It's a bad move to change yourself after 8 years of marriage. You're doing a 'bait and switch' on her. She chose you because of the way you behaved when you were dating and engaged, yes? If you wanted a marriage in which you could say what you thought more easily, you should have started out as you planned to continue.
If she's seeing you checking out other women, it's a sign you need to be more discreet.
Lastly, it's worth looking up the 5 Languages of Love. There are very different ways that we show our love and interpret love in return. Your wife's language is clearly "words of affirmation". Yes, you can ignore it if you want.....but imagine how you'd feel if your love language was, say, physical touch and she didn't care to show love in that way.
Last edited by basilandthyme; 01-02-14 at 09:13 PM.
Never regret anything that has happened in your life. It cannot be changed, forgotten or undone. So, take it as a lesson learned and move on.