Before gaining weight, I was never cold. After gaining and then losing, I'm always FREEZING.
brittanystebbins95
Posts: 567 Member
I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this. Is there a correlation between weightloss and feeling cold? Not body fat percentage and feeling cold, but the act of losing weight.
Before I gained weight in the first place, I was never cold. I was always outside in shorts and a tshirt in 40 degree F weather, and never complained. I was about the weight that I am now.
Then I gained 50ish pounds. And now after losing it, and maintaining, I am always, always freezing. Even in 70 degree F weather, I'm chilly.
Does losing weight change something in our bodies about how we handle the cold?
To clarify better:
I started at about 150 lbs. I was always warm, never liked sweatshirts, did absolutely fine in the cold. Enjoyed it, even.
Gained 50+ lbs. I was about 204-207 lbs. And I was always warm.
Then I lost those 50+ lbs. Currently I am sitting at about 148. And I am ALWAYS cold.
Even before I had lost all the weight, when I was maybe at 170-180 lbs but on my way down there, I was getting cold all the time.
Before I gained weight in the first place, I was never cold. I was always outside in shorts and a tshirt in 40 degree F weather, and never complained. I was about the weight that I am now.
Then I gained 50ish pounds. And now after losing it, and maintaining, I am always, always freezing. Even in 70 degree F weather, I'm chilly.
Does losing weight change something in our bodies about how we handle the cold?
To clarify better:
I started at about 150 lbs. I was always warm, never liked sweatshirts, did absolutely fine in the cold. Enjoyed it, even.
Gained 50+ lbs. I was about 204-207 lbs. And I was always warm.
Then I lost those 50+ lbs. Currently I am sitting at about 148. And I am ALWAYS cold.
Even before I had lost all the weight, when I was maybe at 170-180 lbs but on my way down there, I was getting cold all the time.
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Replies
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I can say my experience is exactly the same as yours. Ive been wearing a sweater in 69 - 70 degree weather for a week.
I don't get it.1 -
Fats has thermal insulation, the heat that out bodies produce get trapped inside and doesn't reach the skin3
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MohsenSALAH wrote: »Fats has thermal insulation, the heat that out bodies produce get trapped inside and doesn't reach the skin
I understand that.
My point is that before I ever gained weight, I was at almost the EXACT body fat percentage that I am now. And I was never cold. I always ran hot, actually.
After gaining and losing 50 lbs, I'm relentlessly cold.
Why would I be cold now, with the SAME body fat percentage, when I used to always complain of being too hot?
I'm wondering if there's some biological component that changes during weight loss that might affect body temperature, not related to body fat.3 -
Thyroid function plays huge role in body temperature also, if its more active u will have higher metabolism thus feeling hot and the opposite happens when thyroid function is less2
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MohsenSALAH wrote: »Thyroid function plays huge role in body temperature also, if its more active u will have higher metabolism thus feeling hot and the opposite happens when thyroid function is less
But you would think that by putting on more muscle mass, my metabolism would be higher? So then I should be feeling hot? But I'm cold. I lift weights almost daily. I guess I'm just confused.2 -
I feel like I experienced the same, but I always thought it was because I never noticed when I was perpetually cold back before I gained weight, because I had no point of comparison.6
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gallicinvasion wrote: »I feel like I experienced the same, but I always thought it was because I never noticed when I was perpetually cold back before I gained weight, because I had no point of comparison.
I hadn't thought about the not having a point of comparison.2 -
I cant add much to this discussion but I HATE being cold...if that helps
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Adaptive thermogenesis as the end result of caloric deficits7
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such big words!0
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Data would be if you knew your bf% before you gained weight and if you know your bf% now.2
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brittanystebbins95 wrote: »
Potentially, yes. I lost around 30 pounds when I was about 20 y/o and was constantly cold when maintaining, for quite a while. Lost about 50 pounds at age 59-60, and am not cold in maintenance at all.1 -
I've been in maintenance for a while, I hope I get temperature regulated before this winter sets in, its strange seeing people in short shorts, sandles an me wearing socks and sweaters already.
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I've always been extra hot blooded and sweat all the time. Since losing 60 lbs so far, I have noticed I can handle heat a lot better now...but Spicy food still makes me sweat!0
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I'm a bad one to chime in here... before, I lived in NJ, and moved down to FL 23 years ago. I gained more weight down here, lost it, and yes, I feel the cold much more now. BUT... I blame it on the heat of FL and my acclimating to it. My body is now used to heat, so even the slightest variations came make me feel cold. I used to hear it referred to as "thin blood", as in, the heat thins it so that you feel cold more. THAT makes little sense, but acclimating? Yeah, that's what it is in my case.0
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There are medical conditions that can cause people to be cold when they shouldn't be. Consult your doctor.
Meanwhile, bundle up, drink hot beverages, and eat hot foods.0 -
Has your friend tried a very gradual upward maintenance calorie creep, with sound nutrition, while keeping up exercise activity and trying to push NEAT? No guarantees, but . . . .
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Has your friend tried a very gradual upward maintenance calorie creep, with sound nutrition, while keeping up exercise activity and trying to push NEAT? No guarantees, but . . . .
Friend is still losing, but VERY slowly (~1 pound a month). Friend could stand to eat better but doesn't have a horrible diet overall (more focused on protein and iron at the moment). Exercise activity has been a struggle but a work in progress. Actual weight loss vs calories consumed put her between active and lightly active.
It just occurred to me that her persistent iron deficiency anemia (diagnosed since December and still struggling to raise iron levels via diet and supplementation - long story involving many tests) may be to blame. Ah, the sound those obvious puzzle pieces make when they snap together! 5 -
The act of digesting food generates heat. When camping, you're supposed to eat shortly before bed to help you keep warm at night. For many of us, being in maintenance means eating fewer calories than we used to.
I'm not saying this is the whole story, but I bet it's part of what's going on.3 -
No rush but you need to rule out hypothyroidism. Get your thyroid levels checked first thing in the morning. They vary throughout the day and you can be out of spec part of the day and in spec later in the day so they miss the diagnosis. If you're looking out for hyperthyroidism get tested around 4 pm.
One of the most common causes of thyroid dysfunction is an autoimmune dysfunction called Hashimotos thyroiditis. It can put you through periods of hyperthyroidism (in which case you'd feel hot all the time) and hypothyroidism, in which case with no change in diet you gain weight and feel cold. It could be that your weight gain happened as a result of thyroid problems.
Hashimotos can also be mistaken for bipolar disorder because when you are hyperthyroid you tend to act a little manic and when hypothyroid you tend to act and feel depressed.2 -
Just another voice from the crowd here: my experience has been just the opposite. I'm a 5'4" 64/yo female who went from 183 lbs to 140 lbs. I always used to be cold - now I am always HOT!! At night in bed, just sitting... and I sweat like crazy when exercising and continue to sweat even after taking a shower after exercise.
Could just be because I am kinda old(er). Or maybe the exercise just gets my metabolism into gear?? Not sure...2 -
Get your thyroid levels checked first thing in the morning. They vary throughout the day and you can be out of spec part of the day and in spec later in the day so they miss the diagnosis. For hypothyroidism. If you're looking out for hyperthyroidism get tested around 4 pm.
One of the most common causes of thyroid dysfunction is an autoimmune dysfunction called Hashimotos thyroiditis. It can put you through periods of hyperthyroidism (in which case you'd feel hot all the time) and hypothyroidism, in which case with no change in diet you gain weight and feel cold. It could be that your weight gain happened as a result of thyroid problems.
Hashimotos can also be mistaken for bipolar disorder because when you are hyperthyroid you tend to act a little manic and when hypothyroid you tend to act and feel depressed.
Oh, my weight gain was entirely my fault.
I was in a pretty bad car accident with my dad when I was 14. I suffered a lot of PTSD symptoms for a few years and became extremely withdrawn, had no interest in any hobbies I previously had, lost touch with myself, closed myself off to my family, and turned instead to this little voice in my head that promised me control.
I developed EDNOS (mostly anorexia, with a bit bulimia in the form of abusing laxatives and obsessive over exercising) and got pretty thin, and then for whatever reason it shifted to binge eating disorder and in a very short amount of time I had gained close to 60 lbs.
But, I will get my thyroid checked.4 -
I have no experience with this, (I'm hoping this happens to me when I lose enough weight, I'm very much looking forward to not roasting in a t-shirt, when everyone around me is wearing sweatshirts...).
But I remember hearing that even after you lose weight, those fat cells that grew with fat, don't go away after you lose, they just "deflate".
So it makes sense that: you were comfy, you got fat, you develop fat cells, you lose weight, your fat cells deflate, but they never go away. That has to mean that changes happen in your body that doesn't go back to the way it was....
Just a thought.1 -
Freezing cold at first weight loss, over the winter. Pleasantly (and unexpectedly) comfortable in Southern summer heat. However, in the last couple of weeks, have begun gushing sweat during hot classes to the point of being wringing and dripping wet, and immediately freeze when leaving the classes. I’m thinking about bringing a light long sleeved hoody to wear for the walk home afterwards. That is nuts because we are in the 90’s. Have suddenly also started freezing after having my evening smoothie, and am having to take hot baths to warm up.
Sat outside last night for five hours playing dominoes with neighbors in 92 degree heat at the pool. Came home, and immediately got chilly.
My internal thermostat seems broke all of a sudden,2 -
Can't think of a reason you'd be cold from gaining weight. Being constantly cold while losing weight is, according to some experts (take note I'm simply summarizing what I've read, not spouting a theory of my own) "adaptive thermogenesis". I looked this up because I am normally a 68 degree year round person, but since my wife and I started dieting 4-5 months ago we're literally freezing if it's below 71. At least we're saving some serious $$$ on the air conditioning bill this summer LOL
The basic idea is that a calorie deficit leads to a slow-down of metabolism (which means lower TDEE, which means lower calorie burn rate) as your body tries to compensate for the energy shortage due to restricted calories by conserving its energy. Since one thing energy does is produce heat, one thing the body does to conserve energy is turn down the heat production. Hence you feel cold.
In the articles I've read, this is described as a bad thing, but I'm kinda taking it in stride. We all know your daily calorie allotment goes down as you lose weight, so obviously that does mean a lower TDEE and lower metabolic burn rate, and it therefore makes sense that you'd feel colder, so I just ignore the dire warnings that feeling a chill means you're starving and your hair is about to fall out. Which some do say.
Anyway, "adaptive thermogenesis" is the thing to google if one wanted to read up on it further. Or this link has some interesting stuff, a peer-reviewed paper over at the NIH, i.e. not quackery:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673773/2 -
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How long has it been since you were at this weight? Probably several years. Many people feel colder as they grow older.0
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