I'm always cold!

I recently (since last march), lost a little over 50 pounds. I've still got a way to go to be satisfied with my weight, but I've noticed recently that I'm always cold. And like, shivering, freezing cold. 

That's new to me because I used to be a skater and spent long hours on the ice or around it, never freezing even when I was much lighter, and I would often go outside for short periods in the snow without a coat, never freezing (and I live in Canada ;))

Is it just because I lost weight? I mean, I'd imagine 50 pounds of fat is good for insulation, but I'm freezing even when sitting inside at room temperature, when people who are about my weight or smaller than I am are comfortable or even warm.

Have any of you guys experienced something similar? Should I worry or is it normal?

well, what is your new current weight? are you at a healthy weight? what is your bodyfat percentage? it's typical to feel coldER after losing weight, but freezing when other normal weight people are not might be a sign that something is a bit off.

I see from your profile you are a recovering bulimic. You seem to have a sensible plan in place and are losing slowly and safely by the looks of it.

As chrissy has pointed out above, those with low body mass indices are very prone to feeling extremely cold. Again, that doesn't seem to apply to you as far as I can tell at this point.

As we age, we do tend to feel the cold as our metabolisms slow -- I like to think of it as becoming more efficient;-) Which is why we here in Canada have so many retired snowbirds that fly the coup to Florida. However, it sounds a bit to sudden and noticeable to be a mere 'maturing' thing.

So it's rather difficult to pin point a most likely cause with the information available and a visit to the doctor is probably a good idea.

chrissy1988 - Healthy weight is hard to pinpoint for me, because I have a very heavy muscle mass, but I estimate that with factoring the muscle mass in, I'm still not at an healthy weight at the moment (or even close, really). I'm currently at 204 pounds, which is why I say that I have still a way to go before I'm satisfied with my weight.

Basically, my fingers and hands feel like icecubes and so do my feet - extremities, which is generally a sign that the body is using the blood and heat to keep the vital organs warm (yay, Canadian knowledge! lol)

I don't know exactly what it could possibly be, but I just don't think it's normal that I'm wrapped in a wool blanket at home all the time when other people I live with actually walk in shorts and are saying how warm it is, while I'm shivering on the couch. It's been like this for close to two months now.

If you're restricting calories in order to lose weight - which would be normal - then that will impact on your ability to keep warm.   Make sure you're getting regular meals and snacks since eating/digesting/converting food to energy is a big part of staying warm.  At the same time move around a lot more to encourage your circulation to stay lively

Other things to do would be to include more spicy foods in your diet, drink more hot drinks and choose hot meals over cold cereals, sandwiches or salads.

If nothing helps then consider going to see your doctor as there could be something more fundamental happening.

Thanks for this post!  I was wondering if it was just me!  I have the same problem, and I am still slightly overweight as well.  I've lost a similar amount of weight, too.  I think my body is not used to regulating temperature at this weight.  I live in Canada also, and have always prided myself on my 'toughness' when it came to the cold, but this fall I have been freezing!  And yes, even in room temperature rooms.  Recently at thanksgiving with my family, everyone else was sitting around in t-shirts and I had on two sweaters! And, this was after having a complete thanksgiving dinner! So, it could be something to explore with your doc (I'm bringing it up the next time I see mine), but no, it isn't just you.

Oh, and coping strategy: I like to put warm water with lemon juice and a tsp of maple syrup in my water bottle, which is nice and warming.  Plus, you can hug the water bottle to your core if you're feeling particularly chilled, which can warm you up nicely.

gi jane - Thanks for replying

I actually have been eating maintenance level (or over maintenance level) for a little while, because I'd hit plateau and felt that I needed to give my body a break. I haven't regained weight, but I haven't lost much either. I'm also very active - I work with kids so I'm running around, up and down stairs all day, plus working out and walking all the time. Because of that, I eat little meals pretty much all day long, because I need the energy.

I can't tolerate spicy foods - I don't digest it and I hate the taste (it makes my mouth burn for hours and I can't taste anything else for hours after it), otherwise that might help. I also drink warm drinks throughout the day already (coffee, tea, herbal tea), but that only makes a difference for a few minutes.

I think it would probably be best to go see a doctor - I've been meaning to get a physical, as losing 50 pounds is a big transformation and I haven't actually seen a doctor since I started losing weight.

Aislign - Glad to know I'm not alone! I think I'll try the water bottle trick!

I've lost about 30lbs and have noticed that I am more sensitive to cold.  I get goose bumps more than I used to due to cold.  I also noticed that I have a harder time floating in pool water. :P  Fat is less dense than water, which is why my chest, midsection and rear would always be my most buoyant parts. :P

My bf% according to the little hand-held dealie-bobber at my school's gym is around 14-15%.