Losing more weight in cold weather?

ralucaoda · October 2014

Ok, I could be wrong, but in recent days, as the weather grows colder and autumn is coming, my scale seems increasingly friendlier. I've been cheating quite a bit over the weekend, exercising less (I need to get back on the wagon!) and yet the weight seems to be still dropping.

I've only started my MFP journey in April 2014 so I've never gone through a weight loss program during winter before. I live in Bucharest, Romania (Eastern Europe) with a temperate-continental climate. Right now it's 12 Celsius (53 F) during the days but the temperature is dropping as we approach November. During winters we end up with temperatures as low as -20 Celsius (-4 F) but generally around -5 Celsius (23 F).

Am I wrong or are we inclined to shed pounds faster in the cold season? I've also read contrary beliefs that during winter our metabolism is actually slowing down to reduce the amount of calories burnt on heating? What do you think?

Chief_Rocka · October 2014

Science proves that people that live in cold climates weigh less.

Weightwatcher72 · October 2014

I'm sure the body burns more calories staying warm during the winter months than in summer so that could possibly explain it

2013sk · October 2014

In the winter all I want to do is eat - I always way more in the winter than in the summer. I tell myself I need some fat for warmth - Ha Ha!

fevdean38 · October 2014

I tend to lose weight better in winter as i am able to train harder in cooler temperatures.
I usually eat the same amount of cals per week all year round as well

ExRelaySprinter · October 2014

Same as this ^^.
I workout better in the colder months and eat around the same cals. whatever the weather.
Sadly, i'm not one of those people who tend to eat just salads in the Summer. $:\$

Holly_Roman_Empire · October 2014

Does everyone around you lose weight in the wintertime?

I personally believe that humans have evolved to where they don't gain or lose weight depending on temperatures. We're primarily indoor creatures. Your weight loss has probably more to do with something you have done or are doing.

RSEC75 · October 2014

In the winter your body needs to burn more to keep warm.

However our brains are also programmed to want more food when it's cold... to try and combat that need for more energy.

So if you are not watching your calories it's really easy to eat more and cancel out any extra weight loss (or even go the other way and start gaining weight).

If you are watching your calories and sticking to the same goal as in the summer then if your body is burning more to keep warm you should loose more in the cold weather.

I've not actually gone through a winter while counting calories yet either... but last week, which was the first week we needed heating on in the house, I did loose more than double what I expected

If you keep your house really warm I could see it would stop any affect. Personally I heat the house to be just warm enough, but it's certainly much cooler than in the summer.

FindingAmy77 · October 2014

well swimming in cooler water definitely helps. being in Florida that is what fall means to me.

Jla408 · October 2014

I live where it routinely gets to-30- - 40 Celsius, I hope it is true about burning more in the winter, cause I'm ready to be permacold for the next 6 months.... Gotta love SK winters

Liftng4Lis · October 2014

I definitely burn more during the colder months. Unfortunately, I like to eat comfort foods during those months as well $:\$

Tedebearduff · October 2014

raluxas wrote: »

Ok, I could be wrong, but in recent days, as the weather grows colder and autumn is coming, my scale seems increasingly friendlier. I've been cheating quite a bit over the weekend, exercising less (I need to get back on the wagon!) and yet the weight seems to be still dropping.

I've only started my MFP journey in April 2014 so I've never gone through a weight loss program during winter before. I live in Bucharest, Romania (Eastern Europe) with a temperate-continental climate. Right now it's 12 Celsius (53 F) during the days but the temperature is dropping as we approach November. During winters we end up with temperatures as low as -20 Celsius (-4 F) but generally around -5 Celsius (23 F).

Am I wrong or are we inclined to shed pounds faster in the cold season? I've also read contrary beliefs that during winter our metabolism is actually slowing down to reduce the amount of calories burnt on heating? What do you think?

Hey,

So your body will actually store more depending on where you live due to your environment. As you mentioned it gets cold where you live therefore your body will begin to store fat for the winter. Your body is protecting it's self against the surrounding conditions,personally I find it harder in the winter months (Canada eh) some people will argue my point but it's my opinion and it's what I've experienced.

What's happening is the work you put in 3-4weeks ago is showing up now, even though you might have been eating poorly over the last 1-2 weeks the effort from 3-4 weeks ago is what is showing on the scale. 1 cheat meal 1 bad week isn't a big deal IMO just get back into the right habits and think of all the effort/time/hard work you were putting in kind of meant nothing if your just going to go back to old habits.

T1DCarnivoreRunner · October 2014

Most people I know tend to gain in the winter - it gets down to around -20F here at the coldest with wind chills even less, and can be over 100F during the warmest time of year with heat indexes far more (due to our high humidity).

I feel like people who are not tracking (most people) tend to eat more and/or exercise less in the winter. Particularly in late November (in the US, we celebrate Thanksgiving and people eat a lot) and various religious holidays in December where there are cookies, pies, turkeys, hams, etc. and food is a major part of such holidays. My point is that the common phenomenon of weight gain in the winter may have nothing to do with weather.

SingRunTing · October 2014

RSEC75 wrote: »

In the winter your body needs to burn more to keep warm.

However our brains are also programmed to want more food when it's cold... to try and combat that need for more energy.

Yup. Your body burns more calories in the cold trying to keep itself warm. That's why you want to eat more in the winter.

It's fairly negligible unless you are at the South Pole or something. Those folks have to eat a ton just to maintain their weight. But this isn't a diet plan for the average joe or jane who are in the heat most of the day in the winter.

0somuchbetter0 · October 2014

I tend to lose more weight in the winter months but I'm not sure why. Maybe because I drink more hot tea rather than snack? Whatever it is, it's definitely about calories consumed, not the actual temperature. High elevation makes me lose weight too, but that's obviously because moving around takes more effort and burns more calories. Summer 2013 I went on vacation to the Andes and lost 6.5 lbs in three weeks without even trying!

ralucaoda · October 2014

Thanks everyone for your insights, every bit of information helps. My takeaway is that while we may appear to be burning slightly more calories in cold weather, it's also a time to watch out for extra calories and track everything.

Anyhow, it's nice to know that eating at the same calorie level could be more efficient - definitely extra motivation for upcoming months

Bakkasan · October 2014

Chief_Rocka wrote: »

Science proves that people that live in cold climates weigh less.

Not just that, but people who work in the arctic/antarctic zones have to consume 4-6000 calories to keep up with the cold. Lots of info on it out there.

Losing more weight in cold weather?

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