Making weight can be one of the most challenging things when training for combat sports. Chances are that you’re reading this blog post because you’re working on getting into a lower weight class for whatever sport you compete such as boxing, BJJ, or Muay Thai. Sometimes that means you have to cut five pounds or even fifteen pounds to be in the best weight class for you to be truly competitive. Either way, there are four types of food you should avoid when trying to drop weight. Here they are along with healthier alternatives for you:
- French fries and potato chips: While these foods may seem like a no-brainer, french fries and potato chips might be absolute kryptonite for other people. Fried potato products will prevent you from performing at your best in both training and competition. Don’t be surprised if you feel slower and even sluggish after eating french fries and potato chips. Luckily there are some other options you can replace these foods with. Consider other options such as kale chips or apple chips as a side or a snack.
- Doughnuts and pastries: Like the foods named above, baked and fried sweets sound obvious as well as but now is the time to give them up if you haven’t already done so. Doughnuts and pastries are packed with a lot of calories which requires you to work even harder shed those extra pounds. A better choice for breakfast would be oatmeal to start your day. Oatmeal will be a better source of energy for you each morning than downing doughnuts and pastries.
- Soda: One of the easiest ways to not lose weight for a fight is to down sugary soda. Drinking soda will not help you get any closer to your goal weight and doesn’t provide any nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Soda is essentially liquid candy since it’s several teaspoons of sugar for every can you drink. You also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease you drink soda on a regular basis. If the craving is tough for you to break and really miss the carbonation of soda, consider sparkling water. You’ll have the bubbly experience of soda without all of the added sugar that will prevent you from making weight.
- Ice cream products: If you’re a diehard fan of ice cream, wait until after your fight to enjoy ice cream! It’ll be a great way to reward yourself for being disciplined throughout the process of cutting weight. Ice cream isn’t the most nutritious food you can put into your body and eating it will definitely make it tough for you to cut weight in time for your fight. Is ending your intake of ice cream cold turkey too difficult? Consider kefir or even snacking on frozen fruit such as frozen berries if you need to.
Remember that you’re not alone in trying to make weight for competition. We train students and athletes of all levels of experience from beginners to hobbyists to professional fighters. If you’re living in the Salt Lake City area, give us a call at (801) 255-1166 so we can help you accomplish your competition goals!
