The Ways & Wherefores of Weight Cuts #365

<div>Gillian Ward joins Niki Sims to talk weight cuts and Niki's recent experience cutting weight, which Gillian helped her with. Why cut weight, and how do you cut weight if you decide to cut weight?</div> <div><br /> Weight cuts aren't for beginners, and people need to really think about why they want to cut weight. This isn't about sustainable weight loss like we've discussed with Take Charge 10 and the Nutrition Series. It's probably better--especially around weight cuts for weight class events--to compete in a heavier weight class. Cutting weight adds a large amount of stress and can limit performance. </div> <div> </div> <div> <div>Others may want to cut weight for their job (e.g. the military) or improve their appearance for specific event (wedding, reunion, beach).<br /> <br /> Finally, some people compete in physique competitions. This is the most advanced type of weight cut, as not only do you want to look better but looking better in a specific way at a designated time is the whole point of the competition. This requires more precise work and dedication, both long term leading up to the competition and in the days and hours before the competition. <br /> <br /> The amount of weight matters. Other factors to think about here, beyond the reason the weight cut, include: salt, carbohydrates, sweeteners--sugar & artificial, alcohol, fluid intake, and, for females, which part of the cycle the weigh in will occur during. <br /> <br /> Niki cut weight for a BJJ event and had planned to cut months in advance, so performance mattered. She has also worked with Gillian before, so Gillian had lots of information about Niki with how she and her body react to certain interventions. <br /> <br /> Niki also has high compliance, so not following Gillian's prescriptions wasn't a worry. Niki was able to be transparent with Gillian of all the relevant details leading up to the event. They knew the amount of time between the weight cut and the event, and Niki knew exactly why she wanted to cut weight. <br /> <br /> Niki man