Cutting Weight

[Machete]

short term, for competition. extremely miserable. the worst days of my life. share your experiences.

[legshot420]

Nothing hardcore, but I had to lose 15 pounds to get to 150. Right now, I'm at 144 so that I can accommodate obligatory family get-togethers. The first two weeks of dieting fucking sucked. I'm a guy who likes to eat and I couldn't eat what I fucking wanted. No white rice or bread, nothing white. No sugar, and no fried foods. I was in a very bad mood for the first two weeks, but later on I became cool as a cucumber. You get used to eating shit.

[michael]

You get used to eating shit.

I like this part. hehe. But at least, healthy naman.

[Machete]

note that when you eat shit, you're NOT on a healthy diet.

and when i said short term, i meant short term. making weight. dropping for the weigh-in and putting it back on.

[Machete]

ever watch a bout where two fighters from the same weight division face off, but it still seems like a size mismatch? enter, the art of cutting weight.

i used to compete 108. i drop around 12 pounds for the weigh-in. cutting weight is potentially dangerous. several have literally dropped dead cutting weight. what follows is my own approach i have used for several years. take note that i have a full day to recover after a weigh-in.

it is good to have a trial run, just so you know how much weight you can actually cut.

five days before the weigh-in, drastically increase water intake. consume around 10-15 liters of water per day. it is no easy feat, and would be easier if you drink lukewarm. a slight sodium increase would help. the logic behind this is that when you are dehydrated, your body hangs on to every drop of moisture, causing water retention, while if liquids are abundant, it takes what it needs and disposes of the rest. you WILL be pissing every 30 minutes and sweating quite a lot. this would be enough to drop around 5 pounds.

if you have more weight to drop, you may want to decrease carbohydrate intake, particularly starch. carbohydrates store water, which you are attempting to expel. you should be training light by now anyway. just make sure you get adequate fiber.

around 48 hours before the scheduled weigh-in, drop the sodium, and decrease fluid intake to 4-6 liters per day. a VERY mild natural laxitive tea may help clear your bowels (an additional 1-2 pounds). i use the day for fruit fasting. apples, oranges, nothing but fruits for the whole day.

24 hours before the weigh-in (2 days to competition) should also be your final workout day, so try to sweat it out in the gym or the sauna. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT OVERWORK YOURSELF AND TAKE REST INTERVALS. dehydration causes cramps, blood pressure problems, and heart attack. keep carbohydrate and water intake to a minimum, and constantly monitor your weight. personally, i don't eat or drink at all. it will be the most miserable day of your life, and you will not be able to sleep well.

on weigh-in day, i look more ripped than ryan reynolds from blade 3, and probably as much as a pussy. i mean, i'm weak as fuck, a 12 year-old girl could send me to the E.R.

more important than cutting weight is safely and effectively putting it back. immediately after the weigh-in, i drink a cup of hot milo with sugar. then, a bottle of gatorade. i eat a couple of boiled eggs and bananas. just enough to feel full. your stomach would probably have shrunk. yes, i bring my own food. after 30-60 minutes, i drink another bottle of gatorade or enervon hp, and some water, and i eat bananas. you need to get back your electrolyte balance. i drink around 500ml of water every 30 minutes, and keep eating every hour, rather than base it on hunger or thirst. after a few hours, you should be feeling great and ready to kill.

* DO NOT TRY ANYTHING NEW THE WEEK BEFORE THE BOUT.

[michael]

five days before the weigh-in, drastically increase water intake. consume around 10-15 liters of water per day. it is no easy feat, and would be easier if you drink lukewarm. a slight sodium increase would help. the logic behind this is that when you are dehydrated, your body hangs on to every drop of moisture, causing water retention, while if liquids are abundant, it takes what it needs and disposes of the rest. you WILL be pissing every 30 minutes and sweating quite a lot. this would be enough to drop around 5 pounds.

Example:
You have a fight 2 months from now. Do you still cut weight five days before the weigh-in?

[Machete]

yes. you always cut immediately before the weigh-in. this is a drastic measure and should be avoided most times. it's short-term. you just get rid of water you're going to put back later. this is used if you are competing in the lower weight classes. i advise to limit it around 10 pounds below your normal weight.

however, if you are competing in a weight you currently are in, there will be no need to cut. just train your ass of for two months and get yourself weighed on weigh-in day. (i.e. paquiao against dela hoya)

[boboplata]

some athletes would rather do a huge cut than a gradual weight loss since they don't want to lose muscle mass. i'm thinking of doing a trial. i could easily lose 15 lbs in 1 month.  might try to bulk up 1st. sherdog's weight cutting thread is the shit btw.

[Machete]

some athletes would rather do a huge cut than a gradual weight loss since they don't want to lose muscle mass. i'm thinking of doing a trial. i could easily lose 15 lbs in 1 month.  might try to bulk up 1st. sherdog's weight cutting thread is the shit btw.

a month's too long to "cut" weight, boss. by then, you should be losing weight.

i tried going ketogenic for a week, and i went from 126 to 113 pounds in three days.