Losing tolerance to winter cold

[Catrin]

I have really lost my tolerance to cold for a couple of reasons. First of all, I bug out in the winter time so my adaptation has more or less disappeared. But even more importantly, since losing 1/3 of my body weight I am much, much colder than I was. I think that my metabolism took a big hit.

My metabolism isn't slow at all (it was just recently tested) but I AM much colder than I was 80 pounds ago...I try to ride in at least temps >freezing in the winter, but with cold-air induced asthma I have to be careful. If I didn't ride solo most of the time I would likely try to push it but I allow wisdom to guide me at this at least.

[Reesha]

Catrin, you have cold air induced asthma too? Ok, maybe I am weird but have you ever induced an asthma attack from eating ice cream or something frozen? My first experience with it was eating a Wendy's frosty too quickly. Instant asthma attack! Bizarro!

[Catrin]

Catrin, you have cold air induced asthma too? Ok, maybe I am weird but have you ever induced an asthma attack from eating ice cream or something frozen? My first experience with it was eating a Wendy's frosty too quickly. Instant asthma attack! Bizarro!

No, just get the "cold induced" intense pinpoint headache - oy I hate that!

[shootingstar]

Certainly my tolerance to winter cold in past few years, has been, um, "fine-tuned". If I keep moving and there isn't a strong wind, not much ice/snow and dressed warmly, I can cycle/snowshoe to -20C for an hr. or so. This is from being acclimatized to prairie cold. But I wasn't like this living in Vancouver. I got "soft" with balmier winters. It does help to have grown up in Ontario.

Now I've noticed with our extreme temperature changes which can be a up to 40 degree F difference between early morning to early afternoon, it's been harder for me to toughen up within 1 day.

But as the cycling season warms up from cold winter, I can cycle in longer shorts from 10 degrees C onward for an hr. before it gets warmer.

I would like to comment on being slimmer and feeling "colder". For many years, certainly I've noticed with shaking hands with other people, yes, my handshake is cooler or shaking hands with other people who are slimmer.

But then this all varies. But for myself, hovering at 100 lbs. or less, I will affirm that I'm a medium warmth dresser, overall My partner who is a more medium weight for his build, feels his legs alot colder than I ever do.

Usually when I wear 1 pair tights comfortably, he needs to wear tights plus wind pants.

For winter, it is the wind strength and ice that bugs me more now as I get older.

But today I cannot wear a sleeveless tank top comfortably like today for some women I saw, where it's around 14-18 degrees F ...that translates in the 70's F. For me, I need to have 80-85 degree F heat to go sleeveless. Still on the Pacific coast at that temperature, I find that edge of cool requires me to wear short-sleeved jerseys.

Humidex @90-100 plus heat @80 degrees F and above, is definitely quite hot for me. My tolerance for hot humidity most definitely is dropping off with age.

It's my hands in past few years, I have Reynauld's condition where my fingers feel freezingly cold at just barely freezing temperatures.