OK, so I gave blood last week and they almost didn't take it. My iron level was the lowest allowable. As I recall, the iron has hemoglobin, which carries oxygen. Am I right here? I have seen some results with O! but no weight loss success, so I haven't really stuck with it. Would I do better if I took a vitamin with iron? (It seems I read something about too much iron being really bad, so it is not in lots of vitamins.) Any ideas here? Thanks.

Before starting to take pills, I think it would be a good idea to check with your doctor. There are many different things that could be causing this and therefore different ways to treat it. At one time I was so anemic that I had to have iron shots and, who knows, your dr. may want to give you a 'jump start' with something like that. How did you feel after you gave blood? Reason I ask is because I gave blood a couple of times when my hemoglobin was borderline and afterwards I was completely wiped out for a whole day. If you've been tired lately you might want to start eating foods rich in iron or ceral (like Total) that has lots of nutrients. Good luck!

Have you stopped eating meat or are you eating very little? I ask because I have this problem as well. I don't want to eat meat at all but I've found that I do best when I eat some chicken at least two to three times a week and I also supplement daily with a big dose of B-12. I'll explain - you need iron in order to move oxygen through your body - you need B-12 in order for your body to be able to use iron - the only natural source of B-12 is meat. If you aren't eating any meat or eat very little, you aren't getting enough B-12 to use the iron that you have. It is possible to have enough iron but just not enough B-12 to utilize it, which is my problem. Through trial and error and many blood tests, I've found that if I don't eat meat I have to take B-12 shots and a low dose of iron to keep my levels where they should be. But, if I do eat chicken at least two to three times a week and take a B-12 supplement in addition to my regular vitamin, I'm fine.

You absolutely need to have your doctor check you out though. Iron can be dangerous if you take too much so you need to have your doctor's supervision if taking it. Being anemic can also be dangerous if you let it go too long untreated so you definitely need to get that checked out too. Good luck!

I am a blood donor on a regular basis. A few years ago they had to turn me down because my iron was too low. They gave me a list of foods to eat, and I eat them often. On the list: watermelon, raisins, beef liver,and spinach. Geez, there's one more thing on the list but I'm visiting my dd and the list is on my desk at work. Anyway, that's a start. I don't take iron pills. Since I consume the above items, I never get turned away. Hope that helps. In the meantime, keep on O-ing Jeans