Uncontrollable hunger from blood donation. Please read! All responses are appreciated!

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shonako
shonako Posts: 98 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So yesterday I had donated a pint of blood for the first time to save atleast 3 lives. About an hour after I donated blood I had a bad hunger pains. I ended up binging on 3700 and I was still hungry. Usually if I eat the much on my cheatday I'll be done and my stomach wouldn't be able to take anymore. Today I've already ate 2800 calories and it's just lunch and I'm still hungry. I really wanted to workout but the nurse said wait atleast 48 hours, if I knew giving blood would be this much of a hassle I wouldn't have bothered. Is this normal to feel this way after donating blood? Also I've been extremely tired and sluggish since. My boss even had sent me home cause she said it looked as if I was going to pass out. The only thing it seems my body wants to do is eat and lay on my *kitten* all day which isn't like me at all because I am a active person. any tips on how to shred the extra pound I have gained? Tomorrow I can officially head back to the gym. I wanted to lose the pounds I know I've gained this week end because I have to weight in for the Army this Thursday and I want to be as light as possible by then. Should I cut back my carbs a lil this week? Thank you. All responses are truly appreciated. (Sorry for any typo/ spelling errors:))
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Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    Well you're supposed to eat more when you give blood to replenish the calories lost from that. It's estimated oyu lose 650 calories per pint of blood donated. Your blood will be replenished within the 48 hours, that's why you have to wait, because otherwise you could harm yourself. It's normal to feel weak after giving blood.

    IMO, I think giving blood is great. Don't let weightloss or lackthereof keep you from doing something that could save someone's life. 2 days of higher calories and lack of exercise is a drop in the bucket.
  • shonako
    shonako Posts: 98 Member
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    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    How much was your daily intake and activity level before giving blood? How much do you weigh?

    My daily intake was 2290 maintaining my weight. Activity level is high. I walk to and from school (instead of taking my car) which is a 30 min walk going and coming and i do a lot of physical activity at my job. Also I go to the gym 4 times a week and the days I don't go to the gym I train with my army recruiter and other cadets.
    My current weight is 144 but mostly muscle weight rather than fat.
  • shonako
    shonako Posts: 98 Member
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    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Well you're supposed to eat more when you give blood to replenish the calories lost from that. It's estimated oyu lose 650 calories per pint of blood donated. Your blood will be replenished within the 48 hours, that's why you have to wait, because otherwise you could harm yourself. It's normal to feel weak after giving blood.

    IMO, I think giving blood is great. Don't let weightloss or lackthereof keep you from doing something that could save someone's life. 2 days of higher calories and lack of exercise is a drop in the bucket.

    Thank you ninkyou! I'm Glad to know that I am supposed to feel like this and I'm not just feeling this way because something is wrong with me. Your response is appreciated! I defiantly will donate blood again. Which my school is every 8 weeks. Thank you again!
  • pootle1972
    pootle1972 Posts: 579 Member
    edited September 2015
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    In the uk blood donation is usually every 6 months due to the replenishment of iron etc (especially women who also have menstruation blood and iron loss)....you may not be able to give every 8 weeks so don't be dissapointed if you can't
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
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    I've never had a problem with extreme hunger when giving blood but I always had an extra snack or small meal that day and a ton of extra water. Are you well hydrated? Could some of that hunger actually be masked dehydration? Rest up and you should be back to normal tomorrow! And if the lack of calorie burn is getting you down just think that your body's processes are ramped up in order to build new blood cells, blood etc(don't know how many calories that would expend but it needs to be worth a few!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Well done you, fantastic thing to do :)

    Have a binge for a few days, it won't harm in the long run!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    pootle1972 wrote: »
    In the uk blood donation is usually every 6 months due to the replenishment of iron etc (especially women who also have menstruation blood and iron loss)....you may not be able to give every 8 weeks so don't be dissapointed if you can't

    The red blood cells should all be replenished somewhere between 4-8 weeks, so giving blood every 8 weeks or so is about right. :)
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
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    Your experience doesn't sound normal in that I have never felt THAT much hungrier after donating. I usually feel like I do after a workout- a bit hungrier but not starved. I usually have a little bag of cookies or whatever they give you and then eat normally thereafter. It is not abnormal to feel weak or lightheaded but sounds like your issue is mostly with the extreme hunger you experienced.

    Anyway, I usually only wait 24 hours to exercise about giving blood so if you feel ok doing something moderate after one day I think you'd be ok. I went with my mom to donate blood last night but I was deferred for low iron, she donated and went to the gym this morning without issue. If you still feel weird or really hungry I'd push it another day to be safe. Otherwise, just resume your life as normal!
  • janetdebeer90
    janetdebeer90 Posts: 10 Member
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    Well done giving blood! It is amazing how many people benefit from a blood donation.

    I give blood 2 or 3 times a year and have found that it takes a few days to get back to normal. I avoid strenuous exercise as it makes me feel a bit light-headed.

    Drinking about a litre of water before donating is a good idea - it makes for a quicker donation and stops you feeling so tired from dehydration afterwards. I always have 2 or 3 chocolate biscuits afterwards as well as a glass of juice to help the body with the 650 calories it needs to replace the blood. Also I really like chocolate biscuits!

    It does take over a month for you body to completely replace all the red blood cells, so it is not surprising that in the first couple of days your body is not getting anywhere like the full amount of oxygen for a workout.

    I suspect the extra pound could be the extra food that your body is still processing and that will disappear when you are back to your normal eating & exercise.

    As you have said, it is a bit of a hassle. But when you know what to expect, you can plan for it, knowing you are doing an AWESOME thing!
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
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    3fatchicks.com/forum/weight-loss-support/255518-very-hungry-after-donating-blood.html

    Others have reported the same.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    42 donations and I haven't had this happen to me, but I wouldn't worry if it's not a true medical issue (the only way to find out if it is is to see a doctor. It's up to you to decide if that's necessary or not). It could be due to the sudden drop in blood sugar. Did you have juice or something before you left the donation site?
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    It's possible since it's your first time donating. My advice is to stop worrying about gaining weight and chill out on the couch until you're not so exhausted/tired. It seems like getting drained a pint of blood is no big deal, but it can hit you harder than you think. It's possible your body will recover better if you donate again/regularly.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Did you do a whole blood donation, platelet donation, plasma donation or double red blood cell donation? That could make a difference how you feel. If you aren't sure, it was most likely a whole blood donation, in which case you should be feeling back to yourself after about 24-48 hours.

    In the U.S. You can give while blood every 56 days, platelets every 28 days, plasma every 28 days and double whole blood every 112 days.

  • pstegman888
    pstegman888 Posts: 286 Member
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    Drunk plenty of fluid to replace the lost blood volume. Your blood pressure may be a little low. Take it easy for a few days.
  • mswanag
    mswanag Posts: 1 Member
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    I was feeling the same way, yes donating has been disruptive to my weight loss, but it is worth it to save lives. I hope you feel better! It took me a full 48 hours to go back to working out and I still felt a bit light headed. My advice is to rest as much as you can so you can get back on the horse.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Thank you for donating! It is not a hassle it is a gift of life!! It is normal to need food and replenishment after donating, which why most places give you cookies or something. Also be sure to have a good meal before you go in. It sounds like the donation depleted you to a ping that triggered a binge, prob due to low glucose. Now that you know this can happen to you, plan ahead for your eating pre and post. I would also mention this to the staff next time and see what they might suggest. And yes as others said you do need to wait before doing a vigorous workout, so take walks instead. I hope this becomes the first of many donations for you.
  • shonako
    shonako Posts: 98 Member
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    Thank you all so much for your responses. from reading these responses i guess everybody reacts differently towards donating blood. One of my friends donated blood and he said he workout right after with no problem. I had picked up a few heavy items the next day at my job and I felt like passing out. I had a binge eating disorder in the pass due to only eatting 1000 a day for 6 months. (Too restricted diets cause binge eating!) but I had got over it. Maybe that could be why I was more prombed to binge eating when I donated blood.I feel so much better from reading these threads. im glad to know others have felt this way too! It really have been a pleasure donating blood but it had just scared me because I didn't want to fall into that binge eating pattern again.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    One thing that really helped me in the past was eating food rich in iron. I have found that makes my energy bounce back quicker. Hope you feel better soon.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
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    Thank you so much for doing this. Drink plenty of water and stop being hard on yourself. Even if you body is calling for a replenish, it won't last.
  • shonako
    shonako Posts: 98 Member
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    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    42 donations and I haven't had this happen to me, but I wouldn't worry if it's not a true medical issue (the only way to find out if it is is to see a doctor. It's up to you to decide if that's necessary or not). It could be due to the sudden drop in blood sugar. Did you have juice or something before you left the donation site?

    I did not eat before donating even though I was told to several times. Could this be why this is happening?

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