Has Your Body Temp Dropped With Weight Loss?

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,145 Member
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    When I lost weight in my late teens, I was always cold at the lower weight, even in summer. This round, in my 60s, I haven't had that experience. I'm not any more cold sensitive than when I was fat, that I can tell (except that the very tips of my fingers get cold more easily, which may be the early stages of a circulatory issue, dunno).

    AFAIK, my body temp isn't lower than previously, either. It's usually around 98 point something orally, when measured.

    I know it's hard to parse out non-random reasons for any of this stuff, but when it comes to feeling colder more often, I wonder if it makes a difference that unlike many I see losing weight here, I was already very active exercise-wise for a dozen years while obese - it wasn't something new during or after weight loss. That's just wondering, though, not proposing it as a theory. (In general, I think heybales probably has his finger on the core reasons it happens. I don't know whether exercise is a counter to adaptive thermogenesis - assuming it's reasonably fueled, of course.)

    I was surprised. Based on the earlier experience, I expected to be cold more often. Didn't happen.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    When I lost weight in my late teens, I was always cold at the lower weight, even in summer. This round, in my 60s, I haven't had that experience. I'm not any more cold sensitive than when I was fat, that I can tell (except that the very tips of my fingers get cold more easily, which may be the early stages of a circulatory issue, dunno).

    AFAIK, my body temp isn't lower than previously, either. It's usually around 98 point something orally, when measured.

    I know it's hard to parse out non-random reasons for any of this stuff, but when it comes to feeling colder more often, I wonder if it makes a difference that unlike many I see losing weight here, I was already very active exercise-wise for a dozen years while obese - it wasn't something new during or after weight loss. That's just wondering, though, not proposing it as a theory. (In general, I think heybales probably has his finger on the core reasons it happens. I don't know whether exercise is a counter to adaptive thermogenesis - assuming it's reasonably fueled, of course.)

    I was surprised. Based on the earlier experience, I expected to be cold more often. Didn't happen.

    Excellent point - that one study I really like that examined BMR, NEAT, and TDEE changes during different weight loss methods, showed the decent deficit with exercise with no lowering of those systems beyond what would be expected with weight loss and moving less mass around.
    More LBM was retained.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,900 Member
    edited October 2020
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Mittens in the 70'sF does sound like something is going on. If your data supports it, maybe it is as simple as a too steep deficit.

    Another thought: hormone induced temperature disregulation. I tend to run cool (feel cool when others feel comfortable) and also tolerate heat pretty well. However, in perimenopause (still having regular periods but some hormone wackiness), I swear I had cold flashes. I felt like I just couldn't heat up my core. It didn't feel like it was cold in the room; it felt cold on the inside, in my core. It lasted 30-60 minutes. I eventually graduated to hot flashes. At least I think they are hot flashes.... they only happen in summer and right before the AC kicks on, so I'm always wondering, is it a "hot flash," or just hot? It's a sudden onset and is gone in 1-2 minutes so I decided, yes, it is a flash. Hormonal transitions seem to manifest so differently in different people, I'm not sure there is a real "textbook" progression. If you are in an age range where this might apply, OP, perhaps it's another thought to explore.

    I'm almost 54, not in menopause yet, no hot flashes, but always run hot. The house has been in the low 60 degrees in the AM when I wake up and I feel no need to turn the heat on. With more layers, I could comfortably go into the high 50 degrees.

    I've always run a little hot, but it's gotten noticeably worse as I get closer to menopause.
  • gunderw59
    gunderw59 Posts: 45 Member
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    I have lost 50 lbs. in the last year and a half, I get cold more often than I used too. Body temp been running between 96 and 97.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    edited October 2020
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    I keep a heating pad at my desk to warm my feet, legs, lap, arms or back when I need it :)

    Also helps with cramps when it's that time of the month!
  • owieprone
    owieprone Posts: 217 Member
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    I haven't a clue what my normal temp is but I always FEEL hot, this doesn't change with whether I"m in beach mode or winter mode. I feel the heat like no-one else in my family or that I know, my perfect sports/workout temp is 10DegC, and the rest of the time anything over 15DegC is too hot. The only time I feel cold is when I'm ill. Last winter I wore shorts and Tshirt and only wore a jacket to avoid getting soaked while walking about (SouthEast England). I've always been able to warm myself up by mentally convincing myself it's warmer "It's not cold, its warm" repeat about 5 times and voila I'm toasty. Weirdly I have icicles for feet and hands, I don't feel it but I have been assured by others they are. What is really bizarre is I hate it when I have cold hands, feet and ears, can't stand it, if they feel cold to me then I'm cold - but i could have shorts and tshirt on with gloves, hat and warm feet and be totally fine in -4DegC.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
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    My temp runs 97.5 to 98 or so. When our gym reopened, they didn’t heat the pool. After about 3 weeks, my body temp was down to 95-96. I’m 70. The last couple of years, my body just doesn’t recover quickly or easily after I get too hot or too cold. I quit swimming, and I’m back up to my normal. Took about 3 months. My temperature goes down when I’m exercising more, too, so I find @heybales idea interesting.
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
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    I guess I am the the opposite. When I was obese I was constantly cold... always wore a sweater, scarf and gloves in the office kind of cold. I do have hypothyroidism and low iron so that could be a factor but even getting those conditions well managed didn’t help much. When I lost weight I started exercising regularly for the first time in my previously sedentary life and I started not feeling so cold all the time. I’ve maintained my weight and exercise level for almost 7 years now and I don’t feel cold anymore, I feel a lot warmer even in cooler weather. I attribute this to all the new muscles I’ve developed over the years, especially in my legs. Previously my legs had a lot of fat and now they are more muscular and it could be that muscles generate more heat, or perhaps my circulation is better now that I’m active, but I really have no idea. All I know is that I can rarely even wear hats, scarves or gloves anymore because they actually make me feel too warm! It has to get really cold for me to even want to bundle up anymore. It’s like night and day of how I used to feel, so weird! :D

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