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've always hated the heat, even as a skinny child and a slim adult. I burn, I get headaches, I get lethargic and I hate feeling sweaty regardless of my size. I also feel wrong in dresses and skirts which doesn't help.

I'm not overweight but I'm menopausal and hypermobile and get to a point in the afternoon where I just feel itchy and queasy, despite drinking lots of water.

I don't think it's weight alone; I am top end of normal having lost some weight and want to lose more. Even when I was thinner, I didn't cope in the heat. I've always had heat rash cover me at the drop of a hat, even as a skinny minny preteen and a size 10.

I'm thinner this year and I've had what could be rosea but is probably heat rash since late May and it hasn't cleared up. I'm on medication to kill the itching. I think my problem atm is that on top of my skin struggling anyway I'm busty- so boob sweat is causing issues, and I share a bed with DP who runs hot- it's like sleeping against a furnace. We're looking into a bigger bed for more room but in the mean time large fans on max, curtains closed 24/7 to keep the room cool, mister spray on face, back of joints & neck- bliss if it's just out the fridge, and wearing linen sundresses with a v light cardi. I spray my sheets and clothes with mister, too.

Oh and DP decamps to our fold out bed to break the heat-rash-scratch cycle or in weather like yesterday.

I am overweight and still love hot weather - as long as it isn't humid. Then my hair and lungs aren't happy 🤷🏼‍♀️

@MrsToothyBitch Tip i read in Woman and Home. A non scented roll on deoderant underneath the boobs. I use a Simple one.

@MercyBooth thank you! I will definitely try that!

I grew up in a hot country, and although we've been in the uk years I rarely get hot. Menopause sweats have been a pain in the arse tho. Since the menopause I don't get as cold as I used to, but I can get cold very quickly. For example, I went to asda yesterday, had to put a cardi on as the air conditioning was so cold! I'm on the low end of normal in bmi measurements tho, but my sister who's bigger than me finds it too hot. I drink loads of water, stay in the shade when walking as I don't tan (my sister does, cow!)

I read years ago that depending on the time of year you are born has an effect on your ability to tolerate different weather temperatures but I can't remember what it said. I'm January born.

I've become more sensitive to the heat as I've gotten older, though I do remember as a teen in some Midwestern summers (when I was quite underweight), I would get a t-shirt cold and wet and sit around with it to cope. I've done cool showers to cope sometimes as an adult too.

Staying in during the worst of it is a big part of it, my spouse (who is obese) has joked his night shift work is part of his summer coping strategy. I'm a bit worried about my DS who is helping in allotments in the middle of the day for the rest of the week.

Someone on another thread recommended large pet cooling pads, and I've been tempted though more for my spouse who has been suffering with it more though has enjoyed that our new home - a '50s concrete build with shading over the south facing living room window - is so much cooler than our previous Victorian house. Building design plays a big role, though it's also difficult to change. In our bedroom, we've got think curtains over the window that do a good job reflecting some of the heat and we've trialled placing the fan in different places to see what works best (for me, it seems to be at basically bed height but lined up with my torso).

When I had hot flushes, ice cream, milkshakes, and flavoured milks (adding Meritene to milk to boost nutritional content) were my saviours, but heat tends to kill my appetite so it kinda balanced out.

I've lost weight since last summer - I'm now BMI 26 and was 33 last year. Hoping to get my BMI out of the overweight range before summer 2022. I still feel the heat and sweat as much as ever, but there is a benefit in that I no longer get chub rub on my thighs or under my boobs.

I'm lighter this summer than I was last summer - by Christmas I'd pushed into the overweight category in BMI terms. Now about 23, so around the middle of the normal category (but I wouldn't describe myself as slim, still plenty of wobbly bits).

I can't say I'm coping any better with the heat this year than last, EXCEPT that the intermittent fasting lifestyle I've returned to (which has resulted in the weight loss) means I don't eat until the evening. Not eating keeps me cooler during the day. Around 6pm I break my fast and have a normal evening meal, a glass of wine, maybe some chocolate or whatever. At which point I become too hot, despite the temperature being cooler than it was at lunchtime, and struggle to sleep at night.

Am wondering if I should attempt an extended water-only fast, starting now and ending whenever the weather cools down! Still got plenty of fat to burn through so it'd do me good in multiple ways LOL.

So to answer your question @orangejuicer being obese may or may not have anything to do with your tolerance for hot weather, but fasting might keep you cooler and also reduce your BMI.

I am a size 10 and bang in the middle of a healthy BMI- I have quite enjoyed the warm weather- enjoy sitting in it in the heat of the day- probably too hot to exercise between 10-3 but have still enjoying my 8am runs in the sun.

My other half is overweight and HATES it- really uncomfortable, struggles to sleep, got a headache at an outdoor wedding we were at yesterday and had to go and sit inside.

However, he would now go on holiday in a warm country if we had accommodation with air con for sleeping and did most “active” things either early morning or post 3pm. He’s already lost a significant amount of weight and before he did would have refused any kind of hot, sunny holiday (or even what I would consider warm!). We walked into town at midday last Saturday (27 degrees) and it wasn’t an issue, before he would have refused. He can wear T shirts and shorts without feeling self conscious. He was happy to run round the garden with our nephew in the sun. This is just one of his many motivations for continuing to lose the weight and it has made a significant different to both our lives.