Is your partner 'bad' for you?

So everything has been hunky dory between you two. You go out, have fun, make out, have a helluva time and come back. Pause and look carefully. You may be doing more harm than good with this relationship.

There may be plenty of bad habits you may be picking up from your guy. We list some of them for you so that you either call it quits soon or stat making amends.

Eating too much junk

Sarah Thomas, a 19-year-old student says, "When I started dating my boyfriend eight months back, I weighed 5 kgs lighter than what I am now. It's all thanks to my boyfriend who is a foodie that I have put on weight. So dates for us are lunches or dinners that often include a lot of calories, more so since fast food joints are his favourite. It is hard to stick to salad when the person next to you is scrumptiously biting off fried pieces of chicken with heaps of mayo on it. So because of him, I have been eating a lot more junk food!"

Your alternative

Instead of dining out often, you can cook him up a meal at home. Make it a candle-lit dinner to set the mood! If eating out is inevitable, find workouts you can do together like running, jogging, long walks or dancing - try salsa or jive classes to compensate for unhealthy eating. Try and make your outings together walk in the park dates.

Smoking-up

Lisa Reeana, a 32-year-old HR professional says, "My husband was a heavy smoker when we were in college. Back then, I was a social smoker. I would only take a puff or two at parties but after we started going out, I started smoking on a daily basis and by the end of six months, I was on one pack of cigarettes a day. Over the years it got worse until I decided that it had to stop. So I decided to quit and did so in a year. He still smokes. But he has been trying hard to give up too.

Your alternative

You can start by telling him to quit. However do not expect changes overnight as it is not possible. You can coax him into the nicotine patch or chewing gum as he tries to quit. If this does not work, you both could go for counselling. If all fails, you may just have to end the relationship girl, before it does much harm to you!

Drinking

"When my friend Shraddha started dating Rishi, all was well. Rishi was a heavy drinker. Eventually she took up to drinking often too. From an occasional drinker, she went on to become a social drinker. They would frequent pubs, and bars at restaurants. As friends we got worried for her and told her to go easy on the drinking. They however broke up and she has cut down on her drinking," says Ria, 23 an engineering student.

Your alternative

Don't tank-up just because your guy does so. Drinking is more harmful for girls than for guys. Try to get your guy to drink less. Plan fun dates like - bowling, hiking or any other fun activity together. This way your energies will be focussed on trying out new things each day.

Substance abuse

Smoking-up or taking a puff of the magic dragon is not ok even if you are 'trying it out just once'. That's what 26-year-old Riddhi learnt the hard way. Her relationship with a much older and "cooler" friend Sid was on the rocks when both were hospitalised because of a drug overdose.

Your alternative

So obviously, going out with someone who smokes up out of habit could take a huge toll on you as well. Unless you are sure you can pull your guy out of it soon, it would be wiser to walk away. Addiction to even drugs like ecstasy can do you harm in the long run. So call it off when you can - better late than never.

These bad habits may have caught up on you unawares. However, be on guard and start making amends before it pulls you down.

Dating someone with a vice need not always spell doom for the relationship. You can draw from the goodness of one another and make the best of it!