Does weight loss make you feel colder?

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13

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  • Left4Good
    Left4Good Posts: 304
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    Yes it does. Fat makes you warm, so if you lose the fat you feel colder.
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
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    I had a kickball game last night. 46 degree weather, everyone is shivering in long T's, sweats, and gloves. I have on just the t-shirt and sweats. I wasn't cold. Thank you muscle.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    I am close to hitting 40 pounds lost (since March 2012), and I'm wondering if I feel colder as a result; I seem to need an extra layer of clothing more often, my hands and feet are chilly more frequently than I recall. Anyone else have this experience?

    Today for example, It's not very cold where I am (above 40 degrees), and I'm eating and active as usual. But still, I'm a bit cold.

    So is it the weight loss or am I just getting old? :grumble: :smile:

    Fat does not make a person warm. It's the energy one spends being overweight on even small tasks what seems to make a body feel warmer, but not the fat. The loss of fat should not make a person colder, because it's not the fat that regulates body temps. To think of fat like a blanket that covers the bed to keep us warm is an error. For an otherwise fairly healthy body there are in-built mechanisms that should balance body temperature.
    The only obvious to me reasons for feeling cold under unreasonable circumstances are either hormonal fluctuations ( which can play a role in weight loss, especially in women who could be pre-menopausal, menopausal or post menopausal ) and loss of non-fatty tissue, in other words muscle.
  • chad_phillips1123
    chad_phillips1123 Posts: 229 Member
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    I have noticed I can't take the cold as well as I used to....
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    OMG Yes! I did a post on this some time ago. I'm always cold. I'm at work now with my coat on sipping hot tea.
  • AriDublyu
    AriDublyu Posts: 34
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    Thanks for all the confirmations and good advice! I do believe I get enough iron from vegetables. I am generally low carb in my diet (gluten intolerant). I do have to build up some more muscle, I mostly do cardio not a ton of strength training.

    Stay warm everyone! Summer's coming...
  • MaJacobs75
    MaJacobs75 Posts: 26
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    It does seem to be happening to me more often then I used to. Now that are seasons is changing and its getting warmer out, I'm still feeling cold and having to wear a couple extra layers more often. I guess the weight loss is working.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
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    Yes. When my BF gets below 9% during my 100 mile running weeks, im always cold. Unless im stuffing my face at a buffet post race.
    I live in Vegas too.
  • Tracey_B_72
    Tracey_B_72 Posts: 1,021 Member
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    Yes yes yes.

    I used to be 5-6stones heavier 8 years ago and would go out in leggings and a hoody even in snow, I did even own a coat, I was always hot.

    Now may years later and losing weight here and the over the years I actually went out and bout a designer Joe Brown coat and I love it, I have jumpers to wear under it, hats and scarfs because I bloody freeze now when it's winter.

    When at home I'm in my onsie or an oversized hoody and blokes trackie bottoms, as they are thicker, and I even have a blanker now, meanwhile hubby is sitting in trackie a and a t-shirt, I just take forever to warm up!
  • ddixon503
    ddixon503 Posts: 119 Member
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    Somewhere along my weight loss trek, I started doubling up on my socks because my feet were cold. Go figure.
  • tropicaltiger
    tropicaltiger Posts: 254
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    oh yes I am always cold-since I started losing weight I am always cold-it was 40 degress today and I was freezing-
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
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    Im so glad somebody made this...and yes...its a the weightloss


    I have the same problem..but mines comes from eating lower carbs (idk the scientific reasoning behind it but when I eat higher carbs, my body temp is normal to hot..but lower carbs make me feel cold-er) and from weight/fat loss. Extra Fat keeps you warmer as well

    So I agree and am glad im not the only person having this experience. (cant wait for summer weather to come to NC)


    I'm no expert, and this is just a guess, but you may be feeling colder from low-carb because carbohydrates are fast energy to the body, and therefore the body has more energy to burn (which keeps it revved up). But, with lower carbs, your body has less of this quickly accessible energy to burn, and therefore the constant temperature may be lower.

    THIS IS JUST A GUESS!

    Nope. I eat a lot of carbs at maintenance now, but I'm still way colder than I've been in the past. It's the fat loss.

    Same here, it was just a guess though :) Maybe my theory is still true for some people, but you're probably right :laugh:
  • krennie8
    krennie8 Posts: 301 Member
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    Oddly I've been having more issues with being too hot than I am being too cold. idk what's up. Thought maybe my thyroid was outta whack again but it's still normal.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I saw a couple of others posts I'll ditto.

    Metabolism is heat.

    So extra fat as insulation can help retain that heat better. But it's not that much difference.

    More so is probably just the fact you have lowered your metabolism, which many people do on a diet that is a tad too much.

    This is proved out when they start eating more, or take a diet break for a couple weeks, ect. They feel warmer, and the temps didn't change for those 2 weeks, and they didn't add on extra layer of fat for 2 weeks.

    The metabolism went back up.

    If you body isn't getting what it feels is enough energy for required body functions, it'll slow down those less important, and just producing heat for the sake of staying warm is one of those unless at dangerous levels.
  • jjoh553028
    jjoh553028 Posts: 41 Member
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    I thought we were entering a new ice age here in Texas.. Maybe its just the weight loss?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Im so glad somebody made this...and yes...its a the weightloss


    I have the same problem..but mines comes from eating lower carbs (idk the scientific reasoning behind it but when I eat higher carbs, my body temp is normal to hot..but lower carbs make me feel cold-er) and from weight/fat loss. Extra Fat keeps you warmer as well

    So I agree and am glad im not the only person having this experience. (cant wait for summer weather to come to NC)


    I'm no expert, and this is just a guess, but you may be feeling colder from low-carb because carbohydrates are fast energy to the body, and therefore the body has more energy to burn (which keeps it revved up). But, with lower carbs, your body has less of this quickly accessible energy to burn, and therefore the constant temperature may be lower.

    THIS IS JUST A GUESS!

    Nope. I eat a lot of carbs at maintenance now, but I'm still way colder than I've been in the past. It's the fat loss.

    Same here, it was just a guess though :) Maybe my theory is still true for some people, but you're probably right :laugh:

    Nope, those low level functions are powered by fat, not by carbs. Besides, even if by carbs, you'd have to be seriously depleted in carbs to not have enough for this relatively minor increase in energy use.

    There is no rev up to eating more carbs. If anything, it takes less energy to process carbs than protein, there is less heat produced from the effort.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'm freezing all the time. I hear you.
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
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    Yes, the calorie deficit is causing your metabolism to slow and more "efficient" in putting energy toward the more important functions instead (heart, brain...). Body heat is put on the back burner.

    Interesting to note: it's also why people (at their natural weight set point) will actually become warmer in eating above their basic caloric needs! It's how we can maintain our own personal weight despite over eating from time to time during the holidays, or celebrations, etc. Your body literally burns off what it doesn't need by raising your core temperature temporarily. (Provided the overeating isn't consistent at every meal- that's the only way to override your natural set point and start putting calories toward your organs instead.)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Also, you may feel colder because you're losing muscle. It's your muscle that keeps your warm, not fat. Don't lose muscle. Eat more protein. Lift weights.

    not sure what muscle has to do with keeping one warm ..never heard this before, and sounds like a load of something that does not smell so good…

    I always thought fat was the "insulating" layer….
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    Also, you may feel colder because you're losing muscle. It's your muscle that keeps your warm, not fat. Don't lose muscle. Eat more protein. Lift weights.

    Good advice!

    Wait what...? This makes no sense whatsoever...

    Less fat = less insulation. Also, if I'm not mistaken there is a correlation between a lower resting heart rate and being slightly more cold.

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