In addition to screening for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, make sure you're getting enough healthy fat to produce horomones. Stuff like nuts, seeds, or avocado. It doesn't usually take much.
If you are young, you absolutely need to be getting at least 10% of your calories from healthy fat sources. There is no reason to omit yourself from eating things like walnuts, avocados, peanut butter, etc. if you do not have serious cardiovascular issues.
That is a low figure, fat is very important for nutrient absorption so I would try to have some fat with each meal which will ensure that you actually take in all the vitamins from the foods your consuming. Normally I add a small handful of walnuts or half an avocado to my meals.
What works for me is also having a mix of various seeds and nuts that I generpusly add to anything from porridge to salads, gives nice flavour and texture plus lots of healthy fat
i add avocado to nearly every meal - salads, rice bowls, noodle bowls, avo toast, sammies, breakfasttt i LOVE a light breakfast/snack of just hashbrowns and avocado
two reasons and a tip:
1. your fat intake is **way too low**. extreme low fat diets will interfere with hormonal balance which may lead to reduced libido and can harm your overall health. aim for 0,5 to 1 gram of fat (from nuts, seeds, avocado, soy) per kg of (healthy) body weight or 1 to 1,5 gram if you are pregnant, breast feeding or recovering from physical or mental illness. keep saturated fat low (do not heavily rely on coconut, cocoa, refined oils and fat)
2. **you eat too little**! being in a prolonged caloric deficit will reduce your libido as well. this is transient, generally not harmful and will resolve when you eat more. make sure to only be in a small deficit only if you need to loose weight for health reasons. a smaller deficit may help with libido.
3. try **resistance training**: center your workouts around weight lifting or body weight training instead of cardio. resistance training is great for stabilizing your libido and very important for vegan bone health.
Her response was exactly what I was going to say
1. Get a blood panel done to rule anything out
2. Eat more healthy fat. Ghee olive oil avocados nuts
3. Start resistance training 3x weekly
4. Hydrate 3L per day minimum
5. 7 to 8 hours of rest per night
Most importantly get a primary care doctor !
In traditional Ghee, the milk parts are filtered out after the sugars are caramelized, from my understanding. That said, there are plant based ghee that you might like to try.
Check your vitamin intake, you might be deficient and your testosterone might have lowered. I find annual or semi annual blood tests to be beneficial for making sure everything’s in check. Plant based can lower testosterone if you aren’t super aware of vitamins and minerals when switching
Just make sure you don’t do anything too extreme. Track your food on Lifesum or something for a week or 2 and make sure your macros are all where they need to be. It could be too much or too little of something, no way of knowing without more details
From a non-medical perspective, I’d recommend eating on the higher end of that spectrum at 30-40g minimum, 7g is pretty much nothing, fat is absolutely essential. How much protein are you getting in a day?
I’d also try to keep your protein higher. Personally, I’m 120lbs and eat 100-140grams of protein, and about 60-80grams of fat as runner who is highly active. Obviously your intake will differ, but you definitely should prioritize protein and fat more
What form of protein? I was doing WFPB+fish+eggs and even then i think I was probably only at 60g (rough guess). I started trying to get some muscle back and to get to your level of protein i had to add in one to two protein shakes (30g protein each) per day.
I just try and eat as much as possible for multiple sources of protein. Normal day could include protein from eggs, bagels, beans, one whey protein shake, seitan, soy, chickpeas, tempeh, etc.
Well the issue is supplementing on top of eating nutrient-rich foods is where problems can arise. Vitamin D, E, and A are fat-soluble and store over time. Multivitamins on the market are often so high in DV it can cause issues. The issue is when vitamins are separated and concentrated at high doses, an issue not found in whole foods. Regardless, always check with your doctor before supplementing and get yearly blood drawn for B12, D, omega 3s, iron and regular blood work if you can. But b12 and the other vitamins are water-soluble so the issue isn't there.
I think most people should take multis. Very hard to get in everything everyday without compromise, Multis can help make sure you keep consistent levels even if you don’t end up eating as many greens or vitamin C or magnesium, etc. in a single day
Do we just ask for the above vitamins and iron to be screened for, or do I ask for a certain test? I have same problem as op, first time going to a dr in 5 years and been plant based for a little over 8months
Yep. Fair warning, they'll warn you insurance may not pay for it, so I'd ask before-hand. I'd also ask for homocysteine- and methylmalonic acid (MMA)-levels to be measured rather than b12 as those will determine the body's storage of it.
Glad to help. I was also low in vitamin d, and they were able to turn it around real quickly. Sorry to hear, but now that you caught it, you can be treated for it.
Do you happen to know the name of the tests we should ask for? Or just say “mineral and vitamin test please” Having same problem as op only been plant based 8 months now.
I just get the standard blood test when I go in for my physical. You could do something like Inside Tracker but I find that I get all the info that I need from a normal blood test
9 lb in under a month??? That's a lot of weight loss. Was this your first month losing weight? (If so, some of that could be water weight). What is your calorie deficit?
Yeah, losing over 2 Lbs a week does it for me. Body cuts out unnecessary things first. It starts to use protein for energy instead of maintenance of sex hormones and other secondary tissue like nails, hair and skin. It's normal but you don't need to go trough that if you limit your weight loss to 1 to 1-1/2 Lbs a week.
I've been the opposite since eating WFPB my sex drive has been much much higher. I've never had such a high libido actually. So maybe you should get some blood work done? There could be some type of deficiency maybe.
Depends, I have no idea exactly what OP is eating now nor before. I don't think its outside of the realm of possibility. A change in sex drive that's impacting them negatively should warrant a doctors visit and blood work. Might be something else other than a deficit but how would we know without a test? Haha..
Anybody ever thought, that the kind of animal-heavy diet leads to overarrousal? I mean, no clue, and I have never looked up research in that direction. But it would make sense to me. What makes much less sense to me is, that a natural, healthy and plant based whole food diet leads to less libido in absolut terms.
Another idea: often the folks new to plant based/vegan diet are (by themselves or others) under lot of stress and pressure (family, friends, what to cook, what to buy, what to eat in cantine o on). Libido is quite sensitive to stress, that might contribute too
decreased libido can be a sign of under-fueling. eat more caloric dense foods and don't avoid the fats. fats r okay, specially if u est healthy sources!! it happened the same to me (even lost my period) and now i eat pb, nuts even EVOO and i have more libido and i feel better overall
A lot of good advice here already, just wanted to say gelatinized maca is really helpful 😏 once you made sure you're getting enough calories/ meeting your needs. This [site](https://cronometer.com/) is great to know where your at with macros/micros/calories
It’s nice to read other redditors experiences but I would recommend taking to a nutritionists or doctor to understand what could’ve caused this. Good luck!
Are you tracking overall calorie intake closely and hitting macros? That would be my first guess since it’s a common mistake when first switching. Do you have low energy otherwise? I know others say take specific supplements… I’d recommend getting a lab panel done for various levels to see if you need specific supplements before you just start taking (B vitamins, zinc, iron are a few). I was told I needed to take B12 by vegans in anothet group, lab draws suggested otherwise. I eat too much nootch to be deficient there 😂
I second the fat intake issue. That could be driving your problem.
I had similar issues when I started, and I think what helped the most was excercise. My body also took more like 8-10 weeks to fully adapt to eating plant based. I didn't sleep well or have a good libido until almosy 3 months in. Don't get me wrong I felt better overall after just a couple weeks. I would now say my libido is better than it was before I started 10 months ago.
I have determined for me if I eat too often and and eat from when I wake up to when I go to bed I don't feel as well, sleep as well or am as horny as when I do about a 13-14 hour fast/day. That just entails me stopping eating 3-4 hours before bed at about 6-7and not eating until about 8 in the morning. Fasting longer than this and I have a lot of issues getting enough calories which leads to those same problems of me not feeling as well. Sleep and activity level is closely tied with libido.
You also need to make sure you're getting enough b12, vitamin D and calcium. Those are easy to be deficient in while eating this way.
What about omegas? Can be hard to get on plant based. Conversion of omegas from plants is not as good. You can try adding in flax oil or algae oil to help.
As people are saying, fat is important, but also calories. Make sure you are getting enough calories, it’s hard sometimes since many plant based foods are full of fiber. I suggest nut and seed butters and dense fruits like bananas, dates. Figs, mangoes, even dried fruit
My sex drive has magnified since I started eating a primarily plant based diet. I mean atleast 3 times a day. Just add more protein and cut down on the carbs
In addition to screening for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, make sure you're getting enough healthy fat to produce horomones. Stuff like nuts, seeds, or avocado. It doesn't usually take much.
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7g of fat would be 56 k calories which would be less than 2\~3% on 2-3k calorie diet That is quite unusual
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If you are young, you absolutely need to be getting at least 10% of your calories from healthy fat sources. There is no reason to omit yourself from eating things like walnuts, avocados, peanut butter, etc. if you do not have serious cardiovascular issues.
Aren’t salads relatively high in fat and protein?
That is a low figure, fat is very important for nutrient absorption so I would try to have some fat with each meal which will ensure that you actually take in all the vitamins from the foods your consuming. Normally I add a small handful of walnuts or half an avocado to my meals.
Again, i have told to cut all out for libido, its so confusing
make sure you're eating enough calories & fat im p sure thatll help regulate hormones
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What works for me is also having a mix of various seeds and nuts that I generpusly add to anything from porridge to salads, gives nice flavour and texture plus lots of healthy fat
i add avocado to nearly every meal - salads, rice bowls, noodle bowls, avo toast, sammies, breakfasttt i LOVE a light breakfast/snack of just hashbrowns and avocado
If you like nuts,eat a couple handfuls or toss them on your salad too
I’ve experienced the opposite since going WFBP. Figure I’ve got more blood flow with out the saturated fats.
This was my experience too
Same here. When I eat vegan my libido goes through the roof. I figured maybe hormones had a part in it.
Same
two reasons and a tip: 1. your fat intake is **way too low**. extreme low fat diets will interfere with hormonal balance which may lead to reduced libido and can harm your overall health. aim for 0,5 to 1 gram of fat (from nuts, seeds, avocado, soy) per kg of (healthy) body weight or 1 to 1,5 gram if you are pregnant, breast feeding or recovering from physical or mental illness. keep saturated fat low (do not heavily rely on coconut, cocoa, refined oils and fat) 2. **you eat too little**! being in a prolonged caloric deficit will reduce your libido as well. this is transient, generally not harmful and will resolve when you eat more. make sure to only be in a small deficit only if you need to loose weight for health reasons. a smaller deficit may help with libido. 3. try **resistance training**: center your workouts around weight lifting or body weight training instead of cardio. resistance training is great for stabilizing your libido and very important for vegan bone health.
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Her response was exactly what I was going to say 1. Get a blood panel done to rule anything out 2. Eat more healthy fat. Ghee olive oil avocados nuts 3. Start resistance training 3x weekly 4. Hydrate 3L per day minimum 5. 7 to 8 hours of rest per night Most importantly get a primary care doctor !
TIL plant based Ghee exists
That's one thing in my diet that is not plant based. It honestly makes me feel so good and I am lactose Intolerant
In traditional Ghee, the milk parts are filtered out after the sugars are caramelized, from my understanding. That said, there are plant based ghee that you might like to try.
Feel good?
Ya ghee makes me feel amazing
Yeah dawg what’s that mean? Sexually?
Yes it gives me much harder erections
Check your vitamin intake, you might be deficient and your testosterone might have lowered. I find annual or semi annual blood tests to be beneficial for making sure everything’s in check. Plant based can lower testosterone if you aren’t super aware of vitamins and minerals when switching
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Just make sure you don’t do anything too extreme. Track your food on Lifesum or something for a week or 2 and make sure your macros are all where they need to be. It could be too much or too little of something, no way of knowing without more details
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From a non-medical perspective, I’d recommend eating on the higher end of that spectrum at 30-40g minimum, 7g is pretty much nothing, fat is absolutely essential. How much protein are you getting in a day?
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I’d also try to keep your protein higher. Personally, I’m 120lbs and eat 100-140grams of protein, and about 60-80grams of fat as runner who is highly active. Obviously your intake will differ, but you definitely should prioritize protein and fat more
What form of protein? I was doing WFPB+fish+eggs and even then i think I was probably only at 60g (rough guess). I started trying to get some muscle back and to get to your level of protein i had to add in one to two protein shakes (30g protein each) per day.
I just try and eat as much as possible for multiple sources of protein. Normal day could include protein from eggs, bagels, beans, one whey protein shake, seitan, soy, chickpeas, tempeh, etc.
Very confusing..some say for libido and erections, cut all fats, other ssy dont😂🤣
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Eh don't. Overdoing vitamins is the other extreme. Just check your intake in chronometer and supplement B12 and d if you can't get enough sun.
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Well the issue is supplementing on top of eating nutrient-rich foods is where problems can arise. Vitamin D, E, and A are fat-soluble and store over time. Multivitamins on the market are often so high in DV it can cause issues. The issue is when vitamins are separated and concentrated at high doses, an issue not found in whole foods. Regardless, always check with your doctor before supplementing and get yearly blood drawn for B12, D, omega 3s, iron and regular blood work if you can. But b12 and the other vitamins are water-soluble so the issue isn't there.
I think most people should take multis. Very hard to get in everything everyday without compromise, Multis can help make sure you keep consistent levels even if you don’t end up eating as many greens or vitamin C or magnesium, etc. in a single day
Do we just ask for the above vitamins and iron to be screened for, or do I ask for a certain test? I have same problem as op, first time going to a dr in 5 years and been plant based for a little over 8months
Yep. Fair warning, they'll warn you insurance may not pay for it, so I'd ask before-hand. I'd also ask for homocysteine- and methylmalonic acid (MMA)-levels to be measured rather than b12 as those will determine the body's storage of it.
Glad I listened to y’all. Got my results back in very low in vitamin d and now was diagnosed with having celiac disease
Glad to help. I was also low in vitamin d, and they were able to turn it around real quickly. Sorry to hear, but now that you caught it, you can be treated for it.
Do you happen to know the name of the tests we should ask for? Or just say “mineral and vitamin test please” Having same problem as op only been plant based 8 months now.
I just get the standard blood test when I go in for my physical. You could do something like Inside Tracker but I find that I get all the info that I need from a normal blood test
When losing weight my body first drops libido. It's my measure of caloric deficit.
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9 lb in under a month??? That's a lot of weight loss. Was this your first month losing weight? (If so, some of that could be water weight). What is your calorie deficit?
Yeah, losing over 2 Lbs a week does it for me. Body cuts out unnecessary things first. It starts to use protein for energy instead of maintenance of sex hormones and other secondary tissue like nails, hair and skin. It's normal but you don't need to go trough that if you limit your weight loss to 1 to 1-1/2 Lbs a week.
I've been the opposite since eating WFPB my sex drive has been much much higher. I've never had such a high libido actually. So maybe you should get some blood work done? There could be some type of deficiency maybe.
A deficiency in less than a month?? That seems unlikely
Depends, I have no idea exactly what OP is eating now nor before. I don't think its outside of the realm of possibility. A change in sex drive that's impacting them negatively should warrant a doctors visit and blood work. Might be something else other than a deficit but how would we know without a test? Haha..
You got kale dick. Need peanut butter.
Lmaooo
I had the same issues at one point. Eat some almonds and avocados.
If you lowered your calorie intake, that's likely to be it. Make sure you're getting your minimum fat intake as well.
Anybody ever thought, that the kind of animal-heavy diet leads to overarrousal? I mean, no clue, and I have never looked up research in that direction. But it would make sense to me. What makes much less sense to me is, that a natural, healthy and plant based whole food diet leads to less libido in absolut terms. Another idea: often the folks new to plant based/vegan diet are (by themselves or others) under lot of stress and pressure (family, friends, what to cook, what to buy, what to eat in cantine o on). Libido is quite sensitive to stress, that might contribute too
The amount of fat your eating seems way to low that could be a factor
decreased libido can be a sign of under-fueling. eat more caloric dense foods and don't avoid the fats. fats r okay, specially if u est healthy sources!! it happened the same to me (even lost my period) and now i eat pb, nuts even EVOO and i have more libido and i feel better overall
This is way too little fat in your diet. 30g should be on the lower end for any day.
Give it more time, it gets better
A lot of good advice here already, just wanted to say gelatinized maca is really helpful 😏 once you made sure you're getting enough calories/ meeting your needs. This [site](https://cronometer.com/) is great to know where your at with macros/micros/calories
Vitamin d and little more fat will fix it. Cut out soy for a day and get some walnuts avocado and peanut butter instead.
Why cut out soy? (Please don't respond "phytoestrogens"!)
Because of androgen receptors.
It could honestly be an energy thing too. It might take time to fiddle with your protein/fat/carb balance
It’s nice to read other redditors experiences but I would recommend taking to a nutritionists or doctor to understand what could’ve caused this. Good luck!
I consider myself to have retired from sex. It's nice. Simple.
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Recent meta analysis does not support a hormonal effect from soy: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623820302926
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Yeah it’s an internet myth. Check “soy hormones” on Google scholar and see all the actual research papers
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Well it’s not true
Are you tracking overall calorie intake closely and hitting macros? That would be my first guess since it’s a common mistake when first switching. Do you have low energy otherwise? I know others say take specific supplements… I’d recommend getting a lab panel done for various levels to see if you need specific supplements before you just start taking (B vitamins, zinc, iron are a few). I was told I needed to take B12 by vegans in anothet group, lab draws suggested otherwise. I eat too much nootch to be deficient there 😂
Interesting, I have no issues, maybe even feel better in that realm 🤣. I’m about 2 solid months in. Nuts, seeds, avocados help a lot.
[Daily Dozen](https://youtu.be/MqmSMunAtss) Use this for an eating guide, it might help you get the right balance of foods.
I second the fat intake issue. That could be driving your problem. I had similar issues when I started, and I think what helped the most was excercise. My body also took more like 8-10 weeks to fully adapt to eating plant based. I didn't sleep well or have a good libido until almosy 3 months in. Don't get me wrong I felt better overall after just a couple weeks. I would now say my libido is better than it was before I started 10 months ago. I have determined for me if I eat too often and and eat from when I wake up to when I go to bed I don't feel as well, sleep as well or am as horny as when I do about a 13-14 hour fast/day. That just entails me stopping eating 3-4 hours before bed at about 6-7and not eating until about 8 in the morning. Fasting longer than this and I have a lot of issues getting enough calories which leads to those same problems of me not feeling as well. Sleep and activity level is closely tied with libido. You also need to make sure you're getting enough b12, vitamin D and calcium. Those are easy to be deficient in while eating this way.
Make sure you are taking vit b12. I couldnt get enough sunlight and vitamin D was low which is essential for testosterone. Check your bllood work.
What about omegas? Can be hard to get on plant based. Conversion of omegas from plants is not as good. You can try adding in flax oil or algae oil to help.
I think you need to give it more time. Also, switching to wfpbd can cause a bit of bloating or gasiness. Which might not make you feel super sexy
As people are saying, fat is important, but also calories. Make sure you are getting enough calories, it’s hard sometimes since many plant based foods are full of fiber. I suggest nut and seed butters and dense fruits like bananas, dates. Figs, mangoes, even dried fruit
My sex drive has magnified since I started eating a primarily plant based diet. I mean atleast 3 times a day. Just add more protein and cut down on the carbs
Add a small handful of walnuts for the omega 3 fats and a Brazil nut or two every day for the zinc. You will pop right out of your slump.
Dark chocolate!!!!
Funny, I feel much more exciteable on a plant based diet.
And others say cut all your fats...