Do you lose more weight when it's cold?

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12Sarah2015
12Sarah2015 Posts: 1,117 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
It's almost winter here and I'm hungrier. Is it true you burn more calories in the cold or not?

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Not for me. When the weather is nicer my NEAT increases and I lose a little easier I believe. I like to sit on my butt in the winter.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    12Sarah2015 wrote: »
    It's almost winter here and I'm hungrier. Is it true you burn more calories in the cold or not?

    If you were exposed to cold and constantly shivered you would burn more calories. You'd also get hypothermia.

    Stick to your caloric goal without logging "winter" as cardio.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    I wish. Its so much harder to get out of bed when it's chilly outside and I really don't like to run in the rain so it's much harder for me to exercise. And I'm more likely to be inside earlier in the day, cooking warmer (and sometimes more calorie dense) meals. So, for me personally - no.

    I believe you do actually burn a little bit more when you are cold, but I doubt that it would be enough to see a difference on the scale. Definitely not enough to let you eat ALL the nice warm comfort food (unless you are tracking and fitting it into your goals, of course!)

    Here's one scientist's take on this topic: http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2015/06/29/4263585.htm
  • SeptemberFeyre
    SeptemberFeyre Posts: 178 Member
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    I have a harder time losing in the winter because that's our holiday season in the US., there's not as much fruit available, and I'm not outside as much. The heat might have something to do with it--in the summer I don't feel as hungry as I do in the winter.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Personally I never lose weight in winter. This is due to the fact I take the time to build muscle in my "off-season".

    Generally though, there will be little to no effect of weight loss due to outside temperatures.
  • kuranda10
    kuranda10 Posts: 593 Member
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    Studies are showing that keeping your bedroom below 18 C help promote health and weight loss.
  • lauracups
    lauracups Posts: 533 Member
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    Unless you are not living in a heated dwelling, winter cold will not cause extra calorie expenditures. Our bodies do burn calories to regulate body temperature when we are out on the elements for a length of time. I wouldn't count it as extra though, when I hiked in the winter I counted time, not temperature.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    I probably burn less calories in the winter because it's not as appealing to go out exercising in freezing temperatures. :(
  • lexbubbles
    lexbubbles Posts: 465 Member
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    I lose a LOT more weight in winter than I do in summer, but then I get summer-variant SAD (seasonal depression, commonly associated with winter) which makes it a lot harder for me to stay on track in warmer months.

    I just generally function better in the cold, and dark. The sun makes me so tired.

    As to whether you just burn more calories on the regular BECAUSE it's cold? No, probably not. Not enough to count for anything, anyway.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
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    The amount of calories you burn being in a cold environment is minuscule. While shivering and the body needing the extra energy to keep your core temperature leveled, does occur when you are colder, but to burn signification calories you really need to spend time in a winter blizzard, frozen mountain top or perhaps a 40 degree and less body of water, but you will die before your body can do enough to save your life.

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