Weight Cut Woes

Making weight is a huge part of being an MMA fighter, and it is no easy task. It's now a little over 24 hours from the weigh-in for my fight, and I still have weight to cut. This is normal; some fighters even eat everything they want up until two days before weigh-ins, then they cut 15 pounds in two days. I did my best to avoid this, but this morning I stepped on the scale and it read 152. After 45 minutes of running and a 1.5 hour workout, I was only a pound lighter. I need to weigh in a 145, and although they allow amateurs to be 4 pounds under or over, I want to come in at exactly 145.

I'm eating very little today, and practically nothing tomorrow. I started my day off with a coffee, then had a 200 calorie protein shake after my work-out. Three hours later I had another coffee, and I just ate an apple for some pre-workout energy. I've limited my water intake, so I've been both thirsty and hungry all day. I've been drinking a diuretic tea and also took two epsom salt baths. That's the one part I can't complain about; being ordered to soak in a tub for 20 minutes with lavender epsom salts is not a bad thing.

Tonight I'll have a light work-out and then try running with a sweatshirt and sweatpants. If I'm lucky, I'll drop a few pounds and can have a small piece of salmon with lettuce. Tomorrow morning I'll weigh myself and hit the treadmill again, trying to sweat out as much as I can. I probably won't take in anything but a very small amount of water until weigh-ins at 8 pm. Today hasn't been too torturous because I've been able to focus on the fight, but my growling stomach tells me that tomorrow will be miserable.

As soon as the weigh ins are over, I can eat again. Dinner will be a giant plate of pasta with turkey meatballs. I'm drooling at the thought of food! Most fighters do their best to gain weight before the fight because there is no second weigh-in. It may not make much sense, but I think I can handle eating again.

Even more exciting is the thought of food is the thought of being at the weigh in. I'll stand on the scale in front of a crowd, and stare down my opponent. If my stare doesn't scare her, my growling stomach sure will! It's going to be an exciting night!