If you're not overweight or obese how do you cope with the heat?

[orangejuicer]

I'm obese and I struggle. If you're not overweight or obese does the heat affect you?

I'm trying to lose weight but it's not going to happen overnight/during a heatwave so that's another summer to deal with.

P.s. I'm not a late night troll. I'm awake because it's 26.3c in my bedroom!

I’m overweight by about 4 stone at the moment and it is bloody horrible in this heat. Made worse by my need to be covered, I always want to cover up with a cardigan or shirt do I’m sure lots of people are judging me but I feel so exposed otherwise.

When I was a normal weight I didn’t cope well in the heat either, I’m very pale and tend to go red when I’m hot (not burned, just sweaty looking 🥵). I much prefer when there’s a breeze, I cope better then. It was a bit easier though.

I’m not overweight, but my BMI is at the top end of normal. I don’t cope with the heat at all well. I have to make sure I don’t get too hot as if I do it takes me forever to cool down. I swell, bloat and drink loads and loads, which means I’m that I am constantly needing or having a wee.

Not overweight but the heat seems to take it all out of me so sleeping isn’t actually a huge problem! I don’t get sweaty until I do some kind of activity!

I’m just off to the gym. There’s no aircon so I’ll probably look like Mrs Tomato Head when I get back.

We've bought a portable aircon unit from AO, coming tomorrow

I'm not overweight and I don't mind dry heat, but I'm not a fan of humidity.

I lived in Japan/Korea for a long time and picked up a tip for hot weather, which is to drape a short towel or cotton scarf soaked in cold water around your neck, and intermittently run your hands and wrists under cold water (I presume it keeps your pulse points cool).

It really works! I also always carry a folding paper fan, especially on public transport.

And, as PPs have said, drink at least twice as much water as you think you need. Dehydration happens very quickly in extreme (for UK) heat.

Not over weight and don’t particularly struggle in the heat. I don’t seem to sweat. I do have a (currently balanced) thyroid problem and I do remember when I was had more weight on and was tired the heat making this worse but I think this was in a thyroidy way rather than a sweaty way.

[quote properg]@StripyGiraffes you sound like me, I love proper dry heat but hate the muggy heat in London. Under 20C at home is cold but I dislike the damp we have here in the colder months. [/quote]
Absolutely. It's the humidity that makes it uncomfortable, not the temperature itself. And a wet winter is as miserable as a wet/ humid summer!

@coogee

I’m slim. Heat doesn’t bother me to the same extent it seems to bother some other people. I see temperatures proclaimed on here as intense or boiling hot that I regard as pleasantly warm. I’m loving the weather at the moment. Long may it continue.

That's the thing isn't it, the current temps in the UK would be normal temps for late spring in much of Europe, let alone nearer the equator. When people call high 20s or low 30s "hot" it makes me laugh. Although as I've said I agree that the humidity here is unpleasant. I'm sure some of the tolerance to heat/ cold is hereditary, based on family and friends who've got heritage from different areas of the globe.

I'm not overweight and I really struggle with the heat. Always have done. Life long sun avoider. However, I think it would be 100x worse if I was carrying a lot of excess weight. Keep going OP!

@PheasantsNest

I hate the heat. I have been all sizes from a 12 to a 22 and feel no different.

Could have written this myself. I sweat like a pig, no matter what size I am. On the plus side of losing weight, I don't get yeasty rashes under my boobs anymore, and my feet and ankles don't swell up in hot weather now.

I'm very overweight at the moment (2 babies and then lockdown all in the space of 3 years - I've gone up 4 dress sizes and haven't dared get on scales) and I'm struggling hugely this week. However, it's as much the humidity as the heat - even when I was slimmer I hated summer in sticky London. I grew up in Cyprus which is far hotter than here but it was a dry heat and there was always a coastal breeze - I loved the hot weather there.

I think everyone e struggles OP , regardless of size....im a size 8 and. can’t cope with this heat....and I had 5 showers yesterday in the evening and still felt awful .....

When I was fatter I hated the heat, sweating everywhere and uncomfortable. Now I’m slimmer I still hate the heat, still very sweaty and uncomfortable except now I have less of me to sweat.

I think some people just aren’t made for this weather.

@JovialNickname

I'm not overweight (although the top end of normal) and I so struggle with the heat! I swell up when it's hot, am sitting here with my big fat ankles and big fat hands. I get so jealous of women that look beautiful and wear pretty swimwear on holiday, I just look like a balloon! I've heard good things about tower fans though to try to cool the room down, have you tried one of those? I might think about getting one.

Water retention is a sign that your not drinking enough.

I don’t think UK hot is comparable to continental hot though for some reason. I did a year abroad and just cracked on in a way that would be hard here at the same temp. Day time feels ok but night time is more challenging for me, my 2yo was a bit of a mess and doesn’t deal well with heat so she was up a lot so it’s the double hit to sleep.

I have a BMI of 21.9 and weigh more now than I ever have. I also have small boobs and never get the dreaded underboob sweat as I have no underboob.

I love the heat. I love bright, sunny weather. I suffer quite badly from SAD, and the low light levels in winter really depress me.

Yes loose, flowy clothes are essential. One of the things I love about hot weather is the clothes actually, so much less cumbersome, feels much lighter and more natural wandering around wearing just one thin, loose layer.

Exactly @StripyGiraffes. The number of people I see wearing leggigs or tight, skinny jeans in this weather just baffles me. It really does make a huge difference to wear loose clothes. Even changing from a tight T-shirt to a loose top makes me feel instantly cooler.

I am also lucky in that I live rurally and have a garden.

I'm not overweight and love the heat, winter is miserable though and I get chilled to the bone.

Some people are just heat intolerant regardless of weight.

Even as a child I would get hives in hot weather, and still do especially if I'm wearing tight fitted clothing.

I also tend to flush really easily. If I go for a run in warm wather I literally go puce. It's very embarrassing. I'm not sure if it's my colouring (fair hair, fair skinned).

I'm also prone to sunlight induced migraines, although sunglasses help.

DD is even more heat intolerant than me, possibly due to her autism.

I love the heat; this isn’t that hot for me.
I am slim. I do drink absolutely gallons of liquid though. I have drank 2l of water already this morning some with squash in. And coffee and some fruit juice. I eat little amounts often. I don’t think most British people know how to hyrdrate properly- a can of Coke at lunch time or a single cup of tea is not enough liquid when it is warm

I'm low end BMI but last summer was at the high end. I like the hot weather and always have, but do feel less hot this year, and was freezing all winter. I also stopped eating meat recently and have noticed that I barely sweat at all since.

Since having my DD I am so much worse in the heat, and I have always hated it. I bought an air conditioning unit this year.

I'm slim and the heat gets to me, mainly because I am already a very warm blooded person. (DH says I am like a radiator ) I absolutely love the sunshine but the heat doesn't love me.
My face and back get very sweaty.

I still shudder when I think of how I used to get the sweaty, sticky tubes to work in summer.
I coped by always wearing my hair up, wearing loose fitting tshirts, using a mini handbag held fan, drinking lots of water. Those cooling mists in a can are most welcome too. At night, bedroom window open, no clothes, no covers.

Love the outdoors but generally try and stay in the shade on hot sunny days.
On holiday , I'm not fussed about the heat as I'm usually near a water source, so can cool down instantly.