I'm 5'7 and weigh around 143-145 normally and I'd like to compete in a lower weight class for NAGAs. What should my diet be leading up to the competition, and how soon should I start cutting water weight, and how? PS I weigh in the night before and compete in the morning.
cut carbs and salt out now (50g and below of carbs per day should be fine). you should be able to drop 6-7 pounds easily and cut the remaining few the day of weigh ins. if you dont handle cutting weight well, carry a bottle around with you and spit in it all day. you can drop a pound or two this way and its much easier than the sauna.
Oops I just had lasagna tonight What should I be eating? I have a lot of oatmeal at my disposal, apples, bananas, carrots and broccoli.
You can weigh-in 24 hours out. At your weight, and being new to it, I wouldn't do more than 10 pounds of water. I'd shoot for the 5/6 range. I don't know how much you eat normally, but I lose around 5 pounds just not eating for 24 hours and letting my system clear out. You're smaller, so it's probably less. I were your size, doing what you're doing, based on how my body responds (because I can't tell you exactly how your body will), the week leading up eat light. 48 hours out pretty much stop eating solid food, and what you do it should be light, and pass through your system quickly. 36 hours out start drinking lots of water, at least 2 gallons a day. 24 hours out stop water consumption. For cutting the water, everyone is different. Saunas are easy in that they are simple, but I find them draining. I prefer layering up on the stationary bike. I can do 5 pounds in one hour that way, and still feel pretty decent.
Don't cut carbs. You can much more quickly and easily put back in water weight than replenish glycogen, which you will want for your matches. Cutting carbs is great for fat loss. You will not be losing much fat in this type of weight cut, you are simply manipulating your body to make weight, then getting back to weight to compete. Cutting carbs will leave you drained. In fact, one of the few things I will consume during a weight cut are honey sticks, for mood, energy and recovery.
While I would recommend going to the D&S Forum and doing a search because you will find a lot of really good info there I'll give you my opinion. First off, you're cutting 9lbs approx. with day before weigh ins. I will typically cut my last 8-10lbs via water loading and then sweating it out. Google "water loading weight cut" and you'll get tutorials. If you leave out weight cut you get a bunch of eating disorder sites. Coincidence? If you don't want to do that, Go with a high protein/fat diet and a shit ton of fiber. No pun intended.
About a week out slowly decrease food intake and increase water,hop in sauna and you should have no problem
Eat eggs, tuna, salmon, skinless chicken with broccoli and spinach. I did that before my last comp for like two weeks leaned out so quick I was able to ear whatever I wanted the last three days and still made weight.
Eat your normal diet until a week out; now is not the time to be operating on a deficit. If you had fat to lose, you should have lost it by now. You have three weeks before a weigh-in and you're not going to perform as well as possible if you're trying to lean out during this time. Once you get to one week out, start a typical weight-cutting process; super-hydrate or 'water-load" every day while cutting carbohydrates and sodium from your diet. Pair this with a combination of dandelion root and caffeine, taken twice per day, to act as a natural diuretic. Take in <50g of carbs per day, and ensure you're getting your carbs from complex sources (i.e. vegetables). Basically, eat a diet of lean protein, good fats, and vegetables for a five-to-seven-day period. Super-hydration simply refers to the process of over-hydrating by taking in more water than your body is accustomed to. You'll need to be drinking over a gallon and a half per day. 24 hours from your weigh-in, have your last meal, and stop all water intake. Two hours later, eat some graham crackers. Then, fast until weigh-ins. Monitor your weight closely and have a sauna or steam room for you to go to and sweat out any weight that doesn't float off during this period. Be prepared to have to drop a couple of pounds this way. Oh, and if you're going to learn to cut weight, research post-weigh in nutrition and learn about how to put your weight back on--and keep it on.
cutting carbs down (not completely out) drops water weight in a hurry. much easier than sweating it out. it wont leave you drained as long as you are still eating other nutritious foods, plenty of protein and fat.
