I [25F] don't feel the same way I did when I first began dating my boyfriend [31M].
My boyfriend [30M] and I [25F] met 3.5 years ago at work, and we quickly hit it off. We experienced that wonderful honeymoon phase where everything felt perfect and we couldn’t get enough of each other. However, over the last year, we've both left our jobs, and he has embarked on a fitness journey to improve his health. I’m incredibly proud of him for sticking to his strict diet and gym routine. Although our schedules are quite busy, and we don’t see each other as often as we’d like, we do our best to make the most of the situation. We don’t live together, and financial constraints have also been an issue. I have more flexibility in my spending compared to him. Because of this, I realized it's been a while since we actually went on a date. Reflecting on the past year, I noticed that we haven't done anything together as a couple. I’m not asking for extravagant evenings; even a simple outing to CFA or a movie would be nice. It makes me sad that we don’t really “date” anymore. I've offered to pay for outings, but he always declines. I long for the spark we had in the beginning. Recently, I made a comment that I intended as a joke (though I’m not comfortable sharing it), which upset him, and I apologized afterward. Since then, our communication has dwindled significantly, and I feel like we’ve barely spoken. I've found myself crying at home after work, on my way to work, or whenever I think about us or see his name on my phone. I'm unsure how to navigate this situation and what the future holds for us. I don’t want to end things because I love him dearly and he means everything to me. I'm at a loss for what to do or say to lift myself out of this emotional slump.