Gave Blood today do I do a calorie bump?

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230137isntmyweight
230137isntmyweight Posts: 256 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I gave blood today, do I do a calorie bump or do I just increase me water intake? They had me take a cup of juice and some pretzels, which was fine but I don't normally do juice or drink anything with calories.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,943 Member
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    That snack they gave you was your calorie bump.

    No, did you log them? I think it's about 600 calories for blood donation. So the juice was 100, the pretzels probably 200. You have 300 more calories! WooHoo.

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    That snack they gave you was your calorie bump.

    No, did you log them? I think it's about 600 calories for blood donation. So the juice was 100, the pretzels probably 200. You have 300 more calories! WooHoo.

    And it takes the 600 calories over seveal weeks to "regenerate" the blood.
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    edited July 2020
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    Personally I would focus on hydration and eat at maintenance on blood donation day, possibly the following day as well. I’d also pay extra attention to getting enough iron for a few days afterwards, and also before donating if I knew when I was going.

    I have fainted after donating blood twice, so I’m extra careful about fueling my body enough.

    PS. You gave about a pound of blood (probably) = lost a pound that you will most likely gain back in the near future. Don’t freak. This isn’t necessarily to you, but to others wondering about donating blood as well.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
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    Aren't those 600 calories spread out over the next 6 weeks, as your body slowly replenishes your supply?
    It's not like you burned an extra 600 calories TODAY and you have to make up for it.

    I mean...I guess you could eat them all at once...kind of like banking calories in reverse?

    But, good for you for the donation. They are very much needed right now.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    Due to large uterine fibroids, I lose a lot of blood when I menstruate, and on days when the amount approaches blood donation level, heck yes I give myself calories for that.

    I am aware that blood replenishes over time, but I need those calories the day of.
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
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    I normally eat back over a week so that I don’t actually go over my deficit for the day. Unless I’m cutting then I treat blood day as cheat day.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited July 2020
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    I eat maintenance calories on the day of, as well as plenty of fluids. Not because if extra calories but because it just feels like my body needs fuel. I don't think about any extra calories being burned, and I've never noticed any obvious change to my appetite or rate of loss. The possible extra calories burned I figure evens out the maintenance day.

    I do believe that 500-600 cals us burned over the course of a week or so, so I've always just figured it bought me a little tiny bonus wiggle room :smiley:
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
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    Wait, I didn't know giving blood burned calories, but it makes sense. Learn something new every day.
  • 230137isntmyweight
    230137isntmyweight Posts: 256 Member
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    It doesn't really burn calories but your body remaking the blood does, and yeah it does it over the course of a couple weeks. My question was more along the lines of do I want to slide my calorie goal upwards today to account for it. I think I'll take the suggestion to eat maintenance today and tomorrow and then go back to "normal."

    Thanks all.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
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    Yeah, I think eating at maintenance would be good while you recover.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    I think any real effect of blood donation is so minuscule that’s it’s not worth your time to even consider altering your diet to account for it!

    As long as you’re healthy, and they’d not be taking your blood if you’re not...your body will regenerate the blood just fine without any intervention from you! Don’t overthink it - give blood, move on with your day!
  • bingertheleftwinger
    bingertheleftwinger Posts: 5 Member
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    Not nutrition related but recognize that any cardio workouts you do will feel a little more challenging for a few days after you donate as well
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I usually give blood every eight weeks (it's been a bit disrupted by current events) and I never add 600 calories on those days - I just drink plenty of fluids. You're not losing the calories all at once - it takes a few weeks to rebuilt, so we're only talking about a handful of calories per day.

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