Baby, It's Cold Outside

One thing I've had a hard time getting used to since surgery is the fact that I'm freezing all the time. I have always been hot and often sweaty. The fans in my house have always been turned up high and the AC was kept so cold, the rest of my family was often freezing. Well now the roles are reversed. I am always cold, even though the rest of the family is comfortable.

I've learned that this is very common after weight loss surgery. It is primarily due to two factors: 1) loss of insulation and 2) less energy generation. The first is obvious, less fat results in less insulation. The second was explained by someone who said to think of an egg beater. If you're beating a meringue, the beaters move easily. But if you try and beat bread dough with an egg beater, the beater will overheat and become hot to the touch. When a body is fat, moving it around takes a lot more effort, which results in the generation of a lot more heat. Now that it's easier for my body to move around, it's not generating the kind of heat it did before.

I used to wonder why so many women always complained about being cold. I think I get it now!