How Cold Weather Can Help Us Lose Weight (PICTURES Readers' Snowmen)

Last year, low-temperature weight loss came into vogue, when personal trainer Venice A Fulton published his controversial Six Weeks To OMG diet.

Now, we've got the chance to try it his theory that raising your metabolic rate can aid weight loss by heading outside to build snowmen, make snow angels and chuck snowballs. Hurrah!

According to Fulton, a regular dose of heat-loss encourages your body to burn fat. He even suggested taking a room-temperature bath (20 degrees celsius) each morning.

"If you sit in that water, you'll lose heat 25 times faster than if you were standing the same room temperature. That’s good because it forces your body to increase its metabolic rate and burn fat," Fulton told HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

But even if you're not willing to brave a cold bath, experts do agree that a lower ambient temperature, which can be achieved by simply turning the heating down a couple of notches, could encourage your body to become more active and start using up those fat reserves.

Time magazine's Dr. Nancy Snyderman says that your metabolism revs up to keep your body warm in cold temperatures, which may mean marginally more calorie expenditure each day.

So what are you waiting for? Turn your thermostat down and start planning your snowman. Here's some inspiration from the weekend.