BETTER TO DATE UP OR DATE DOWN HOW TO

It's everyone's default status, after all. It's all too easy to work yourself up over crafting the perfect answer when really, being single isn't some terrible affliction in need of explanation. 'So, why are you single?' is high on the list of date questions that double as minefields. Of course it's smart to use attractive photos, but they're going to see you anyway. 'We had a torturous three-hour dinner where he didn’t talk to me but kept ordering more food,' she says. She realized that may have been a mistake when Date Nine looked her up and down then frowned, very clearly surprised by what he saw. At first she'd included an admittedly awesome photo of herself on her online dating profile, but it wasn't 100 percent representative. 'I'm a size 16, so I was always nervous to represent myself as me,' says Newman. This is technically something you do before the first date, but it can definitely inform how well it goes. Use realistic photos if you're online dating. Here, she explains 16 different things she learned in the 10 years of dating it took before she met her partner, Dave, in February 2013.

BETTER TO DATE UP OR DATE DOWN HOW TO

As a dating expert and author of 121 First Dates: How to Succeed at Online Dating, Fall in Love, and Live Happily Ever After (Really!), out on January 12, Newman has been in just about every first-date situation imaginable, from meeting someone who drastically lied about his age to getting that tingly feeling that something magical was about to happen.

Imagine going on 121 dates before stumbling upon the person you wanted to spend forever with, and you have a glimpse of Wendy Newman's life.

Better to date up or date down