Weight cutting for mma

micallef1990 · August 2015

Hello everybody , just wanting some tips for weight cutting, I have been eating healthy and training regularly 3-4 times a week. And eating pretty clean , then tend to have one cheat day on the weekend.

My next fight is scheduled in October and I have to cut down to 77kg I currently hovering around 83/84kg. I am wanting to loose it quite quickly but also want to keep my strength up. Just wondering if anybody had some good food tips? I am pretty much eating an omelette in the morning or fruit, chicken salad for dinner and then sometimes it's too late to eat after training as I get in at 10 most nights .

Thanks Ben

paulvmax · August 2015

Hello,
Good luck with your fight I used to box 5 years ago and I am currently training Mauy Thai so cutting for a fight is tough, I suggest you try intermitted fasting. Cut fruit down to 2 pieces a day Bananas only add one in your pre/ post training shake. Cut all white and non vegetable carbs rice ect, this will make you run out of steam when training but will help aid your cutting. If your taking creatine stop as you will hold water weight.

Omelette is ok for breakfast add peppers instead of your fruit, trade potatoes for sweet potatoes 6kg is tall order to cut for a fight.

Good luck

mitchelsimps · August 2015

Just make sure you are eating less than you burn off and keep the protein levels high!

vismal · August 2015

micallef1990 wrote: »

Hello everybody , just wanting some tips for weight cutting, I have been eating healthy and training regularly 3-4 times a week. And eating pretty clean , then tend to have one cheat day on the weekend.

My next fight is scheduled in October and I have to cut down to 77kg I currently hovering around 83/84kg. I am wanting to loose it quite quickly but also want to keep my strength up. Just wondering if anybody had some good food tips? I am pretty much eating an omelette in the morning or fruit, chicken salad for dinner and then sometimes it's too late to eat after training as I get in at 10 most nights .

Thanks Ben

There is only one way to lose weight. That is to eat less calories per day than you burn. The greater the deficit between what is consumed and what is burned, the quicker you'll lose weight. Eating "clean" has nothing to do with it, it's all about calories. Losing "as quickly as possible" is not the best way to lose weight and still maintain all your strength. That being said, you don't have much to lose especially considering you can manipulate water weight the days prior to the fight. I'd say simple calorie tracking with a built in deficit is all you need. I'd get rid of the cheat day though. If you eat in a 500 calorie deficit for 6 days, then eat in a 3000 calorie surplus on the cheat day, you've essentially eaten at maintenance all week long. Rather than have a cheat day, just eat foods you like on regular days and count them towards your calorie total. You can eat things like cookies and ice cream regularly and still lose weight. Again, it all comes down to calories in vs calories out.

micallef1990 · August 2015

paulvmax wrote: »

Hello,
Good luck with your fight I used to box 5 years ago and I am currently training Mauy Thai so cutting for a fight is tough, I suggest you try intermitted fasting. Cut fruit down to 2 pieces a day Bananas only add one in your pre/ post training shake. Cut all white and non vegetable carbs rice ect, this will make you run out of steam when training but will help aid your cutting. If your taking creatine stop as you will hold water weight.

Omelette is ok for breakfast add peppers instead of your fruit, trade potatoes for sweet potatoes 6kg is tall order to cut for a fight.

Good luck

Thanks pal . It's hard work as I used to be 240 pounds or so and this is the lightest I have ever been . I have been cutting a lot of carbs out but have to have some on the days iam training as iam training 3 hours none stop on a night . I haven't touched potato's and have been having sweet potatoes . I am on no supplements just trying to do it naturally .

micallef1990 · August 2015

mitchelsimps wrote: »

Just make sure you are eating less than you burn off and keep the protein levels high!

I have been eating that much chicken I am getting bored of it. And I never thought I would ever say that . Currently consuming around 1500 calories a day sometimes less

micallef1990 · August 2015

vismal wrote: »

micallef1990 wrote: »

Hello everybody , just wanting some tips for weight cutting, I have been eating healthy and training regularly 3-4 times a week. And eating pretty clean , then tend to have one cheat day on the weekend.

My next fight is scheduled in October and I have to cut down to 77kg I currently hovering around 83/84kg. I am wanting to loose it quite quickly but also want to keep my strength up. Just wondering if anybody had some good food tips? I am pretty much eating an omelette in the morning or fruit, chicken salad for dinner and then sometimes it's too late to eat after training as I get in at 10 most nights .

Thanks Ben

There is only one way to lose weight. That is to eat less calories per day than you burn. The greater the deficit between what is consumed and what is burned, the quicker you'll lose weight. Eating "clean" has nothing to do with it, it's all about calories. Losing "as quickly as possible" is not the best way to lose weight and still maintain all your strength. That being said, you don't have much to lose especially considering you can manipulate water weight the days prior to the fight. I'd say simple calorie tracking with a built in deficit is all you need. I'd get rid of the cheat day though. If you eat in a 500 calorie deficit for 6 days, then eat in a 3000 calorie surplus on the cheat day, you've essentially eaten at maintenance all week long. Rather than have a cheat day, just eat foods you like on regular days and count them towards your calorie total. You can eat things like cookies and ice cream regularly and still lose weight. Again, it all comes down to calories in vs calories out.

Thanks for your reply that is really helpful. On my cheat day iam not pigging out just genially eat something that I have been craving all week so may be a cinnamon swirl or something daft like that, but I get where your coming from . I want to loose the weight a few weeks before the fight as I don't want to feel drained before the fight. I have two weeks off from work at the start of September so I can get training in every day then so hopefully I'll be 77kg half way through September , then of I go up a kilo or two that's not as big problem. Just this fight I have a feeling the weigh in will be on the same day as the fight , so I wouldn't have time to rehydrate properly

Many thanks

Pinnacle_IAO · August 2015

I used to kill myself cutting 7 pounds over 2 days, and in today's MMA, 7 pounds is cut in 4 hours.
THAT'S INSANE!
The double edge sword is a fight weight closer to your training weight where you balance strength with speed and coordination given the trade off with mega weight cuts. Only you can decise this.
The science of cutting weight is not complicated.
7 days before weigh in, start drinking crazy amounts of water.
2 days before weigh in, cut back on carbs but keep the water coming.
The day before cut out all fluids and solid foods. Eat a steady supply of gummy bears in great moderation.
That will easy the cut a bit. By now you should be close to weigh in, and when you awaken, you should be spot on.

Things seldom go perfectly, and that's when you need to spend the hours before weigh in sweating it off - NOT GOOD!
When you need to do this, it means your training camp failed.

Anyway, good luck!

PS: I was a scrub in MMA, so take it all with a grain of salt - BUT NOT DURING WEIGHT CUTTING...lol