Anyone else feel cold all the time after weight loss?

I have but not to the same extent. I just chalked it up to having less insulation.

PAV8888 wrote: »

In addition to losing fat as an insulator, most people who restrict calories experience a degree of adaptive thermogenesis.

It is an interesting subject as there is no universal agreement as to how large the effect of adaptive thermogenesis is, how to avoid it, how to reverse it, and how long it takes to reverse. If it is even reversable short of regaining plus a bit.

Excluding the controversy, and assuming it exists...

One of the things that happens during adaptive thermogenesis is a reduction in body core temperature.

A body core temperature reduction that in my n=1 case many years ago was much larger when I implemented a large deficit as opposed to the past few years where I implemented a much smaller deficit.

You can seek to offset by increasing things such as your fidgeting (fidgeting generates heat). By moving more (at least 3 minutes/300 steps every hour). And ultimately by eating at maintenance or an extremely small surplus for an extended period of time. (Well, you could also go ahead and regain weight lost plus 10℅; but that would probably be counterproductive!!!!)

This is true. OP also lost his extra weight netting under 1500, so it's even more true in his case.

OP, you are new to maintenance. Give it time. It will get a little bit better next winter. Of course the reduced fat will hopefully always be the case, so you will likely always be a little bit cold, but it won't be as extreme as you feel now.

elisa123gal wrote: »

so would losing slower and a less than severe deficit lessen the effects of adaptive thermogenesis? So many people on here complain about being so cold after reaching their goal weight.

The balance of stuff I personally read led me to implement a smaller deficit. And to create the deficit from a mix of more activity/exercise (note that activity does not HAVE to be exercise) and caloric restriction. And to contemplate diet breaks which I had not contemplated before.

However the balance of what I've read seems to point to adaptations where your body becomes more "thrifty" for a very long period of time both at rest and while performing customary exercise.

While I am no longer contemplating doing so, when I was planning out my "path", I was seriously considering overshooting my goal by 10+ lbs so that I could then engage in a 1lb a month bulk for a year in an attempt to reverse adaptation.

My actual reality suggests that doing so would result in more lean mass loss than I can afford. And having to rebuild that lean mass feels like a much more daunting task than putting up with the degree of adaptation I've experienced to date (which to my mind is of the order of 7% of TDEE)* and only leaves me uncomfortably cold if I sit around for an extended period of time without getting up and moving.

*my measurement zero point was well into my weight loss. As such the adaptation value compared to pre-weight loss may be larger. However what is relevant to me is that I can quantify how much of a discrepancy I have from what my fitbit thinks I burn... and the 7% figure gives me the answer I need ;-)

I was colder before weight loss.. I was notorious for walking around the house in sweat pants and socks all summer long..I think my exercise fixed a lot of that.

Yes and no. I still get hot in the summer very quickly...the major reason I'm not a summer fan. However, winter never used to bother me until I lost weight. Now I feel like I have a hard time getting warm some nights! I even wear a jacket or wrap at work in the mornings, and I never used to. Amazing how much that extra layer of fat insulation did for warmth..

This happened to me. Last winter was awful. Hopefully, this winter will be better.

Yes, lost a lot of weight (fat) extremely fast, bad side effect!

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Less fat = colder easier (not wearing a tshirt in the snow like heavier people) and you float less easily. That's the price to not being overweight

Not really. It's hard to gauge though because my mom has heart failure and insists we keep the house between 75 F - 78 F. She still wears blankets and coats at those temperatures!

Definitely feel the cold much worse post weight loss. Really, struggle to stay warm. I've also noticed my nose tends to stream whilst out in any cold weather. I will shortly be switching to maintenance/small surplus and am hoping this makes a difference.

dave_in_ni wrote: »

I am really noticing this now as winter approaches. The average day time outside temp here is around 10c / 50f although in our old concrete work building with no heating its could be around 7c / 44f. I am freezing all the time. I stand with a fleece jacket on, jumper, t-shirt and thermal vest and I am still cold while some colleagues are still in t-shirts, and I'll not even talk about the woolly hat and thermal socks. I can't seem to get warm in anything lower than 15c / 59f

I noticed this is the summer also, I used to dread summer as I overheated and went bright red in temps as low 18c / 64f but this year after the weight loss I wasn't even in a t-shirt unless it was over 18c.

Anyone else notice this?

Yup. Enjoy layering up - and your lower weight! Totally worth it...

I'm an old geezer; I'm cold all the time and losing 72 lbs hasn't helped. I own several weights of coat and jacket, sweaters, scarves, hats and hat liners, long underwear, face masks for below zero F days, gloves and glove liners, and hand warmers.

I see overweight people running around in short sleeved shirts when I have to bundle up. I'd rather be skinny and healthy and freezing my *kitten* off.

Check your iron level too