Don't be romantic. There is one thing girls don't understand and that is that they want us to love them like they love us. We're different creatures, we don't love them the same way. What might feel like the highest amount of love to me as a guy would probably seem fickle to her. Does that make it wrong? Of course not. One of the reasons guys are so emasculated nowadays is that the Hollywood/feminist train has convinced men should be all shmoopy moopy, in love, cuddling, caressing and **** like that. That's not my kind of love and I will not be ashamed of it anytime.
Romance can be presented in so many ways. For example....
-a small text just saying "thinking of you"
-flowers (but that is obvious)
-take her out dancing
-have a picnic
-sunset/sunrise
-take a hike and surprise her with something at the end
It is beta if overdoing it, or you expect something in return. Do you have ideas to be more romantic?
Your other issue is your change in behavior. We don't want our women to change, so we shouldn't do it either, is that correct? If you can't wine and dine them forever, then do it sparingly in the beginning. Be the person you really are from the get go? Just brainstorming here...
Caring for someone requires energy, time, nerves. When you care and wanna do good to different people who are leaving you without looking much back as to how much they might be hurting you, you're wasting time. I have done this quite a lot in the past, I am reducing it now altogether for the simple reason that there are some things in people you can never fix. I don't want anyone in my life who doesn't appreciate my investing of time and energy in making them feel good, secure, happy.
Have you heard the analogy.... Expectations are pre-meditated resentments.
Your issue is your expectations, not the individuals that are supposedly taking advantages of you. You are not giving your time and energy without expectations; which are very likely completely oblivious to the others. You can't EVER expect someone to return a favor for a favor. It would be nice, but that should not be your reason for doing it. That is the basic definition of "the nice guy" that women loathe.
Another example is a family loan. If you loan a family member money, you might as well consider it a gift. If they pay you back great. If they do not, you do not loan them more money, but you do not hold it against them either.
And lastly, if a woman gives you her world, should you be expected to give that much back to her? Not at all. Manage your expectations and your gifts will truly be gifts, and you will learn to channel them towards the appropriate people