Hi my fellow Lemmy users! It’s been a while since I used this platform and boy did I actually miss you all ❤️
It’s just that I’ve been more so focusing on myself in my career and in my own education. So I graduated back in June and man it sure does feel like a lifetime ago already. Settled in a good paying job and still trying to improve myself wherever I can.
This brings us to the question that I wanted to ask everyone here. As I’ve been very focused on academics and career stuff I never had the opportunity to date and I’ve been rejected very frequently (which is to be expected as a man tbh). I haven’t been able to lose weight and that I’m 25 years old.
I know that’s still pretty young but I still feel so behind on dating tbh. Is it still too late for me to find someone I want to be with after I’ve lost weight? Does losing weight help for men as it does for women? I’ve been trying to join meetups, volunteering (just to meet new people tbh) and really put myself out there. It’s just idk like all my friends are committed and I’m just floating around life whilst focusing on my career.
...why would it be too late for you to date? People want companionship throughout their lives....
Thanks for responding to my post! It’s just that, I come from an immigrant background and I never really had the chance to date tbh. It’s just my thinking is that the longer it’ll take to find someone the more likely I’ll be seen as a walking red flag. Sure I’ll hopefully be in a good position career wise, great social life but never having had dated anyone isn’t a good look. It’s just in my experience a lot of people brushed me off cause of that so it just makes me feel trapped I guess. That’s why I felt that it’ll be too late.
Just stay away from all dating advice for men, be honest, learn to care about other people if you don't already, and you'll be fine.
You’re still really young.
First, getting an education and getting a career going is a great start. It shows a level of maturity and that your life is moving in a positive direction. That’s a big plus.
Second, you mention that you’re from an immigrant culture. That might be skewing how you perceive the age vs relationship factor. In the US, it varies widely by socioeconomic class and geography, but just starting to get out there at 25 isn’t that unusual and shouldn’t raise a lot of red flags. I wouldn’t lead with it as an intro statement, but if it comes up naturally after a few dates with the same person, they’ll have the context to understand rather than rush to judgment.
Getting in shape generally only helps - it’s also a signal indicating that you have your life on the right track and do self care - but charisma isn’t all about weight or even appearance. You should be able to talk great, listen great, or both.
I agree, it is definitely skewing how I perceive the age vs relationship when I see a lot of people who've been in relationships multiple times before they hit 25 when I moved to the US when I was like 19. Other things that could be skewing how I perceive is how I think I look which is another reason why I am trying to lose weight as well. Thank you for your reply tho, I really appreciate it.
I am 25
Lmao. That's literally the age humans stop maturing.
You're in your theoretical prime.
Now's the time to make it happen if anything. You can be and do whatever you make of yourself.
Here is a shitty little secret: as long as you are clean and look clean your physical appearance isn't the problem.
You either haven't had time to interact with enough people to find someone compatible, you dont know how to treat the people you're interested in dating like they're normal people, or you don't have the spaces to meet people in.
For me its the latter cause its hard to find like-minded people and to keep it going. Life is already hard for a lotta people so friendships suffer so does dating as well cause that's the easiest as people would let it take the backseat.
No. 25 is very young.
Dating can be difficult and lots of people screw it up. That's okay. Being bad at something is the first step towards being okay at something.
Remember to ask questions when you go on dates. It's a common mistake for people to just talk about themselves. Try to ask the other person open ended questions, and engage with whatever they're talking about. So if they say like "I went to Storm King this weekend" you can say like "Oh storm king is lovely! My favorite is the sculpture of the moving pipes that spin but never touch. What's your favorite part?" Don't go off on a monologue. Don't just change the topic to something you want to talk about. It's like a game of catch. Throw the ball back.
Also weight isn't the most important thing. Unless you're like so overweight it's a medical problem, there are people out there who will be into you. If you want to lose weight (or get fit, an arguably better goal) then you should do it for yourself.
Also rejection is to be expected. Don't let it get to you.
If you use an app like tinder, you're going to get way more misses than hits. That's fine. Focus on the hits and let the misses fade from memory.
Losing weight will only really help your self esteem (probably your health in general which can be appealing to others as well). You're putting yourself out there which is important, try not to make everything you do a search for a potential romance though lol.
25 is very young to think you'll never meet someone. Doctors and Lawyers can take a while to get to finish school so you're not exactly alone. If you're awkward at 25 it's not a big deal tbh, don't sweat being the only single guy in your friend group. I'm sure there's a few guys you know in committed relationships who may wish to trade places with you
I've started dating a bit late and let me tell you: you can't really be behind. Yeah, there's some generic interpersonal experience you get from dating, but that maxes out at like, 3 months of dating. So I'd put someone who's dated for 3 months and someone who's dated for like 6 years at basically the same point experience wise, if they're both put into a situation where they're back on the dating market after it.
You do build personal rapport with a person during a relationship, but people start and stop those all the time - everyone's on a different schedule, you can't really compare yourself to that.
Oh, and on the weight loss point - don't sweat it!! Being chubby is way less of a dealbreaker when you're a guy. And the people who do mind aren't people you should be giving a chance to anyways 🤷
No it's not too late, you're only 25, that's pretty young. Yes other people have started dating much younger, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter much. Focusing on yourself and your career and education can be attractive to others, so don't worry about having "wasted time" or anything. Losing weight if you're overweight helps, same with gaining weight if you're underweight. Just be sure that the primary focus is health and ignore all the unrealistic body standards in movies and on social media. You're doing well to put yourself out there, don't worry about your friends, I'm sure you'll find someone single that wants to have a relationship soon. You seem to be on the right track, so don't worry. Avoid all the weird dating advice on the internet, it's not helpful.
It's actually a great age to date. Improve yourself just for the sake of your own health and you'll do fine.
I had some friends who got married and started their family at 40 years old. You're fine.
You're only 25, of course you will date. Weight loss is not a barrier to meet people, but if you want to work on that, intermittent fasting works well with many people.
At 25 its when my fun started. It wasn't even planned, we were supposed to have a drink off. Queue 4 years of relationship.
Nope. Objectively, I don't think it's too late at any point.
Subjectively... let's just say this post and the comments have been pretty helpful to me as well. (Yes, the post as well.)
(which is to be expected as a man tbh)
Well, there's your problem right there. You go in expecting to be rejected and it's probably going to happen. It's cliche but true, be confident, don't be desperate, just be present. Talk to women like they're men, they're really not any different. Don't go into it looking for a relationship, just go into these things to meet new people and see what happens.
Society and social groups will convince you there's a "right time" for everything. There isn't. We all find our own path, there's no right or wrong way about it.
My only real advice to you is to meet as many girls as humanly possible and do not lower your standards for anyone, no matter how pretty they are.
The only way to be "behind" on dating is to not work on yourself. Sounds like you've been doing a lot for yourself, with your career and losing weight and all. Don't forget therapy. There is nothing more attractive to a girl than just being in a good spot mentally, socially, and physically. Seriously, the bar for men is at ankle height! Most guys don't work on themselves and go through life as a shambling pile of red flags, and then girls settle for that.
When my fiancée first met me, I was living in my parent's basement and biking to work every day because I didn’t have a car. But I had a clear idea of who I was and what I wanted to be, and I was working towards my short-term goal of buying a new car. Somehow that was enough to be an amazing once-in-a-lifetime catch for her. You are way better off than I was, and even I was able to catch a girl that is better than anything I could have hoped for. (At this point in my life, my list of "what the perfect girl looks like" had gotten so long that I had given up on finding someone who fit even most of them, then she walks in and I realize she checked every box on that list, even the childish stuff like having the biggest boobs I've seen in person and having all the same hobbies as me) Point is, don't ever think you aren't worth it. I got my dream girl while living in my parent's basement with no car and no career; if my loser ass can do it, you can too. Have faith in yourself.
On a side note, I think what's making things feel harder is how much more difficult dating is when you aren't going to school. I would recommend getting involved in irl hobbies and keeping your eyes open. That way you are more likely to meet girls who have hobbies in common with you.
