The FastDay Forum

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25849628

As someone with a broken boiler who has had no central heating at all for two weeks, I have decided I would rather be fat than this cold again!

Blimey who'd have thought that was the reason that I'd reached 19 stone!!!!!!.

I heard about this theory before, but I don't think it particularly worked for me. Last winter I had the boiler off and also attempted jogging while it was very cold. ... I don't think I lost much weight this way.

Still, there's no stopping on trying it out again, especially alongside the 5:2/4:3 that I'm now on.

[carorees]

There is certainly scientific evidence that exposure to cold stimulates brown fat. We did ask about ambient temperatures in the questionnaire we sent out last year but did not get enough data to determine whether it might have had any effect on weightloss.

For previous discussions of cold hormesis and BAT, see here:
the-5-2-lab-f10/topic390.html
chat-f12/cold-showers-t7786.html
5-2-diet-chat-f6/does-being-cold-help-to-lose-weight-t9758.html

Its impossible for me to have the temperature below 21C or more as it would cause pain and difficulties for my hubby. I can see where they are coming from though. There was a similar study done in Japan about 10 years ago. The basis was that being slightly cold caused thinness. They persuaded a group of university students to do one of two things, wear trousers all winter, or wear a skirt with or without tights all winter. They measured the girls thighs before and after. They reported that there was a significant difference between the two groups. The girls in skirts had thinner thighs by the end of the test.

Aye but doesn't that go against the 'keep your elders warm' campaign? I'm occupying the elders ground and staying with 21*C, I get epic cold on fast days as it is :0O