaged to her former partner for more than a year before it ended in December, following Jade feeling it had become “toxic” due to their arguments that occurred roughly every two weeks and caused her a “great deal of stress”.
Within just two months, she noticed significant changes in her body.
Jade said: “One of the biggest changes was my face – it became noticeably slimmer, but in a healthy way, and my skin started glowing.
“I also gained so much more confidence.
“My appetite became much more stable and balanced, and my body no longer felt constantly bloated.
“I just started feeling much more comfortable and confident in myself, both physically and mentally.
“I became much more active after the breakup and started picking up different hobbies.
“I started dancing, going to the gym, kickboxing and simply walking more.
“Moving my body became something I genuinely enjoyed rather than something I was only doing to lose weight.
“I also started taking my sleep much more seriously.
“Once I had a more consistent sleeping pattern and was properly rested, I had more energy, recovered better and felt like my body was functioning much better overall.”
Ultimately, though, she believes the decrease in her cortisol levels had a direct impact on the changes she was noticing.
The hormone is involved in the body’s stress response, spiking at times of particular hardship – such as when arguing.
When it stays activated for a long period of time, it can have an adverse effect on sleep, energy levels, appetite, and general health.
Jade said: “I actually had my cortisol levels measured, so for me this wasn’t just something I assumed based on social media.
“Looking back, I was dealing with a lot of stress during my relationship.
“After leaving it, I focused much more on myself – sleeping properly, exercising, walking more and doing things I enjoyed.
“I noticed a huge difference not only in my appearance, but in how I felt physically and mentally.”
Despite her newly active lifestyle and change in appearance, Jade’s weight is the same as it was before the breakup – 10st 8lbs (67kg).
She said: “Interestingly, I weigh around the same but physically I look completely different.
“The number on the scale doesn’t necessarily tell you what your body looks like or how healthy or fit you are.
“My body composition has changed significantly.
“I have less body fat, more muscle and I look much leaner and more defined, despite weighing roughly the same.
“So for me, my transformation was never simply about seeing a lower number on the scale.”
Far more importantly, though, is the difference in her mental health.
Jade said: “I feel happier now than I ever have before.
“I feel like I’ve found myself again.
“And for me, that’s been the most important part of this entire transformation – much more than how different I look physically.
“I’m also someone who believes that there’s always something to learn from every situation in life.
“Even from the most difficult experiences, I try to take the lessons and the positive things with me rather than holding on to the negativity.
“This relationship was a chapter of my life that taught me a lot about myself, what I deserve and what I want for my future.
“I don’t want to look back with bitterness.
“I choose to take the positive things and the lessons I’ve learned with me, keep growing and move forward as a happier and stronger version of myself.”
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