Giving Blood

donjtomasco

I gave a pint of blood today and in googling it surmise that a pint equates a pound, but that you quickly gain that back with your next meal and fluids. However, I also read that it can take days to gain that weight back.

Not that this is THAT big a deal, but should I add a pound to my weekly weigh in tomorrow morning, versus maybe artificially thinking that a more then successful (hopefully) weight is not really what I SHOULD have weighed?

It would suck to think I had a great week, then next week I have a down week anyway and it looks even worse........

Does anyone know the rule of thumb on giving a pint of blood and how long it takes to gain that pound back?

Also, I read where you lose up to 650 calories, but these are not burned but are simply lost in blood and come back immediately after giving blood. I just don't know how long that takes.

Thank you!

JaydedMiss

drink a pint of water before weighing ? But yeah if its 1 pound add a pound...hardly matters just keep kicking *kitten* and thanks for donating My life was saved multiple times thanks to donated blood

L1zardQueen

I wouldn't worry about it. You need to look at the big picture not the day to day details. Thank you for donating.

donjtomasco

Thank you! Turns out I am CMV Negative which is particularly in demand for infants, which is really cool. I got the call on Saturday and almost didn't answer the phone since I thought it was a telemarketer. I can be 5 pounds over tomorrow and it's all good!

L1zardQueen

Awesome!

annacole94

It likely won't show up by tomorrow, and you will burn those extra calories replacing the blood over the next few weeks. If you really don't want to wonder, skip the weigh in for a couple days. Good work donating!

30kgin2017

I havent noticed a difference in weight the next day, I do tend to drink more water than normal that day so that probably masks it.

JeromeBarry1

I donated Saturday, an apheresis procedure that took a total of 700 ml of fluids. I didn't notice anything odd. They asked me to eat and drink in the canteen before the procedure, but there was nothing odd afterward. Even though they recommended I have hearty meals for the remainder of the day, I didn't eat above my allotted target.

successgal1

Your blood is not the weight to be concerned about. I'd ignore any fluctuation as I would water weight.

animatorswearbras

The 650 cals is spread over weeks (and will be different for each individual you may only need 400cals) you'll probably burn an extra 20-30 cals a day for the next few weeks as your body slowly replaces the blood, it'll be barely noticeable and your water weight may fluctuate short term. Just remember weight loss is never linear and regardless of how often you weigh just average it out over the month, I'd log in as normal tomorrow and if it fluctuates the next week just keep the blood donation in the back of your mind.

TimothyFish

I don't know why you would want to add a pound to your weigh-in. By giving a pound of blood you actually are a pound lighter. It isn't weight loss in the typical way and there's a limit to how much you can lose that way, but it is weight loss. You will replace that blood over time, but as long as you are eating at a calorie deficit there is some of the weight that you won't replace. I don't know how much that is but you will use some fat as you replace the blood you lost.

MalkinMagic71

I give a pint of blood every 6 weeks or so(medical condition...it gets thrown away)...I've never factored it in to my weight loss.

donjtomasco

Thank you for all your replies, I better see now how any changes by this morning would be negligible. I gave at 12:30, it only took 6 min 3 sec (I like to time it since my body usually pumps it out pretty fast), sat in the room and drank a lot of water, then had a hearty (healthy) lunch. I was able to treadmill without any issues and ate a heavier dinner, grilled chicken, butternut squash and broccoli. had a snack before bed too. Lot's of water, but that is always normal for me.

Successgal1, you comment really made sense in that any fluctuation would be just like water weight.

So I noticed no major swing this morning, the weigh in was predictable and normal.

L1zardQueen

Fat is what you are after not water weight. Good job OP