Blog Posts by YourTango.com

Would you change your look after a rough break up?
Many pop culture examples point to the external "breakovers" women engage in following a breakup (e.g. Gwyneth Paltrow's adorable hair chop in Sliding Doors, Britney Spears' infamous shaved head during the rough year that followed her divorce from Kevin Federline). Is there really something to this? Can cutting our hair or buying a new outfit help us get to a place of being "over" an ex?

The results of a recent YourTango survey seem to answer "yes." Of the 1,329 people polled by YourTango between December 21, 2011 and January 9, 2012:

• 64% said they tend to change their appearance after a breakup, with the most common change being weight loss, as 35% said that breaking up motivates them to hit the gym or start a new diet. • 30% said they buy new clothing or makeup after a breakup, and 26% rock a new hairstyle. • Only 7% said they gain weight after a breakup, and 2% are likely to get tattoos after a split. • 84% of respondents agree that breaking up with someone can be a good

A few favorites from our Break Up With Your Ex contest. Can you do better?

There are about as many reasons to break up with one's ex for good as there are exes out there. Sometimes, it's because he's gay (yikes). Other times, it's because you know you can do better-and it's finally time to put that knowledge into action.

Our Break Up With Your Ex campaign is all about encouraging readers to break the ties that are binding them to a past love. If this sounds like you, tell us about it for your chance to win one of 10 awesome prizes, from Hyde Yoga pants to Li-Lac specialty chocolates. From now until midnight of Feb. 12, we're holding a contest where we are asking you to tell us, in 10 words or less, why you need to break up with your ex.

Here are 12 of our favorite entries we've received so far on Facebook, Twitter, and YourTango, ranging from funny to heartfelt.

1. "Because you can't move forward if you're stuck in reverse" -@KayBeeNC

2. "Because he's a chapter in a book I've already read!" -ASHLEEEY_X0

3. "None of them turned into princes when I kissed

Don't Ignore The signs.
You think you've found the perfect person to have a relationship with. Everything he/she does is so touching, especially in the initial stages of the relationship. He/She is so thoughtful, and goes out of the way to ensure that all of your needs are met. There are red flags, tiny ones... but you choose to ignore them, thinking that these are merely your imagination. (ie: the glare you receive when you smile at a waiter... is just one example).

As the relationship progresses, you find yourself altering your behavior to accommodate him, or to please him. Then, as it moves forward, more warning signs start to appear.

When a man really loves you, its easy to recognize.
It's a cliche for a reason…men aren't always best at showing how they feel, even when they're head over heels. Here, 10 ways that men show you their love

1. He Opens Up

Emotional intimacy isn't easy for anyone, so if he's baring his soul to you, it's not because he likes hearing himself talk…alright, not just because he likes hearing himself talk.

2. He Does the Dirty Work

Taking out the garbage and scrubbing the bathroom floor may not seem romantic, but it can be his way of showing you he cares: by helping you out and trying to make your life easier. He's not ironing your work pants because he likes to; he's doing it because he wants to make you happy.

3. He Asks for Your Help

Whether he wants your input on a blowout with his boss, or asks you to tag along and help him pick out a birthday present for his mom, he's asking for your opinion because he respects you and cares what you think, a sure sign he's smitten.

4. He Loves PDA

Alright, sometimes you can do

What do you want in your relationship?

Besides the meaning of life and the ingredients of hot dogs, many a man has questioned "what exactly do women want?" We're not playing coy here, we know we're complex creatures. And, true, we operate on a different wavelength than men. The best example of our gender difference comes from an article we read last year about why men cheat. The most compelling testimony was from a transgender man who'd undergone hormone therapy during his transition. Thanks to testosterone, the man noticed less of an emotional attachment to sex and more of a physical urge to engage, regardless of consequences. Fascinating.

So, we're different. But, women aren't exactly the great mystery that men often make us out to be. The proof? We polled the YourTango Staff and compiled a list of 10 simple things women want. Note: you won't find diamond rings or other fancy things anywhere on this list. While many women really do want luxury goods from men, when you break it down they are just physical

Though engaged, the writer's didn't feel truly

After six tumultuous years of being lovers, worst enemies, exes (three times over), and pseudo-friends who would only catch up occasionally via Facebook, my ex Jack finally cut the cord on our online relationship: he unfriended me on Facebook.

How did this come to be, you ask? I declined an invitation to his upcoming wedding even though we hadn't had more than one real conversation since we had broken up more than two years prior. Why I was invited to the wedding in the first place-which screams all kinds of awkward given our tumultuous past and the fact that both of us have clearly moved on (I'm getting married this summer)-I will never know. And I suppose I will never have the chance to find out, since immediately upon receiving my regrets to the wedding, he kicked our "friendship" to the virtual corner.

Since Facebook came into our lives in 2004, it has morphed itself into our culture in innumerable ways. Facebook also played a critical part in the relationship between me and