Upside To Winter? Being Cold Helps You Lose Weight. No Joke.
During the Winter our lifestyle tends to change and our eating habits tend to shift. With the days getting shorter and colder it’s like entering into hibernation. The combination of a decrease in physical activity and out taste buds screaming for fattier foods leads to a slower metabolism and weight gain in winter months.
I recently came across an article by Ray Cronise who just like most of us wanted to find a way to lose weight – fast. His quest has indeed ruffled a few feathers lately and science needs to readdress a few old premises we have about metabolism. Ray also featured in Tim Ferris’ book The 4-Hour Body.
Ray studied chemistry in undergraduate and graduate school and began his career as a Material Scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. During his 15 years at NASA, he worked on a microgravity material science/biophysics, physical & analytical chemistry, and space station environmental control an life support systems.
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics concerned with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work. How does thermodynamics tie into weight-loss? Quite simply – your body burns more calories when it’s cold. It’s like running your heater in the winter. Your heating bill goes up because you are using more energy to keep your house warm.
Ray Crone Before and After
Ray theorized that by exposing his body to cold in the right ways, he could boost and his weight loss. Did it work? He doubled his weight-loss and ended up losing 30 pounds in six weeks.
- The book The 4-Hour Body gives you a few options to achieve a home version of thermogenics:
- Take 15 min ice baths 3 times a week
- Take cold showers
- Put an ice pack on your neck on shoulders in the evening for 20-30 minutes
According to the book the ice baths are very effective but very miserable. Ray lost an average of 4.77 pounds per week doing this!
Other references:
http://woman.thenest.com/cold-temperatures-slow-down-metabolism-18678.html
http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/1061/do-i-burn-more-calories-when-it-is-hot/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/science/05qna.html?_r=1&
http://fitness.appstate.edu/pagesmith/44
http://www.thespec.com/living-story/2111274-10-ways-to-boost-your-metabolism-during-cold-weather/
