I'm Freezing! Why Gastric Bypass Causes Patients to be Cold

Body temperature is the result of your body building and heating. The skilled body keeps its temperature within a narrow range even though ambient air conditions vary. Normal body temperature is 98.6 ° F. It is common during periods of rapid weight loss for bariatric patients to feel cold or cold, even if their temperature is normal.

People who suffer from weight loss in connection with the experience of weight loss surgery feel cold for two reasons: insect loss and lack of energy.

Fat is a very effective insulator. Consider animals from cold climates: for example sea lions and polar bears. They are resistant to insulation and thrive in cold climates. When gastric bypass patients follow the rules: eating protein and exercising, losing weight can only come from fat or stored energy. You actually lost your insulation. Lack of insulation increases the likelihood that you will feel cold.

The second reason for feeling cold is that the metabolic cell process is not working as you would when you were overweight; it takes less calories and less energy to maintain and move smaller bodies. Think about using an electric mixer: if you whip egg whites for a meringue, the mixer will do this task easily. But use the same mixer to knead the dough and it will warm to the touch, it works harder as it moves more. The same thing goes with your body; the more mass it has to move, the harder it works. As a result, more heat is generated.

The body has two good mechanisms for regulating body temperature: sweating and chills. People who are overweight have never been shy of sticking to their sweat at inappropriate times? Sweating is a mechanism for cooling your body when it gets too hot in it. The body generates excess heat by expanding blood vessels in the skin so that heat can be transported to the surface. When this energy or heat in the form of sweat reaches the surface of the skin, it evaporates and helps cool the body.

Gastric bypass patients become more familiar with the second regulator, shivering, as they lose weight. When you are too cold, your blood vessels contract to reduce blood flow to the skin. The body responds to chills that trigger extra muscle activity to help produce more heat. If you let your body tremble, it will start to feel warmer. But this is also a good indication that it's time to put on a cool shirt or turn on the heat. I think most weight loss patients would love to wear sweaters - sweaters are easier to take down than the hard work we insist on!

Most weight loss patients report that their body temperature controls after their weight stabilizes, usually eighteen to twenty-four months after surgery. Keep in mind that your body has lost weight quickly and the rest of your body function is out of control when this weight loss begins. The body thermostat takes time to catch up on weight loss, and it will. Patients who incorporate exercise into their weight loss program are less satisfied than those who do not exercise.

Copyright © 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved

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