Cutting Weight

By Brandon Ruiz of Iron Horse Strength

[Note from editor: This article is for informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional before embarking on any weight loss regimen.]

Here are a few tips that will help you EAT, HAVE ENERGY, and STILL BE ABLE TO SWEAT OFF the last few the day of weigh-ins. There are different ways to get the weight off for different situations so this article will contain a couple different ones.

First start by creating a strong nutritional plan that will get your weight down naturally through eating clean foods and reducing your calories. This nutritional plan will work best if started a few weeks out from the actual event, anywhere from three to as many as eight can make huge differences.

Next start "cleaning out your system". This is simply eating only clean foods like fruits and vegetables and lean meats. The idea here is to start about two or three weeks out from the competition. Remember your diet should be pretty clean to start with. This type of eating will also allow you to eat a fair amount of food and will help you feel satisfied.

The human intestines hold about 15-20 some odd pounds of feces at any given time. This is why so many "quick weight loss" programs work because they are simply clearing out your gut. Its not to hard to lose about 10 pounds of feces in a week. Easy ten down. This system works well for both day before and same day weigh-ins since clean eating is more of a long term approach and is definitely healthier and will leave you with more energy and typically reduces the need to dehydrate before weigh-ins.

So you still have a few pounds left...no problem. Once you get to the last week continue your clean eating but start doing smaller meals and make sure that you eat often! Every couple hours...but small amounts. Make sure that they are items with a fair amount of fiber and that digest quickly and cleanly such as vegetables, fruits, and lean meats. Fatty foods stay in the system longer as they digest slower and typically contain little fiber.

On the day of weigh-ins (now only do this if it is a DAY BEFORE WEIGH-IN your competition not the day of) you just gotta sweat it out! Put on three layers of sweats and roll for a near regular practice time...1 1/2-2 hours should be plenty if you did your eating right. What you do is start strong and sweat as much as you can with three layers ON.

Then once you have gone about 45 minutes (roughly when your body says it?s had enough heat) take off one layer and up your intensity. Go for another 1/2 hour and then remove another layer. Up your intensity for the last 15 minutes to 1/2 hour.

You will be hurting only as much as you put off getting your diet corrected early on and the drastic sweating can be easily toned down this is just an EXTREME example. If at any time you get super weak and or dizzy check your weight because you're probably there and also consider NOT DYING!!! Like I said you can do this in EXTREME situations and also if you need to get it off FAST!!! But do your best to eat right and train hard and use the sweating for not more than losing 3-5 pounds. If you have more weight to lose you must focus on developing a better nutritional plan far in advance of your actual competitions and weigh-ins. Dehydration is actually the LAST OPTION and should not be the first!

Most athletic failure physically stems from dehydration. A loss in bodily fluid as low as 2% of body weight causes decrease in performance, 5% of body weight loss by bodily fluid can cause dizziness, cramping, and other related problems. A 10% of body weight loss by bodily fluid can cause sever health issues such as extreme dizziness, loss of consciousness, and even stroke. The issue of heat stroke must also be considered if you resort to the ?sweat it out? methods and the thought of it should hopefully deter most athletes.

To keep it safe you can do some simple math and find out what percent you are going to be dehydrated if you choose to sweat it out.

For example:

I am an athlete who weighs 200 pounds; I need to lose 15 pounds of weight in order to compete at 185.

Example 1: For Day Before Weigh-ins

I will start preparing to make weight at least 5 weeks in advance by eating clean and then the last two weeks eating even cleaner.

200 lbs. ? 10 lbs. from clean eating over a 5 week period. There will still be 5 left to lose before the weigh-ins.

Since I now weigh 190 lbs. and the weigh-in is the day before I will sweat off the last 5 lbs. which is only 2.6% of my current body weight (190 lbs.) and will be within a reasonable amount of fluid to lose and replenish in one night. I have made weight safely and easily and feel ready to go!

Example 2: For Same Day Weigh-ins

I weigh 200 lbs. and need to be ready for weigh-ins and competition on the same day. This will not allow me to dehydrate much as it may adversely affect my performance so I will start my clean eating 8 weeks out from the first competition.

200 lbs. ? 15 lbs. from clean eating over an 8 week period allows me to not have to dehydrate at all. Since my weight has a slight flux of 1-2 pounds from day to day I will need to lose 2 lbs. from sweating before weigh-ins, which will be only 1% of my body weight.

After you have weighed get WATER into your system first, then GATORADE and LIQUID PROTEIN MIX...and make sure its VERY DILUTED OR YOU WILL REALLY BE CLEANING OUT YOUR INTESTINES!!!...Lastly have a good SOLID FOOD MEAL and CONTINUE to REHYDRATE LIKE CRAZY ALL NIGHT. If you are competing the same night/day as your weigh-ins continue to keep hydrated and eating small amounts of solid and liquid foods through out the day.

In the morning before competition make sure to get in a light breakfast, preferably liquid, like meal replacements and some type of whole grain or protein. Also if you want to keep energy up during competition eat protein (like jerky, protein bars, etc.) and whole grain bagels or other type whole wheat bread and NOT just Gatorade and white bagels or your blood sugar levels will make you bonk! Bonking is when you feel sluggish and sleepy, or when you know you?re in shape and some how don?t have any gas in the tank, this can also be caused by dehydration. Keep plenty of water and fluids handy and Gatorade is fine but remember include small amounts of protein through out the competition as well.

These are some simple nutritional and basic ideas I have learned over the years for losing weight less painfully and safely. I hope that it helps you get some ideas on how you would like to lose the weight before competing.

Good luck!!!