Cold Water Therapy

[Librarygirl]

I just took a cold shower, and I think it might help me lose weight. It would be nice if it really works!

Weight Loss | Cold Showers

[GME]

Maybe I should quit warming up the hot tub.

Using a lo energy to keep your body warm in water would explain why swimming makes people soooooo hungry.

[deedee]

My AC is broken, until it's fixed I might be giving this a try!

[calichris]

I do a cold rinse at the end. Good for your skin (closes pores) & hair (gives a shine) too.

[tofucheez]

Originally Posted by GME

Using a lo energy to keep your body warm in water would explain why swimming makes people soooooo hungry.

That explains why whales, seals, and sea lions are, um, pleasantly plump

[Carly]

I can't even read it, because I can't bare the thought of being cold and definitely not a cold shower. I'm freezing all. the. time. It's not even just a DD thing anymore. I still use my space heater every day at work and it's mid-June. I'd like to lose another 10 pounds, but it won't be from a method that involves being cold. I'd love to know if it works though, DW might be. Willing to do it.

[deedee]

I'd like to lose another 10 pounds, but it won't be from a method that involves being cold. I'd love to know if it works though, DW might be. Willing to do it.

10 more pounds? You already look so tiny Carly! Are you going back to eod rotations?

[Carly]

Originally Posted by deedee

10 more pounds? You already look so tiny Carly! Are you going back to eod rotations?

Considering it, but haven't committed to it yet

[SlowSure]

In a 2.5 year experiment, rats of equal age were gradually accustomed to standing in cool water (at 23° C, 73° F) until they were standing in it 4 hours per day, 5 days per week. Even though the rats ingested 44% more food than the control group, their body weight was significantly lower. Incidentally, their lifespan was also slightly longer (by approximately 5%), and they had significantly fewer tumor formations [1]. -

Yikes. A 5% increase in lifespan as a side-effect of spending 1/6 of the day in cool water. I wonder if that 5% extension is less than, the same as, or greater than the time spent in the water. ( depends on the length of time it took to ramp up to the 4hrs a day.)

I'm considering whole body cryotherapy to try and reduce the inflammation in my leg and other injury sites that have flared up over the last week. That's exposure to -120 C (-184F) for brief periods. I'll make notes if it seems to influence my weight loss rate.

[Librarygirl]

I enjoy cold showers in the summer. Although I can't stand being cold on DDs, I also cannot stand being hot. I won't spend 1/6 of my day in the shower, hot or cold, but it's nice to know it may have a tiny benefit.

GME, you make a good point about swimming. Although just standing in the water (and not swimming) doesn't make one nearly as hungry lol.

[Sirtain]

There's a book with the rather embarrassing name of 'Six Weeks to OMG! Get Skinnier than your Friends' which has a basic cold water therapy plan in it. Along with other interesting tips- meal timing, exercise timing, types of foods to avoid.

[pooticus]

Sirtain that title cracks me up!! Cuz don't we all want to be skinnier than our friends?!!! Indeed.

I love cold/cool showers in the summer. Our AC isn't the most robust, so I do this out of survival mode! But I'm not thinking it's helped me lose weight.

[Shelly_S]

I read on Tim Ferris' blog that you can get the same benefit from a cold shower with an ice pack applied to your back or neck for 30 mins. I did the cold shower thing a few times as well as the ice pack, but the con of feeling too cold and uncomfortable outweighed any benefit since I wanted to eat more to warm up afterwards!! Lol.

Carly, when I was cold all the time it was due to low thyroid. I think maybe you mentioned you had that issue before? Once I started on bio-identicals (thyroid was one of them) I never had that problem again. My body started making enough hormones on its own gradually over 5 yrs (I stopped them a year ago) so I don't have the problem with being cold anymore and I'm rarely cold on DD's either. No more PCOS symptoms either (except some latent facial hair).

[Librarygirl]

Originally Posted by tofucheez

That explains why whales, seals, and sea lions are, um, pleasantly plump

I think the extra "blubber" keeps them warmer.

[Sirtain]

I felt very embarrassed checking it out of the library, but it had some good information.

I have always been fatter than most of my friends. It will be interesting to see if any dynamics change as I lose weight.

[Carly]

As far as I know my thyroid is OK, but then again I haven't had it checked in a while. I have PCOS, but don't think I want to go the route of hormones or bio- identicles. I just won't be taking any cold showers unless the boiler goes out.

[LoCarbGal]

I was doing the cold shower thing last spring, because I heard this same theory. Kind of uncomfortable, but if it works....

I love a cool shower in the summer. Unfortunately the geniuses that build houses here don't bury the pipes very far underground, and sometimes even run them through the attic, so even our cold water is warm, warmer, hot in the summer (AZ). So no go there for me I'm afraid.

I may try the cold pack on my back or neck though. Sounds refreshing on those hot summer days.

[Librarygirl]

LCG, the cold water *is* warmer during the summer here too, but it feels a lot colder to my body than it does my hands or face (in the sink), compared to warm or hot water in the shower.

[Carly]

The cold water is *warmer* here too, but too cold to shower in. However, in the winter the cold water is EVIL! My fingers ache in the winter when I wash chicken or veggies... oh, so glad I have a few months before I have to worry about that again.

[LoCarbGal]

Carly, you'd love the summer water here. It's not warm, it's HOT! Really feels awful washing my face (I'm prone to redness anyway).

[Carly]

Originally Posted by LoCarbGal

Carly, you'd love the summer water here. It's not warm, it's HOT! Really feels awful washing my face (I'm prone to redness anyway).

Seriously, I would really like Arizona I've been twice- once in October and once in July. It's hot, but a dry heat. My arthritis felt great and talk about good hair days

In NY after mid- June we have the 3 H's- hazy, hot and humid... yuck and does nothing for my hair style

[LoCarbGal]

Yep, as much as I complain, I wouldn't trade AZ summer for somewhere more humid. Like Missouri where I grew up!

[tofucheez]

It always interests me what differing experiences we have. I live near Seattle...the pipes at my place run underground.....and even in the summer the water is make-you-scream-out-loud COLD!!

[Carly]

Originally Posted by tofucheez

It always interests me what differing experiences we have. I live near Seattle...the pipes at my place run underground.....and even in the summer the water is make-you-scream-out-loud COLD!!

Yes, well when I say *warmer* it is only less freezing. A cold shower in August would still make me scream out loud and jump around. In the winter I would probably pass out!

[reptogirl]

Lol- I hate cold showers probably only because it was forced on me many many times, broken water heaters, gas shut off, crappy landlords you name it,, but I could stand a day at the lake if its all in the name of weight loss!!!!