Sometimes losing weight can leave you feeling cold: literally. For some people, being a little chilly is easily fixed by putting on some socks and a sweater. For others, it can be a sign of an unhealthy diet, an opportunity to change your activity levels, or even a signal that something more serious is going on.
If you have lost a significant amount of weight without trying, or if your weight loss seems out of control, see a physician for advice.
Metabolism
Metabolism is the process of converting food into energy. This process results in two products: fuel and heat. If you suddenly subject yourself to a severe calorie restriction --- as with a starvation diet --- your body will adjust metabolism to conserve the few calories it has. When you are generating less heat through metabolism, you will feel colder than you did when your heat was on high.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the amount of calories your body uses for the basic functions of life: breathing, digesting, thinking and circulating blood. This basic rate is difficult to change. In addition to BMR, your physical activity level and body composition affect your real metabolism, and these are factors you can change.
Muscle Mass
Increased muscle mass will help crank up your metabolic rate, but losing muscle will turn it down. If you are losing weight with a starvation diet, some of that weight might be coming from the loss of muscle and bone in addition to fat. That decrease in metabolism could make you feel cold.
Recommendation
There are several steps you can take to get warmer, and some will actually help you maintain your weight loss. Physical activity will warm you up while you work out and for an hour or so afterward. Jump rope, use a hula hoop or dance in the kitchen. You can also add a weight training segment to your existing workout to increase muscle mass. If you don't want to go to the gym or buy weights, you can do bodyweight-only exercises at home, like pushups, squats and lunges.
Conditions
There are some serious medical issues that will make you lose weight and feel cold. According to Medline, Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain. Anorexics may refuse to eat, even if they cooked a large elaborate meal for others. Their weight may fall 15 percent below healthy levels. Anorexics may be extremely sensitive to cold, and may need to wear several more layers of clothing than everyone else just to stay warm.
Thyroid issues can also affect how cold or hot you feel. According to the American Thyroid Association, thyroid hormone elevates BMR, and an overactive thyroid can lead to weight loss. The relationship between thyroid hormone, body temperature and weight loss is very intricate. If you think you have a thyroid disorder, talk to your physician.
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