The Weight Cutting Thread

[greedysob]

Have you checked out berardi's book on grappling nutrition? He as a slightly different approach to cutting water weight before cometition. You modify your water intake depending on the amount of time between weigh-ins and competition in a way that is supposed to allow you to drop as much as 10 - 15 lbs. I've been following it all week preparing for a competition on Sunday.

The jist of it is (only use this approach with at least 24hrs between weigh-ins and 1st match):
Obviously, being a berardi fan I'm always following the 7 rules. 5 days out from weigh-ins I started drinking over 2 gallons of water a day, as well as added salt to everything I ate. On day 4 I dropped to 1 gallon and cut the extra salt. Today, the last day before competition I've dropped all fluids and am avoiding all foods I know to be high in sodium. So far I've lost 5 lbs, and most of it was in the last 24hrs that I cut my water intake in half. If that progress continues in the next 24hrs I should make weight no problem. I'll let you know if I make weight.

There are more details, but you should buy his book like I did if you want the complete guide. There is also a separate guide for losing weight for a competition in which has weigh-ins on the same day of the match (which is basically intended to cause less of a loss of weight).

[XTrainer]

Originally Posted by Madmick

Thank you.

I love uber-threads.

Same here. I also love uber stickies. Why doesn't someone make an uber thread of all the good uber threads on this site, and then we only have to convince KK to add one new link to the FAQs. It's the perfect plan.

[Foppa21]

Thanks

Last comp I entered, I cut around 15lbs in 3 days using starvation theory (my scale at home was off go figure). I pretty much had to crawl on to the mat and then get dragged off after getting my ass beat. Miserable the whole time. Same day weigh ins too. Worse thing was, I cut into the lowest weight div which meant I was also first on to the mat.

[Envy]

Originally Posted by Foppa21

Thanks

Last comp I entered, I cut around 15lbs in 3 days using starvation theory (my scale at home was off go figure). I pretty much had to crawl on to the mat and then get dragged off after getting my ass beat. Miserable the whole time. Same day weigh ins too. Worse thing was, I cut into the lowest weight div which meant I was also first on to the mat.

Little guys have to be especially careful, as the big weight jumps are rough on small frames. My high school wrestling coach was around 350-380, because he was so pressured in high school and college to wrestle at the absolute lowest weight class. Three years back, he lost most of his toes to diabetes.

Remember that next time you're thinking of starving yourself.

[greedysob]

Originally Posted by greedysob

... I'll let you know if I make weight.

Well, I made weight. I only lost about 9 and half of the 12 lbs I needed to lose using the method, so I still had to swet a few pounds out, but I made weight none the less.

[Wild Dan Hibiki]

just a question, i know carbs hold water and therefore make you heavier before weight. but how can you perform at your best when you need the carb supply before comp for energy?

[XTrainer]

That's the whole point of debate. It depends on many factors, but you won't get a straight-up 100% answer on that one.

[Tony Manifold]

Originally Posted by bacon

Thanks Envy, but where the hell were you 10 years ago when I was wearing 10 coats and getting 2nd degree burns from laying next to the floor heater on a school bus on the way to a meet?





Seriously, where the hell were ya?

Chewing gum and spitting in cups while wearing a garbage bag in a sauna. God, I had no idea how to properly cut weight in those days.

I miss wrestling too.

[Envy]

Originally Posted by Wild Dan Hibiki

just a question, i know carbs hold water and therefore make you heavier before weight. but how can you perform at your best when you need the carb supply before comp for energy?

Depending on how soon the comp is after the weigh -ins, you should be able to carb load, hence immediately sipping a recovery drink such as surge, pedialyte, gatorade, etc. and also eating a small meal with both fruit and complex carbs.

However if it comes down to a choice between cutting carbs and water, carbs will always be first in my book.

[Envy]

Originally Posted by Tony Manifold

Chewing gum and spitting in cups

I did this exactly once, reached up in the middle of the night, and knocked my spit cup onto my pillow.