Help I lost my sex drive from losing weight

[exerciseguru80]

First this is not my real account but I do need some honest support/advice/suggestions.

I'm 6 ft tall 180 lbs. 24 years old and last year I lost about 50 pounds in under five months. I went from 215/220'ish to 165. No doubt I had an eating disorder. During the week I dieted normally and then I would binge on the weekends with simple sugar carbs such as cookies, ice cream, chocolates, etc. That literally lasted the entire past year. Usually after I binged I would get my sex drive back for a day or two, at one point I actually got erections during a binge (I know that sounds ****** up). Well I gained about 15 pounds back and finally stopped binge eating. So now I weigh 180, haven't binged in like four months, and I'm doing good as far as my diet goes.

I am now stuck with what I believe is low or non-existent sex drive. No longer do I care to masturbate (I do it but very rarely, maybe once or twice a week, and usually it's done out of boredom/nothing to do). I don't get erections that much (if at all). I go out to clubs and when I am dancing with girls I do not get off at all. It is really embarrassing because there are times I could have sex/make-out but the drive is not there. I am dating a girl right now so obviously I am not dancing around/trying to get laid with others anymore but I have not made a move the entire time we have been going out (two months). I am surprised she hasn't dumped me bt I have been playing it off and have not told her about my problem.

All I know is before I dieted and lost weight I was perfectly normal. As far as fat intake I am about 45g per day, rest of my diet is carbs and protein. I take no suppliments at all, just a multivitamin and whey protein. I workout M-W-F and do squats deadlifts bench etc.

[Shastic]

This is eerily similar to my current situation; I wonder how much of it is current-cut related and how much is a lasting effect of past actions.

[Drukqs]

Your testosterone level is too low. Increase your fat intake even more and see if that helps.

[exerciseguru80]

Your testosterone level is too low. Increase your fat intake even more and see if that helps.

If not is there anything else I can try? I bet the only other thing to do is see a doctor. I want to get this fixed because it's causing obvious issues in my life right now (no sex drive, always mellowed out, not caring to do things, work performance has dropped, bleek outlook on life).

[niexator]

Nothing in your diet screams "unusual" to me so I'd really suggest talking to a doctor (maybe a urologist, or sexologist?) asap

Or perhaps it has less to do with a sex drive and more to do with....depression perhaps?

[exerciseguru80]

You're probably right. Unfortunately I am just worried right now about all of this. If I go to the doctor what are they going to do? I mean I guess there's no exact answer but I am wondering what options there are.

I really do want to have a sex drive but I don't get the feeling anymore. What's worse is I am dating this girl and I can't "feel" love or feelings about her in general, but my mind likes her a lot. You know how you get the warm fuzzy feel good feeling before seeing someone, I don't get that anymore. I no longer feel love or affection.

And no I am not gay before anyone posts that. All I know is I was perfectly normal and on top of the world and then when I dropped the weight I lose my sex drive. I feel like I am going to be a horrible potential boyfriend (I haven't even made us official yet). The girl likes me and I'm taking zero interest. I look at her and say "wow you are beautiful" because she certainly is, but there is no urge for sexual contact (or even physical at times).

Part of me just wants to let some tears out to be honest (serious).

[niexator]

You're probably right. Unfortunately I am just worried right now about all of this. If I go to the doctor what are they going to do?

They can tell you if your lack of sex drive is biological or psychological

[bj03sm]

I am having the same problem. About a month ago I decieded to stop eating fast food and pizza all the time and started eating mostly healthy foods. Since then I have lost fat and feel better, but my sex drive has took a nose dive. I get most of my fats from Peanut butter and eating some almonds. I also take Animal Omega and CLA so that adds some extra fats. I would say I am getting around 50-60G of fats a day and I am 5'8 177. Is there other things we can add into our diet to help with this?

[Zkm]

You're probably right. Unfortunately I am just worried right now about all of this. If I go to the doctor what are they going to do? I mean I guess there's no exact answer but I am wondering what options there are.

They will run a total testosterone level, free testosterone, and then another test that measures the free testosterone compared to the total testosterone. Total doesn't really matter that much. Free testosterone is what matters (it's what can actively be used by your body as the rest of the testosterone is bound to albumin and sex-hormone binding globulin). You best bet would be to see your PCP (primary care physician) and ask him to run the standard tests. If anything abnormal appears, then he can give you a referral to an appropriate doctor for treatment (Low testosterone is typically treated by an Endocrinologist).

Treatments include injections, patches that you wear daily, and a pill. Pills usually aren't used for people with liver/kidney diseases as it can stress them. Patches give the most reliable amount of testosterone throughout the day and week. Injections give a lot at the beginning and you'll feel great, but it'll taper off until your next injection.

[Alaskan72]

If not is there anything else I can try? I bet the only other thing to do is see a doctor. I want to get this fixed because it's causing obvious issues in my life right now (no sex drive, always mellowed out, not caring to do things, work performance has dropped, bleek outlook on life).

When you don't eat right, your body will be adjust for the worst. What happens when you let the oil in your car get to low? You lock the engine up! No different in the human body, you must fuel the body 'properly' in order to run/function correctly! And at 45g of fat is NOT feeding the body correctly. Need to really look at your diet, learn how to eat right and readjust your diet to make your body run like a top! You should be getting atleast 90-100g of fat per day in your diet at your weight, even if your on a cut. Straighten out your diet, up your fat, give it a week or so and you will feel MUCH better, andddddd I bet you get your drive back.

[namesarehard]

When I was cutting I was masturbating like once a month. I'm bulking and I'm back to normal. Hell yeah.

[drewsedg]

Dietary fat is needed for hormone production. 45grams per day is not sufficient. You should be consuming around 0.5g for every pound of fat free mass. Try upping your fat intake to ~75 grams each day. Are you eating a varied diet with fruits and vegetavles or at least taking a multivitamin to get all of your micronutrients? You talk about clubbing. What is your alcohol intake like? Alcohol can cause problems with hormone function so if you drink a lot cut back to no more than 2-3 drinks a day.

You mention your diet but what is your exercise routine like? Your user name is exerciseguru so I assume you are getting regular exercise. Are you giving your body ample recovery time and getting enough sleep each night? If not this could be contributing to the problem.

I had this problem for about a month when I cut too low and drank too much. It was a simple fix for me.

[exerciseguru80]

I will take the advice of the posters here and try to up my fats. I can add in PB. Right now my only fat sources are cheese and olive oil for my salad. Otherwise just trace fats in oatmeal, canned tuna, etc. If still nothing after a week or two I'll be heading to the doctor..

[sesq]

If I go to the doctor what are they going to do? I mean I guess there's no exact answer but I am wondering what options there are.)

They are going to give you a quick exam and do a blood test. The blood test is going to check your hormone levels, especially testostorone. Depending on how that comes in they will probably recomend a pharmacuetical solution. If you can fix it with diet, that would be better, and cheaper. But don't ignore it if you are afraid of the white coat. Your hormone levels can impact more than just your libido.

[alex2363]

fat fats fatter fattiier is what gets it done, include some good fats and you should get horny again.

[Electricheadd]

This is good info to have... I noticed I have been on the low end of the libido scale lately too. More fat here I come!!

[JR1975]

First this is not my real account but I do need some honest support/advice/suggestions.

I'm 6 ft tall 180 lbs. 24 years old and last year I lost about 50 pounds in under five months. I went from 215/220'ish to 165. No doubt I had an eating disorder. During the week I dieted normally and then I would binge on the weekends with simple sugar carbs such as cookies, ice cream, chocolates, etc. That literally lasted the entire past year. Usually after I binged I would get my sex drive back for a day or two, at one point I actually got erections during a binge (I know that sounds ****** up). Well I gained about 15 pounds back and finally stopped binge eating. So now I weigh 180, haven't binged in like four months, and I'm doing good as far as my diet goes.

I am now stuck with what I believe is low or non-existent sex drive. No longer do I care to masturbate (I do it but very rarely, maybe once or twice a week, and usually it's done out of boredom/nothing to do). I don't get erections that much (if at all). I go out to clubs and when I am dancing with girls I do not get off at all. It is really embarrassing because there are times I could have sex/make-out but the drive is not there. I am dating a girl right now so obviously I am not dancing around/trying to get laid with others anymore but I have not made a move the entire time we have been going out (two months). I am surprised she hasn't dumped me bt I have been playing it off and have not told her about my problem.

All I know is before I dieted and lost weight I was perfectly normal. As far as fat intake I am about 45g per day, rest of my diet is carbs and protein. I take no suppliments at all, just a multivitamin and whey protein. I workout M-W-F and do squats deadlifts bench etc.

I stumbled across this page when googling low libido related to weight loss. I am somewhat older than the guy in the original post, but I have to say that his story does seem pretty similar to my own experience over the last year or so.

Last summer I was 38 years old and severely obese (6 ft 3 and 155kg - or about 24 stones in Imperial units.) I decided to do something about it and started to diet and exercise very hard. The weight has certainly been coming off me. Right now I'm weighing in at 104kg (about 16 stone) which still makes me overweight for my height, but not remotely to the same degree as before. People say that I look much better. I've gone down through several clothes sizes - and I'm still losing. So everything should be really great, right?

But...

From about 6 weeks into the dieting I noticed that my sex drive was GONE. By that I don't mean that things were just a little bit off-colour or whatever, but rather that I suddenly felt ZERO interest in girls, sex, etc. I felt flat, depressed and lethargic. And for the first time in my life I started having some issues with ED - which is terrifying, frankly. I still sometimes wake up with a really strong erection, but about 15-20% of the time it's difficult getting/maintaining a 100% erection now. (It's kind of fortunate that I'm single right now - otherwise things would be even worse! :-0)

Before the weight loss I'm guessing that I was probably hornier than the average guy of my age. That's not dumb boasting or anything - I really was one of those guys who couldn't walk past a good-looking woman under the age of 40 without secretly thinking crazy things. I would have a 100% erection every time that I thought even vaguely about sex. That's just how I was.

Just like the original poster, I have known occasions where things have come back to normal - at least partly. But it's always only for a few days, and always after a sudden and temporary increase in my calorie consumption and decrease in my exercising (over Christmas, for example.) Afterwards it has always faded out again depressingly quickly.

More recently I have been increasing my calorie consumption so as to lose weight at a lower rate. Once again, after the initial increase in eating, things seemed to perk up for a few days - but only to nosedive again.

I guess that part of my brain thinks that this must be all diet related, and that when I start breaking even with my weight things will return to normal again. But then again what if not?? :-(

Anyway, I suppose it kind of helps to see from these posts that hardcore dieting can kill libido even in young dudes aged 20-something - because there was also part of me that was starting to wonder whether I have suffered some kind of 'male menopause' or something?!

[Mulloway69]

Your testosterone level is too low. Increase your fat intake even more and see if that helps.

Came in to post this, get more olive oil and nuts/oily fish into your diet breh.

Edit: just realised this is a bumped thread -_-

[cyco85]

OP: Did your dick ever start working again? The community must know

[vivtheraiden]

Came in to post this, get more olive oil and nuts/oily fish into your diet breh.

Edit: just realised this is a bumped thread -_-

+ 1.

Panic is not gonna help you bro, it should be clearly testosterone, so you either increase it by taking the necessary nutrients or consult a doctor to see if tats the issue. If this is not the issue then only your doctor can find out what is the exact cause for it, but everybody who cuts weight goes through such phase.

I guess you are alright its just your panic mode is causing more concerns.

[JovanniTosado]

I have been struggling with low sex drive for 2 years. Yeah 2 whole years from 16 to 18. I started off sophomore year dieting really hard with intermittent fasting and dropping my calories extremley low. I also played football so my energy expenditure was through the roof. I always had amazing sex drive, and had girlfriends here and there but when I started to lean down I lost interest in girls, became very depressed, and started feeling anxiety everyday whem people talked to me. It was really bad like my whole body would shake. This never happened to me before and I was clueless on the topic. I used to sling girls left and right and now I have no dick game. Wtff.

So about a year later I went to a dietition and she reccomended I eat breakfast. Immediatly in the first month I felt so much better. However I still was restricting my calories, and trying to exercise rigorously. I increased my cals and still didn't feel my sex drive come back. Then I keep hearing how intermittent fasting helps you lean down so I went back to IF and felt like **** again. This lead to binging just 3 weeks later.

I binged for 3 straight months eating whatever I wanted. I gained 20lbs most of which water water weight but I looked so out of shape. My adrenal glands are shot, I'm fatigued all of the time and my hair was falling out at ****ing 18. I even got my T levels checked and they are high. I don't get it. Now I'm just sticking to healthy foods and I eat till I'm full. I get like a 60% boner when I try to masterbate and it ****ing sucks. Does anyone know how long it will take and what I should do????

[BecomingSmaller]

How much fat is in your diet? If you cut fat too much you can get those symptoms. Suggest you talk to your doctor to rule out any underlying issue.

[Strawng]

Eat more food & eat more fat OP. I lost my sex drive entirely due to SSRIS as a young teen then later on due to weight loss (anorexia). Your libido is most likely gone not JUST because of your testosterone, but because the last thing a starving body wants to do is create kids. For your libido to return, you will need to consistently eat more fats & probably more calories for an extended period of time. Also, be sure you see a GOOD doctor who doesn't dismiss you becaue of your age.

[OneManMatrix]

Your testosterone level is too low. Increase your fat intake even more and see if that helps.

This is correct. This has happened to me... Difficult to explain to my gorgeous girlfriend at the time

I upped my fat intake (while still keeping within my calorie deficient), eating eggs, dark chocolate, avocado and chia seeds (in my protein shakes). This helped significantly, I also started taking Vitamin D and Magnesium supplements, alongside the Omega 3 and Multi-Vitamins I was already having. I think this all helped a lot, but if you continue to have issues perhaps speak to someone including a therapist about why you may be experiencing these feelings as it could go beyond the physical.

Good luck!

[skelooth]

I'm thankful I've lost a lot of my sex drive during this cut. Makes staying out of trouble easier. Less drama. Less frustration. No piece of ass, but peace of mind. It's all about perspective.

I lost about 50 pounds in under five months. I went from 215/220'ish to 165. No doubt I had an eating disorder.

That does not sound like an eating disorder. That sounds like getting to a healthy weight in a realistic time frame.

[christophegaron]

I have been struggling with low sex drive for 2 years. Yeah 2 whole years from 16 to 18. I started off sophomore year dieting really hard with intermittent fasting and dropping my calories extremley low. I also played football so my energy expenditure was through the roof. I always had amazing sex drive, and had girlfriends here and there but when I started to lean down I lost interest in girls, became very depressed, and started feeling anxiety everyday whem people talked to me. It was really bad like my whole body would shake. This never happened to me before and I was clueless on the topic. I used to sling girls left and right and now I have no dick game. Wtff.

So about a year later I went to a dietition and she reccomended I eat breakfast. Immediatly in the first month I felt so much better. However I still was restricting my calories, and trying to exercise rigorously. I increased my cals and still didn't feel my sex drive come back. Then I keep hearing how intermittent fasting helps you lean down so I went back to IF and felt like **** again. This lead to binging just 3 weeks later.

I binged for 3 straight months eating whatever I wanted. I gained 20lbs most of which water water weight but I looked so out of shape. My adrenal glands are shot, I'm fatigued all of the time and my hair was falling out at ****ing 18. I even got my T levels checked and they are high. I don't get it. Now I'm just sticking to healthy foods and I eat till I'm full. I get like a 60% boner when I try to masterbate and it ****ing sucks. Does anyone know how long it will take and what I should do????

My experience sounds very similar to yours. I think this has to do with Leptin. Leptin arguably has just as much control of your sex drive as testosterone. My theory is that when we dieted our leptin was low and thus low libido. However, if you were like me, instead of gaining the weight back slow with a healthy lean bulk, we ended up binging alternated with fasting. This binging caused spikes in leptin resulting in an increase in libido for a day or so; however, over time the libido increase with these binges became less and less as our bodies became resistance to these surges in leptin. Now we are left with leptin resististance and thus symptoms of low leptin, low libido being a main one. My plan now is the get to a relatively lean weight, and then slowly up my calories over several months while lean bulking. I think the cutting will lower leptin and fix the resistance so once I start slowly bulking theoretically my libido should slowly return.

[3maj]

I will take the advice of the posters here and try to up my fats. I can add in PB. Right now my only fat sources are cheese and olive oil for my salad. Otherwise just trace fats in oatmeal, canned tuna, etc. If still nothing after a week or two I'll be heading to the doctor..

That's your problem right there. Double your fat intake, get some of the fat from meat. It sounds like you still have an eating disorder, IMO.