People who REALLY feel the cold

[Itswinteragain]

....as in 20 degrees in summer you’re wearing 2-3 layers - What keeps you warmish in winter? This will be my third winter in the UK, I’m in the South East and nothing has kept me warm. My flat without heating was 19 last night. That is freezing and heating was quickly switched on and went up to 24 but I had on the Uniqlo extra warm top, oodie, leggings AND joggers so was comfortable. This how cold I feel, I know it’s ridiculous to most people but I can’t help it.

Things I have that don’t keep me warm:
M&S heatgen & Uniqlo heattech extra & ultra warm tops & leggings
North face Arctic parka
amazon & primary thick fleece lined leggings
Real wool jumpers
not to mention numerous knit beanies, earmuffs and gloves.

Nothing works for the 3 days a week I have to spend around 3-5 hours outside. I’ve also spent a fortune on those hand and feet warmers that heat up for a few hours.

Help!

And silk! I would have never thought of silk for keeping warm.

Wool.

Wool duvet, wool Blankets, wool socks. Real sheepskin insoles & real sheepskin slippers.

Layers.

Draught proof your home - windows and doors.

Exercise - get up & move about. Make sure you're leaving the house during the day, it feels much colder when you're inside all the time like when you're working from home.

Electric blanket for the bed. You can get electric throws for the sofa too, or electric jackets that you throw over your shoulders.

Hot drinks & meals.

I’m sorry it’s really shit isn’t it when nothing gets you warm!

Silk is very warm. The fibres are triangular shaped and filament. So they lie flat against your skin with no interruptions. This is why it’s so warm.

I’m a freezer too, plus I can’t wear any wool, including cashmere, due to sensory issues.
In the house, I wear long sleeve thermal vest and long johns, fleece lined joggers, socks and Celtic sheepskin booties, long sleeve cotton top, thin fleece from good quality outdoor wear shop, fake oodie and sometimes M and S Rosie thick fleece dressing gown on top. Plus fleece snood, fleece beanie, fingerless gloves that go up my wrists etc.
Outside and for work, cords instead of joggers, fleece or sheepskin lined boots, snood etc. Then a thin rab puffa topped with either the sea salt Janelle if milder but wet or the lands end virtually ankle length puffa if cold and dry.
i also walk very quickly, hot baths/showers and lots of instant hot chocolate. I feel your pain!

I have a silk long-sleeved white company blouse which I bought on a whim at the outlet and never wore until I discovered how amazingly warm it was under a good jumper. Have a look on vinted too.

Hi,

I'm really sorry to hear that you feel so cold. That sounds like hard work.

The thing that I find heats me up best is eating boiled rice. I have no idea why but it makes my whole body really warm right through. I boil the rice until it's very fluffy.

You can visit a consultant endocrinologist privately in this country too. You can find the nearest one on this website: https://www.finder.bupa.co.uk/
You might need a GP referral, but they will write it quite happily if you are paying privately.

Good luck!

I dread the heat far more. I’d much rather be cold than hot. Heatwaves are utter torture - and are made worse by living in an overcrowded town with awful traffic and too many houses.

👍

Completely sympathise. I have low thyroid function and am exactly as you describe. I go into workplaces / stores and cannot understand how people can work there. Everywhere feels sooooo cold. Thankfully, I now work from home with a room heater.

@JaneyGee I envy you! But I think you don’t tolerate the heat for similar reasons to why I don’t tolerate cold - neither temperature feels nice when it’s constantly damp. We should all live in the desert.

I'm not sure what job/role you're doing outside for 3-5 hours but if there's not a specific dress code I wonder if you could wear ski trousers over the top of thermals. Plus 2 pairs of gloves and ski socks inside snow boots.

I'm the same. There's no way I could do a job that required me to be outdoors. I have Raynauds so it actually becomes painful if my hands and feet get too cold (which happens easily).
Layers are good - multiple layers of heat tech, wool, good coat, scarf, hat, fingerless gloves with big mittens on top. Keeping feet warm is important. Sheepskin insoles and 2 pairs of wool socks.
Winter is hard!

A down coat-

https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/cosy-wrap-ii-womens-extreme-down-jacket-p43826.aspx/burgundy/

they have different styles - this one is to minus 40. I would wear that now 😂

I have a pair of thermal snowboots that I bought when I went to Iceland and when I wear them in the UK they keep me soooo warm, these https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/ohio-womens-snow-boots-p13202.aspx/jet-black/

If that's not bugatable for you then cheap solutions that work for me are
*2 pairs of socks, 1 thinner on my feet then a thicker pair over the top
*a big scarf/shawl mines from h&m and I can wrap it right around my neck, lower face and head
*big coat with a hood and always have the hood up over the shawl
*hot water bottle in a drawstring bag over the front of me (so it's on the front of my body/belly but in between my jumper and coat)
*loads and loads of layers and I have a thermal turtleneck tops from uniqlo (but maybe these don't work for you I think?)
*either tights or leggins under jeans
*thermos flask with a hot drink

Good luck!!

I'm following this. 20 odd years ago I was back and forth to my dr because I was so cold all the time. All tests were normal.
The only thing they could suggest was to move to a hot country 🤦🏻‍♀️

I've got a little better as I've got older (not much - I still wear 2 pairs of thermal leggings in the house and put ski trousers over those if I'm spending prolonged periods outside.) But I have worked out that if I don't eat for a few hours, I get bone crushingly cold and cannot warm up. So eating seems to help 😆

I find layers help, thin socks and the thick socks over the top, I also have thermal jeans from M&S which are quite good. Top half I go for short sleeve vest, long sleeve thermal vest, T-shirt, shirt, jumper and then a down coat . It helps but I’m still never warm.
Also they do fur lined dm’s which are good.

I used to be like this then I started outdoor swimming. I'm boiling all the time now

As a survivor of a couple of years in a house that only had open fires for heating, this is what helped me:

Wear a hat all the time, indoors, outdoors, in bed etc.
A hot water bottle under clothes. I have one with a holder that fastens round your tummy.
Merino wool thermals.
More layers that you think you'll need - I might have worn underwear, a vest top, thermal top and leggings, then two layers of clothing, then a coat, hat and gloves (sometimes two hats, or a hat combined with ear muffs or a thick fleece headband over the ears.
I found a snood makes quite a difference.

Might be worth asking for updated bloods now? I think my thyroid burned itself out, I was so skinny as a teenager but diagnosed mid twenties and even fully medicated I still feel the cold!

key is to not get bone cold so hot shower then layer up. Wrist warmer long gloves are a must for me and big huge scarves as well as lots of layers (if I was outside that might look like vest, short sleeve top, long sleeve top, jumper, hoody, coat plus gloves scarf hat!)

For when you are at home I've got cuddly bootee slippers. They go up over your ankles and have a section you put in microwave to heat. Then unzip the section on top of slippers and put heat pads in. I've got poor circulation in my feet and hands so they are really good for me. Turtle Dove for hands and wrists.

What are you eating? A hearty lunch or a salad? A warm stodgy meal will keep you warmer too. Then layers and covering all places that you can.
I hike in the middle of winter in the Highlands and know that having all areas covered is better than loads of layers but a tiny gap on your gap and space for air to get down your top and a cold neck etc.

I don't know how practical this would be but could you try looking for ideas from countries which have much colder winters than ours ie Canada or Scandanavian countries - a neighbour emigrated to Canada and when she came back here to visit, her winter coats etc were much warmer than anything we could easily buy here.

When you are inside house & want to be warm- I promise you this will keep
you so warm like nothing else!!
https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-pom-pom-fleece-onesie/grey/p4751614?size=L&s_ppc=2dx_mixed_fashion_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4bipBhCyARIsAFsieCyVl46fw7zjYXEvRGDyoY3ZbY7mRWk09LDhwePrZpfF-TAdTG0x6vwaAquIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

when you are outside remember your feet loose so much heat. So wear tights under jeans/ trousers. Then 2 pairs socks. Then faux fur lined boots.

Focus on your breathing! Are you taking deep enough breaths? That really helps me stay warm.