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!

Northern Canada here. So it gets to -50c but very little humidity. I run quite cold.

VESTS!! for at home and under jackets. Eddie Bauer has a really nice thin one that is warm without the bulk. Then you can also move. It’s the micro therm 2.0.

long underwear. You ever see a Canadian at -20 in jeans and a t? Ok yeah it probably was after a -40 cold snap and we do find it ‘warm’, but in my case its good long underwear. Again warmth without the bulk (it’s a weird pride thing, ‘ Canadians don’t feel cold’).

wool in socks.

the worst for me is bedtime. My feet and lower legs go to ice. So those microwave bags. But you can get them shaped like slippers/mitts. Mine are from ricki’s but I don’t know if that’s an international brand.

and then probably take your dr tests results to a naturalpath. Because your MD just looks at ‘normal ranges’ - many were established on military men in their 20’s to 30’s - but a ND can look at your symptoms and optimal levels, provide some support.

anyway. Good luck.

Hats!
I wear a climate warm hat in the winter, even in my house.
In the summer unless it's tipping 26 degrees I'll have layers on usually.
If my nose is cold, all of me is freezing. Boots like ugg boots (slippers in boot form too) a scarf and a good thick winter hat is the only way I stay warm.
I've also been known to use those stick on heat pads you use for back pain when it's really cold (do not stick them directly to your skin!)
Blankets, thick socks and hot water bottles at home or visiting friends/family.

Hi, I’m not sure if it’s been said, but what about ski wear? The jackets and salopettes don’t have to look ‘ski-y’ and they’ll keep you toasty.

I don't suffer from the cold but I find putting a waterproof (a couple of sizes too big) over your layers keeps you warmer when out and about.
My son has a lands end squal waterproof coat and he loves it.

She said hyperthyroidism.....but appreciate the two are easily muddled...

i cant stand it to hot inside or out.
I wear a onesie when its cold i dont bother with heating.

Haven't read all the responses but my sister has a heated coat, she is a TA and has to go out in all weather for playground duty, it's a down jacket with a button that activates heated panels. It wasn't cheap, so quite an investment, check reviews before making any purchases.

I TOTALLY feel your pain on this. I live in Yorkshire and absolutely dread autumn/winter every year. I feel the cold so badly it’s painful and often brings me to tears. I suffer with Raynaulds and poor circulation in my hands, feet, ears and tip of nose, so my hands and fingers turn orangey white pretty much immediately the moment I set foot out of the door. I’m 5’6”, 50kg and a size 6, eat properly (as someone seemed to imply people with fast metabolisms don’t!), and have thyroid tests within normal range. I genuinely can’t handle anything below about 15 degrees outside and 19 degrees inside, which is mighty unfortunate as we’re up North and live in a Victorian house with very high ceilings that’s impossible to heat to what I need to be comfortable. I fortunately travel internationally a lot with work, but when I can’t stay warmer that way, and until I can retire to Italy, the things that I absolutely cannot live without when I go out are as follows:

• Ororo heated zip up fleece jacket - I have the full zip soft shell version with heated panels everywhere. I have it in a size XS which is a nice close feminine fit with 2-3 thinner layers underneath, but slimline enough to wear a down filled/sheepskin coat over the top.
• UGG boots (I’ve protected them but try not to wear them when its wet) - not currently in fashion but have always
• Always carry round a thermal travel mug with a hot drink in to continuously sip from and get hand warmth from when not wearing…
• Heated gloves - you look a bit like a biker as the good ones are all very bulky but so worth it
• Invest in a car with heated seats and heated steering wheel if you don’t have one already
• I also have the largest collection of scarves known to man, which I accessorise with over the top of a heated neck warmer

Sometimes when I'm absolutely freezing indoors, I actually go in the garden without a coat for a few minutes. Before getting absolutely frozen, I leg it back inside. That really gets my internal heating going once back inside!!!

A sleeping bag! A good, ‘mummy’ style camping one, something like this, suitable for 3-4 seasons. You don’t have to spend a fortune (sleeping bags can be a blank cheque situation!). If you go to a decent camping shop they should be able to help you. Sit in it on the sofa / at your desk (if you work at a desk!) and even sleep in it if you’re struggling. A hot water bottle in with you, on your lower back or feet, should help too. Consider a women’s-specific one unless you’re especially tall, as then you’re not warming up excess sleeping bag (it’s a real thing!).

Other than that, heat holders (or similar) socks and a cosy hat! I also wear fingerless gloves when working at my desk, and out my feet on a cushion to insulate them from the floor (E.g. when sat in sleeping bag so not wearing slippers). I have a small electric heater (~£40 from Amazon) which heats my office during the day so I don’t have to heat the whole house for the one room I use!

Was going to say this. I'm hypo and will never be off meds. So pls get your thyroid checked again!

I don’t know how good they are or expensive but can’t you get a heated jacket? 😂 I’m sure I’ve seen battery powered ones on Amazon for outside. I loveeee my heated blanket my mum got me from Lakeland’s it’s fluffy and snuggly and not too expensive to run.

other than that I agree with the oversized coat. I usually wear cardi, hoody and coat when it’s cold but i never get it right 😂

I’m wondering if the values that are used to diagnose are slightly different between countries and she’s just missed out on a diagnosis here. If that’s the case op you really need to tell them you have already been diagnosed and you’re looking for treatment not diagnosis (it’s late I know I’ve said that too many times 😂).

I had an appointment at a Superdrug for an advanced thyroid test, it included iron and vit D tests as well. The nurse asked what symptoms I had that made me book the test. I said no symptoms - I just can't handle cold weather! I never could. Before I was diagnosed with hypEr all those years ago I knew there was something wrong, I had all the symptoms and just felt awful. Now I genuinely feel healthy, physically and mentally I feel great but we'll see what this test says. My GP here knows about my previous diagnosis and treatment.

Previously my diet was not good but since recovering its much more balanced (today breakfast - omelette with spinach & pepper & baked beans, lunch - veg soup & a bread roll, dinner - chicken thighs, sweet potato, broccoli & mixed frozen veg). I exercise 2-3 times a week plus do a lot of walking.

Anyway I have bought a couple cashmere jumpers and socks and very thick merino wool thermals. Next month I'll get silk thermals & I like the look of the heated fleece a previous poster mentioned. Before investing in a more expensive jacket from a Canadian or Nordics brand, I'll try wearing my light down under my parka and see how I get on. Outside is my issue. Today I was fine in my flat with my current layers. I got my heated throw and electric blanket out of storage so didn't need the central heating.

In winter if I'm sitting down I need multiple layers of wool, I pretty much live in merino with a long wool cardigan on top. Wool tights, wool leggings on top, then wool trousers. I also generally wear 2 wool base layers, a wool jumper and a big wool cardigan. I have fingerless gloves and a hat to wear inside if I need to and I try to get up and walk around a lot. My warmest cardigan is this from Dilling, it is really soft and flexible and can be worn over pretty much anything, wraps right around my whole body and doesn't bobble, being an alpaca/merino mix: uk.dilling.com/product/womens-merino-woolalpaca-knit-cardigan-pg-42010-0200-956

From someone with bad circulation who lives in the Highlands of Scotland - I heartily recommend Icebreaker thermals and Didrikson’s coats. Go for Scandinavian clothing. Also heavy old wool blankets, you can get them cheap in charity shops.

I feel the cold more than most people and I’ve lived here all my life. If outside is the problem, things that I find help are:

• Wearing a buff (thin neck warmer thing) underneath my scarf. It won’t do much on its own but seems to make the scarf much more effective and you can pull it up over your face and nose as needed.
• A big real down coat I bought in Austria nearly 20 years ago - it feels like wearing a duvet!
• Multiple layers under the coat. I have a variety of cardigans, jumpers and fleeces in different sizes so I can easily layer them up. Personally I tend to find wool jumpers and microfibre fleeces warmest, but I’ve got a cosy 100% acrylic cardigan which is really warm too, so I don’t think fibre content is the biggest concern. How thick the fabric is and how it’s constructed are important too.
• Thin running gloves under big thick thinsulate gloves.
• Try and keep moving, even if it’s just stomping your feet / bouncing on the balls of your toes / fidgeting. I find it much easier to try and keep myself a comfortable temperature than to warm up after I’ve already got cold.
• This makes the biggest difference: If I’m going to be outside for any length of time I make sure I will have access to hot drinks or take a thermos of tea with me. I find that once I start feeling cold the only ways I can warm up are going inside somewhere really warm, a warm bath or eating/drinking something warm. And if you’re outside only the last of those is an option.

Good luck keeping warm this winter!

I really feel the cold too. I am never without slippers!
I wear Ugg boots from about November to March. My feet get too cold in anything else. I dont have the heating on at night it goes off at about 8.45. Lay a dressing gown over you in bed.
I wear vest tops under all my normal tops. What makes it hard for me is that my hands get cold no matter how many layers I wear. I need to get hand warmers for my pockets!

hmm 19 is a normal temperature that a room should be. It's not cold or anywhere close to freezing. I would go to get a blood test if i were you

Do the people who don't put their heating on at all have any other form of heating - gas fire, wood burner, open fire, other?

I realise that the COL is really hitting people's pockets right now, but having no heating source at all during the winter months can't be sustainable for humans or buildings.

@RampantIvy my house is generally 12-15C during the day, I put the fire on in evening in one room and it circulates the entire house slowly. No other heating. We all have thick thermals, layers, woollen jumpers, woollen throws, woollen socks.
Is it the best temperature long term for us or the building? Maybe not, but it’s reality of life for a lot of people.

When i was having to go out early on winter mornings, i'd warm up my wheat pack and tuck it inside my top so it couldn't move about. There's some good ones that are curved to go around your neck/shoulders which would help too

I wear a belt over my sweaters to pull them into my waist. I look a bit Scott of the Antarctic but it does make a difference. And always scarves, snoods or Seasalt Handybands (2 at a time) so my neck stays warm. All underwear and thermal vests tucked into leggings. After cancer and chemo, my body thermostat is broken! Lots of good suggestions on this thread.

Wow. I wouldn't be able to function at those temperatures, and neither would DH, who is severely underweight due to cancer.

No amount of layers would make it comfortable either. The ambient temperature needs to be a minimum of high teens at least.

*MrsHedgewitch · Today 16:35

@RampantIvy my house is generally 12-15C during the day, I put the fire on in evening in one room and it circulates the entire house slowly. No other heating. We all have thick thermals, layers, woollen jumpers, woollen throws, woollen socks.
Is it the best temperature long term for us or the building? Maybe not, but it’s reality of life for a lot of people*

But surely the cost of all those items would have equalled some of your heating bills?