Thread: Libido Finito!

I'm fairly new to all this body-bulding stuff but I learned something today and I thought I'd take a minute to share...

I decided to join a gym and get in shape at the start of Nov'06 (So it wouldn't be a lame NewYear's Resolution). I bought Tom Venuto's Burn Fat Feed Muscle book, read it cover to cover and completely changed my life to incorporate as much of his information as possible.

I started eating every three hours, recording everything I eat, switched completely to low glycemic foods. I eat a lean protien a and complex, all-natural carb with eat meal. I taper carbs at the end of the day.. dot dot dot!!

Over the past four and a half months my diet has been varied (interspersed with * some wished-I-hadn't-later binge beer drinking) but largely controlled and * probably only 60-70& of RDA for someone working out like I have been (* I've exercised like a madman!). I've kept * my carbs low and * my protein high (sometimes as much as * 50% of my calories). I've done * 10-15reps, 3-5* sets increasing the weights as I do * 15,15,15 at any particular weight. I haven't had much * sleep because I've been * working long hours and I've been running 6-7 miles 2-4 times a week, but I've been planning to get more sleep when I start bulking-up soon because, I hear, it helps with production of growth hormone. Anyway... * To aide fat loss I cut my fat intake way back. For the first 3 months my fat intake was generally around 10% of my calories (which, for you fellow NooBs, is too low), increasing it to 15-20% after reading that I should probably be taking in a little more than I had been.

During this time I dropped from 18-19%bf @194lb (158lb LBM) to 8-9%bf @ 168lb (153¾lb LBM). Not bad for a broad-shouldered guy 6'2" tall.

You could say that I did fantastically well, right?

Well... Actually... Apparently... No!... Not really!...

Recently my wife's been complaining that I'm ... shall we say... a little lacking in the ol' Getup'n'Go, if you know what I mean, nudge-nudge, wink-wink!

I thought about it, watched myself over a period of time and concluded she was probably right. Prior to the whole diet'n'exercise plan we were definitely more... um... "active". I couldn't understand it. I felt great. I'd quit smoking. I'd been running miles and miles (which I couldn't do not very long ago). I was definitely happier than I've been at most other times in my life. So WTF was going on!?

Today I stumbled on this page (after a bit of digging around, of course). I know already that this is the answer to my wife's concern (OK!... Fine!... "My" concern!). ASAP I'm going to make an appointment with the doctor to get my testosterone level checked. I'd bet a nut (if you'll forgive the expression) that my level is crazy-low. All the stuff I'd been doing were all bad-bad-bad for testosterone production. Just look at the *'s above. They're all on the list for lowering testosterone! Who knew!?

I personally think it's kind-of funny that I may have inadvertantly damned-near stopped production of testosterone in my body by sticking so rigidly to my plan (excl. alcohol, of course, but I'm drinking less and I'm drinking less frequently than ever, so ). No-one will be able to dispute that I really have eaten what I said I've eaten and exercised as hard as I said I have when my testosterone score comes back!

Obviously, now I've identified the problem I'll be working to change it. I've never been this lean in my life and I was really hoping to cut a little further just so that my "Before" picture (which will actually be "after" I'm done cutting) will have 6 plainly visible abs, not just four/nearly-six (I've never had even 4 visible abs before, ever! I like it. It's cool.). FYI, My "After" picture is going to be when I decide to quit bulking and cut again (probably winter next year).

I'm suprised, given that so many men follow a similar path to fat loss, that I hadn't heard more talk about the possible effect on Libido.

Are most guys just to proud to consider the possibility that they're just as into... um... "jumping bones"... than they used to be, or did I have my head in the sand and completely miss what was common-knowledge?

Does anyone have any idea roughly how long it takes the body to crank up production again once more fat, bigger weights, less reps, (etc etc etc) are all added back into life?

Finally, does anyone else have a similar story? And which, out of the factors identified listed, do you think, is the most testosterone-increasing factor (if you catch my drift)?

Originally Posted by Gordo

If you want to jump-start test production....

be a little more liberal with saturated fat (in particular).

egg yolks, heavy cream, higher fat yogurts, occasionally trade a few of those lean meat meals for some steak, or extra lean ground beef for example.

Bigger exercises (more compounds) will help. Leave the bicep curls to everyone else and do squats, deadlifts, rows etc...

And yes, your story sounds familiar. Recovery all depends on your body, how you respond and how much "damage" is done. It will recover, but it will take time.

Going on a slow bulk helps

Well... It sounds like I'm on the right track then. I'm hoping that my new 2650 cal diet will work out better that the 2000-2200 diet I'd been on. I've also increased my fat intake from 10-15% to 25% daily. I'm definitely doing more larger-muscle-group exercises too. I hope there's not much "damage." God knows, my wife's far from happy (or even "understanding") about this whole thing!