I live in a very hot climate, to say the least, and over the 12 years I've been here my body has adapted a little too well and I am cold a lot of the time while other people ... same climate ... seem to enjoy the cooler breaks in the weather (which is what we call winter ), but I do think not being at a weight as high as previously has had something to do with it also. My thyroid seems to be ok, but yes, that is the first thing to check. I also notice I am cold whenever I seem to be losing weight ... I get sleepy also (which could be a symptom of diabetes or some metabolic disorder, at any rate it seems metabolic and I know signals a need to eat a bit more ... have you tried that?) ... do talk to your doctor about it ... if you are fine you might try my method of sleeping in front of a SAFE warm air circulating fan all night starting in the fall ... mine may also be related to the fact that though I live in Arizona, I only have two AC rooms and these are the pets ... hate AC.
I definitely don't think muscle mass has anything to do with it, either, because I also do my fair share of lifting AND I bike and run like there's no tomorrow... but I freeze my butt off, anyway!
I actually got my thyroid checked almost two months ago because I thought I had a lot of the very vague list of symptoms associated with hypothyroid. My TSH levels are within normal range, so I'm pretty sure it's not a thyroid problem. Plus, I never got cold easily at my highest weight (I was actually comfortable at any temperature) and only got cold easily sometimes while previously thin.
Amarantha - I also live in a very hot climate (Florida), and I have adapted to the Florida heat, which is probably part of the reason why I get cold so easily. I thought I liked when it got cooler here (I loved it last year, when I was fat) but now, I sometimes dread biking and running in that COLD, cold weather Of course, that would seem logical if this nippy, chilly, ear-muff-needing, glove-wearing, layer-donning weather wasn't in the 70's!
Charlotte - hee, my temperature is always in the 97's too and has been since my teen years. The only time it was ever "in normal range" was at my highest weight. I'll have to Google search the scientific/medical explanation behind this (I tried once before, but nothing came up) but Pam's theory is probably right on point - perhaps our bodies just spend more time keeping our internal organs warm with the calories we eat, leaving the extremities eternally cold
FlabulessPhyllis and murphmitch, I am glad I am not the only one who turns the thermostat up at work and annoys everyone! One of my co-workers gave me a blanket and I've wrapped myself in it daily eversince, no matter what the temperature! It's so comfy.
walking2lose - EEEEK! I don't know if they are connected, but I hope I don't have bad circulation Not enough blood flow to the extremities will also cause them to be cold, and you are very right in the fact that most men get WARM easily and like their surroundings to be extra cold. I guess your DH is an exception! Does he exercise often and take good care of himself, diabetes wise? If so... well... I would imagine that the chances of him having bad circulation would be much less (and I hope so, for MY sake! )
Wendalyn - "snuggle bunny" - hee, I use that term all the time. I'm a complete snuggle whore, even more so now that I've lost weight because I need to be kept warm, dammit!
Shane, I also get very cold in the wintertime. Exercise does help, definitely, b/c my feet and hands get cold first and exercise keeps my circulation going. But I am generally just colder now that I've lost weight. I've also adapted to the NoFlo climate in the past 3 years and now I get really cold in our "winter". People here like to sit around bonfires in the winter for hours just to hang out. They tell me I'm from the north (Pennsylvania/Connecticut for the first 21 years of my life) so I should be warmer than all of them, when in fact I'm colder. I tell them that nobody in the north is dumb enough to sit around outside in 35 degree weather just for fun - we go from heated building to heated car to heated building! LOL.
I've heard many others on this website talk about this subject before, and many, many 'losers' say they're just colder now that they've lost weight. Less insulation? Who knows.
I also agree that it's not about muscle mass! I lift weight 2x a week, have for several years, and definitely have a decent amount of muscle.
Last edited by Megan1982; 11-08-2007 at 09:45 AM.
Reason: editing my bad grammar!
Add me to the list. I am always cold, uncomfortably cold in fact. I dress in layers. I started wearing gloves and a hat as soon as the temperature dipped below 60 degrees outside, I kid you not. It's not normal. I can't ever warm up. I remember when I started my journey, actually thinking will I ever get to the point where I'm always cold, like I've heard happens to people that have lost weight - and then it happened and I was like, wow, yes, SUCCESS. Dopey me. Although, I guess it's better then sweating profusely.
Funny thing is that now, a few people have told me "you should eat more if you're always cold", or "but I weight less than you and I'm not cold like this". It takes time to make them understand that no, I do eat enough (especially when you get such remarks after having down a plate of spaetzle pasta ), and that what matters isn't the weight itself, but the difference with one's higher weight, to whichthe body's accustomed to.
I guess it really takes a formerly overweight person to understand, hmm.
Hmm, I've always been cold, but I think it's worse with weight loss. I work in a building with erratic heating - to put it nicely - so I'm usually dressed in layers. Today I thought I'd be okay with a nice cotton silk blend sweater - hah! We had a complete shutdown in one part of the building, and cooler than normal in my part. Ended up looking oh so lovely with a red fleece vest over my lavendar sweater. I was watching for the fashion police all day. Seriously though it's never warm enough for me unless I'm home alone and turn the heat up seriously high (and then I'm too conscious of what the gas bill will be!)
I'm always cold too. I'm sure some of it could be my weight loss, however in my the area where my cube is at work it just too cold. Everyone I work with complains about being cold at one time or another. I ran a space heater most of the summer. Other parts of the building aren't as cold.
And they say they saved all kinds of money this last summer by not setting the air as low.
I went through this when I lost alot of weight several years ago. I wasn`t cold all the time, but I got cold much more easily after I lost weight. But after living with so much excess weight and being ungodly HOT almost all of the time, I will definitely welcome being cold! I always say it`s easier to put more clothes on, but there`s only so much you can take off.
This year I was hotter than ever. I`m supposing it has to do with me being fatter than ever, and I suspect I may be pre-menopausal.
I'm cold a lot of the time. I'm generally ok at home because I can look like a tramp by putting on tracksuit bottoms/lots of jumpers etc (all my oversized clothes are great for layering - what can I say I'm determined to get some more use out of stuff that isn't good enough to donate to charity)
At work everyone thinks I'm making it up when I try to explain that at times I'm that cold its unbearable... almost painful.. and it's all I can think about. It makes me miserable to be that cold! They're all sitting there saying its hot however - and democracy as it is (which is only fair) they open windows/won't put the heating on. I'm just having to invest in a **** of a lot of thermals/cardigans/jumpers
Shane, the other thing is, one gets used to Florida. The snowbirds come here in November and think it's warm--run around in shorts, etc.--while the year-round residents have on their long pants and jackets because the temp is down to OMG 70!
That said, I used to be very warm all the time, and now I feel cold more. It does make the summer easier, though!
ahhh! I'm always cold too! And when I was heavier I just always felt comfortable, not too hot, not too cold. My brother and mother have the same issue. I always figured we were just weenies but both my mother and brother have lost significant amounts of weight. The rest of my family just teases us but they are still significantly overweight. Could it be that we lost some sort of insulation and now feel the temperature more than them? But its not just being cold, as the original poster mentioned, its totally shivering and chattering of teeth and it takes a while for my body to adjust to changes in temperature.
P.S. I've already just accepted the fact that my extremities are going to permanently be ice-cold..
), but I do think not being at a weight as high as previously has had something to do with it also. My thyroid seems to be ok, but yes, that is the first thing to check. I also notice I am cold whenever I seem to be losing weight ... I get sleepy also (which could be a symptom of diabetes or some metabolic disorder, at any rate it seems metabolic and I know signals a need to eat a bit more ... have you tried that?) ... do talk to your doctor about it ... if you are fine you might try my method of sleeping in front of a SAFE warm air circulating fan all night starting in the fall ... mine may also be related to the fact that though I live in Arizona, I only have two AC rooms and these are the pets ... hate AC.
Not enough blood flow to the extremities will also cause them to be cold, and you are very right in the fact that most men get WARM easily and like their surroundings to be extra cold. I guess your DH is an exception! Does he exercise often and take good care of himself, diabetes wise? If so... well... I would imagine that the chances of him having bad circulation would be much less (and I hope so, for MY sake! 
Seriously though it's never warm enough for me unless I'm home alone and turn the heat up seriously high (and then I'm too conscious of what the gas bill will be!)
