Donating blood burns 600-650 calories!

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  • phinners
    phinners Posts: 524 Member
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    How do you burn cals sitting on a chair with a blood draw in you is what I want to know.
    I would like to know this too
  • SuperstarDJ
    SuperstarDJ Posts: 440 Member
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    Although I commend any person who donates blood and encourage anyone I know who hasn't to go and do so, this post makes me uneasy. Burning a few extra calories should NOT be a reason to donate blood. I knew a woman who suffered from anorexia/bulimia who used this reason as her motivation to donate - I pity the poor person who got her starved blood. A kidney weighs about 150g. I suppose we'll be donating one of those next to shave a few pounds of the scales?
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
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    I donated blood today, and have been feeling a little discouraged because I've been extra hungry and not able to do any strenuous exercise. I am over my calories for the day already, but I still feel like eating. :grumble:
    So. anyway, out of curiosity, (and to hopefully make myself feel better) I looked it up to see if it does burn calories. And YES! it does - 600-650 calories! Now I feel better, it doesn't look any better on my food diary :ohwell: but at least I know it's better.

    I just went last week and I was kinda giggling to myself, wondering if I'd lose weight from it, but never thought I would, until now! :laugh:
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
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    Although I commend any person who donates blood and encourage anyone I know who hasn't to go and do so, this post makes me uneasy. Burning a few extra calories should NOT be a reason to donate blood. I knew a woman who suffered from anorexia/bulimia who used this reason as her motivation to donate - I pity the poor person who got her starved blood. A kidney weighs about 150g. I suppose we'll be donating one of those next to shave a few pounds of the scales?

    In Ireland you're not allowed to donate blood if you're under a certain weight (7 stone)
  • barbacasec
    barbacasec Posts: 106
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    I donate every 56 days or is it 58 I cant remember but they give you a little card that tells you when you can donate again :) . I have o- blood (universal donor) so I try to go as often as I can.
    For the poster who said the blood drains too slow.. I always drink up to a gallon of water and eat spinach the day before and day of.. Not only will it help raise your iron (tends to be lower in women) but it will also help thin out your blood. My fastest donation so far from the minute they stuck me to bag full was 5 mins and 11 secs :) I know weird but I love to see how fast I can fill the bags.
    I tend to also find the smaller donation places (shorter lines) and you usually get in and out faster.
    Anyway if you can donate PLEASE DO SO as often as you can.
    for those that are watching calories I bring my own snack for after like a piece of fruit so I dont have to drink the fruit juice they provide which is full of processed sugar.

    DONATE!!! it can and does save LIVES!!

    edit: and your body does use about 600 or so calories to resupply itself but it is over a few days - you dont burn anything sitting in the chair while they take your blood so using blood donation as a way to burn extra calories is hogwash!!
  • barbacasec
    barbacasec Posts: 106
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    Boo Hoo! I had severe liver problems about 2 years ago. I don't know if they will allow me to donate



    It depends on any medication you are on/were on and your iron count. wouldnt hurt to call the red cross and ask :)
  • caligirl2802
    caligirl2802 Posts: 232 Member
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    I'm British and not allowed to donate here in the states.

    I had the same thing when I was living there, it was to do with being in the UK in the 80's during the mad cow scare... personally I think a little mad cow, makes us a little more interesting :laugh:
  • kfitz10103
    kfitz10103 Posts: 354
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    I have an iron disorder that prevents me from donating. Its the opposite of anemia. I have too much iron in my blood so I can only donate if my doctor writes a note and they have to throw it away unless my iron levels are normal. (Which they never are.) I am a universal donor too so I wouln't mind giving, but rules are rules I guess.
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,051 Member
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    I am donating at lunch time today... and I am counting it as 600 calories. LOL Funny it is a bigger burn then what I got for an hour of kicking my *kitten* at the gym last night.
  • lisab1969
    lisab1969 Posts: 70 Member
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    Love it. I'm down for giving blood next Thursday. I've made a note for my diary. thanks for letting me know.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I wonder how many cals for plasma donation - I've travelled to too many malaria zones so they don't want my whole blood but they can use the plasma (they separate it out and put the red cells back).
    They don't let you donate here (Australia) if you have lived in the UK - I always wonder how they get blood in the UK if noone is allowed to donate.
    Great reminder, I must book another appointment.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    I've got a rare blood type (B-) and get harassed to donate frequently. Unfortunately the donor times aren't convenient (no weekend, nothing at lunchtime near work, stop before I get home from work), so I don't go as often as I should. BUT I'm booked in for two week's time :smile:
  • SuperstarDJ
    SuperstarDJ Posts: 440 Member
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    Although I commend any person who donates blood and encourage anyone I know who hasn't to go and do so, this post makes me uneasy. Burning a few extra calories should NOT be a reason to donate blood. I knew a woman who suffered from anorexia/bulimia who used this reason as her motivation to donate - I pity the poor person who got her starved blood. A kidney weighs about 150g. I suppose we'll be donating one of those next to shave a few pounds of the scales?

    In Ireland you're not allowed to donate blood if you're under a certain weight (7 stone)

    You don't have to be emaciated to have an eating disorder. She's tall and probably just scraped by the weight restriction. She wasn't living in Ireland at the time so not sure if the same rules applied anyway.
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    i give blood whenever my iron is high enough...which has been like twice in my life! looking for a blood drive around here though. the red cross has been calling!
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I wonder how many cals for plasma donation - I've travelled to too many malaria zones so they don't want my whole blood but they can use the plasma (they separate it out and put the red cells back).
    They don't let you donate here (Australia) if you have lived in the UK - I always wonder how they get blood in the UK if noone is allowed to donate.
    Great reminder, I must book another appointment.

    I always think that pretty perverse - that other countries exclude the UK (hell - the US has only just accepted our beef!!) but we are fine with it.

    There's a twist in my tale too - I had a blood transfusion myself when I was born. BUT, because that was before 1st Jan 1980 (hmm. sounds like a random date to me) i am still allowed to donate. Which I just did.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I've got a rare blood type (B-) and get harassed to donate frequently. Unfortunately the donor times aren't convenient (no weekend, nothing at lunchtime near work, stop before I get home from work), so I don't go as often as I should. BUT I'm booked in for two week's time :smile:

    You should discuss this with your work. They are obliged to allow you time off to give blood (clearly they prefer you to do it in your lunch hour).
  • tladame
    tladame Posts: 465 Member
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    Interesting. I donated blood last week, and ate extra calories beforehand (so I wouln't become lightheaded) and throughout the day because I was extra hungry. Took it easy the rest of the day. Surprisingly, I weighed 1 pound less the next morning. Maybe it was because of the calorie loss from losing blood.

    And I got my free pint of Baskin Robbins ice cream: Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor. Yes, I did treat myself! :happy:
  • PegasusDeb
    PegasusDeb Posts: 665 Member
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    I had to donate every 2 weeks! lol But that was just a poke in the finger. They won't let you donate if your on blood thinners. :-( Although my doc took 19 BIG viles out of me! I wanted to do my weigh-in after that, cuz I just knew I was 10 lbs lighter! lol
    Plus, if you have a new tat, they won't do it either. :-( I don't know when they say it's not new, but that's what they told me a couple years ago when I tried. Gonna try donating again, now that I'm done with the thinners! :-D
  • Nanadena
    Nanadena Posts: 739 Member
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    While its true that you it will "cost" your body 600 calories worth of energy to re-make the blood that you gave... its not like that all counts for today. That is why you aren't allowed to "re-give" blood for the next 6 weeks-- because it will take that long for your body to "remake" all those RBCs (and other cells) that you gave today.

    So, logging that you burned 600 calories by giving blood-- all in one day-- is inaccurate and would lead you to believe that you burned more calories today than you really did-- a LOT more than you really did.

    Really, those 600 calories should be spread over the next 6 weeks, (42 days), meaning that in actaulity, you only "burned" an extra 14 calories per day for giving blood over the next 6 weeks until your body replenishes itself.

    If it was 600 calories all in one day, the blood banks would never have a shortage! People would be begging them to take their blood-- 600 calories is a solid hour long jog on a treadmill, heck I'd rather give blood then jog for an hour!

    This is from Caloriecount.about.com
  • shelcof
    shelcof Posts: 62 Member
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    Seriously? I didn't know that. What is the rationale behind that, I wonder? Ignorance?

    Plain old homophobia. The ban happened in the 80s after all the AIDS scares, which was understandable. However, now that every blood donation gets screened (before the 80s, they didn't actually test it for a bunch of stuff, including AIDS and hepatitis) it's ridiculous. And although I did say homosexuals, it's actually only homosexual MEN. Hate to break it to them, AIDS happens to women...and to people who have had sex with other people.
    They call me once a month, cause I have a rare blood type and practically beg. I'd like to, the thought of helping people and saving lives is a good one, but I have to take a moral stand here.
    This ban is outdated and morally objectionable now.

    Wow, the next time they are crying because they are in a shortage, I may have to voice my opinion on this. They wouldn't be so short if they would accept ALL healthy blood. Boy that makes me mad

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