You’d be surprised what shedding a few pounds can do for your love life, both physically and mentally.
Think losing 10 pounds (or more) could change your sex life? You might be right! That’s because losing even a little weight can make you feel better mentally and physically, which is the best way to recharge your sexual desire.
When you’re overweight or obese, you may have myriad health and fitness obstacles including lower stamina, muscle weakness, and circulation problems, as well as conditions such as high cholesterol or diabetes. All of these factors can seriously limit your libido.
Losing weight, exercising, and making positive health changes such as eating a low-fat diet can improve your health and boost not only your sex drive but your performance, too.
Working out is, of course, one of the keys to losing weight. It can also result in “unwavering sex appeal,” says fitness expert Lisa Reed. “Regular exercise can help you sleep better, improve your mood, control your weight, uplift your spirit, sharpen your mental functioning, and improve your sex life,” says Reed.
Food and sex have a long, complicated history together. For years, we’ve heard that what we eat can affect our sexuality, on both psychosomatic and physiological levels. Supported partly by mythological beliefs and partly by actual science, we have widely accepted that what turns us on could very well start in the kitchen. Berries, for instance, are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins C and E, which can help keep your skin supple and your immune system strong, both of which are key factors in boosting your sex drive.
“If we don’t feel good about our body, then our sex life is likely impacted,” says licensed psychologist Dr. Alexis Conason, who specializes in the treatment of body image issues, overeating, and sexual functioning. “When we are busy worrying about our thigh jiggle during sex, then we are not focused on the incredible sensations of our partner’s touch.”
Whether your body is big or small, you can have great sex, says Conason. “People of all shapes and sizes can have awesome sex,” she says. “This is especially true when you feel sexy and great about your body.”
Want to feel sexier and enjoy intimacy more? Read on for expert advice on 11 ways getting fit can affect your sex life.
Body Shape and Size Changes
As you lose weight, your body will start to look and feel different. Love handles may melt away, leg muscles may strengthen, your belly will become more toned. “The change in body shape and size can sometimes be accompanied by a more comfortable sense of one’s body and that can translate into more comfort with sex, more willingness to take your clothes off, and less self-consciousness in bed,” says Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist, professor of psychology, and author of You Are Why You Eat.
Libido Jumpstart
“Getting a jumpstart on weight loss can help [you] get a jumpstart in bed,” says registered dietitian Rene Ficek, the Lead Nutrition Expert at Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating, who explains that by taking better care of yourself, you can experience “a substantial increase in interest in sex.”
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