The following is a guest post by Nate Green, who works with Dr. John Berardi, nutritional advisor to athletes like UFC champion Georges St. Pierre (GSP).
This is the first of two blog posts entailing extreme physical experiments. Absolutely no performance enhancing drugs of any kind were used.
Part 1 — this post — details exactly how top fighters like Georges St. Pierre rapidly lose 20-30 pounds for “weigh-ins.” To refine the method, Nate performed this on himself, losing 20 pounds in 5 days. The unique part: Dr. Berardi and team measured key variables throughout the entire process, including the last “rehydration” phase. As Berardi put it:
“We used GSP’s exact protocol with him [Nate]. The idea was that by doing this with a guy who didn’t actually have to compete the next day, we could measure all sorts of performance variables that you’d never get with an athlete about to fight.”
Part 2 — the next post — will share how Nate used intermittent fasting and strategically planned eating to gain 20 pounds in 28 days, emulating a fighter who wants (or needs) to move up a weight class in competition.
Cautionary Note on Part 1
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters put it all out in the open for the world to see: they kick, punch, laugh, cry, and bleed in front of thousands of arena fans and millions more watching at home.
But even if you’re a hardcore fan who knows all the stats, there’s something behind the scenes that you’ve probably never seen in full: world-class weight manipulation…
Done right, it can significantly increase a fighter’s chances of winning. An athlete will artificially lower his weight for pre-fight weigh-ins, then show up to the actual fight 10, 20, or even 30 pounds heavier than his opponent. It’s a game changer.
Done wrong, it can make even the toughest guy lose his edge… and probably the fight. There’s serious risk of organ failure if done haphazardly.
Even though boxers and wrestlers have been manipulating weight in this fashion for decades, it has the air of illicit activity. And though it’s legal in MMA competition, you should never try this at home or without medical supervision. Excessive dehydration can kill you. “Cutting weight” has no place in real-world dieting or behavior.
This is NOT an article on sustainable weight loss or healthy living. Rather, it’s a fascinating look at how far athletes and scientists will go to manipulate the human body for competitive advantage.
Here’s how it works…
Enter Nate
Imagine this: It’s Saturday night and you’re a top-ranked MMA fighter who just stepped into the cage to fight for the 170-pound Welterweight Championship.
Question: How much do you weigh?
The answer may seem obvious: 170 pounds, right? But if you followed the steps of extreme weight manipulation, the real answer is that you weigh somewhere between 185 and 190 pounds. That’s 15-20 pounds more than the “cutoff” weight of 170.
24 hours before you stepped into the cage, however, you did in fact weigh 170 pounds. You had to. Friday night was the official weigh-in where you and your opponent both stripped down to your skivvies, stepped on the scale in front of the judge, and prayed that the number on the scale hit 170 or lower.
But once you stepped off that scale it was a race to gain weight.
I find this kind of physiological puppetry very interesting. Most of us regular guys have a hard time gaining or losing just 5 pounds at a time.
But the top combat athletes can lose up to 30 pounds in just 5 days leading up to the fight. Then they can gain nearly all of it back in the 24 hours between weighing in and going toe-to-toe.
They do this to gain a massive competitive advantage. In other words, the bigger guy who retains more of his strength, agility, and endurance will likely win. The guy who weighs in at 170 — and then fights at 170 — often has a world of hurt coming his way.
That’s why Anderson Silva – arguably the world’s best MMA fighter — normally fights in the 185-pound class even though he actually weighs 215 pounds. A few days before he fights, Anderson “cuts” 30 pounds to make weight…then gains most of his weight back in 24 hours in time for his fight.
Georges St Pierre — arguably the world’s 2nd best fighter – normally walks around at 195 pounds. He ends up cutting 25 pounds to make his 170 pound weight class, and then gains 20 of it back before his fight.
Sneaky, huh?
Just how do these guys do it? And what does this rapid weight loss and weight gain do to their performance?
My Extreme Weight Manipulation Experiment
I’m lucky enough to be friends with Dr. John Berardi and Martin Rooney, two guys who regularly work with UFC athletes.
Recently, I told them I wanted to see what cutting weight was like. Is it really possible for a regular guy like me to drop 20 pounds in a few days then gain all of it back in 24 hours?
And if it was possible, what would it feel like? I heard cutting weight was one of the hardest things fighters do throughout their career. Was I man enough to handle it? Or would I give up when things got tough?
They agreed to help me cut 20 pounds in one week, and then put it all back on again in 24 hours.
Nervous doesn’t even begin to explain how I felt.
The Smart Way To Cut Weight Fast
Before pics. Full of water and feeling happy.
Now extreme weight manipulation can go horribly, horribly wrong. Even a lot of UFC guys don’t know how to do it the smart way. Instead, they put their bodies in real harm by doing stupid things like taking a lot of diuretics, not drinking any water, skipping meals, wearing trash bags while exercising (sometimes in the sauna) and generally being idiotic.
They lose weight, of course. But they also lose energy and power and develop one bad temper. None of which helps during fight time.
With the help of Dr. Berardi and Rooney, I decided to take a smarter route, instead of putting my health in serious jeopardy.
I started at 190.2 pounds and had 5 days to lose 20 pounds.
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional strategies we used — the same one Georges St Pierre and other elite MMA fighters use before a big fight. (Remember: we know this because Dr. Berardi is Georges’ nutrition coach).
STRATEGICALLY DECREASE WATER CONSUMPTION
Dropping weight fast is all about manipulating your water and sodium levels.
For a fighter who wants to cut weight quickly and safely, here’s how much water he would consume in the 5 days leading up to his weigh-in:
Sunday – 2 gallons
Monday – 1 gallon
Tuesday – 1 gallon
Wednesday – .5 gallons
Thursday – .25 gallons
Friday – No water till after weigh-in at 5PM.
As you can see, the amount of water starts high with two gallons and decreases with each day till he’s drinking hardly any water on Thursday and Friday.
This is to ensure their body gets into “flushing mode.”
By drinking lots of water early on, the fighter’s body will down-regulate aldosterone, a hormone that acts to conserve sodium and secrete potassium.
And when he suddenly reduces the amount of water he drinks in the middle and end of the week, his body will still be in flushing mode, meaning he’ll hit the bathroom to pee a lot even though he’s hardly drinking any water.
What happens when you excrete more fluid than you take in? Bingo! Rapid weight loss.
DON’T EAT MORE THAN 50 GRAMS OF CARBS PER DAY
Since one gram of carbohydrate pulls 2.7 grams of water into the body, it’s important for fighters to keep their carb intake low.
By doing this, they also deplete muscle glycogen (a source of energy) and keep their body in “flush mode”.
DON’T EAT FRUIT, SUGAR, OR STARCHES
These are carbs that should be avoided entirely while cutting.
EAT MEALS THAT CONTAIN A LOT OF PROTEIN AND FAT
Fighters have to eat something. Since they’re avoiding carbs, Dr. Berardi advises them to load up on high-quality protein like meats, eggs or a vegetarian sources of protein. It’s also the perfect opportunity to eat lots of leafy vegetables (like spinach) and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower).
Georges St Pierre normally has his meals prepared by a private chef so he doesn’t even have to think about this stuff or make decisions. Recommended reading: here’s an entire article detailing GSP’s training diet.
DON’T EAT SALT
Since the body likes to hold on to sodium (which will hold on to water), dropping salt helps the fighter’s body flush water out.
CONSIDER A NATURAL DIURETIC
This step isn’t always necessary, but it can help when you’re getting down to the wire and still need to lose water. Opt for a natural diuretic like dandelion root, but wait until the last 2 days to use it.
TAKE HOT BATHS
We sweat a lot in hot environments. However, we sweat the most in hot, humid environments. Since hot water offers both heat and 100% humidity, fighters lose water quickly by taking hot baths and fully submerging everything but their nose for 10 minutes at a time.
SIT IN THE SAUNA
This is the “finishing touch” to flush the last few pounds of water and is only used on the last few days leading up to the weigh-in.
The Weight Cut Schedule
So if we take all of that and break it into a weekly plan, it looks like this:
SUNDAY
Carbs: Less than 50 grams per day. No fruit, starches, or sugars.
Protein and Fat: As much as you want in 3 meals
Water: 2 gallons
Salt: None
MONDAY
Carbs: Less than 50 grams per day. No fruit, starches, or sugars.
Protein and Fat: As much as you want in 3 meals
Water: 1 gallon
Salt: None
TUESDAY
Carbs: Less than 50 grams per day. No fruit, starches, or sugars.
Protein and Fat: As much as you want in 3 meals
Water: 1 gallon
Salt: None
WEDNESDAY
Carbs: Less than 50 grams per day. No fruit, starches, or sugars.
Protein and Fat: As much as you want in 3 meals
Water: 0.5 gallon
Salt: None
Sauna in afternoon
THURSDAY
Carbs: Less than 50 grams per day. No fruit, starches, or sugars.
Protein and Fat: As much as you want in 3 meals
Water: 0.25 gallon
Salt: None
Sauna in afternoon for 30 minutes, hot water bath at night
FRIDAY (WEIGH IN AT 6PM)
Carbs: Less than 50 grams per day. No fruit, starches, or sugars.
Protein and Fat: Eat 2 very small meals until weigh in
Water: None till weigh-in
Salt: None
Sauna until weight is met
(Note from Tim: You can download the entire weight-manipulation plan that Nate used here: Weight Loss and Rehydration Protocol.)
What It Feels Like To Cut Weight
Dry as a bone and none to happy about it.
So that all looks fine on paper. But what does it actually feel like to go through it?
One word: Hell.
I started my cut on Sunday at 190 pounds. Here’s a quick rundown of what it looked like.
SUNDAY – 190 POUNDS
I carry a gallon water jug with me wherever I go, which makes me feel ridiculous. But I have to make sure I get my two gallons of water in. Overall, though, I feel fine. It actually doesn’t seem that difficult. I’m not sure what the big deal is.
MONDAY – 187 POUNDS
I’m starting to miss the taste of salt. All of my food is bland. Now I’m drinking one gallon of water instead of two. Still not that bad.
TUESDAY – 182 POUNDS
I go to the bathroom 13 times in one day. A new record, I believe. And I’m still drinking a gallon of water.
WEDNESDAY – 179 POUNDS
Now I’m down to half gallon of water per day, which means I have to ration it out, which feels weird. I have a little with breakfast, a little with lunch, and a little with dinner. It’s definitely not enough water.
My mouth is dry. I feel dehydrated. I’m drinking straight espresso instead of drip coffee because it contains too much water.
In the evening, I try my first hot water bath. I generally enjoy baths, but this one’s different. My apartment’s water doesn’t get as hot as Dr. Berardi wants it to be — “hot enough to cause moderate pain but not burn your hand” — so I fill two pots and a kettle with water, put them on the stovetop until they boil, and pour them into the bath tub.
I get into the bath and immediately regret the decision.
10 minutes later, I’m lying naked in the middle of my living room trying to catch my breath. My eyes are rolled back into my head. My entire body feels like a giant heartbeat. I want to drink some water, but can’t.
This is starting to be less fun.
THURSDAY – 175 POUNDS
I am a zombie. A zombie who sits. Mostly in the sauna or on the couch.
In the sauna I watch beads of sweat collect on my skin. I see my precious water run down my arms and chest and legs and know that I won’t be able to replenish any of it when I get out.
I only have .25 gallons of water to last me the entire day. I’m ready for this to be over.
FRIDAY – 169.7 POUNDS AT 5PM
I look sick, very sick.
I spend the last 30 minutes before the weigh-in in the sauna and drink four sips of water throughout the entire day…
What Cutting Weight Does To Performance
OK, I’ll save you the rest of the journal entries and share some performance data.
While the fighters are tested in competition, no one has ever really documented how much strength or power they lose by dehydrating. (Or how much strength and power they regain after they get all their weight back.)
So we decided to check.
And it turns out, losing 20 pounds in 5 days is not conducive to being strong, powerful, or agile. (Surprise!) I couldn’t jump as high, lift as much weight, or run as fast or as long as I had just a week before during our baseline testing.
POWER TEST: VERTICAL JUMP
Baseline: 31.7 inches
After Dehydration: 27.6 inches
STRENGTH ENDURANCE TEST: 225-POUND BENCH PRESS
Baseline: 15 reps
After Dehydration: 5 reps
ENDURANCE TEST: MAX TIME ON TREADMILL
Baseline: 3 minutes and 14 seconds of sprinting at 8mph with 6% incline
After Dehydration: 1 minute and 28 seconds of sprinting at 8mph with 3% incline
It’s no wonder these guys try to gain all their weight back immediately after weighing in. They’d be screwed if they didn’t.
Speaking of which…
The Smart Way To Gain Weight Fast
Once UFC athletes cut weight and weigh-in, they’d never be able to perform at a top level. (Which is obvious from my less-than-stellar performance in the gym).
So what do they do next? They gain as much weight as humanly possible in 24 hours.
Here’s how they do it. (And how I did it, too.)
DRAMATICALLY INCREASE WATER INTAKE.
According to Dr. Berardi, the body can absorb only about 1 liter (2.2 pounds) of fluid – at maximum – in an hour. So he advises the fighters he works with to not to drink any more than that. Instead, he tells them to sip 1 liter (2.2 pounds) of water per hour.
However, the fighters won’t retain all that fluid. In fact, probably about 25% of it will be lost as urine.
So, here’s the math for someone like Georges St Pierre:
- 9 liters (20 pounds) of water to get back.
- 11 liters (25 pounds) of fluid between Friday weigh-in and Saturday weigh-in to get it all back.
- 24 hours in which to do it. 8 of which he’ll be sleeping and 3 of which will be leading up to Saturday weigh-in.
This leaves 13 total hours for rehydration.
So as soon as Georges steps off the scale, he literally slams a liter of water and carries the bottle around with him, refilling it and draining it every hour until 3 hours before his fight. (There isn’t a bathroom in the cage.)
EAT AS MUCH CARBOHYDRATE (AND PROTEIN AND FAT) AS YOU WANT
Now’s also the time for fighters to load up on carbs and pull all the water they’re drinking back into their muscles. It also helps them feel more human and look less sickly. (Something I definitely experienced during my super-hydration phase.)
Dr. Berardi has his fighters eat a big meal directly after they weigh in. He doesn’t restrict calories – his athletes can eat as much as they want in that meal as long as it’s healthy food like lean meats, sweet potatoes, rice, and vegetables. (Gorging on junk food is a bad idea.)
Then on Saturday (fight day), Dr. Berardi has his fighters eat a satisfying amount of healthy food in a few small meals leading up to the fight.
ADD SALT TO EVERYTHING
Since sodium helps the body retain water, fighters are encouraged to add extra salt to their meals.
Here’s what my super rehydration schedule looked like:
The Weight-Gain Schedule
FRIDAY AFTER WEIGH-IN
Carbs: Eat as much as you want in one meal after weigh-in and testing
Protein and Fat: Eat as much as you want in one meal after weigh-in and testing
Rehydration Beverage: Drink 1 liter of water mixed with 1/2 scoop of carbohydrate/protein drink for every hour you’re awake. (We used Surge Workout Fuel.)
Salt: Salt food
SATURDAY
Carbs: Eat satisfying amount in four meals before weigh-in
Protein: Eat satisfying amount in four meals before weigh-in
Rehydration Beverage: Drink 1 liter of water mixed with 1/2 scoop of carbohydrate/protein drink for every hour you’re awake but stop 3 hours before testing.
What Gaining Weight Does To Performance
Back to normal-ish.
First things first: Personally, I ended up gaining 16.9 pounds back in 24 hours. Not bad.
But the real question: How much strength and power do you really gain when you super-hydrate?
Answer: A lot.
While I didn’t perform as well as my baseline (when I did all the performance tests before I started the experiment), I got really close. Which means that even though I put my body through a week of torture, it was almost 100%.
And I totally annihilated my performance numbers from just 24 hours before when I was sickly and dehydrated.
I ran faster and longer, jumped higher, and lifted more weight for more reps.
POWER TEST: VERTICAL JUMP
Baseline: 31.7 inches
After Dehydration: 27.6 inches
Re-hydrated: 29 inches
STRENGTH ENDURANCE TEST: 225-POUND BENCH PRESS
Baseline: 15 reps
After Dehydration: 5 reps
Rehydrated: 12 reps
ENDURANCE TEXT: MAX TIME ON TREADMILL
Baseline: 3 minutes and 14 seconds of sprinting at 8mph with 6% incline
After Dehydration: 1 minute and 28 seconds of sprinting at 8mph with 3% incline
Rehydrated: 3 minutes and 25 seconds of sprinting at 8mph with 6% incline
Lose Weight. Gain Weight. Fight.
For an MMA fighter, this is about the time when he’d be getting ready to step in the cage and fight, which means it’s about the same time you’d turn on the TV and see him in his corner, jumping up and down, getting psyched and ready for battle.
How much does he weigh?
It’s safe to say at least 10-30 pounds more than the weight class he’s fighting in.
And now you know the “secret” to extreme weight manipulation, something 99.9% of guys who watch MMA will never know.
Pretty cool, right?
If you have questions, please put them in the comments and Dr. Berardi and I will do our best to answer them.
###
Nate’s not done yet. Next, we’ll have Part 2 – How To Gain 20 Pounds in 28 Days: The Extreme Muscle Building Secrets of UFC Fighters.
For more about Nate and his writing, check out his blog.
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
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Can this technique be used by anyone? Can this be used for general weightloss efforts?
I’m not a wrestler obviously, but I want to try this, does it work for females or no
if you dont gain it back is that bad? i mean obviously its bad to not drink water. but lets say you drink water and just eat less after. would you still get all of it back or no
Great article. What types of exercises do you recommend during the first 3 days? Is cardio ok?
Great Article. Is it ok to do cardio during the first 3 days? If not what kind of exercise is ok in the beginning phase?
So basically this program will not work for a guy who is just trying to lose 20-30 pounds and is trying to keep it there right? because you’ll need to gain the weight back to feel alive am I right?
I’ve been trying to lose weight very quickly and this worked. It hurt but I started at 177 and after two weeks I’m at 130. My goal is 90 and I’m getting there. Thank you.
Wow can you please tell me how you did two weeks? Did you have a recovery day before restarting or just kept up with the water? I have two weigh ins, one this week and one next and I’m needing to keep the weight off.
Would you recommend a similar approach with women? Along with baths and sauna time are your athletes doing cardio as well?
My names frank Coburn I’m 21 years old. Could I do this routine for just weight loss? If I do will I gain all the weight back right after? I’m trying to lose all my baby fat I’ve carried around all these years
What are easy foods that do not contain starches salt or sugar that can be used for this?
Thank you for this article !! It was very insightful! I personally cut 17-22lbs before muay thai fights. i will usesome of thses methods in my next weight cut! Thank you for this article;)
How comes you don’t have pictures of you at 170??!!! :OP
You did list pictures…my apologies
How do you feel about drinking distilled water the last couple of days? I heard it helps clean out the body better …. thanks!
I wanted to know what if i wanted to keep the weight off? Would it be possible to just keep the 20 pounds off then to gain it back? Please answer i would really like to know!
My friend is in a local sport and he is trying to lose weight, he recently told me he is going to cut weight like this and try and keep it off. I told him that I don’t think that is possible, or safe, if he can. Am I wrong that it would be unhealthy to do that, or even possible? He is 26 years old, but i don’t want him to put himself in risk of health issues…
what would happen if you did eat salt while cutting the weight? would you still lose weight just not as much?
This is a terrible example for young wrestlers who are looking 4 ways to cut weight. If someone finds this they’ll be lucky not to have a heart attack from hyponatremia following the flushing and limited sodium recommendations.
It did say to be under the care of a physician. If they’re not adults, their parents should be involved. This is the internet. It’s not kid-proof.
Tim / Nate / John,
Awesome article! Thank you for sharing the experience of what a week of cutting weight for an MMA Fighter is all about. This information will be handy for Kettlebell competitions in the future – which is coincidentally also a weight class tiered sport.
– Chris
wow, this is very cool and insightful, I’ve always wanted to know how the pros really cut weight without causing harm to themselves. Love how it’s data driven.
I am confused does drinking a ton of water help loose weight or not
Tim,
This was fantastic. Thank you for putting yourself through this and taking the time to put this thing together.
I have been following this program now since Sunday (it’s Tuesday night now) but have not lost any weight. I drink the water recommended, have had no sugar, starch, or salt. My meals include spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, a grilled chicken breast, and a hard boiled egg. I do have one serving of plain oatmeal at breakfast. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Thanks
Can I eat to much salt during the rehydration?
What if I don’t want to gain it back. I want to keep the weight off. Then what do I do!?
I’m just wondering, are you losing high amounts of muscle in the first 7 days?
Gallon means what quantity In litters
When we loose this weight even tho it’s body weight will it actually make us look smaller and does it atomstically gain back or can we keep it off?
-thanks for the info
Hi really enjoyed the article ,I am 6 days away from a weigh in for a large british armwrestling comp and need to lose 20 pounds give or take ,I have already lost 25 pounds just drinking vegetable juice, and not much food ,but it has slowed down ,please could you advise me on whether the gallon water measure is uk or US ,and to the amount of cardio I should be doing alongside the weight cut ,also as I read it does it mean that I can eat plenty of meat like chicken up to three times a day and still lose the weight ,I know that’s probably covered in the article but I really don’t want to make a mistake at the last hurdle ….many thanks
hi!! Can this be done if the fight(boxing) is on the same day as weigh in? or will it drastically reduce performance ?
Dear Dr Berardi and writer,
After reading this amazing article of yours..i’ve been to ask you for some advices regarding my first professional MMA fight. I’m 28 years old, with a height of 181 cm and weigh 82 kg..I have to cut weight to 70 kg in 14 days!! ( I know it’s extreme) My first question is ; is it doable? Second question:
Is it safe to do so and what are the steps that can be done for that as well as not.only it’s my first time dropping weight but it’s been a very long since I can remember being 70 kg.
I sincerely appreciate and am very thankful for giving me the time to answer me back with your expertise..
Sincerely,
Anthony
Can you help me with lose 20pounds an 5 days plzz
If i completed this routine and wanted to keep the weight off once i lost it, is there any way i could go about that? Or would the weight come back regardless?
I “normally” weigh around 205 pounds. I work 12 1/2 hour shifts in a plastics factory. The environment is quite warm to hot, and the work is hard. We have a scale there which makes weighing convenient. I have found that I will lose close to 25 pounds over the course of the shift ( Almost all water weight obviously ) if I do not eat or drink anything from the time I weigh in 5 minutes before the shift starts until after it ends. Normally we don’t get our first break ( a potential chance to eat or drink ) until about 3-hours after the shift starts anyway, so I am actually only going about 9 1/2 hours without any intake longer than I usually would. Yes, I am hungry and thirsty at the end of the shift when I have tried this, but not to anywhere near the extent of the guy in the article. When I get home I just eat and drink whatever I feel like without counting anything, and then breakfast and some fluids the next morning before work. Weighing in again at work, right back around 205 is common. I’ve only done this as an “experiment,” but to me it seems to prove there must be an easier way than the article would lead one to believe. Also, I have heard NFL ( Former players ) announcers say that it is common for offensive lineman ( Usually close to 300 or more pounds ) to lose up to 30 pounds over the course of a 3-hour game on a hot day and with all their pads and equipment on. This even includes ingesting small amounts of Gatorade during the game. ( They can’t drink too much, because it will slosh around in their stomachs, not be absorbed into their system fast enough, and negatively affect their play. But again, this seems to indicate that it is not necessary to suffer for almost an entire week to achieve this temporary weight loss.
Hi, i found this information extremely interesting. I have a bathing suit competitio coming up in 9 days and ive gained weight instead of losing. Please help me! Im 170lbs and 5’2″ (way to fat to compete). Any suggestions would ve greatly appreciated.
Should I do the water flushing?
Thanks for any help you can give, Lourdes
Could this help a female or is this program specifically designed for men?
So guys, I have a fight aug.22nd at 135lb. I naturally weigh 160 and I am currently at 155lb and I am 5’8″. Weigh-ins are on Aug.22nd. I am determined to make it. If I follow the weight cut plan, will I make it to the weight mark of 136lb? I am very interested in your reply. [Moderator: phone number removed]
Did this work for you
Is this a good method for an athlete but not a fighter. Just trying to lose weight. And what about exercising?
Is this only for fighter?
Can girls use this for judt loosing weight
I’m a 41 year old woman. I am 5ft, and at 178 lbs. I’d love to lose 40 lbs by late Oct 2015. Mind you I have metal clamps in my left ankle, plus I don’t have access to a sauna. The exercises may be a bit too much for me. What should I eat? I don’t even know where to start. Is this regime strictly for men only?
I need to cut 20lbs in 2weeks, I am not a fighter, I can only do gym and jog(5-10kms/day). Can I modify this program and do the modified one in 2weeks?
Thanks!
muito bom mesmo
This sounds very exciting, is it safe for me, I work in a corporate and work out only for an hour. What precautions should be taken for such a routine?
Hi, is this good for someone who is not a fighter. just to lose weight?
Hi. I have two questions. Lets say that I didn’t want to gain the weight back and I wanted to stay 20 pounds lighter. Would the pounds stay off? Also, if I waited a week or more, could I do it again and lose another 20 pounds?
Hi Nate,
This is really a fantastic resource. I never thought there are ways anybody to lose weight in such a short amount of time. I imagine was a dreadful experience not being allowed to enjoy some of the most mundane (but pleasant) things, like eating a fruit, or drinking a bit of water when you wanted.
Anyway, this was a great article.
Thank you!
Or get piss drunk. I always wake up dehydrated after a heavy night of drinking. I’ll bet if I drink enough alcohol, I can cut the same weight in a night.
Payaso
I really appreciate you taking the time to document and this “behind the scenes” look into what takes place with fighters. Awesome results too. 🙂 🙂 Can’t wait for part 2
Thanks again.
Loosing weight in just 5 days is very amazing I think everyone can follow this step by step guide on loosing weight.
Tim
Regarding the 50g carbs or less each day, do you count total or net carbs? Nuts and seeds have carbs however they also have fiber, so would you deduct the fiber from total to get net carbs? Not always a significant difference but it helps to be exacting. Thanks.
What exercises or any did he complete during this time?
What if I don’t want to gain all the weight back, then what?
Hoping someone is still using this forum.
I’m a proffesional boxer,have been a few guys use this method for stripping weight.
Just wondering about the start and stopping time of water intake of 1 full day.
Do you drink water during the night or start and finish once you go to bed and wake up?
Any advice would be handy
Cheers
I just want to know like..do i have to exercise through the whole process?
I’m a 23 year old female and I’m 190 pounds and I’m 5’4 I plan to try this for 5 days. How can I keep the weight off in a healthy way after that intense week . And are you supposed to workout while doing this?
I’m an highschool wrestler. I weigh 120 pounds and I’m trying to get to 103. Can i use this method. My weigh in is the day before the actual tournament.
My son needs to lose 11 pound in 5 days for his taekwondo weigh, he has around 24 hours between weigh in and fight, would this method be good for him also would running help weight cutting in any way additional to water loading?
What foods would fit with this? I can’t eat nuts due to Crohn’s disease, I hate protein shakes and any type of fish. I can’t do anything that requires it to be cooked (unless it can be microwaved). The main issue for me is the sodium part. My original go to was beef jerky but then I saw the sodium count. So what do you suggest? Most things people suggest are things I can’t bring myself to eat, and I typically have to snack throughout the day (I don’t know how to get rid of my hunger).
Look, if you don’t have the self-discipline to treat food as fuel, and therefore only eat what is necessary for this program to work, then it isn’t for you – period. If you are going to do this, you need to eat lean, bland chicken breasts, eggs, low carb veggies, etc. No one said it’s pleasant, but if you do these things, you can get it to work for you, but otherwise?
This is a program for a disciplined, dedicated athlete, and if that’s you, then you’ll eat/drink as necessary to be successful.
Is it okay if I do this without wanting to gain the weight back? Like if I just want to lose the 20-ish pounds in 5 days and then not wanting to gain them back, is that fine?
Would the same rules apply for a female trying to cut weight? Would they lose as much weight?
I have to loose 20 pounds before I go to meps for the navy 10 days away. Ive done this with a doctor before after seeing it and considering doing it again. Now what I want to know I wont gain this back unless I do the opposite of how I lost it . To keep this water weight off should I exceise amd eat low sodium lots of water and lean diets before I leave ?
But this would work to loose weight and keep some of it off?
Great article! And I think people should do this with caution.
great points altogether, you just gained a emblem new reader.
What could you suggest in regards to your put up that you made a few days ago?
Any positive?
hi there I’m a woman and need to loose 10lbs in 3 days what should I do? to loose this weight. please advise
Would this work for women?? (Realistically) I know are bodies are different and gain and lose weight differently..
Very interesting article. So curiosity, when you speak of the athletes who do this is it just men that were counted or was there women too? As I am well aware that many things are not the same I have to wonder if it would be the same.
I see this was asked but I don’t see an answer any where. How ever I did see the question about keeping it off. As I don’t think this would be good to do as a jump start and keep going only for the mere loss of weight., I was wondering if drinking 2 gallons a day would make you gain or lose? Or would a high protein diet and such a low carb count make you lose or gain? Or would any of these long term be a bad idea? (Not including the obviously of dehydration)
Well, Weight Loss is such a difficult task, specially for lazy peoples, like me, but the fitness bracelets really helps, they track our activities and do a hell lot of things to give a push and remove our laziness, so we can work hard and get our-self fit.
Along with the help of the gadget, I do a lot of walking and running and then some Jim, when I get some time free and also a good sleep. So, it is working very fine these days.
Would this effect your metabolism in any way? Also, does this routine have any effect on fat loss and your overall BMI?
I want to weight loss
I am a HS wrestler, and I want to lose 20-30 lbs, I have three weeks to do it, is there anything you recommend doing to lose that weight, and keep it off for the season.
I know this sounds silly, but I was wondering if this would be safe to do for my friends wedding? I want to drop about 15-20 lbs fast. I am an active runner and I do Insanity. Is it safe for a “normal” person to pull this off? Or just athletes?
would you recommend this 10 days straight for a kid
I have my first power lifting meet this Saturday, to be more competitive I am going to try this out! I only have to lose 8 pounds to lose for 181 class, instead of competing at 198.. but I have read from multiple sources about the water cutting! Should be good though, Thanks alot!
Great article!!!! I’m about to try this starting tomorrow it’s my first of 5 days 🙂 thanks a lot
After doing this, is there a way to prevent the weight from coming back?
thank you for sharing
Hey, does this work for girls too?
But not a sporty girl, just a Reguler girl!
If a person drinks 2 gallons of water per day on the regular. What would be the plan of attack?. As in how much water does that person take in to begin the water manipulation process? What’s the 5 day break down for a person trying to rid 25 lbs to make weight for a Mma competition?.
Can one workout while doing this cutting method? Like can I continue my regular walking and weight lifting routine while simultaneously following this program?
I have a question ones you dropped all the pounds aand you got to the desired weigh how do you maintein it?
What did you eat? I cant seem to find any foods that have no salt or sugar, even veggies have salt.
so it it actually the stored fat in your system that’s being lost or just the muscle..or possibly both?
Hello, my name is Brandon. I am a wrestler and I started out 13 pounds above my weight class at the beginning of the week. After I used this method I dropped 15 pounds. So when it came to the day of weigh ins I weighed in two pounds under weight. I then went to the concession stand after weigh ins and ate/drank a lot. We always bring a scale to the tournament so I went to the bathroom after eating/drinking, and I gained about 13-14 pounds back. Thank you for showing me this strategy for losing weight. I’m a lot stronger than the people I wrestle when we’re on the mat and a lot healthier. Thank you.
Will you please guide me, my height is 66 incehs. i have a weight loss competition i already reduced my weight from 197.4 lbs to 173.2 lbs in 7 weeks, can i use this trick on last week when i will be almost at 140 lbs.
What about eating vegetables?
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Does this work on women?
would this be a good way to loose weight quickly for a Teenage girl who is overweight?
This is good, but I didn’t see any mention about what type of workout you did during these 5 days
What about iv that they are banning?did fighters have that while they are sleeping? And what’s the 2nd weigh in you talk of? Tks great article
I was wondering if women could do this to.
Awesome I have a title fight coming up . Gonna try this method. Thanks.
Do you work out during these days? (The weight cutting week)
how do u do this cut but workout still gor those 5 days? Ray
thank u
Question:
Could this system be used as a jump start to a diet/exercise plan for a non-athlete who is not necessarily training for a competition? For example the individual cuts wait to start, thus dropping their weight and jump starting their progress and then continue on a more regularized diet and exercise plan in order to drop some pounds and become more lean?
I disagree that the body can only absorb 1 liter per hour. I once cut weight and had not drank anything in 2 days. I weighed 119 after being measured to have 3.2 percent body fat when weighing 128.
I drank a gallon of water in less than 10 seconds..yes.. I opened my mouth and dumped a gallon container ( warm) down my throat..AND…..I did not per for 2 days…..I guess I could have sweated out the fluid…when sleeping.
I took a wrong turn somewhere and got into the wrong kind of weight loss. When athletes do this, they’re only losing water, right? Is hydration manipulation used in other types of weight loss? I mean, if I keep doing intense work outs for the next three weeks, while drinking lots of water, then drink much less water a couple days before I go to la jolla cove, would I look thinner? Or would I look sick? I know this is totally irrelevant. Humor me? Btw, nice pics, Nate. 😉
Is it possible to loose fat with extreme exercising and completing this process during the five days?
Could youbloose more weight with hours or cardio and weight lifting?
That’s an excellent way to damage your kidneys! But hey, live fast, die hard, right?
I have a question..I am an athlete still in school, and there is a weight lifting competition coming up around February towards the end of the month, I’m looking to weigh 180-185, I weigh 207 right now. What’s the best and safest way to cut the weight? I run everyday for around 30-35 minutes with breaks. Please help!!!