Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I've been eating low-carb/paleo for a little over 3 years now (about a 90% paleo diet...non-paleo things here and there but none in my house) and am doing the whole30 to get my butt back on track. I've normally got a pretty high sex drive. The past 4-5 days of eating whole30 I haven't been physically or mentally interested at all. Normally I need "something" every day or every other day (unless I have my period, then no interest at all either, so maybe it's hormonal?) so I'm pretty surprised at the dramatic decrease. Any ideas on what could be causing this?

edited May 29 2011 at 9:59

asked May 29 2011 at 8:22

Danielle
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The Quilt · Answer 1 · 2011-05-29 13:55:43Z UTC

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Very normal......Its due to the changes in fuel sources at the hypothalamus. This is where food energy and sex drives all start. It will improve as your hormones catch up to the metabolic changes your in the process of retooling.

answered May 29 2011 at 13:55

The Quilt
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once you fox the metabolism then if problems still exist its time to open the hood and take a peak and tinker with the proper frame of reference – The Quilt May 29 2011 at 14:25

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fix not fox. Freudian slip? lol – The Quilt May 29 2011 at 15:13

Definitely a Freudian slip! – Thomas Seay May 29 2011 at 19:32

And somehow I think "take a peak and tinker" has dual-meanings. – Stabby May 29 2011 at 21:56

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oh men hahah :P – Danielle May 29 2011 at 22:06

FED at LiveCaveman.com · Answer 2 · 2011-05-30 22:37:26Z UTC

I noticed a big drop in libido when I was strict Paleo (in the Cordain/Wolf sense). This is in spite of eating as much fruit as I wanted and getting starch from sweet potatoes and squash.

My drive didn't kick back in until I switched to a low-carb Primal-style of eating (in the Sisson sense) with the big difference being the addition of a LOT more saturated fat from animal flesh, coconut, and high-fat dairy (cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, etc.)

My total cholesterol levels also jumped dramatically over the past few months.

Some other changes include a slight reduction in exercise volume and a slight increase in sleep.

Thomas Seay · Answer 3 · 2011-05-29 21:45:06Z UTC

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Just go back to eating high carb for a week. That'll put some lead in your pencil, although that's not really the appropriate expression for a woman. Oh, you know what I mean.

answered May 29 2011 at 21:45

Thomas Seay

I don't normally eat high carb... under 50 grams a day and that's if I eat a sweet potato for example – Danielle May 29 2011 at 22:06

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Upping my carbs got me back on track. – ROB May 29 2011 at 22:48

here here. Adding carbohydrate back to one's eating, after a long time of LC or VLC will do wonders, one of which being get your action back. – ben61820 May 29 2011 at 23:04

Danielle, do you want to get "something" every day or don't you? If you do, then you're going to have to start adding on the carbs. Why not? – Thomas Seay May 30 2011 at 3:18

@thomas: I'm trying to lose 10-15lbs and after experimenting over the past 3 years my body won't lose unless I'm on a VLC diet. – Danielle May 30 2011 at 6:10

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Slim-Pal · Answer 4 · 2011-05-29 10:13:39Z UTC

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Hi Danielle May be that you are simply in a calorie deficit and your metabolism has slipped into 'starvation' mode. This will ramp down a number of hormones, including thyroid and sex hormones. It may be the price you pay to get your 'butt back on track'. Things will return to normal when you get back into calorie balance. So don't worry about it...enjoy the rest!!

answered May 29 2011 at 10:13

Slim-Pal
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calories have zero to do with it. The hormones do.....but the manner in which it happens has zero to do with calories. – The Quilt May 29 2011 at 15:14

Is there a chance that you could go into more detail on that one? I was always under the assumption that calories had a lot to do with it. From an evolution point of view, if in a calorie deficit women were unable to reproduce. Since in most cultures men ate first, women got left overs. So if there was not enough food, women were unable to have children. I don't remember exactly, but it might have been from Rob Wolf I got this idea in my head, or somewhere else I read it I do know. – Ryan H May 29 2011 at 19:29

Menstruation and fecundity are directly controlled by leptin status not calories. This is why anorexics don't have periods and why fat women have trouble getting pregnant due to pcos......all caused by high leptin due to high reverse T3 levels. One woman is calorie deprived while another eats boat loads. Calories don't matter. Leptin status does – The Quilt May 30 2011 at 11:20

Leanne · Answer 5 · 2011-05-30 03:41:12Z UTC

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T.S. Wiley talks about this (somewhat indirectly) a bit in his Lights Out! book. He says (paraphrased best I can remember) that during the summer months (when carbs were abound) people mated more. So perhaps a little higher carb will put things on track for you... I seem to do fine on a higher fat diet and < 65ish carbs a day (on average).

answered May 30 2011 at 3:41

Leanne
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T.S. Wiley is female :) – Rhubarb May 30 2011 at 10:04

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Susie Wiley, ergo she :) – Ikco May 30 2011 at 10:06

he... she... doesn't change the content of the book... – Leanne May 31 2011 at 2:22

Kirill · Answer 6 · 2011-05-30 05:18:36Z UTC

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Potatoes will make you horny in no time. For goodness sake, please, at the very least have a large(150-300g) starch carb-up meal every Sunday to restore leptin, thyroid and glycogen. Cortisol train is gonna run you down in the long term!

answered May 30 2011 at 5:18

Kirill
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	You don't want more leptin if your a resistant human......eating more carbs pushes your to impotence or pcos – The Quilt May 30 2011 at 11:22
	But normal would be nice. Running in economy mode literally all the time is scary. Maybe unless you max out on protein. – Kirill May 30 2011 at 17:40
	The Quilt - You keep saying PCOS over and over here. If you personally have issues that fine. However, women can be PCOS and not be fat and women can be fat without PCOS. The two are NOT intimately linked in all women. Even going into starvation-mode (ala fasting) will not cause a non-PCOS woman to suddenly become PCOS. – Satchmo Oct 21 2011 at 17:18

Stefan · Answer 7 · 2011-05-30 19:19:26Z UTC

Calorie or protein deficiency can both trigger decreased sex drive. Sex drive is an indication of overall health. The purpose of life is to survive. Which is why we eat food. This includes physical survival, and also maintenance of the processes which maintain survival of our genes...sex. The first night of changed diet and decreased sex drive should have been a wake-up call. Change your diet immediately.

Michelle · Answer 8 · 2013-04-16 17:43:52Z UTC

so glad to read all of this! On top of all of the food changes, and the NO ALCOHOL...there's been minimal sex in my house! Very odd for us but especially for my man. He is a machine. :) I miss him. On day 28 of whole 30 and thinking of converting to a low carb type lifestyle after completion. Sleep is amazing and yes clothes are a bit loose which is nice. I miss my happy go lucky attitude and yes energy. I never experienced "tiger blood" but seen to have more energy consistently thru the day with no caffeine help. Has been a mostly great experience and made us both face some sad but true facts about our relationship with food (carbs) and alcohol too. Having to learn to entertain and like ourselves without numbing ourselves. Interesting!

Decreased sex-drive since staring Whole30?

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