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Fat loss - feeling cold

joewein

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Oct 25, 2011
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A couple of months ago one of my hiking buddies told me how, since he started hiking and significantly dropped his body fat percentage, he starts feeling cold much more easily and has to wear more layers than he used to (besides having to replace all the suits in his wardrobe, because they no longer fit his shape!)

I thought it was interesting and it sounded plausible. Fat is an insulating material, one reason why arctic mammals have so much of it.

I went from a peak of 78 kg to 73 kg by last September through better eating and light exercise. Then I bought my bike. I crossed the 70 marker around Christmas and now I'm down to 66 kg without really thinking any more about how much I eat. I guess 1700 km since mid January have something to do with it :)

Well, I am now finding that I really have to layer up recently because I feel chilly too easily. I used to be quite robust against cold, coming from one of the colder parts of Germany (in winter).

I am wondering if others have made the same experience after dropping weight from cycling? It should be a good thing when the hot summer arrives :)
 
A couple of months ago one of my hiking buddies told me how, since he started hiking and significantly dropped his body fat percentage, he starts feeling cold much more easily and has to wear more layers than he used to (besides having to replace all the suits in his wardrobe, because they no longer fit his shape!)

I thought it was interesting and it sounded plausible. Fat is an insulating material, one reason why arctic mammals have so much of it.

I went from a peak of 78 kg to 73 kg by last September through better eating and light exercise. Then I bought my bike. I crossed the 70 marker around Christmas and now I'm down to 66 kg without really thinking any more about how much I eat. I guess 1700 km since mid January have something to do with it :)

Well, I am now finding that I really have to layer up recently because I feel chilly too easily. I used to be quite robust against cold, coming from one of the colder parts of Germany (in winter).

I am wondering if others have made the same experience after dropping weight from cycling? It should be a good thing when the hot summer arrives :)

I'd be happy to share some of my extra insulation with you Joe! :rolleyes:

I know that in the past when I dropped a lot of weight I felt it too, in the winter more layers were needed, but in the summer I still sweat like all get out, I must be one of them "Arctic Animals" you are talking about :D
 
I must be one of them "Arctic Animals" you are talking about :D

Well, you are Canadian, aren't you? :D

I hope we can go on some long rides together this year, work and family permitting. That ride out to Tomin no Mori was a good start. :bike:
 
Having as I do a large surface area to volume ratio (or in other words, I'm small and skinny and thus lose heat easily!) I have always suffered in the cold, and it can make me really miserable.

Rather bizarrely though, since starting cycling I've actually come to tolerate the cold a lot better! I guess part of it may well be due to physiological adaptation through being out in the cold every day for commuting (as opposed to avoiding it as much as possible), but I also think it may be partially psychological - hating the cold but being out in it anyway (and buffered from its effects by exercise-induced thermogenesis) I think has made me less intimidated by the cold in general, even off the bike - and thus affecting my perceptions (the mind-body connection is indeed a fascinating thing!)

I should think for most people though, losing fat will indeed reduce their cold tolerance...
 
Having as I do a large surface area to volume ratio (or in other words, I'm small and skinny and thus lose heat easily!) I have always suffered in the cold, and it can make me really miserable.

Rather bizarrely though, since starting cycling I've actually come to tolerate the cold a lot better! I guess part of it may well be due to physiological adaptation through being out in the cold every day for commuting (as opposed to avoiding it as much as possible), but I also think it may be partially psychological - hating the cold but being out in it anyway (and buffered from its effects by exercise-induced thermogenesis) I think has made me less intimidated by the cold in general, even off the bike - and thus affecting my perceptions (the mind-body connection is indeed a fascinating thing!)

I should think for most people though, losing fat will indeed reduce their cold tolerance...

While not discounting the psychological factor, in your case, your circulation may have improved, improving your tolerance of cold.
 
Yep - i get cold very easily now I have dropped my body fat - As 75% of your energy consumption is through body regulation he probably needs a higher calorific intake to maintain body temperatures.
 
While not discounting the psychological factor, in your case, your circulation may have improved, improving your tolerance of cold.

I have no doubt that you are right that improved circulation would reduce discomfort from chilly extremities in certain conditions, and has probably played a role in my overall reduction in cold-related misery. The biggest factor for me has probably been plain old boring acclimation through increased cold-exposure, I suspect however.

On the topic of physical fitness adaptations and heat regulation, I was reading that interestingly some studies have suggested that the role of physical fitness in cold acclimation might have more to do with metabolic adaptation, whereas improved blood flow to the muscles actually plays more of a role for those who are fat and less fit! It does seem that the evidence on the relationship between fitness and cold tolerance is a bit controversial, however.

But the happy news for those of you who are super-fit (alas I am not among your ranks) is that it seems the relationship between fitness and heat tolerance has been a bit more clearly defined, and evidence suggests that people with a high level of aerobic fitness and who engage in strenuous training regimes have improved heat tolerance, faster heat acclimation and possibly reduced susceptibility to heat-related illness :cool:
 
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