My Newfound Anemia???

I've been a regular blood donor for the past 4 years of my life. So it came as a little surprise to me when I was deferred last Saturday for being a little under on iron, but it does happen once in a while, so I just rescheduled for today.

Well... guess who was low on iron again despite having had a burger for dinner and a steak/egg burrito for breakfast. I don't know what it is about my current state that is so different. I don't exercise half as much as I did when I started donating. I'm running on a calorie deficit, but that doesn't mean I'm not ensuring that I'm chock full of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and iron-rich vegetables. I've paid exceptionally close attention to that. And no, I'm not menstruating.

I'm going to give myself some more time and try again next week, but I'm not going to change what I'm doing. I really want to get to the bottom of whether these two instances have just been anomolies or if my new gym/eating habits have been screwing with my hemoglobin levels.

If I'm low again next week, I may re-think my approach to achieving fitness, and make some dietary adjustments.

FYI, I'm not really anemic. The reads I've been getting on my iron count have been too low to donate blood, but still in a healthy range. For those who are curious, the range of my iron levels have been between 10-12 g/L. Not low numbers in and of themselves, but in the context of my personal experience, definitely lower than usual.

It's not a big deal health-wise. 10-12 g/L is a good number to maintain. It's just that blood donation is a pretty integral part of my life, and it's something I would really like to continue doing throughout and beyond my journey toward a healthier me.