Cold Water for Fat Loss, Muscle Recovery, and Increased Metabolism Thread page 17

[otzi]

Have any of you seen the series "Mountain Men" on Discovery Channel? The guy from Alaska is my neighbor, Marty. He has a typical Alaskan view of the cold...it sucks. He says in the show after coming in off the trapline, "Being warm is the best thing in the world". In another scene, he is pouring fake maple syrup all over a pile on pancakes and says, "I don't eat pancakes every day, some days I have flapjacks, or hot cakes, or johnny cakes, or whatever else I can think to call them".

He is a tough dude, but just think if he cleaned up his diet and learned to embrace the cold rather than fear it. I've done just that and have lots of people ask me what I'm doing.

[Style]

Yesterday when I dried off, I just did some light exercise, push ups, squats, limbering exercises and this helped quite a bit, took the edge off the shiver bit.
Another thing yesterday when I got out and went to pick up my things, just had a little moment of light headedness, first time I have noticed this, that's not a good sign I imagine?

I exercise before cold treatments, never after. I could be wrong, but it seems to me you burn more calories that way. I still get the calories burned from exercise and Exercise-Associated Thermogenesis (EAT), but then during and after a cold treatment my body burns calories via cold thermogenesis (CT). I'm getting calories burned from exercise, EAT, and CT. You're getting calories burned from exercise, EAT, but are missing out on at least some of the CT calories. Maybe it doesn't work that way, but that is my logic.

I always force myself to take the hardest rode possible to warm up, not drying off after my cold bathes allowing myself to air dry, and then sitting around the house in my boxers, intentionally sitting under an AC vent. I don't put on more clothes or move away from the vent until my body has done all the work to warm me up on its own. That is just what I do. Do what ever works for you.

I also get some lightheadedness. It was much stronger and more frequent when I started a couple months ago, but that passed after a week or two. Now I still get some lightheadedness occasionally, but it's not often and it's not strong.

[ljbprrfmof]

Winter IS coming

In just a week, the days will be getting shorter!

[PrimalPam]

I'm only in my 2nd week, but am doing 5 x/week @ 50-55 degrees for 35 mins. I actually rather enjoy it and find it meditative to stay in the cold bath with all but my head, feet, and hands submerged. I've put together several 35-minute playlists, so I just lay there till the music is done.

I actually lost 5 lbs. last week. Not sure if it was due to the cold, but I found myself not nearly as hungry. I was able to eat just 2 meals a day: BAB (2-3 eggs, 4 pieces bacon, 3 sausage) and an early dinner of seafood and veggies. I was completely satisfied. So, not sure if it's just from the calorie reduction, or if the reduction was brought on by the cold...but I'm happy.

I'm going to continue with 5 x/week until I feel I'm cold-adapted. Currently, while I don't shiver a ton, I do feel extremely cold when I get out. Trying to work up to not warming up immediately: after towel-drying, just walking around the house, doing normal chores. I had been warming up under a blanket, but I think the longer I stay cold, the better.

I plan on adding back in my exercise, and I will do it prior to the CT baths.

[BestBetter]

I've been doing ice baths almost every day, and what I find interesting is that I'm dealing with the recent heat wave week significantly better than my husband. We'll be sitting on the couch next to each other, he's sweating like a pig (yes, I know they don't sweat) and complaining about how unbearably hot it is, and all I can say is, "it's really not that hot." I've been able to get him to sit with an ice pack on his neck and back in the past couple of days, which is cooling him down...maybe one day I'll get him to take the full plunge

[PrimalPam]

I find the baths, submerging my whole body (except feet, hands, head) is much easier than showering. Once you're in, it's really peaceful. Showering is really a lot more difficult, because parts of your body are always warmer.

The first day I did the bath, I only filled the tub 1/3 full and got the water down to 62. By the end of that 1st time, I was ready for mid-50's.

[proo]

About the sleep-inducing effect -
would it happen with just the face plunge?

[ljbprrfmof]

Because I have difficulty getting out of the tub, I am considering making myself a tub with a seat that leaves my legs bent like I am sitting in a chair. I think it would have to be barrel shaped like the early hot tubs. And if too tall, with a door of some sort.

[Omni]

I exercise before cold treatments, never after. I could be wrong, but it seems to me you burn more calories that way. I still get the calories burned from exercise and Exercise-Associated Thermogenesis (EAT), but then during and after a cold treatment my body burns calories via cold thermogenesis (CT). I'm getting calories burned from exercise, EAT, and CT. You're getting calories burned from exercise, EAT, but are missing out on at least some of the CT calories. Maybe it doesn't work that way, but that is my logic.

I always force myself to take the hardest rode possible to warm up, not drying off after my cold bathes allowing myself to air dry, and then sitting around the house in my boxers, intentionally sitting under an AC vent. I don't put on more clothes or move away from the vent until my body has done all the work to warm me up on its own. That is just what I do. Do what ever works for you.

I also get some lightheadedness. It was much stronger and more frequent when I started a couple months ago, but that passed after a week or two. Now I still get some lightheadedness occasionally, but it's not often and it's not strong.

Thanks for the detailed response,
good to know others also get the lightheadedness.
So I assume then you get a bit of a shiver going under the aircon duct, I have walked home wet in the past, but found a couple of times I got quite cold and took a long time to warm up, like a full hour. I will keep going with this but really can't afford to sit around for an additional hour just being cold. I do walk around underclothed (compared to others around me) and take advantage of spot cold bursts. I am not really looking to burn lot's of calories, just increase my cold tolerence & hence multiply up my mitochondria.
I do most of my physical exercise before first meal (after noon) and finish with the cold swim so I assume I am at the very least starting up the fat burners, this is part of an overall program that I am gradually ramping up, so I don't want to go hard core in any particular direction, just gradually ramping up all angles.
I have been at it for about a month now, about 2 weeks just walking around in the cold & 2 weeks in cold water daily & I do feel that my tolerence level has increased, but I suspect this is probably more my mental adaptation & letting go of the fear rather than a true increase in cold thermogenesis.

[Style]

Thanks for the detailed response,
good to know others also get the lightheadedness.
So I assume then you get a bit of a shiver going under the aircon duct, I have walked home wet in the past, but found a couple of times I got quite cold and took a long time to warm up, like a full hour. I will keep going with this but really can't afford to sit around for an additional hour just being cold. I do walk around underclothed (compared to others around me) and take advantage of spot cold bursts. I am not really looking to burn lot's of calories, just increase my cold tolerence & hence multiply up my mitochondria.
I do most of my physical exercise before first meal (after noon) and finish with the cold swim so I assume I am at the very least starting up the fat burners, this is part of an overall program that I am gradually ramping up, so I don't want to go hard core in any particular direction, just gradually ramping up all angles.
I have been at it for about a month now, about 2 weeks just walking around in the cold & 2 weeks in cold water daily & I do feel that my tolerence level has increased, but I suspect this is probably more my mental adaptation & letting go of the fear rather than a true increase in cold thermogenesis.

You're welcome.

I work from home and have a flexible schedule, so it's quite easy for me to do things like sit under an AC vent in only my boxers for an hour after CT'ing. I can work while doing this!

I also wanted to mention that while I'm cold during and after CT treatments, I'm not uncomfortable. I'm sitting there, and I can tell I'm cold, yet I'm completely comfortable, if that makes sense. It works the same for me with hot temperatures. My wife will be miserable in the heat, sweat rolling off her, while I'm beside her dry and comfortable, even though I definitely can feel the heat.

quelson also mentioned getting lightheaded, and that he actually fell over once. quelson, has this passed or lessened? Please provide a status update of your lightheadedness.

It seems to me that cold treatments lower blood pressure. I'm getting this reaction with 30 minute baths in 70 degree tap water -> not exactly extreme cold therapy! I've never had issues with high blood pressure, but if I did, boy does this seem like a better option than meds.