Winter and how can I get used to the cold?

I've only lost my weight by a lot of walking or bike riding.  Now, suddenly it's only 40 degrees and gloomy out and I can't force myself out the door.  I was afraid this would happen when winter came.  I sure don't want to gain back all my weight.  No, there's no mall within 15 miles to walk in either.

How do you get yourself outside in cold weather when it's so nice and toasty and cozy inside?

Keep adding clothing layers until absolutely too hot to stay inside. Then the fresh outdoors seems more inviting.

Getting out of my nice and warm cozy bed, however, is another matter entirely. D= 

hey, that's a good idea, thanks.

I keep buying outerwear thinking that will motivate me but it hasn't.

My need for a morning cup of coffee gets me out of bed.......(and hunger). 

The more time you spend outside the better aclimated to the cold your body will become. I bicycle all year round on my commute to work. When January rolls around I will be in shorts and short sleeves when it is 30 deg outside.

I am having the same problem!  Plus, it's harder for me to breathe outside now in the cold!  All that is aggravated by the fact that I have lived in warm climates for over 17 years - I never even owned a jacket, let alone a coat, for all that time! 

Now that I've temporarily moved to a cold climate (it's in the 40s here as well), I just ... want to go back to my shorts-and-t-shirts-year-round life again! :(. 

But ... in the meantime, I am trying to learn how to dress for my runs so I'm neither too hot nor too cold; layering seems to be the answer, but I still haven't quite figured it out.  Plus - now I have to buy TWO entire new wardrobes, one for running and one for everyday, since I sweat into all my sweatshirts and pants.  Sigh.  Can't wait for spring and summer again!

I did finally (after a week of almost total denial and refusal to exercise outside) get out today - I looked like a total doofus, with 3 layers on top, 2 on the bottom, gloves, ear warmers AND sunglasses.  But I did get my 5-mile run in! :)  And I didn't freeze to death (although I also did NOT get as warm as I had hoped!)  I can't imagine what I'll do when it drops to the 30s!  Luckily I don't live in Minnesota or Canada.

So tomorrow should be easier.  As gmule says, I think just getting OUT there has to be the answer - no excuses.  One must get acclimated eventually, right?  Right?  I mean, the Eskimos deal with worse ... :p

I have noticed that I also need more food when it´s cold (and by cold I mean less than -5`Celsius/20`Fahrenheit). I used to work in a city music hall where it was so damn cold all the time because it was an old soviet era building with huge glass and stone walls and always when I got home from work I was sooooo hungry. And sleepy. I guess my body needs more energy to keep itself warm. Thinking of that...would you also burn more calories when you work out in the cold?

gmule:  I suppose you're right.  I'm making it a goal today NO MATTER WHAT, to just go out the door.  You must really work up a lot of heat.

zarelha:  I lived in Florida 15 yrs, so Ohio is taking some getting used to.  When I ran I read that you should be cold when you start out, cause you build up heat.  I would get hot within a short time, about a few minutes.

gerligerli:  Yes, I read that your body burns more calories in the cold, to keep its internal temperature up.  That old building sounds really cold.  It isn't good to be chilled all the time.  I heard it lowers your resistance.

I'm immuno-compromised, so I definitely hear you about the cold.  What motivates me is the free access to my uni's indoor, heated swimming pool, and then the sauna or steam room right after.

The ability to go in a gym and pretend it's summer for a few hours makes this horrible cold weather a lot more tolerable.

I used to jog early in the mornings and when it was really cold (temps in the teens and 20's) what always worked for me was to wear panty hose under my pants and an Under Armor type shirt underneath my sweatshirt.  Always kept me comfortably warm but never hot. 

Since its been raining a lot so far this fall here, I've been considering getting a tred mill. Not sure how that would compare to going out and jogging like I do now... but I think it'd be better than sitting around inside my house while its pouring outside.

Last  winter I had just made the switch from being a walker to being a runner. I told myself that if I didn't run at least 3x's a week - no matter how cold or snowy or icy - I wasn't a true runner. And I picked a March 5K to look forward to. Then I joined an online community for runners, forcing me to post my weekly mileage.

It worked: I managed to run at least 3x's per week all throughout the winter (except for one week, when I had an injury). My DH and I also were fairly consistent taking long walks together on the weekends (sometimes up to 3-4 hours). This included days when it was windy and below freezing, a very memorable day after a major ice storm that left 6 inches of solid ice all over everything, days I ran through snow, etc.

As the winter wore on, I did start researching around to find indoor alternatives - just in case. I didn't want to run on a treadmill (hate them) so I looked into indoor tracks. But I never needed them. (I found several alternatives, by the way - check with your local high school, for example; ours has a community program where they open up the gym for adults at nighttime).

Also proper clothing really does make a big difference. Go ahead and treat yourself to some new attire made specially for outdoor sports. And if you don't have much cash, I will recommend Old Navy for polarfleece sweats and tops. To run on the coldest days, I'd start with a high-tech layer or two of tights and longsleeve shirt, covered with polarfleece pants and top from Old Navy. I have several polarfleece tops in various weights. Don't forget gloves or mittens, and smartwool socks are the BEST.

If you are out in wet sloppy weather, you may also need a water repellant layer. But I personally found that the polarfleece was just protective enough for snowy days.

For your head, invest in a range of options. I have a polarfleece headband that covers just my ears. I'm using that these days, when the weather is only around 45 degrees. I can't stand having cold ears, but a regular cap in this weather leaves me too hot. I also have a polarfleece hat for colder days. And a polarfleece muff, which I use on really cold, windy days because it keeps my neck covered and can be pulled up to cover mouth and nose as needed. I also have a polarfleece balakava for the coldest of cold days, which covers everything but the eyes.

As an added incentive, I can tell you that as my second season begins, I am finding that the cold doesn't bother me as much as it did last year! My body temp seems to be running slightly higher this year, than when I started last year. A sign of a healthy metabolism! I managed to run in shorts a lot longer this year than last.

For ice, get yourself a pair of those thingies that clamp over your sneakers... forget what they are called...

It's all in how you dress.  For cycling, there are a lot of winter clothes available.  I find that if I'm not cold the first ten minutes I will be too hot during most of the ride.  You don't want to trap too much heat and end up sweaty.   For me, if I keep my head, feet, and hands warm I will be ok. 

Example, I rode yesterday at 43 degrees wearing regular bib shorts and knee warmers under long lycra pants, wool cycling socks w/ shoes and lycra toe warmers, microfleece undershirt, cotton turtle neck, long sleeve outer jersey, wind vest (mesh back), cotton hat under helmet, sunglasses, fingerless gloves under full finger wool gloves.  I also put vasoline on my cheeks and ears as a barrier to the cold wind.  The cotten Tneck gets sweaty so I need to get a better moisture wicking middle layer.  If anything I was overdressed but not enough to be uncomfortable.  It helped that it was sunny.

Agreed, it has a lot to do with how you dress.

Basically, for any fabric that is touching your skin cotton is a big NO!!
I have an UnderArmour shirt that I wear under a t-shirt or thermal hoodie and that has been doing a fantastic job. And it's not gettin any warmer in Boston thats for sure!!

Kattastic: cotton is a big no???????? why????

Cotton is like a big sponge, it soaks up moisture and holds it.  Not somethng you want to be wearing outside on a cold day.

hmm, I sure learned a lot just now.  Here I thought cotton was the best.  I always loved cotton since it's so soft.  My daughter did give me some 'smartwool' socs but I saved them for 0 temp.  I'll start wearing them now.

I have an outfit thats windbreaker material and it keeps the wind out and body heat in and actually too warm for right now.  I'm guessing UnderArmour is a brand?  I have some of the fleece headbands and like them for the same reason, my head is always hot.  I've heard you lose most of your body heat thru your head.

Last winter I did quit because my cheeks got cold.  I didn't know vaseline helped.  I was looking for a (sp) balaclava in something besides black and finally found one in pink from GB.

The only  pool is at the Y  and only open to the public in very early morning hours.  I'm going to Fla. for a month, so really only have 3 months to get through (the worse 3 months)

I just found out theres a Cabellas, only a couple of hrs from me.  In Fla. I like the Sports Authority store and will be going there.  I like trying things on, rather than having to order pants especially.

It wasn't as bad today as I expected.  I just don't care for the heavy winter clothes, compared to the thin top and  shorts of summer.  But bulky clothes beat getting bulky fat, so I'll learn to adapt.

I wear smartwool socks all year round.  Actually wool is the best natural fabric for moisture wicking and warmth.  I wish I could afford one of those nice retro wool jerseys that are so popular now.

trhawley:  ask Santa to bring you one of the jerseys  :D

I would think wool soc in summer would be too hot.

I gave up telling my kids not to spend money on me, so now give them hints.  This yr it will be sports clothes.  Oh, and an odometer for my bike would be nice also.

Boy, can I relate!  I live in a rural area and take my walks and runs on country roads.  Once all the crops are out of the fields the wind can be brutal and, as my husband says, I'm a "weenie" when it comes to the cold.  I'm good to about 60 degrees.  Anything lower than that I can't handle.  Pathetic for someone that has lived in the midwest their whole lives when 3 months of the year are sub-freezing temperatures.  I do have a treadmill but just HATE using it even though it's positioned with a window in front and on one side.

An alternate suggestion for when it's just too cold or icy to get out - a walking video.  Leslie Sansone has a series called "Walk Away the Pounds" that is a fun way to keep walking.  There isn't any running in it of course but she does incorporate some light weights and other moves besides just walking in place.   It's nothing like the great outdoors but it's better than doing nothing or freezing to death!

mctami:  plus the gloom doesn't help.  I thrive out in the sunshine.  The gloom is just depressing so add that to the winds and its not just a nippy day, its an awful day.

I would love a treadmill, but it would have to be in front of a TV.

It would take a lot of rearranging to fit one in, but I'm seriously considering it.  I have a table thats too big, I never use and I don't like it.  If I could find a small computer desk at Walmart or someplace inexpensive, then put my bike away........maybe I could manage it.  I'll have to get the floor measurements next time I go shopping or check them online.

As far as wool socks go, the Smartwool sock are thin, not thick like a rag wool hiking sock.  They wick the moisture away from your feet and keep them cool and dry in the summer and warm and dry in the winter.  The key word is dry, cotton socks get damp and uncomfortable from sweat when it's hot.

Edit to add: I'm old enough to remember when cycling clothes were all wool, wool shorts with real leather chamois and short sleeve wool jerseys.  Wool is nature's sport fabric.