So cold I feel like I might freeze to death!

phoebe112476
phoebe112476 Posts: 269 Member
edited December 24 in Health and Weight Loss
White woman in my 40's living in the mid-west USA (winter here now). Lost ~75 pounds over the last 1-2 years (CICO) and am just this month able to say I am in the top of the normal BMI for my height and gender. Yay! I have been cold since about half way through my weight loss. I had my thyroid checked and it was normal. The last few months as I become closer to "normal" weight I am so very very cold all the time I honestly feel that it is decreasing my quality of life.

I am wearing heavy wool "base layers" (like those worn when a person hikes in sub-zero temps) under my regular winter clothes. I often wear my coat and my hat in the house. I sleep under three layers of fleece blankets and with a heat pad. I actually feel miserable. I bought three new very thick sweaters today and going to try to wear one over my base layer and regular shirt. I wear my winter boots over a pair or two of thick socks each day and even in the house. It is winter here but this is in the house where I keep it 70 degrees. I could just cry thinking of having to go outside sometimes. My abdominal muscles and chest wall muscles will shiver until it is painful. I am not sure I have ever experienced that before. Not pleasant.

Anyone else with similar and then it got better after your body adapted to the fat loss? I am not sure I can do this for the rest of my life. Winters are several months long and I am even cold in the summer. Any other thoughts or advice?
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Replies

  • SantiagoAlverez
    SantiagoAlverez Posts: 88 Member
    When I dropped 40lbs, I now get cold alot more too. Shivering, regardless of layers sometimes.

    I think it is just having less physical body fat to insulate you like we used to, and now our internal temps are confused.

    (Also from the midwest)
  • maxiem7
    maxiem7 Posts: 23 Member
    60 lbs down and I am always freezing
  • papayahed
    papayahed Posts: 407 Member
    I've never been cold either until a few months ago and now I need a heater in my office.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    I went from being hot all the time, comfortable in winter temps, to freezing my tail off! Some of that might be my hysterectomy last year as well though (I went from quite frequent hotflashes to next to none for an entire year!) I used to never wear socks, I hated them! Now? They are on my feet all the time! I have fibromyalgia and a few other AI things so my temp reulation is poor anyway - weight loss just narrowed my comfort window drastically!
  • fdlewenstein
    fdlewenstein Posts: 231 Member
    Down 52 pounds and I have not experienced this. I still sleep with a fan on at night!
  • 7sorok
    7sorok Posts: 112 Member
    phoebe112476 wrote: »
    White woman in my 40's living in the mid-west USA (winter here now). Lost ~75 pounds over the last 1-2 years (CICO) and am just this month able to say I am in the top of the normal BMI for my height and gender. Yay! I have been cold since about half way through my weight loss. I had my thyroid checked and it was normal. The last few months as I become closer to "normal" weight I am so very very cold all the time I honestly feel that it is decreasing my quality of life.

    I am wearing heavy wool "base layers" (like those worn when a person hikes in sub-zero temps) under my regular winter clothes. I often wear my coat and my hat in the house. I sleep under three layers of fleece blankets and with a heat pad. I actually feel miserable. I bought three new very thick sweaters today and going to try to wear one over my base layer and regular shirt. I wear my winter boots over a pair or two of thick socks each day and even in the house. It is winter here but this is in the house where I keep it 70 degrees. I could just cry thinking of having to go outside sometimes. My abdominal muscles and chest wall muscles will shiver until it is painful. I am not sure I have ever experienced that before. Not pleasant.

    Anyone else with similar and then it got better after your body adapted to the fat loss? I am not sure I can do this for the rest of my life. Winters are several months long and I am even cold in the summer. Any other thoughts or advice?

    OMG, I was just telling my DH that I'll schedule an appointment with an internist because I'm so cold. I have lost ~ 48 lbs and I swim 3x a week for an hour and do water aerobics for 45 min after and I'm freezing all the time. I drink a ton of tea to be warm. I'm the same: a lot of layers of wool because polyester clothes don't do anything for me and I also use 3 blankets. Wow!!! I thought that I'm either original or have hypothyroidism. So, I'm praying for spring now. Be well and keep hopes that the coldness will leave us soon.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,688 Member
    I’m in my second winter. Last winter I was down 40-59, this winter about 80. Last winter was hell. This winter has had its moments however I have noticed it getting better as time goes on.

    I am drinking a ton of hot tea. I never used to drink hot drinks. I was a 4-season crushed ice girl. I keep a hot pad handy for “muscle pain” but sneak and turn it on when I’m really chilled. And I have a gas fireplace that the cat and I luxuriate in.

    Have you ever tried a feather duvet? We discovered duvets on a European trip. They are like sleeping inside a warm cloud. PITA to change, but well worth the amount of griping and complaining.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,626 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    You're probably suffering from some degree of adaptive thermogenesis which among other things slightly lowers your core temperature in an attempt to reduce your caloric expenditure during the famine you've been experiencing.

    Refeeds and died breaks may have worked in concert to mitigate some of that.

    The only guaranteed fix is severely contraindicated. Most people who eat at a surplus and regain their lost weight experience less of this symptom :)

    Partially you can mitigate this by actively moving around more and more often. Which is good for your health anyway!!!! Some will improve as your eat at maintenance. However I would expect it to take quite a while to fully resolve without appreciable surplus eating and corresponding weight gain.

    And no I don't believe it has anything to do with insulation even though this is a very common belief. Among other things ask yourself what your current resting heart rate and blood pressure is as compared to before.

    I think this is worth considering. Cold after weight loss is not universal.

    I've lost a material amount of weight two or three times in my life. The first time, in my late teens, I was cold all the time at my lighter weight, even in summer. This time, after losing at age 59-60 (now 64), I'm not any colder at BMI 22 than I was at BMI 30+. I can't speak to my level of adaptive thermogenesis in my teens (calorie counting was not practical in the early 1970s), but my TDEE now (which is substantially higher than MFP estimates) suggests my metabolism is not supressed. FWIW, I'm quite certain my nutrition is better now than in my teens, and I'm more athletically active than I was then, especially with respect to intense activity. Other than that, I have no idea what's different.

    If at maintenance, gradually adding a few daily calories might be worth a try (reverse dieting), to see if TDEE will pick up a little. If not at maintenance, then maybe a maintenance break?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    Given how cold it's been in the upper Midwest lately, I'm so sorry you're going through this!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,312 Member
    Definitely worth exploring the eating at upper maintenance vs lower maintenance limit. There is a tiny bit of elasticity between when weight will change or where your nails will grow just a bit stronger and faster. That's what we want!
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,415 Member
    I'm cold all the time, no matter what my weight is... I'd just assumed it was WISCONSIN. :P I have a heated mattress pad and smaller heating pads stashed in all my "sitting still" spots. I wear clothes under my clothes for most of the year, and can honestly say that my treadmill desk is the best purchase since I moved here. Just moving a little while I do my emails and computering seems to help keep my body temperature workable. I don't have to go super fast on the treadmill to stay warm. 1mph is enough - it's the movement that seems to keep things circulating well and my body from packing it in. Those little under desk peddlers also seem to help with circulation, if not actual calorie burn, if the ratings are anything to go on. :) I'm pretty close to hitting maintenance and will likely be increasing my calories shortly, but anticipate still being pretty cold, but not as bad as before. I can report back in a few months, but by then it will be summer... ;-)

    There are a number of vitamin and hormone deficiencies (I'm looking at you iron.) that can also make you feel a bit colder. I have many of them, so I don't anticipate too much improvement. That said, you may want to look into your known chronic issues and see if any of the symptoms match up. Eating at deficit can help you lose weight, but it can also exacerbate nutritional deficiencies that used to be mild and less noticeable.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    edited February 2020
    68 pounds down and FREEZING constantly. I keep a heater in my office and most of the winter it's been set on high and inches from my legs.

    I used to be a "cold house" person, driving my wife crazy by surreptitiously setting the heat down from 68 to 67. Now if it's anything less than 71 I'm bundled in sweatshirts.

    No sign of change on the horizon with this, yet. This started after I was down around 25-30 pounds.
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,161 Member
    Yep I’m cooler after weight loss too. I’m just putting up with it. I fidget more to keep warm.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I am usually ultra lean in the summer so I don't notice, but I probably feel a bit cooler when my bodyfat is low. Right now I am postpartum and nursing, leanish and I am always hot. I am always eating and moving. I hate wearing sweaters and it's winter here. The other day I took out the garbage in -20/-4 weather in a tank top and I was fine :D
  • btkdiva
    btkdiva Posts: 1 Member
    Silk Underwear! Honestly, invest in some nice silk underwear and wear that as your base layer. I purchased one white and one black silk turtleneck from a retailer located in Maine a few years ago and they are still wonderful. Usually kind of pricey but they do go on sale. Really worth the investment.
    Also, are you on medications or taking vitamin supplements? I know if I take an antihistamine that my extremities (ie. fingers and toes) get ice cold.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    My first winter I was still over 300 pounds My rate of loss was a little over 2 pounds per week. I could not stay warm despite still having ample "insulation". I had my space heater set to 85 degrees and I still needed layers.

    This winter I weigh far less but because of a surgery and a long recovery I was at maintenance calories for the last 3 months of last year. Even with far less fat I am back to my old self of having a fairly high tolerance for cold temperatures (unless windy). This morning I walked 2 miles in a light jacket at 40 degrees.

    I do not know enough about what @PAV8888 knows on this subject to know if my personal experience is backing what he is saying or not. I am happy that I seem "fixed" though.
  • privy95
    privy95 Posts: 82 Member
    Down 145 lbs and always freezing while living in Florida. Found out I was low iron anemic. You may want to get blood work done just in case!
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Less insulation. But... was your iron level checked? That could be a thing.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    happysquidmuffin wrote: »
    I’m so sorry you are experiencing this. I absolutely know what you are talking about. It doesn’t really matter what I’ve weighed, but from about high school on I have experienced this anytime it’s too cold for my liking. Nobody seems to understand how much pain it causes me to be too cold.

    Me too. I'm hypothyroid and arthritic. Even though I'm medicated, cold is horrible to me. I wear a thick robe at home if it's not summer.
  • jeslz
    jeslz Posts: 49 Member
    This is actually something I am looking forward to! I am always overheated (especially since my last massive weight gain) and am in the process of losing weight after WLS and I’m so excited to be cold again! I hate the heat, I hate being hot and sweaty and I love winter clothes and big jumpers and wooly scarves. I’m really hoping that I experience this to some extent, because being constantly sweaty is embarrassing.

    That said, I do sympathise with you struggling with the cold. I imagine it is similar to my struggle with heat and I hope your body adapts soon so you can be comfortable. And congrats on the weight loss!
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    I recommend a USB hand warmer like this one:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YBYXRRC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Don't think "That's just for hands; my whole body is freezing". This little thing does a great job of making you feel warm all over.

    Granted, as a person with the odious Raynaud's Syndrome, I have extra reason to use one, but most of the time I'm not using it for cold hands but rather to warm up my core.

    This particular one has three settings and the top one is very hot. No amount of blankets, sweatshirts or even thermostat fiddling can substitute for 10 minutes with this thing. It really makes you feel warm and toasty.
  • ChickenKillerPuppy
    ChickenKillerPuppy Posts: 297 Member
    btkdiva wrote: »
    Silk Underwear! Honestly, invest in some nice silk underwear and wear that as your base layer. I purchased one white and one black silk turtleneck from a retailer located in Maine a few years ago and they are still wonderful. Usually kind of pricey but they do go on sale. Really worth the investment.

    I am also cold ALL THE TIME. I live in Philly, but grew up in Minneapolis. I think it has gotten worse since I have lost weight. I am fairly lean now. I also have Raynaud's disease which is where the blood vessels leading to your fingers and toes are restricted so there is terrible circulation in your fingers and toes and they turn white and go numb very easily.

    I just invested in silk long underwear from LL Bean and am very excited to try. It was about $100 for the set but my husband has them and raves. Also, I love how thin they are because I like to wear tight clothes with my new trim body and I don't want to look all bulky! I'm too vain - I also wear prefer to wear a cute coat which isn't my warmest coat so I really am to blame for some of this. And don't let me even start on what a hat does to my hair!
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    I've always been cold-natured. I don't mind it as I can always wear extra layers. HEAT is far less comfortable as there are only so many clothes you can take off!!

    I love the winter - love the cold. I think I am in the minority though.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    I'm usually cold when I'm losing weight, and then when I'm maintaining I go back to normal. I think the suggestions to get iron tested is good advice. Also, if you had your thyroid tested by TSH just be aware that isn't a thyroid test. You need at minimum a Free T3 to test your thyroid.
  • maxiem7
    maxiem7 Posts: 23 Member
    Down 63 lbs and I am freezing all the time. I live in California so it isn't the snow that is doing it 😉
  • jwoolman5
    jwoolman5 Posts: 191 Member
    phoebe112476 wrote: »

    Anyone else with similar and then it got better after your body adapted to the fat loss? I am not sure I can do this for the rest of my life. Winters are several months long and I am even cold in the summer. Any other thoughts or advice?

    I'm in the Midwest and have been unusually cold this winter, probably due to more wind in a drafty house. But I might have less fat insulation as well...

    When some years ago I was ill for a prolonged time in the summer and lost a lot of weight fast, I was freezing in August...

    By my internal thermostat has never worked right and so I lose adaptation to the cold very easily even when I was much younger. Visiting relatives in the winter would make me freeze the rest of the winter, because they kept the room temperature so high and outside temp was much higher than at home. I would avoid going into those warm shelters while waiting for a bus because I would just feel so much colder if I did.

    If you adapted well to the cold when you were younger, though, the odds are that you will get it back once your body has adjusted to there being less of you.
  • amskinner87
    amskinner87 Posts: 159 Member
    I've been in a deficit of varying degrees since January 2019. Starting at obese and currently nearly at goal of midpoint of healthy BMI range.

    I was freezing cold all the time for most of my deficit and I thought it was an inevitable consequence of getting smaller. I was totally shocked when I started eating at either maintenance or in a very small deficit (0.5lb per week) when I stopped having issues with coldness.

    Whenever I don't eat enough for any reason now I feel very cold again. So for me this was clearly an issue of simply not having enough calories to keep warm - this may or may not apply to you, I wouldn't like to guess. I eat at 2000+ calories now and have no issues.
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