by Merryl Lentz

Created on: February 20, 2013   Last Updated: February 27, 2013

Is the idea of staying home and devouring a pint of chocolate ice cream more enticing than the thought of going out to dinner with your boyfriend? Is the endearing snort that punctuates his laughter now scraping your eardrums like sandpaper? Do your fantasies regularly revolve around any man but him? If so, these and other reasons may be bright red warning flags. They may be signs that you are

falling out of love with your boyfriend.

Most relationships begin with a giddy sense of euphoria. Everything is fresh and new, interesting and exciting. Eventually, that intense feeling wears off, and you ease into a comfort zone of feeling safe, secure, relaxed and able to be yourself. Certain aspects of the relationship become mundane, but this is normal, and something the two of you are committed to working through to strengthen the relationship. However, if the relationship has been feeling awkward, uncomfortable, tense or strained, you may be falling out of love with your boyfriend. Here are some telltale signs that your love for him could be fading.

Your gut is talking to you

Intuition can be a powerful navigation system. Even if you can't put words to it yet, there's a nagging feeling inside you that something is not quite right with your love for your partner. You try to logically reason away this discomfort, but it fights you tooth and nail. It's not going to let you off the hook that easily and allow you to stay in denial. You're falling out of love with your boyfriend, and you need to face that fact.

He irritates you and you lose respect

Everything he does – from watching TV, to talking on the phone with his buddies, to chewing his food – is incredibly irritating to you. Even the mere sight of your boyfriend can jangle your nerves. You used to be awed by his skiing prowess, his cooking skills, his computer aptitude, but now these attributes annoy you and you've lost respect for his abilities. You have so little respect at this point that you no longer ask for his opinion about anything, and you don't hesitate to yell at him, insult him and pick fights with him for the tiniest mistakes, even in public. You can't love someone you don't respect.

The excitement has faded

When you're in love, you light up in your boyfriend's presence or during a conversation with him. If you're falling out of love, you feel bored, restless and agitated around him. You avoid him by searching for ways to stay at work longer, and by going out with your girlfriends

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>