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If I spend a lot of time in my office, but do not heat it too much, would that help me lose weight?

I don't mean to reduce it to a point where it's unhealthy, just to drop it slightly below the comfort zone.

If comfortable is something between 70 °F and 75 °F, then I would put it at 68 °F.

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It looks like there was a British study that concluded if you change room temperature from an average of 71°F to an average of 60°F (that's going to be quite a cold room) that one could burn 400 to 500 extra calories per day leading to a possible weight loss of about 9 pounds per year.

That seems like an awful uncomfortable way to lose 9 pounds.

Description of British study

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  • +1 for the evidence. Thanks! However, would you agree that going from 70-75 degrees to 68 degrees won't make a difference in terms of weight loss, since the study suggested going from 71 degrees to 60 degrees?
    – QikMood
    Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 22:28
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    Well, I would guess that the effect would be more pronounced the greater the difference between body temperature and room temperature. So, if 11° gives 9 pounds, then 7° (75 to 68) would lead to more like 6 lost pounds. But the effect would be even less because 68° is much closer to body temperature, so then I would cut the loss down another couple of pounds. So my rough guess? 4 pounds per year if you go all the way from 75° to 68°. And that's assuming you eat exactly the same amount, and not more because you're cold.
    – Jeremy T
    Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 22:35
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Weight loss is significant with 2 things for normal individuals (no hormomal imbalances):

  1. Exercising more and
  2. Eating less

That's common sense, and that's also science. With that being said, currently there is no scientific evidence regarding temperature and weight loss in a significant number. So, the answer is no, especially going from 75 degrees to 68 degrees.

By the way, if you continue to consume more food than you can burn, then I don't think the temperature has much to do with weight loss!

Thoughts?

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    Trungmanator: indeed, science says that you lose weight when: 1. you burn more calories, 2. you eat less calories. Being in a colder environment implies that 1. will increase. I just want to know if the difference can be seen .
    – xyz
    Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 21:05
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    @xyz Can you explain to me what you meant by "being in a colder environment implies that 1. will increase?" Thanks!
    – QikMood
    Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 21:38
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    you need energy to keep your body temperature. The colder, the more energy you'll need.
    – xyz
    Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 21:41
  • @xyz Thats a good point; however, you need to keep in mind that when you make a statement like this, you should have some science to support it. Also, please provide the number of degrees in temperature - what is the ideal temperature from science recommended (the ideal environment) so that humans can start seeing significant weight loss by just sitting there? Is it at below 40 degrees F or from 50-60 degrees F, etc. Thanks!
    – QikMood
    Commented Apr 11, 2013 at 21:49
  • @xyz I'm sorry for being "retarded!" I think you misunderstood what I was trying to ask. I was trying to ask for the evidence of weight loss with colder temperature. Meaning at what temperature is recommended for us to have a significant weight loss? We all know that the colder the temperature, the more energy is being utilized, but at what temperature. Think about it, it's like saying caffein helps with weight loss, but at what amount of caffein is needed to have this weight loss effect is the question.
    – QikMood
    Commented Apr 12, 2013 at 17:42
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You're obviously trying to find a "quick fix" and unfortunately you could be sitting in a freezer and it really wouldn't help you lose all that much weight. Yes it may increase your "brown fat" mass which helps your metabolism speed up but not enough to make you lose copious amounts of weight.

Healthy diet, exercise, ample sleep, lots of water and de-stressing is how you can lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle!

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