Thin is not in when it comes to dating, according to a poll taken by members of three online dating sites.

Dinner for two/Ryn Gargulinski

A hefty (excuse the pun) 85 percent of single guys said they simply adore heavier women.

Eighty percent of the men polled said the larger gals appreciate the attention more and are not as bitchy as their pin-thin counterparts; 69 percent of the guys said it’s what inside that matters; 54 percent said heavier women are better in bed; 13 percent said the rounder gals have more fun and 35 percent agreed with all of the above.

Nearly 80 percent of the guys said obese was OK, as long as he loved her.

On the flipside, 90 percent of women thought guys would find overweight women unattractive. Judging by the poll, they were way off the scale.

Go figure, pun definitely intended.

And the ladies, too, don’t mind if a guy has a few pounds to lose.

Nearly 88 percent of women polled said they feel protected by a bigger guy and “Yes, I love a teddy bear;” 74 percent said it would depend on how overweight he was but he better be healthy rather than a couch potato; and 30 percent of women wanted a guy who was fit and totally in shape.

We are not sure why the numbers don’t add up to 100 percent, unless folks were allowed to respond to more than one answer.

The sites that conducted the polls were Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com, and results were posted by parent company Avalanche, LLC.

What do you think?

Do prefer your date thin, muscular and fit or don’t you mind some extra pounds?

How many extra pounds are TOO many extra?

Tucson is full of single guys – but our fair city was stuck at No. 17 on a list of 36 when it comes to meeting them, according to a report in The Daily Beast.

Who said you can't find a "good catch" in Tucson?/Ryn Garguilnski

That put us above Detroit, but below San Francisco. We are soaring above last place El Paso but far removed from first place Atlanta.

The report rated cities of 500,000 or more based on the percentage of single men who were deemed a “good catch” with a four-year college degree and the number of places to meet them. So it factored in the number of gyms.

Being No. 17, which is nearly smack dab in the middle, is none too awful. Except Tucson was ranked right below Milwaukee. Jeffrey Dahmer prowled Milwaukee.

That doesn’t say much for Tucson.

On the plus side, the report did call Tucson “the quirkier Arizona metropolis,” which is a definite compliment, and noted a few other points:

Beast Analysis: Tucson….offers great Mexican food and Old West charm. Though there are plenty of single men here, this perennially sunny city may not be the hottest spot to find a date. The social scene outside of the University of Arizona campus is wanting, and U of A’s party-school reputation may not be far off the mark. According to our numbers, Tucson ranks low in education. Click here for Tucson’s slide show page.

And it also quoted a very fun dating blogger:

What the Locals Say: “Dating in Tucson is a total crapshoot. I’ve met everyone from self-absorbed political types to videogame-playing 40 year olds with moody artists and kooky archeologists in between.”—Ryn Gargulinski, blogger

I’ve definitely had more trouble with guys I dated in New Mexico and New York than I have in Tucson. Both places ranked below Tucson, with Albuquerque barely above the bottom at No. 31 and New York City clocking in at a paltry No. 24.

So far no dates from Tucson have stalked me or drained my bank account (knock wood). And I have yet to meet a guy like those in Milwaukee who may behead us and stick us in a freezer.

What do you think?

Where would you rate Tucson for meeting single guys – or gals? Why?

Where were your worst dating experiences?

Some of us will go to great lengths to find that perfect someone – but is $10,000 too great a length?

You could get a date if you traded in these baubles/Ryn Gargulinski

A New York City woman named Orli Ross doesn’t think so.

This pharmaceutical rep, age 33, said she spent the last two years saving up the dough to buy the services of two high-priced matchmakers, according to a report on the ABC news website.

Her “purchase” is three blind dates with eligible, ready-to-marry bachelors.

“I really want to be in a great relationship,” the report quoted Ross as saying. “I want a husband, I’d like a family. I really feel I’ve done everything that I could possibly do up to this point. So, why not?”

While the story did not say if she would get a refund if none of the dudes worked out, we highly doubt it.

Whatever happened to those freebie matchmakers like in Fiddler on the Roof? Better yet, whatever happened to singles socials or supermarkets or even online dating for free or at a considerably lower cost?

This also reeks of desperation, kind of like a mail order bride. But we don’t know why this woman would be desperate. It’s not like she’s 104 years old and has to find a husband in the next hour or so. The site also showed her photo – no, she does not have six eyes, three mouths or two heads.

Perhaps she is just lazy – or shy. Or thinks money can, in fact, buy love.

What do you think?

Is paying $10,000 for a chance at three dates ridiculous or a fine idea?

Would you do it?

What’s the greatest lengths you went to in order to meet someone?

We all know the signs of someone who is NOT into you – he’ll never return your text messages, always has to run off to something like a family funeral whenever you see him in public, and once called you Brenda when your name is really Jan.

Photo and paint job by Ryn Gargulinski (note orb above second window from left)

On the flipside, there’s a whole host of ways to tell if a guy really digs you –and here are just a few of them:

He lets you paint his walls with some kooky design. Reverse tiger stripe? Bohemian jungle?

Whatever it is, he was freaking out halfway through the paint job when he saw me hurling and splattering colors all over his room with saturated sea sponges.

Thankfully he survived the freak-out and has been since thanking me daily for this real cool design…now just wait until we do the bone murals on the other walls…

He tries things you like, even if he’s never tasted curry. Indian food, meditation, yoga, poetry readings, you name it. If a guy is into you, he’ll respect the things you do and maybe even give them a shot. Full disclosure: I’ve yet to drag him to a poetry reading.

He can read your moods – and knows when to run. Guys that are paying attention in their very fond way will instantly know when you are cranky, angry or in desperate need of an afternoon nap. He’ll then give you space to fulfill that need.

Photo and paint job by Ryn Gargulinski

He’ll sacrifice football. Yes, NFL season has officially begun and my guy and I still spent much of the weekend in each other’s company. It may change once the season gets into fuller gear, but I’ll enjoy it while I can. Since I don’t watch TV, or don’t even get any TV stations, I’ve gotten guff in the past from folks who start jonesing for football, soap operas or commercial jingles that sing about chewing gum. I am wondering, however, why my beau no longer wants to hang out on Monday nights (haha)….

What do you think?

What are some signs that a guy – or gal – is really into you?

What are some ways you show your own affection?

What is the biggest sacrifice you ever made for someone or someone made for you? Did it involve Monday Night Football?

Singles bars aren’t your only choice when it comes to meeting Mr. or Miss Right.

Jail cells are not ideal places to find Mr. or Miss Right/Ryn Gargulinski

In fact, some of those places may seem more like meat markets that can land you with a Mr. or Miss Really Wrong.

Some relationships blossom from friendships.

Others are the product of a chance meeting when you least expect it – like saying “Hi” to that cute guy or gal at a coffee shop or hot dog stand.

Work has increasingly become a place of romance, as more people are working longer hours and don’t really go anywhere else.

Some companies are also becoming less stringent on their dating rules. I recently worked in a place that had at least three married couples on board, all of whom had met at work.

But there also strategic places outside of work or chance happenings where you can be on the lookout for a potential date.

Following your passions, be it taking an art class or hanging out at javelina hunting lectures, will put you in the same room with others who share your interests. Some of those others may be single.

Following your survival instinct, that is, the need to eat, will put you at the supermarket. Other single folks need to eat, too. Note: please check out their cart to make sure they are not buying food for two before you make your move.

Following your heart is another option. If you volunteer for a good cause or attend events that support something about which you feel strongly, you may run into others with that same love of the cause. The love of the cause could extend to love of each other.

Where I’ve met cool people:
Internet
Poetry readings
Festivals and events
Dog parks and animal activity places

Where I’ve met creepy people:
Internet
Through mutual acquaintances (not friends, acquaintances)
When I used to write “Personal of the Week” for personal ads (I would call to interview them and, although not all were creepy, the creepy ones with names like “Sizzle Boy” would inevitably ask me out)
Courthouses

Where to meet cool yet creepy people or creepy people who may be kind of cool:
Internet
Midnight showing of Rocky Horror
Political rallies

My current beau and I first met online and then got to know each other through friendly e-mails before we even did that first date thing. Since we had shared our common interests before the date, we knew we’d both enjoy that terrific first date we had hunting bones and moseying through dilapidated houses and an ancient cemetery.

Once again, thanks to Carolyn Classen for the topic – and just wait until you read where she met her husband!

Where did you meet your significant other?

Where would you advise others to meet potential dates?

Where would you tell people never to go expecting to meet Mr. or Miss Right?

Lists are a vital part of our lives. We use them to remember everything from dentist appointments to buying curry or toilet bowl cleaner. We can also expand their use to help us nab the perfect mate.

Those who engage in positive thinking and envisioning – and writing down – what they want often end up getting it.

Thus the wish list is not only an exercise that is entertaining, but it could prove to be the key for obtaining your perfect match.

Is silly on your list? Or would this be disgusting?/Photo Ryn Gargulinski

Making a perfect mate wish list is the optimum way to tell the universe whom it should send knocking on your door.

Some of the top traits folks wish for a mate who has a sense of humor, a sense of style, an ability to communicate and soft spot for dogs that look like wolves.

Some of the top traits folks wish to avoid are mates who are loud, obnoxious, disgruntled or missing more than half of their teeth (unless, of course, you are looking for a hockey player).

We can set up the list in two categories: what a mate must have and what he or she must not have.

Once complete, we can then stick the list on our front doors, just in case the mail carrier, UPS delivery person or anyone passing by happens to match all those traits and wants to meet us.

Here’s several quick sample lists to kick off your thought process.

He must be: Silly, smart, spontaneous
He must not be: Smelly, psychotic, Satanic

She must be: Animated, athletic, artistic
She must not be: Gossipy, goofy, a girly-girl

He must be: Adventurous, ambitious, agile
He must not be: Obsessive, obese, overcome with back hair

She must be: Confident, creative, compassionate
She must not be: Needy, nerdy, bald

What does your perfect mate wish list look like?

For those of you who are in a relationships, how does your current mate match up to what’s on your list?