Here’s a Pro Tip for all you online daters out there: In addition to having multiple, clear pictures of yourself on your online dating profile, consider setting up a Linkedin/Facebook page as well.

I am probably the only person on the face of the planet who does not have a Facebook account. Frankly, I find it to be a complete waste of time. About 6 years ago, I had a Myspace page and found myself logging onto it more than I should at work. I spent on average 1 hour a day messing around with Myspace. Be that as it may, there are millions of other people who don’t share my viewpoints on these social sites and utilize these sites on a daily basis. I read a study that showed that the internet search traffic was being dominated by such sites as Twitter, Facebook (and to some lesser degree, Myspace).

So what does having a Facebook/Linkedin page have to do with increasing your chances of success in your online dating endeavors?

It gives the other person whom you are talking to a chance to get to know you a little better. With privacy as it is in this day and age, anyone can create an online dating profile. While maybe only 1 or 2 people out of 1000 would lie on their profile, people (especially women) are a bit wary of furthering communication with someone who has a limited profile to look at. With a Facebook/Linkedin/etc page up, your potential date might be more apt to agree to meet you in real life (after they can get a brief glimpse into your lifestyle by checking your pages out).

If you are considering going out on a date with someone you met in an online dating site, you probably already know to Google their email address, screen name and any other tidbits of information you can get out of them. Most of the time it will produce nothing more than their eBay feedback or perhaps their likes and dislikes with regards to music and movies. Other times it can produce information that might raise a red flag. A friend of mine met a guy in an online dating site. They chatted via email for about a week then made plans to meet up. Prior to going out on the date with the guy, she plugged his email address into Google: guysemailaddress@gmail.com. Nothing of much interest was found. Then she just took the part of his email address (before the “@gmail.com, which in this example is “guysemailaddress”) and popped it into Google. Apparently this guy was a member of a sex forum and he had made more than a few posts explaining his particular fetishes in life. That was all she needed to cancel the date with the guy and never talk to him again.

It’s a pretty safe bet that your potential date will Google any information they have on you prior to going out on a date. It’s not that they are nosey, but rather you are a stranger and they are only trying to protect themselves (and rightfully so). So give them something to Google about. Create a Facebook page. There are a good percentage of people out there who have a Facebook page and are over the age of 30. Facebook just isn’t for the teeny boppers anymore. If you still find the whole Facebook thing to be a bit much, then create a Linkedin profile. Linkedin is a business networking site, kind of like Facebook, but without all the advertisements/sensationalistic content. Even if your potential date doesn’t know how to Google your personal information (or is a bit new to online dating), you can always send them your Facebook/Linkedin address so they can get to know you a little better. Just be sure that you don’t post any risque pictures or make any questionable comments/posts as that will be visible as well.

There is a growing movement amongst females over the age of 30 who are particularly concerned about online dating safety. If you have nothing to hide, then why not show a little bit more about yourself online? You don’t have to include your life story, but put up a few pictures of your last vacation, add some of your friends on Facebook or make a list of your favorite movies. Anything to show that you are a live human being of interest, and not some scammer/weirdo/pervert who is just out for a one night stand.

A recent study came out from the University of Kansas that suggested that men who are more apt to tell the truth (25 year old guy making 90k a year?) come from the online dating sites that are geared more towards relationships like eharmony.com and Chemistry.com.

Professor Jeffrey Hall of the University of Kansas found that out of the 5000 users of an undisclosed online dating site, most responded that they tell the truth in their profiles. The ones who reported that they lied are generally the “people pleaser” types. These types of people can quickly figure out what other people like and use that to their advantage to gain social acceptance and in more extreme cases, manipulate others.

According to the study, men indicated that they were more willing to lie than women were in cases of finance, education and looks. The women who reported that they would be willing to lie, almost always did so about their weight. The same types of people that lied online were also the types that would do it face to face. Professor Hall indicated that for the “high end” online dating sites, people generally tended to lie less because they were anticipating an in person meeting and knew that the lie(s) would come out almost immediately.

Going off of personal experience, I find that people who only have 1 picture of themselves up on their online dating profile (usually taken at a weird or extreme angle) are more apt to be lying about something, or not disclosing the entire truth. Whenever I meet someone new in an online dating site (outside of eHarmony and/or Chemistry.com) I do a 3 step process prior to even considering meeting them for a date in real life:

1. Lengthy email exchange.

In this day and age, we tend to keep our communications short and sweet. With online dating, you have to realize you are getting to know a random stranger. True they may be one a total hottie, but you need to investigate further. I keep my email exchanges to about 4-5 times back and forth.

2. Instant message communication.

If no red flags pop up on the email exchange, I suggest we then take it to Yahoo Instant Messenger or AOL chat. Both chat messengers offer free downloads of their chat services and it costs nothing to use them. Since I work long hours, I usually pick 9pm on a Saturday night to meet up for a chat.

3. Phone call.

Not everyone likes to chit chat over the phone, but a phone call is a MUST prior to meeting someone in real life. If they fooled you via their personality profile, and they fooled you via the email and they fooled you via the instant message…..unless they are a sociopathic crazy, the “phone” will reveal a good deal about what their intentions are. You can tell a lot about a person from the way they talk, and the subtle inflictions in the tone of their voices.

Even after all of the above has been accomplished, and I’m somewhat satisfied I’m not going to be meeting Charles Manson at the local coffee shop for a date….I still keep my guard up for the first few dates.

What about you guys? Have any one of you ever been lied to, or caught one of your potential dates in a lie?

I have compiled an FAQ on the Medifast Diet Program.

“Why is an online dating site giving out information about dieting?”

Dieting and dating and looking your best go hand in hand. You have to put your best foot forward when entering into the dating market. Medifast is a doctor approved diet program and does not consist of any of the fads or trick diets out there. It is simply eating the right kinds of food in the right portions. To my knowledge, Medifast is the only diet program out there that allows for the usage of coupon codes and you can find those medifast codes here.

What is the Medifast Diet?

Medifast is a portion-controlled, nutritionally balanced, low-fat, and clinically proven program where you lose faster and more effectively than other diet plans. You eat every 2-3 hours and pick from a variety of meals. The meals come in individual packets that you mix with water and microwave or refrigerate. The meals are quick and easy to make for the person with a busy lifestyle.
What makes the Medifast weight-loss program special?

Medifast is an effective and healthy weight-loss program, especially when you compare it to other diet plans that are out there. You need to think of Medifast as a lifestyle change, not just a way to get the weight off. It’s a portion controlled, low-calorie program that leads to faster weight loss than most other diets. Medifast is special because you can get the quick weight loss that you want in a short amount of time and it’s nutritionally balanced. Medifast has different programs to meet the needs of nursing moms, seniors, teens, and people with diabetes or gout.

What is the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan?

The Medifast 5 & 1 Plan includes 5 nutritionally balanced, portion-controlled Medifast Meals plus one Lean & Green Meal each day. You can always contact a Medifast coach for more information.

What is a Medifast Meal?

A Medifast meal contains protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients. The Medifast meals that are offered are shakes, soups, stew, chili, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fruit drinks, iced teas, hot drinks, bars, puddings, brownies, pretzel sticks, and cheese puffs. There are a few Medifast snacks that you are allowed to have once a day if needed that includes soy crisps and crackers.
What is a Lean & Green Meal?

The LEAN portion of the Lean & Green Meal includes 5, 6 or 7 ounce portion of cooked lean protein or meatless protein. The GREEN portion of the Lean & Green Meal includes 3 servings of low- carbohydrates/non-starchy vegetables. Each serving of vegetables will be either 1/2 cup or 1 cup depending on the vegetable(s) you choose; choose any 3 vegetable servings to make up the full Green portion of your Lean & Green Meal.

How much water do I need to drink a day?

You need to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day.

How much does Medifast cost?

Medifast costs about $11/day or you can take advantage of the Variety Packages which will be a little less expensive. Most people find that the price for Medifast is comparable to what they are already spending on food between the grocery store and going out to eat.

What is the average weight loss amount per week?

Most people lose an average weight of up to 2-5 lbs per week with Medifast. Make sure you take measurements and take notice to how your clothes are feeling because the scale is not the only way to check your weight loss. Everyone one is different so individual results may vary. There are many factors that contribute to how much weight you are losing a week that include your starting weight, targeted weight-loss goal, level of exercise, presence of medical conditions, use of medications, accuracy with diet compliance, etc. As with most diets, it is very important that you consult with your physician before starting the program.

I just wanted to give a small tip to the women out there who find themselves attracting men who only want sex and not a relationship:

If you are looking for a quality relationship, you have to lower your standards and stop being so shallow.

Now I realize that not all women are like this. There are however a good portion of women out there (online dating sites, anyone?) who would rather date a mindless hunk, than a guy that has a lot of things in common with her and has act together in life. Women like this then wind up complaining to their girlfriends how a good man is hard to find.

The problem here (from a guy’s perspective) is very simple:

You have a “cute” (but not “hot”) looking girl who is trying to date out of her league. Most “hot” guys out there can pretty much get any girl they want….so what makes you think you are so special? Shallowness is a two way street, and once the hunk gets tired of you or a prettier and much skinnier girl comes along…..he’s out the front door in a heartbeat. These types of guys are only after one thing. You might be lucky enough to shackle them down for a few months (even luckier if you make a year) but when he walks out on you for no reason at all, you have just been burned by the game you have been playing.

If a girl is so shallow that she bases her dating choices solely upon looks….then chances are a dead skunk in the middle of the road has a better personality than she does.

So to all the “cute” (but not “Perfect 10″) women out there who are tired of meeting guys who only want sex, LOWER YOUR STANDARDS. This doesn’t mean walk down to your local homeless shelter and start dating. Does the guy HAVE to have a 6 pack? Does he HAVE to have huge muscles? Does your ideal man HAVE to have the perfect body? Chances are an emphatic “no”. Now for women who are in their early 20’s, this may not hold as much weight as it does for women who are in the late 20’s to mid 30’s. If you haven’t noticed lately, by the time you hit 30, your looks aren’t getting any hotter. The older you get, the less successful you will be at playing the “I’m waiting for my Brad Pitt hunk to carry me off on his white horse” game. Chances are that once you hit 35, you will be scrambling to find anything out there that is willing to even look at you.

If you simply cannot get past the way a guy looks, try dating men who are on the same “level” of attractiveness that you are. Then out of those guys, pick the one whom you have the most in common with.

Otherwise, enjoy being a life-time member of the online dating services.