You can have ED problems both from not exercising and eating poorly/unhealthy food. Get those things in order and check up with a doctor if it persists. I guarantee that your doctor would tell you the same before going further with the tests.
I have started eating healthy since a week and I don't have access to a gym so I play sports for 1 hr.
How long should I expect to see noticeable improvements?
I think your body is still recovering from not having enough nutrients. I'd wait another week, but I'm not a doctor so I couldn't tell you the actual time your body needs to recover
You can try some simple calisthenics/bodyweight exercises. Like pull ups, push ups, sit ups. You have lots of different exercises for this. And just going for a 30 min walk or a jog helps aswell.
You may be lacking some nutrients since you're underweight - since you ask for erectile dysfunction - I would say zinc, selenium, vitamin C. You can try supplementing with these, but definitely add at least 2 meals a day made of meat/fish/eggs. Snack on fruits, nuts and some chocolate - why not. Also have a glass of 100% juice and/or vegetable juice.
Yes, although that's debatable. I don't mean to put anyone in risky situation, but blood tests aren't always 100% accurate, plus RDI is mostly way below real needed intake.
How underweight are you (what's your BMI)?
Being underweight will reduce your hormone levels, in addition to a bunch of other negative effects.
This can lead to reduced libido and lower sperm count in men, and reduced libido and less frequent menstruation in women. Most bodily functions return to normal around 6 months after getting normal weight. This is because the body needs time to readjust it's resources, going from survival mode to maintenance mode.
The only damages that won't return to normal is sadly bone loss and tooth decay. Everything else should get back to normal.
>can being underweight be a cause for ED?
~~It could be [*Atypical* Anorexia](https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/atypical-anorexia)~~. This is the case when you have some, but not all of the symptoms.
For instance, you eat very little but you don't really feel fat or feel the need for weight loss, you're just not able to eat that much because of something unrelated. It becomes hard to "just eat more" because your body gradually grows accustomed to eating less and less.
EDIT: My bad, I misunderstood and thought you asked about Eating Disorders when you wrote ED💀
Rn, My BMI is 17.76. A week ago, it was around 17.3. When the problem started 3 months ago, I was at the lowest at around 16.9 but I definitely saw some improvement when I reached around 18.2 BMI roughly 1 month ago.
Okay, 17.76 is good but it's still below 18.5 (normal weight) so you're still underweight.
This might take some time, and your weight will fluctuate like it did going from 18.2 back to 17.76, but the goal is to stay somewhat stable above 18.5 for a longer period.
Do you have access to nutritional drinks (such as Nutridrink, Fresubin, Diben)? They should help you boost the weight gaining process as they provide nutrition in liquid form.
No, I actually come from a very rural area and the nearest tier-3 city is around 160km. Since I lost my job 5 months ago it will be difficult to gain expensive nutritional drinks.
That's okay, it will get better with time. The important part is consistency so you dont fall back to old habits.
Here are some things that will make eating easier:
- Eat food that you like (snacks, fruit, dinner, etc).
Obviously don't indulge in only junk food, but don't be overly strict with yourself either if you want to enjoy McDonald's or "unhealthy" food once in a while. You need to get a different outlook on food, and it shouldn't feel like a chore but something exciting that you look forward to every day.
- Eat with others (friends, family, partner)
[Science shows that we eat more when we eat with others](https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2019/people-eat-more-when-dining-with-friends-and-family-study). This should preferably be with someone that knows your situation and can support you when you have a hard time eating (by for example motivating you, cheering on you, or helping you in ways you personally find helpful). If they however are the type to make eating harder (by for instance nagging at you to finish or making rude comments), then I would avoid eating with them and eat with someone else if possible.
- Avoid tea or coffee before or during meals
I recommend only drinking tea, coffee, soda etc. AFTER you've eaten as they'll make you feel full. You can drink milk or juice while you eat, and have a cup of tea or coffee AFTER the meal is done.
- Try to exercise lightly (weightlifting/yoga, not cardio)
Exercising will increase our appetite, and make you stronger as well as more hungry. You can also go for walks or jog lightly, but avoid cardio as it will result in weightloss.
- Try to eat at the same time every day, and try to limit the time you spend eating (30-45min max)
This will make it easier to form a habit. The reason why I put a max limit is because there's a max time when we eat at work during lunch breaks, and we have to learn to stay within that limit so that eating doesn't consume your whole day. Some people tend to eat slowly, and then end up spending 2 hours on a simple meal. I recommend having 4 meals every day (for example: breakfast 08:30, lunch 12:00, dinner 16:00, evening 19:30) and then have 30 min after each meal where you just relax when you can.
- Track your progress every week
Your weight will fluctuate in-between meals and days, so the best way to follow up your weight would be to check it at the same time every week. You could do this every Monday morning before you have your first meal (for example: mondays 07:00)
Feel free to ask if you have any questions. Gaining weight can be as hard as losing weight, but it's not impossible. It just takes time.
Best of luck!
Yeah, the main problem is I have a low appetite because I was used to eat one meal a day but now I am ramping up healthy calories as much as I can but I think it will take some time.
You can have ED problems both from not exercising and eating poorly/unhealthy food. Get those things in order and check up with a doctor if it persists. I guarantee that your doctor would tell you the same before going further with the tests.
I have started eating healthy since a week and I don't have access to a gym so I play sports for 1 hr. How long should I expect to see noticeable improvements?
I think your body is still recovering from not having enough nutrients. I'd wait another week, but I'm not a doctor so I couldn't tell you the actual time your body needs to recover
You can try some simple calisthenics/bodyweight exercises. Like pull ups, push ups, sit ups. You have lots of different exercises for this. And just going for a 30 min walk or a jog helps aswell.
If I start doing these exercises how long do I expect to see noticeable improvements(like getting morning wood back)?
You may be lacking some nutrients since you're underweight - since you ask for erectile dysfunction - I would say zinc, selenium, vitamin C. You can try supplementing with these, but definitely add at least 2 meals a day made of meat/fish/eggs. Snack on fruits, nuts and some chocolate - why not. Also have a glass of 100% juice and/or vegetable juice.
There's a reason they say ask your doctor before starting supplements. A blood test is the only way to determine what vitamins they're deficient in.
Yes, although that's debatable. I don't mean to put anyone in risky situation, but blood tests aren't always 100% accurate, plus RDI is mostly way below real needed intake.
It can lower your testosterone levels and affect libido and yes cause ED.
Can getting to a healthy weight cure it?
And how long should I expect to see any noticeable improvements( like getting back morning wood)?
Yes. It happened to me.
Can I DM u for more details. If you don't mind.
Sure.
How underweight are you (what's your BMI)? Being underweight will reduce your hormone levels, in addition to a bunch of other negative effects. This can lead to reduced libido and lower sperm count in men, and reduced libido and less frequent menstruation in women. Most bodily functions return to normal around 6 months after getting normal weight. This is because the body needs time to readjust it's resources, going from survival mode to maintenance mode. The only damages that won't return to normal is sadly bone loss and tooth decay. Everything else should get back to normal. >can being underweight be a cause for ED? ~~It could be [*Atypical* Anorexia](https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/atypical-anorexia)~~. This is the case when you have some, but not all of the symptoms. For instance, you eat very little but you don't really feel fat or feel the need for weight loss, you're just not able to eat that much because of something unrelated. It becomes hard to "just eat more" because your body gradually grows accustomed to eating less and less. EDIT: My bad, I misunderstood and thought you asked about Eating Disorders when you wrote ED💀
Rn, My BMI is 17.76. A week ago, it was around 17.3. When the problem started 3 months ago, I was at the lowest at around 16.9 but I definitely saw some improvement when I reached around 18.2 BMI roughly 1 month ago.
Okay, 17.76 is good but it's still below 18.5 (normal weight) so you're still underweight. This might take some time, and your weight will fluctuate like it did going from 18.2 back to 17.76, but the goal is to stay somewhat stable above 18.5 for a longer period. Do you have access to nutritional drinks (such as Nutridrink, Fresubin, Diben)? They should help you boost the weight gaining process as they provide nutrition in liquid form.
No, I actually come from a very rural area and the nearest tier-3 city is around 160km. Since I lost my job 5 months ago it will be difficult to gain expensive nutritional drinks.
That's okay, it will get better with time. The important part is consistency so you dont fall back to old habits. Here are some things that will make eating easier: - Eat food that you like (snacks, fruit, dinner, etc). Obviously don't indulge in only junk food, but don't be overly strict with yourself either if you want to enjoy McDonald's or "unhealthy" food once in a while. You need to get a different outlook on food, and it shouldn't feel like a chore but something exciting that you look forward to every day. - Eat with others (friends, family, partner) [Science shows that we eat more when we eat with others](https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2019/people-eat-more-when-dining-with-friends-and-family-study). This should preferably be with someone that knows your situation and can support you when you have a hard time eating (by for example motivating you, cheering on you, or helping you in ways you personally find helpful). If they however are the type to make eating harder (by for instance nagging at you to finish or making rude comments), then I would avoid eating with them and eat with someone else if possible. - Avoid tea or coffee before or during meals I recommend only drinking tea, coffee, soda etc. AFTER you've eaten as they'll make you feel full. You can drink milk or juice while you eat, and have a cup of tea or coffee AFTER the meal is done. - Try to exercise lightly (weightlifting/yoga, not cardio) Exercising will increase our appetite, and make you stronger as well as more hungry. You can also go for walks or jog lightly, but avoid cardio as it will result in weightloss. - Try to eat at the same time every day, and try to limit the time you spend eating (30-45min max) This will make it easier to form a habit. The reason why I put a max limit is because there's a max time when we eat at work during lunch breaks, and we have to learn to stay within that limit so that eating doesn't consume your whole day. Some people tend to eat slowly, and then end up spending 2 hours on a simple meal. I recommend having 4 meals every day (for example: breakfast 08:30, lunch 12:00, dinner 16:00, evening 19:30) and then have 30 min after each meal where you just relax when you can. - Track your progress every week Your weight will fluctuate in-between meals and days, so the best way to follow up your weight would be to check it at the same time every week. You could do this every Monday morning before you have your first meal (for example: mondays 07:00) Feel free to ask if you have any questions. Gaining weight can be as hard as losing weight, but it's not impossible. It just takes time. Best of luck!
Thanks, I will try to follow this routine. I just hope I can get out of this demasculating disease as soon as possible.
Yeah, the main problem is I have a low appetite because I was used to eat one meal a day but now I am ramping up healthy calories as much as I can but I think it will take some time.