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!

DD has a weight blanket that might be helpful? I got it from John Lewis

Following this thread! I need to be all bundled up in usual UK summers under 30C – let alone winters – too. The only time I felt fine (neither cold nor hot) was during the "hottest" ever temperature on record in the UK during one of the recent summers. I'm from a hot country too.

Uniqlo heattech/thermals don't work at all for me. And heat packs are too small and faffy. I don't know how healthy or safe this is but I like those heat patches/stickers for pain (from Asia, not the UK).

Also a bit of an out there suggestion, but a cafe subscription like Pret so you have a steaming hot drink to clutch everywhere (though sometimes it just makes me feel colder everywhere else...)

Get yourself an equi dry coat. Not the most attractive things at all but super cosy and especially as you can fit another coat underneath! Also good ski boots with proper long thermal socks and proper walking or riding thermal leggings and use as tights. Good luck, it's miserable to be cold.

@Iwouldratherbemuckingout I would wrap myself in a grizzly bear costume as long as it kept me warm, but just wondering – would someone look out of place wearing essentially countryside or ski resort stuff in the city or on the tube etc?

Exactly this. Get back to your gp.

I used to be so so cold, all the time. It's taken a few years to get my meds right, but this summer is the first I've not been sat in a coat, and I only put the heating on for the first time yesterday. Unheard of!

Merino wool layers

Expedition weight is what they wear for eg Everest trips

You need proper quality mountaineering gear, not chain store vèsions. It's night and day

I wear thermal shorts over my pants under the leggings and trousers as I often have a cold bottom! The other thing I do is I’ve made several wheat sacks, some are the size of a hot water bottle and fit in a small rucksack - very comforting when hanging about the playground with grandchildren. Others are small enough to slip into my pockets. I microwave them for a couple of minutes and they stay warm for ages.

I feel the cold too - not quite as much as you, but I do. Things that help me:

• merino wool ski base layers, like Ice Breaker, although there are also cheaper versions of it. Helpfully they come in several levels of thickness - you can go for the thickest.
• Uniqlo compact light down jackets, worn under down coats: https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/product/ultra-light-down-compact-jacket-460929.html
• cashmere bed socks
• several layers of cashmere
• Açai outdoor thermal trousers, worn with thermal leggings underneath. Sometimes I wear two pairs of thermal leggings to be warm enough https://acaioutdoorwear.com/products/t
• snow boots - I hear good things about Sorel, though I’m yet to try them

Good luck - it’s absolutely miserable being so cold. People who don’t feel it don’t understand quite how miserable.

Invest in some thermals to go under your clothes. I wear a dressing gown or thick blanket jumper at home. Hot water bottles or microwave toys. Hot drinks.
Make sure you wear hat gloves and scarf outside. Ear muffs for cold ears. Body warmer for under or over your coat. You can buy handwarmers as well. Get quality clothing it is expensive but makes a huge difference in the cold.

OP had hyperthyroidism not hypo.

@RampantIvy @Youneedtobelower what are you and others jumping on @Louloulouenna?

They are saying they feel the cold but for various reasons mainly seemingly cost, they can't have heating on other than when the dc come home so they do various things to keep warm. Which they outlined. Which is the point if the thread. How is someone who is trying to find ways to keep warm beyond cranking up the heat in any way self righteous?

These Muck Boots have been a game changer for me - they come in short and long, I wear the short ones with wool socks when I'm out dog walking in winter in the ice and snow and they've been amazing. Wish I'd bought them years ago. https://muckbootcompany.co.uk/collections/women/products/womens-arctic-sport-ii-short-boots-black-grey

I really feel the cold and often accompany DH on winter nights for his hobby.

I find that my sheepskin jacket keeps me way warmer than my arctic parka. I think the reason for this is although the north face coat has great insulation in the body, it has hardly any in the arms.

Merino thermals are amazing and don’t make you feel sweaty. I usually layer these with a cashmere jumper on top, heated socks under wool socks and then lined trousers.

If any part of my body feels cold, I will feel cold all over so always wear a lined hat, cashmere scarf and really warm gloves.

If you haven't already, it may be worth investing in a few pieces of genuine wool socks and jumpers (think scandinavian styles). They've been used for years in Iceland/Norway/Sweden/Finland for a reason!!

I really suffer with cold hands and have never found gloves that keep them warm. I dread walking the dog when its cold, my hands are so painful.

This. I had hypothyroidism. I had the radiation option to attempt to rest the thyroid. It damaged my thyroid so now I take Levothyroxine every day to regulate it. I was always freezing. Now I am generally warm .

Re set not rest

You need proper thermals.
id also consider a thyroid test.
hot water bottles are great too, hand warmers

Sounds like your circulation is out of kilter., I have the same problem, my thyroid plays up now and again, even physical excercise doesn't do the trick, can be very demoralising.,good advice given on above forum,, wearing multi thermal layers is a solution, try rubbing your arms and legs and stretching first thing in the morning, 🧘‍♀️ and pilates can help or failing that a brisk walk and a swim.

Wool, wool and more wool, works for me. I wear a cashmere or merino lightweight jumper then a cotton blouse, then a lambswool jumper. Paired with fleece lined tights and wool trousers (lined) wool socks, cashmere scarf and fleece lined hat. Topped with a wool coat is very toasty.
Indoors I swop the coat for a full length fleece dressing gown. I live in a freezing house.
Charity shops are great for finding wool items. The mens section often has lambswool jumpers.

Probably sounds a bit odd, but make sure with all those layers, especially if you start moving that you don’t sweat a bit and then cool down. Always change your socks frequently etc. Always change when you get home so you’re wearing warm dry clothes that haven’t been outside.
i find I get super cold feet, because I wear several pairs of socks then my feet sweat when I’m walking so when I cool down I just have wet socks. So then I have cold feet.
Hope that makes sense.

If you do have the means I would definitely go for more investigation. NHS work on the basis of a "normal" range, so you could be just on the edge of that, therefore classed as normal/ok. However everyone is different and your thyroid levels may not be in the right place for your body to function optimally. (My experience of this is my mum, who has struggled for years to get appropriate treatment for her hypothyroidism - "your levels are in the normal range, what are you complaining about")

My Dh feel the cold much more than I think is normal. He wears a hoodie all summer.
In winter he has wool socks, and sheepskin slippers all the time and if it gets very bad for him he wear a beanie indoors. I do put the heat on, usually about 18 and he's still wrapped up. He has two duvets on the bed at night and I sleep without as I roast.
He spent his life in a very warm place, where we might have go a bit of frost twice or so, and winters were mild and summer was between 35 and 40 for months at a time, he never bothered with A/C and thrived in the heat. I'm thinking he may need his thyroid checked too.

You can get gloves that have inbuilt warmers. You charge with a usb. Or get some chargeable or microwave hand warmers and put them in the gloves although I find this a bit clunky. Also if you warm your hands before going out it helps. Under a hot tap then into gloves.