Anyone else feel cold all the time after weight loss?

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dave_in_ni
dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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?

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Replies

  • Valrotha
    Valrotha Posts: 294 Member
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    I have but not to the same extent. I just chalked it up to having less insulation.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    dave_in_ni wrote: »

    Anyone else notice this?

    Yes! My wife and I are both cold all the time - have been for a couple years now.

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited October 2016
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    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
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,290 Member
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    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.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,745 Member
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    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 ;-)
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
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    Unfortunately, no. As a woman of a certain age I've been hot for a long time. Years. That's after a lifetime of being cold all the time. I was the type of person who could be chilly on a 90 degree day. Now I'm hot on a 50 degree day even after a 25 pound weight loss and being diagnosed with hypothyroidism (which typically makes you sensitive to cold). I miss being cold. It's much better than being hot.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    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.
  • vixen84
    vixen84 Posts: 11 Member
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    Yes when i was bigger i never felt the cold bit now im slimmer i do but i dont mind means i can layer up on clothes not feel and look a marshmallow lol zx
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
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    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..
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Firstly remember you have much less insulation so if it is cold out, this is probably the reason. Secondly, if you dieted very hard or for a prolonged period of time you may need a diet break to undo any hormonal or metabolic down-regulation.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
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    This happened to me. Last winter was awful. Hopefully, this winter will be better.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    No, but I used to. I eat more salt and fat now and that has chased the freezies away. Partly the cold, I think, was due to lower blood pressure that takes place when I lose weight. I make room for more fat in my day and haven't found more salt to be a problem and I'm soon to be 67 years!
  • biggsterjackster
    biggsterjackster Posts: 419 Member
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    Yes, lost a lot of weight (fat) extremely fast, bad side effect!
  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
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    Gamliela wrote: »
    No, but I used to. I eat more salt and fat now and that has chased the freezies away. Partly the cold, I think, was due to lower blood pressure that takes place when I lose weight. I make room for more fat in my day and haven't found more salt to be a problem and I'm soon to be 67 years!

    Oh my goodness, could this be part of my issue? I have low blood pressure and I'm always freezing, especially in my extremities.
  • dave_in_ni
    dave_in_ni Posts: 533 Member
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    Have to say I never expected the cold to be this bad, as winter begins to bite the only time I seem to be warm in when I am sat in front of the fire. Even at night in bed with a 15 tog duvet and 2 wooly blankets I am still cold when I wake in the morning.

    It hasn't even gotten that cold yet, yesterday was 2c / 35f and even with the heating on at work I had 5 layers of clothing on and I was still cold.

    I am the guy that used to head out clubbing in a T-Shirt in 0c temps with frost on the ground as I couldn't be bothered carrying a jacket around all night and I wasn't even that cold then.
  • rennickm1986
    rennickm1986 Posts: 70 Member
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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
  • Slickchick050
    Slickchick050 Posts: 8 Member
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    Im so glad im not the only one who feels this way! it makes so much sense - loosing a layer! heres to lots of hoodies, warm blankets and many cuddles <3 we now have other ways to stay warm - will give me an excuse to cuddle more haha

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