Does being cold burn more calories

intrepidelephant
intrepidelephant Posts: 100 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a job where I work outside all day. I operate heavy equipment (without a cab) in temperatures just above freezing plus lots of heavy lifting. I always get hungrier in cold weather than when I do the same job in warm weather. I work about 9-12 hours a day. Does being cold burn more energy?

Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Probably not.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    The act of shivering burns calories, but just being cold may not, from what I've read.

    55835802.png
  • NelsonMoore
    NelsonMoore Posts: 6 Member
    When you are cold, you body has to burn more energy in order to maintain your 98 degree body temperature. So yes, your body does burn more calories just by you being cold. However, I friend of mine once ran the numbers and concluded that the amount of energy that you burn just doesn't add up enough to make a difference. He is very well trained in physics and math. He is the kind of person I trust with this type of thing.

    On another note, if you head to the web and try to do the math yourself, bear in mind that what we call "calories" in the diet and weight loss arena in the U.S. are actually kilocalories in the real world of physics and in the rest of the world.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I had a friend who worked outside, fixing things all day, every day. He was like solid muscle, all over his body. Not here was like NO fat on this guy. So muscular! Just from working hard, not from going to gyms.

    He ate a LOT more in the winter. A whole lot more. And lots of thick, warm stews and such.

    He didn't eat healthy food and drank...more than most people, I'd say. Too much, that's for sure!

    I don't know if you burn more calories being cold, but if know he ate waaay more in the winter than in the summer...and never put on any fat, ever. :)
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    I had a friend who worked outside, fixing things all day, every day. He was like solid muscle, all over his body. Not here was like NO fat on this guy. So muscular! Just from working hard, not from going to gyms.

    He ate a LOT more in the winter. A whole lot more. And lots of thick, warm stews and such.

    He didn't eat healthy food and drank...more than most people, I'd say. Too much, that's for sure!

    I don't know if you burn more calories being cold, but if know he ate waaay more in the winter than in the summer...and never put on any fat, ever. :)

    You know for sure how many calories he was eating all day in the summer and winter?

  • cingle87
    cingle87 Posts: 717 Member
    I might do but not enough thats worth counting
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    I had a friend who worked outside, fixing things all day, every day. He was like solid muscle, all over his body. Not here was like NO fat on this guy. So muscular! Just from working hard, not from going to gyms.

    He ate a LOT more in the winter. A whole lot more. And lots of thick, warm stews and such.

    He didn't eat healthy food and drank...more than most people, I'd say. Too much, that's for sure!

    I don't know if you burn more calories being cold, but if know he ate waaay more in the winter than in the summer...and never put on any fat, ever. :)

    Can't argue with that logic

Categories