You may be in a lame-ass-guy rut: we've all been there--dating men who seemed like gems but were really jerks. If you've tad a full-on dud streak, however, you must read this.(Love & Lust)

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Okay, be honest: When yon broke up with your last boyfriend, did your friends (a) get sheepish looks on their faces, giving you the distinct feeling that they had been calculating how long they would have to wait before making a play for him; (b) comfort you with a pint of ice cream; or (c) breathe a sigh of relief and ask what took you so damn long ... again?

If your answer is "c," you may be caught up in a frustrating but fairly common phenomenon: amazing chicks who date dudes who don't hold a candle to them (think Anne Hathaway). Whether you gravitate toward players who won't commit, artsy types who always seem to be broke, couch potatoes with zero ambition, "lame guys will drag you down and ultimately hold you back from happiness," says Debbie Magids, PhD, coauthor of All the Good Ones Aren't Taken. Since habits are hard to break, we devised a plan to help you escape the loser trap ... for good this time.

STEP 1 Go on a Man Diet

Jumping from one boyfriend to the next with no downtime in between is a major reason why women get stuck in lame-o quicksand, so its a smart idea to try a guy detox. "If you don't have time alone, you can't reflect on why the relationship didn't work out," says relationship therapist Deborah Dunn, author of Stupid About Men. "Consequently, you're prone to repeating the same blunders." By swearing off dudes for at least three months, you'll gain perspective.

STEP 2 Sharpen Your Loser Radar

Of course you didn't go out looking for a lame guy. You may not have noticed his sketchy side because you were dazzled by his great qualities. You saw the charm (not the untrust worthiness), the creativity (not the flakiness), and his brains (not his lack of consideration). "Getting swept away is one of the easiest ways to fall for a loser," says Dunn. "You lose your sense of objectivity."