Why Do I Feel Cold After Bariatric Surgery or GLP-1 Therapy?

“All of a sudden, I’m always freezing!”

You can rest assured that this is perfectly normal and not just in your head. It’s a common concern that many patients have after losing a significant amount of weight either through GLP-1 therapy or bariatric surgery. Your body is changing, and the way it processes the sensation of cold is, too. There are four primary reasons for this change, and we will go over them below.

Most importantly, don’t let feeling cold get in the way of your diet or exercise needs. For example, when you feel cold, you may be inclined to drink alcohol or hot chocolate, or to eat more, to compensate. After all, your body wants to warm up, but this can lead to additional calories. Also, feeling cold may stop you from getting out in the sun and taking that walk that clears your mind. Just bundle up, and eventually, you’ll start getting used to it.

1. Metabolism

Your metabolism begins to slow as you lose weight, and it can slow rather dramatically if you’re not consuming nearly as many calories as you were prior to surgery. To that end, a slower metabolism – often called your “internal furnace” – deprives your body of a bit of that warmth. Essentially, you are cooling from the inside out. Once your weight loss begins to moderate, usually after about six months, you’ll probably start to feel less cold as you acclimate to your new reality. After two years, your body will usually adjust fully.

2. Fat Loss

There’s a reason why many animals that live in cold climates put on fat for the winter: fat acts as insulation. As you lose weight, you’re also losing that protective layer. If you are eating plenty of protein and exercising, you’ll lose a greater proportion of fat mass than muscle mass. With it, you thin out that cold-protective layer, which is exactly what we want. However, your body is just not yet acclimated to that reduced amount of fat covering your internal organs.

3. Hormones

Adipose (fat) tissue, especially the fat that accumulates around the abdomen, releases hormones that can wreak havoc on the body. As you lose weight and burn that fat, your hormones will change on their way to stabilizing and rebalancing. Along that journey, your body experiences significant shifts that often manifest as changes in how you perceive the cold.

4. Iron Levels

It is also important to consider your nutrition. Feeling chronically cold can sometimes be a sign of anemia or low iron levels. Because your diet and how your body absorbs nutrients change during this process, your iron might dip. If you’re feeling “chilled to the bone,” it’s always a good idea to check your blood work to ensure you’re getting the minerals your body needs to stay warm.

What You Can Do About It

Really, there’s not a whole lot that you can or should do about this new sensation. There’s no way to prevent it, and it actually shows that the metabolic aspects of your weight loss are working exactly as they should. If it is increasingly uncomfortable, you can wear extra socks, keep a sweater handy, or use warming devices like a heating pad.

Ultimately, this ends up being an exercise in symptom management. If you can handle the cold, shivering actually engages deep muscles and burns extra calories. Otherwise, you don’t want to be so cold that you weaken your immune system. If you want to stay bundled, there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you still get out for a regular walk. You might even enjoy your warm shower or cup of tea that much more because of this new physical state.

If you have any questions about postoperative life, we encourage you to contact us. We’re here to help you understand what to expect because your success is ours as well. We look forward to seeing your results and encourage you to check in regularly to keep us posted on how it’s going.

MIIS Weight Loss Institute is the most experienced center in the region. Dr. Huguet established our bariatric program in 2007 when he began practicing in St. Petersburg. When it comes to your health, you want to choose the best – and we have the experience to help you reach and potentially surpass your goals.