Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Proper Nutrition
• Method 2 of 3: Adjusting Exercise
• Method 3 of 3: Additional Factors
• Tips
• Warnings

Wrestlers sometimes try to lose weight in order to get into another weight class, where their chances of winning are higher. There are several safe ways to lose weight while becoming healthier and stronger. There are also things to avoid. Of course, you can be guided by general recommendations for losing weight, but it is important to remember that wrestling is a sport that requires serious physical exertion and a lot of movement. You will need to find the right mix of sports and nutrition. Plan to gradually lose weight and do not try to quickly get rid of unnecessary pounds, otherwise you can harm your body and deprive yourself of the qualities you need to win.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Proper Nutrition

1. 1 Make changes to your meals in advance. You should lose weight no more than one to one and a half kilograms per week. Faster weight loss is harmful to health and negatively affects athletic performance.
   • Planning a workout routine is the next step, but you can start thinking about it now.
   • Discuss major dietary changes with your doctor.
2. 2 Drink plenty of water. You don't want to become dehydrated during the competition. Trying to lose weight by removing water from the body is the main mistake an athlete can make.
   • When exercising, try to drink water every 10-15 minutes.
   • Drink 3-4 glasses of water throughout the day.
   • Avoid drinking too many caffeinated drinks (such as soda and coffee). They remove water from the body through urination.
   • Look for symptoms of dehydration, including confusion, dizziness, loss of consciousness, dry mouth, lack of tears, and excessive dry skin.
3. 3 Eat foods that are low in fat, but eat as many calories as you need. In any sporting event, a person spends a lot of calories. Reducing your fat intake, but not the nutritional value of foods, will make it easier for you to lose weight without wasting the energy you need.
   • Young wrestlers need at least 1000-2500 calories per day, plus at least 1000 calories for training.
   • High-carbohydrate, low-fat foods are good for you to help you lose one to one and a half pounds a week.
   • Don't try to lose weight faster. This will lead to loss of muscle mass, exhaustion, dehydration and chemical disruptions in the body, which will be harmful to health and results in the ring.
   • Plan three full meals a day and one snack. Eat no later than 3-4 hours before the competition.
   • Wrestlers need about 1-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This equates to approximately 70-100 grams and weighs 70-80 kilograms.
4. 4 Start your day with carbohydrates. This will give you the energy you need to exercise in the morning without adding extra sugar or fat.
   • For breakfast, you can eat two cups of whole grain cereal (no sugar), a cup of low-fat milk, a banana, whole wheat toast (with two tablespoons of peanut butter), and a glass of orange juice.
   • This breakfast contains approximately 685 calories.
5. 5 Eat a full meal at about the same time every day. To lose weight, you will need to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
   • For lunch, you can eat a sandwich made from whole grain pita bread, low-fat turkey, low-fat cheese, mustard, lettuce, and tomato. Add a cup of low fat yogurt, an apple, and a cup of assorted vegetables topped with a low fat sauce.
   • This lunch contains about 600 calories.
6. 6 Eat a full meal. Dinner should energize you, perhaps for a few hours after a match or workout, rebuild your muscles and return all the nutrients it needs.
   • The wrestler can eat brown rice with vegetables and shrimps for dinner, two cups of different vegetables with two tablespoons of vegetable oil or lightly salted soy sauce.
   • This dinner will contain approximately 570 calories.
7. 7 Snack during the day. Unlike full meals, snacks can be taken half an hour before a match or workout. This will promote muscle growth and muscle recovery.
   • The snack should contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
   • The nutritional value of a snack should not exceed 100-200 calories.
   • You can eat 1 cup unsweetened cereal or breakfast cereal with a cup of low-fat milk, 10 crackers (whole grains, with a spoonful of low-fat cheese), or some low-fat milk chocolate.
8. 8 Carry snacks with you. If you feel like you are overeating during your main meals, carry a healthy meal with you.
   • These can be fruits and foods that are low in fat and high in carbohydrates.
   • If you buy snacks often, choose fruits and crackers over chips and candy.
9. 9 Make a meal plan and schedule. This will allow you to remind yourself of the time you have to lose weight and the foods you can and cannot afford.
   • Remember: you should only lose one to one and a half kilograms per week, otherwise the diet will threaten your health and athletic performance.
   • Mark the dates of the competition on the calendar and count how many weeks you have to lose weight. Note weighing dates separately.
   • Calculate how many weeks you need, taking into account losing one to one and a half kilograms per week, and think if you can lose weight on time. Do not force yourself to lose weight faster just to enter another weight class.
   • Do you have the right food on hand or do you need to go shopping? If you live with someone, you can ask others to clean up after you food that you cannot eat. You might even suggest that neighbors replace the junk food they are used to with healthier food.
10. 10 Check with your doctor. Any significant dietary changes should be discussed with your doctor - they can indicate a lack of certain nutrients or help you choose a diet.
    • If you need to lose weight quickly (for example, a few pounds in 24-48 hours), ask your doctor if there is a safe way to achieve this result through diet and exercise. You should only consult a doctor. Rapid diets, laxatives, saunas, and other weight-loss strategies are unhealthy and deprive you of the strength you need to compete, so don't resort to them.
    • It is important to give the body a sufficient amount of aerobic activity (30-60 minutes of running or cycling). Do not exercise until you are exhausted - all the nutrients that accumulate in the body will be needed in the competition and will protect you from injury before the match.
    • Your doctor may recommend certain foods, diets, and vitamins. You can ask your question like this: "I weigh ___ kilograms now. I am preparing for the weigh-in and the match, which will be held in 4 weeks. How do I need to change my calories in order to get into another weight class with a weight of ___ kilograms?"
    • You can include quinoa, black beans, oats, avocados, red fish, blueberries, bananas, broccoli, rice, pears, oranges, grapefruits, nuts, green tea, eggs, dark chocolate, potatoes, and / or cheese in your diet.
    • You can mix these foods in different combinations so that you always eat small portions to help you lose a small amount of weight. Don't give up on a lot of nutrients and carbohydrates that you will need in competition, otherwise you will lose muscle mass and / or energy.

Method 2 of 3: Adjusting Exercise

1. 1 Go to the gym. Keep doing the exercises in the gym. You cannot give up the strength training that you are currently doing.
   • To keep fit for training and competition, it is important to exercise regularly in the gym.
   • If you keep the same amount of workouts or increase it, while reducing your fat and calorie intake in general (remember, you cannot cut them too much), you can begin to gradually lose weight.
   • When practicing wrestling, attention should be paid to speed and strength in training, as is the case with other competitive sports.
   • Do exercises that work your abs: push ups, pull ups, lift dumbbells, deadlift and bench press, and swing your abs.
   • You can do dumbbell exercises with fewer reps but more weight. This will build strength.
   • When working with light weights, do more reps - this will increase your endurance.
   • When working with your own weight (for example, push-ups and pull-ups), do as many repetitions as possible to improve endurance.
2. 2 Use other types of loads. There are other types of loading that you might consider.
   • Try rope climbing, rowing, twisting, rolling tires, and throwing a medicine ball.
   • Here's an example workout: 6 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 10 squats, 8 tire turns, 16 dumbbell lifts, 6 pull-ups again.
3. 3 Work out with a coach. If you are doing it on your own, the help of a trainer will be useful to you.
   • If you are already a member of a wrestling team, discuss this with the coach who is involved in your team. You can start the conversation by saying you want to compete in a different weight class and make changes to your training and nutrition. The trainer can help you with your workouts or advise a good specialist.
   • If you are already in the gym or want to start training, talk to the gym staff about which trainer would be ready to help you create a training program so that you can achieve your goals. You can formulate your request like this: "I want to move to another weight category, and I need a coach to help me adjust the load."
4. 4 Get some rest. Pause between and during workouts.
   • In order for the muscles to heal, recover and become stronger, you need to take breaks between workouts.
   • If exercising daily, lower the intensity towards the end of the workout. For example, after running, start walking a few minutes before the end of your workout. Do not exercise for at least a few hours afterwards.
   • Take 1 to 2 days a week from physical activity to allow your muscles to restore energy, fluid, and tissue.
   • If you work with a personal trainer, they can help you build intense workouts combined with rest days to make your strength training as effective as possible.
5. 5 Combine sports with diet. Make sure your weight loss goal is real and achievable.
   • Combine nutrition and exercise correctly. Gym work requires energy and extra calories, just like competing.
   • Eat according to the system described in the first part of this article, before and after exercise. Food should be rich in carbohydrates and low in fat.
   • Keep track of your schedule so that any changes do not interfere with your workouts in the gym or eating before and after classes. If you always remember about your schedule, you will be able to anticipate possible changes and think about how to get around them so that you have the opportunity to properly lose weight without losing shape.

Method 3 of 3: Additional Factors

1. 1 Drink protein shakes. They are sold ready-made or in powder form to be diluted in water, milk or juice.
   • Do not substitute them for meals, as this will deprive yourself of important nutrients that you need to build strength.
   • Typically, these shakes consist of milk, whey, casein, eggs, soy and / or rice.
   • Whichever product you choose, it must contain 50-100% protein, otherwise this product will contribute to weight gain.
   • Drink cocktails after every workout. If you have a coach, tell him that you are drinking cocktails. Check with your doctor to make sure you can do this.
   • Typically, these shakes are made with milk, so keep this in mind if you don't digest or digest dairy products well.
2. 2 Get enough sleep. Healthy sleep is just as important to overall health as proper nutrition and exercise.
   • It is usually recommended to sleep 7-8 hours a day.
   • Pay special attention to sleep on the eve of sporting events. To perform as best as possible, you must rest well.
   • As with food and sports, if you live with someone, warn those people about your routine and ask them to keep it in mind so that no one wakes you up at night.
   • Set up your schedule so that you can eat and exercise on time. You should have time to do everything without haste. In addition, you should have time for unplanned activities.
3. 3 Exercise outdoors. It is not necessary to do all strength training indoors. Try outdoor exercise for a change of scenery.
   • Carrying a person on the shoulder, swinging a hammer, and athletics will increase strength, agility and endurance.
   • You must follow your schedule in such a way that you have time everywhere, feel confident and always demonstrate a stable result. However, one-time changes to your training and schedule will help keep you motivated and improve your body's ability to respond to various factors.
4. 4 Eat energy bars. They are usually a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and a small amount of fat and have a sweet taste (like chocolate). Typically, these bars contain 100-200 calories.
   • The bar can be eaten before the competition if you feel weak but cannot eat a full meal.
   • Try eating the bar before a competition or training session ahead of time to see how it will affect you.
   • Eat bars before exercise, not after like protein shakes.
   • There are ready-made bars in a wide variety of flavors on sale, but they can also be made at home.

Tips

• Talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes.
• Discuss the changes to your training routine with your coach.
• Drink water at regular intervals throughout your workout and then throughout the day.
• Try to eat more foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in fat.
• Carry fruits or low-fat carbohydrates with you in case you get hungry. This will prevent you from eating too much during your main meal.

Warnings

• Don't try to lose weight with water. This can lead to dehydration, which can be dangerous to your health and negatively affect your athletic performance.
• Do not starve or lose weight faster than one to one and a half pounds per week. This will lead to dehydration, exhaustion, disruption in the work of chemical processes in the body, resulting in fatigue, dizziness, mood swings. It can even be life threatening.
• If you feel nauseous, dizzy, or cold, these are all signs of dehydration and / or heatstroke. Do not play sports when you feel so, otherwise you risk injury or aggravate the condition of the body.
• Do not try to flush out body fluids by sweating in a sauna or wrapping in a plastic bag. This will cause overheating and dehydration.
• Don't substitute protein shakes for food.
• Don't use laxatives for weight loss - they cause dehydration, wasting, and other health problems.
• Don't take diet pills. Their effect is not proven, and there are a lot of side effects, and they can be dangerous to health. Talk to your doctor before trying these pills.
• Avoid eating high-fat, low-carb diets. They can help you lose weight, but they have a questionable effect, as lack of carbohydrates leads to depletion of energy reserves during competition and training. In addition, such diets raise cholesterol levels and cause kidney problems due to the unusually high intake of protein, which accounts for the bulk of the nutritional value of the diet.