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Theory: The Freezing Means It's Working



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Hi surgery pals!

I know we've talked about being cold all the time, and I had a data point some of you may recognize (or the veterans might remember):

I was cold all the time from basically Day 1 after surgery until I reached plateaus, the first one of which in Month 9. After a sharp dip and rebound in December when I had COVID, I'm currently fluctuating steadily around 88.7-89.3 / 195-197 lbs). Pretty much from one day to the next, I stopped being cold all the time.

Now, however, the cold has come back! As has my red cheeks and the feeling of being warm inside (yeah I know, it's a bit of a paradox). Just tested negative for COVID, btw.

On top of that, my stomach is yelling it's full after a few bites.

I think those are all signs the system wants to lose a little again (I'm not really on board with that, I'm trying to bulk up in the gym). At least that's been my experience at the end of the weight loss phase, which has started and stopped from Month 9 to now (I'm into Month 15): every time a loss was inbound, I'd get cold.

Have any of you experienced this?

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Hmmm, come to think of it, I was getting cold recently and I NEVER get cold and I've been starting to lose again. You might have something there.

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I haven't noticed this, but I have to say that contrary to most people, I have actually been LESS cold than I used to be prior to surgery. I attribute this to the fact that I am cold mostly when sedentary, and I was more sedentary prior to preparing for surgery. Now that I'm more active, I don't feel cold all the time.

I used to always be cold, and now I'm comfortable more of the time. One thing for me is that I take medication that can cause difficulties with thermoregulation. I used to be bothered by both heat and cold, and I haven't noticed this as much. I'm still taking the same medication at the same dose, so maybe losing weight has helped me thermoregulate?

I know that if I start being cold (usually when sitting at my desk working) I feel better if I get up and start moving. Sometimes, I take that cue as a motivator to get on the treadmill. Othertimes... I just crawl into bed.

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7 minutes ago, lizonaplane said:

Othertimes... I just crawl into bed.

:) Speaking of - I'm one the crazy Nordic people who are raised on sleeping outside for hours, even in the snow and freezing temps. We believe it's good for kids.

So I've always had my bedroom so cold I could see my breath (again, not all that uncommon up here). Now? 80F please!

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Interesting. All I know is that Since about 2 months past my surgery I stopped being so dang hot all the time and sweating like crazy. Summer was coming to a close so I wasn't really sure if it was my imagination or real and didn't have time to really test it out. Guess I'll know for sure this Summer. LOL

But doing things around the house that normally made me hot and sweat regardless of the time of year like cooking, cleaning, carrying anything of weight, etc. would have me drenched in sweat and would take me forever to cool down from. Now, NOPE! Doesn't happen any longer. We also always sleep with two fans on all year long and since surgery I find myself cold doing that and have gone from sleeping in underwear only to sleeping in fuzzy long pants and long sleeve shirts. LOL NOT complaining though cause I can always do things to easily get warm but it was next to impossible to cool down when I was always hot.

Having said all that, my own coldness hasn't stopped since it started even though I've been stalled since Oct 25th. Well, I should say I was stalled since then, then I contacted my nutritionist in December some time and made some adjustments and then the scale finally moved again and I have since lost an additional 4-5 lbs but yeah, not sure that logic/theory applies to me as my stall seems to be constant (not actually losing weight or inches) and yet I remain cold all the time.

I just finished converting a good size shed, that was sitting empty doing nothing, into a gym. That had occupied all of my time and energy all of January and exercise went to the wayside. So starting Monday I plan on getting back on track with my exercise and HOPEFULLY then the weight will start dropping regularly again.

Edited by SummerTimeGirl

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1 hour ago, MiniGastricBypassDude said:

:) Speaking of - I'm one the crazy Nordic people who are raised on sleeping outside for hours, even in the snow and freezing temps. We believe it's good for kids.

So I've always had my bedroom so cold I could see my breath (again, not all that uncommon up here). Now? 80F please!

I have heard of those Nordic traditions (I have a good friend in Norway - near Tromso). Interestingly, I have started keeping my room cooler at night. Well, at least so far in the winter. When it gets to be summer here we'll see.

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I had a further thought about this: years ago, I spent a few months doing intermittent fasting. I would have days when I would not eat until dinner. On those days, I was absolutely freezing, whereas on the days I didn't fast, I was only my normal level of cold.

I wonder if it has something to do with not eating? I thought about this today when I didn't get to Breakfast and then I had to go out, and then someone came over, and in the end, I didn't eat real food until after 1pm. I was very cold today!

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Im over 3 years out and im still cold. Not as frozen popsicle as i was was the first year and a half (man, I remember walking down the frozen food aisle at the grocery and thinking i was going to freeze to death) but still colder than everyone else around me (right now im wearing a hoodie and wool socks and Mr is wearing shorts and is shirtless…and no he is not overweight by any means).

I stopped rapid weight loss a long time ago, so I attribute this to just an all around less insulation issue (i.e., fat)

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Hi surgery pals!
I know we've talked about being cold all the time, and I had a data point some of you may recognize (or the veterans might remember):
I was cold all the time from basically Day 1 after surgery until I reached plateaus, the first one of which in Month 9. After a sharp dip and rebound in December when I had COVID, I'm currently fluctuating steadily around 88.7-89.3 / 195-197 lbs). Pretty much from one day to the next, I stopped being cold all the time.
Now, however, the cold has come back! As has my red cheeks and the feeling of being warm inside (yeah I know, it's a bit of a paradox). Just tested negative for COVID, btw.
On top of that, my stomach is yelling it's full after a few bites.
I think those are all signs the system wants to lose a little again (I'm not really on board with that, I'm trying to bulk up in the gym). At least that's been my experience at the end of the weight loss phase, which has started and stopped from Month 9 to now (I'm into Month 15): every time a loss was inbound, I'd get cold.

Have any of you experienced this?

wow! im always freezing! Its 60 something here in S FL and my hands feel like ice. And yes, my cheeks are red! Im 14 weeks out RNY

Sent from my SM-G973U using BariatricPal mobile app

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1 minute ago, cheryl o said:

Its 60 something here in S F

That'd be a heatwave in Scandinavia! :D

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11 hours ago, MiniGastricBypassDude said:

That'd be a heatwave in Scandinavia! :D

I would say, "And this is why I don't live in Scandinavia", but I moved from Miami to Boston 18 years ago and still miss the weather sooo much. Yes, even the humidity. I don't want to complain about the weather in Boston. I'm sure you would be wearing a T-shirt on our coldest days.

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