As the title says I’ve been on my fasting diet for a month now and its killed my Libido, i don’t get any sexual urges or even erections . I’ve even tried looking at some porn to see if i can get any erections and it dont work. This is killing me. I’ve even gone to the extreme of buying testosterone multivitamin tablets to see if that helps. And I am considering taking a self testosterone test in the future if this continues.
Any advice, should i goto the doctors and ask them for help maybe get some sort of tablet of injection for this. Any help would be great. I don’t even feel like a man anymore i feel like an outcast.
Now i am 48 years old but before i was on this fasting diet i did have healthly sexually urges and stuff for my age. I want to continue on this fasting diet but this is just too much to cope with day in and day out. What do i do?
Please someone must of gone though this as well on this diet as a man.
Ok so you can’t say for sure what the cause is. It may be the diet, it may be the fasting, it may be the combination, or it may be one of a thousand other things.
However, you shouldn’t be thinking you’ll get injections or a pill or so hormone therapy just to maintain a fasting diet. That’s a bit extreme. You’re basically saying you want to alter your hormones artificially so you can fast. That isn’t the best approach, I can’t imagine.
Step one is speaking to a doctor. Don’t let yourself focus on solutions yet. Focus on the cause. Finding it and trying, along with your doctor’s help and advice, to fix the problem at the source.
Please see your doctor for a medical evaluation. It’s highly unlikely that a dietary change would make you go from normal libido to zero erections so suddenly. If you are not having regular morning erections, that is indicative of a medical problem and you need to get it checked out.
You’ve only been fasting for a month, your body is transforming to be efficient, it’s gunna take months for your body to become adapted properly, you can try and adapt and eat better, greener, but it’ll take a while for your hair to stop dropping since fasting is extremely taxing on ur mind and body
Are you on any medications? You’re 48…the honest truth is, this is normal for middle age.
I’m 29 and my libido shifted downwards. It’s different for everybody. Sometimes it’s hormone related, sometimes it’s medications, or poor diet. For me, it was a combination of all 3. I’m just focused on other things as well, less focused of having sex. It sucks but I’ve accepted it as the new normal (used to have an extremely high libido)
IF is one of the best “diets” there is to regulate hormones and microbiome. So it is likely not the culprit. Definitely see a doctor, but they will likely prescribe viagra and tell you not to worry about it.
I’m sorry if this is too harsh, just speaking from experience and from the experience of others that I know.
IF lowers testosterone. I did not have any libido issues, but it is definitely possible. (M36). The comments on this post are pretty problematic. IF is not a miracle cure all. IF is a tool, not a cult. Negative side effects are possible.
Hey girl, this is probably not the best place to ask for medical advice. Also there will be a bit of bias in this forum as well. But the truth is that there is quite a bit of concern around fasting in females, especially about our female hormones. See, I think fasting is great. I loved many aspects of it. But did I ruin my hormones? Yes I did. In saying that, I am also an endurance athlete. So it was the combination of fasting and intense endurance training in a fasted state. I was probably under-eating too. I worked with sports dieticians and doctors and they urged me to give up IF. At that stage I had lost my period, my libido and some other symptoms. But this doesn’t have to be the case for everyone. This is just my personal experience and there is always a bigger picture to it. So please speak to professionals to find out what isn’t working for you. X
Id definitely look at how much your eating as well as what your eating. Plant based with some animal protein usually is the key with minimal processed foods. It could be your body adjusting or it could be something more serious. I would get a check up with the doctor to screen your cardiovascular system and some blood work to check that out. If you have been overweight for a while and your diabetic, you could have symptoms like this if your insulin and blood sugars are messed up. Good luck!
It’s only been a month? Don’t panic. Give yourself a bit more time and see what happens. As a woman, I know small things can really affect my hormones, so I’ve learned to give things time, and see the long term results. I know you’re a man, and it’s different, but hormones are hormones. Your body could be adjusting and your libido could be stronger than ever soon. If in 2 more months, things are still off, then start to question it.
I know that hormonal changes can take at LEAST 3 months to even out. That’s my usual time-line, when I notice any type of shift in hormones…
Worst case scenario, your libido returns when you’re on maintenance, feeling confident, and ready to move on to a new phase. Maybe it’s a short term sacrifice???
One thing that can cause low testosterone levels, especially in middle aged men from a European background, is overly high blood iron levels, basically high ferritin in your blood. It can be caused by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis, or from just a lifetime of eating steaks and hamburgers.
You should go see a doctor. This probably isn’t like a huge health issue or anything but it’s a medical question, and you should bring it to a medical professional. Posing your question to a diet sub on reddit is going to get you a mixed bag of good, bad, dangerous, and contradictory advice. Just go see a doctor, they know what they’re doing.
I don’t think it’s IF, but make sure you’re eating enough fat during your eating window. Low-fat = low testosterone and that can cause all sorts of other issues, not just with sexual function, like feeling tired or moody.
Could it be something other than fasting that has decreased you libido, sure, of course.
However, it this started, bam, right as your fasting took way, I’d certainly start there.
So, I’ve read conflicting things on proteins affecting testosterone levels. Too much may decrease it, yet on the flip side, to little protein certainly will as well.
If you’re not consuming enough protein in your eating window, your testosterone is binding with a different chemical your body is producing in place or protein.
I do believe IF is a tool for weight loss. And in the long run, losing weight can do wonders for your sex life.
However, in the short run, I’d take a look over on your diet and a bit experimentation. Is it possible you’re restricting too much in your feeding frame. Being depletes of vital minerals and nutrients most certainly can leave ya with little else.
I think a bit of diet and fasting adjustment might help. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.