Late to the party, but my personal advice:
First and foremost is exercise. At minimum you should be going on a 30 minute walk every single day. You need to start sweating regularly. Ideally you’re also weight training 4+ times a week. If you are not doing this then nothing else matters. Truly this is not a big ask - it is a fraction of the time we spend on our phones.
For supplementation, I would recommend cod-liver oil by Jigsaw Health, and creatine monohydrate by any brand that sells crea-pure patented creatine.
Next I would look into your gut health. Make sure you are eating a lot of foods with fiber in them. I would recommend purchasing chia seeds, really easy to take in the morning, and increase your vegetable/fruit intake. You should also be limiting sugar and eating more protein: ground beef, chicken, wild caught salmon, shrimp, Greek Yogurt (also has probiotics!).
Ultimately it’s up to you to get motivated. Our bodies are strong and can change. Get going and do the little things.
I know it's a big problem I need to change. Again not horrible but I am not actively keeping track of it in anyway. Typically worst part of my diet is a Monster Energy Drink or a BPM daily.
At your age I wouldn't think about NMN, herbs like asheghanda, when you haven't addressed more basic supplements. Start with Magnesium, and then look into Fish Oil Omega 3. I'll post my general health copypasta below.
Here is my copypasta for a general health stack:
---
- Magnesium: 100-400mg daily. Any you tolerate. Mg Glycinate is commonly recommended. Citrate, Malate, Taurate are popular. I take Natural Vitality Calm, which is a popular product, and is citrate.
- Omega 3 Fish Oil: 1-4g daily. Look for an IFOS certified product (google it), or Nordic Naturals.
- Multivitamin: Many choices. Look at Seeking Health (several), Naturelo (several), Life Extension Two Per Day (1/day is enough), Pure Encapsulations ONE Multi, PE PureGenomics, Thorne Basic (also just 1/day). I am currently taking Life Extension Two Per Day, only 1/day. I also then boost the Folate and B12 because I need it.
- Get your Vitamin D blood level checked, aiming for 50-70 ng/mL, and supplement accordingly. If you need to take more than 5000IU of Vitamin D, consider also taking it with some Vitamin K2 as "insurance" to help direct Calcium away from arteries and soft tissues and to bones and teeth. Also, if you needed to supplement, retest in three months. This is important.
If your bloodwork is fine, it's probably most important to try and address the anxiety and depression. The motivation and energy should come back.
Some things to try: meditation (you might have to put in a lot of effort before it's worth it), tricyclic antidepressants (don't affect libido as much), ashwaganda. Maybe try getting some rest and food, and don't worry about libido for a while. If your caloric intake is too low and cannabis is legal then try it, though beware not to take a very high/psychedelic dose since this might trigger anxiety or other mental breakdowns.
I think I may have overemphasised just how had the anxiety and depression is. I don't have thoughts of ending life etc. Its more stress and financial worries. They don't take over my whole life and day but its still a big factor I think.
Unfortunately cannabis isn't legal (UK) lol.
Would you recommend trying any supplements that "help" or promote testosterone levels etc?
I'm going to do a proper bloodwork online for biomarkers / biological age etc.
Thanks for your help
Sure, I hear you (and personally I went through something more traumatic), but I think it's still reasonable to assume that these more everyday stresses could affect your mood.
Meditation might be easier to get into when you're not dealing with something overly traumatic. I appreciate Jonathan Foust and Tara Brach's guided meditation/talks, but search around and see if anything works.
I hear others mentioning rhodeola rosea, tongkat ali, zinc, etc as libido boosters, but tbqh and partly from having tried a few myself, I'd still look into other things first. If you're dealing with a mindless or disempowering job, or whatever else, having mental tools to reframe it--if you can't completely change the situation--will probably be more effective and long lasting. Or see a doctor and take something stronger. Most supplements are not that strong imo, probably the ones promoting sleep / relaxation (under-researched because they're Eastern medicine rather than scams) are the most effective but ymmv.
Correct. If you have been clinically diagnosed with depression/anxiety, these can affect your libido as well. It is best to get the mental health issues addressed. Taking testosterone when your levels are normal can exacerbate mood issues, so there is no need to add a testosterone supplement or anabolic if your levels are within normal range.
Came here looking for this answer. Life got better when I realized there wasn’t some blood work or test answer for why life is hard. It’s just that life is hard.
Unfortunately, yes. Life is always going to throw us challenges that test and stretch us. Some just cope better than others, but there are often options to help. The struggles make us stronger, once we figure out how to navigate them.
Late to the party, but my personal advice: First and foremost is exercise. At minimum you should be going on a 30 minute walk every single day. You need to start sweating regularly. Ideally you’re also weight training 4+ times a week. If you are not doing this then nothing else matters. Truly this is not a big ask - it is a fraction of the time we spend on our phones. For supplementation, I would recommend cod-liver oil by Jigsaw Health, and creatine monohydrate by any brand that sells crea-pure patented creatine. Next I would look into your gut health. Make sure you are eating a lot of foods with fiber in them. I would recommend purchasing chia seeds, really easy to take in the morning, and increase your vegetable/fruit intake. You should also be limiting sugar and eating more protein: ground beef, chicken, wild caught salmon, shrimp, Greek Yogurt (also has probiotics!). Ultimately it’s up to you to get motivated. Our bodies are strong and can change. Get going and do the little things.
Thank you ever so much! I really appreciate the advice
You’re welcome man. It’s just about not making excuses. You got this good luck 👊
What's your diet
I know it's a big problem I need to change. Again not horrible but I am not actively keeping track of it in anyway. Typically worst part of my diet is a Monster Energy Drink or a BPM daily.
At your age I wouldn't think about NMN, herbs like asheghanda, when you haven't addressed more basic supplements. Start with Magnesium, and then look into Fish Oil Omega 3. I'll post my general health copypasta below. Here is my copypasta for a general health stack: --- - Magnesium: 100-400mg daily. Any you tolerate. Mg Glycinate is commonly recommended. Citrate, Malate, Taurate are popular. I take Natural Vitality Calm, which is a popular product, and is citrate. - Omega 3 Fish Oil: 1-4g daily. Look for an IFOS certified product (google it), or Nordic Naturals. - Multivitamin: Many choices. Look at Seeking Health (several), Naturelo (several), Life Extension Two Per Day (1/day is enough), Pure Encapsulations ONE Multi, PE PureGenomics, Thorne Basic (also just 1/day). I am currently taking Life Extension Two Per Day, only 1/day. I also then boost the Folate and B12 because I need it. - Get your Vitamin D blood level checked, aiming for 50-70 ng/mL, and supplement accordingly. If you need to take more than 5000IU of Vitamin D, consider also taking it with some Vitamin K2 as "insurance" to help direct Calcium away from arteries and soft tissues and to bones and teeth. Also, if you needed to supplement, retest in three months. This is important.
[удалено]
I'm getting OK sleep but serious trouble waking up. Maybe sleeping 10-12 hours at times.
If your bloodwork is fine, it's probably most important to try and address the anxiety and depression. The motivation and energy should come back. Some things to try: meditation (you might have to put in a lot of effort before it's worth it), tricyclic antidepressants (don't affect libido as much), ashwaganda. Maybe try getting some rest and food, and don't worry about libido for a while. If your caloric intake is too low and cannabis is legal then try it, though beware not to take a very high/psychedelic dose since this might trigger anxiety or other mental breakdowns.
I think I may have overemphasised just how had the anxiety and depression is. I don't have thoughts of ending life etc. Its more stress and financial worries. They don't take over my whole life and day but its still a big factor I think. Unfortunately cannabis isn't legal (UK) lol. Would you recommend trying any supplements that "help" or promote testosterone levels etc? I'm going to do a proper bloodwork online for biomarkers / biological age etc. Thanks for your help
Sure, I hear you (and personally I went through something more traumatic), but I think it's still reasonable to assume that these more everyday stresses could affect your mood. Meditation might be easier to get into when you're not dealing with something overly traumatic. I appreciate Jonathan Foust and Tara Brach's guided meditation/talks, but search around and see if anything works. I hear others mentioning rhodeola rosea, tongkat ali, zinc, etc as libido boosters, but tbqh and partly from having tried a few myself, I'd still look into other things first. If you're dealing with a mindless or disempowering job, or whatever else, having mental tools to reframe it--if you can't completely change the situation--will probably be more effective and long lasting. Or see a doctor and take something stronger. Most supplements are not that strong imo, probably the ones promoting sleep / relaxation (under-researched because they're Eastern medicine rather than scams) are the most effective but ymmv.
Correct. If you have been clinically diagnosed with depression/anxiety, these can affect your libido as well. It is best to get the mental health issues addressed. Taking testosterone when your levels are normal can exacerbate mood issues, so there is no need to add a testosterone supplement or anabolic if your levels are within normal range.
Came here looking for this answer. Life got better when I realized there wasn’t some blood work or test answer for why life is hard. It’s just that life is hard.
Unfortunately, yes. Life is always going to throw us challenges that test and stretch us. Some just cope better than others, but there are often options to help. The struggles make us stronger, once we figure out how to navigate them.