Want to know how to lose weight fast? Just ask a wrestler. Wrestlers are known for their ability to "drop weight," shedding pounds in a matter of days before competitions. They might have written the book on quick weight loss, but that doesn't mean their methods are smart. "Weight cutting," as it's called, is a dangerous practice that can create serious health problems---including death.
Dehydration
The body can only safely burn two to three pounds of fat a week. Above that, weight loss is all about dehydration---getting water out of your system. The easiest way to do this is to sweat it out. Wrestlers will often stop drinking water, work out in hot rooms, sit in saunas, take diuretics and even wear plastic suits to force the body to sweat. This is a highly effective short-term solution, but it will only work for a few hours. Severe dehydration leads directly to death. If you want to drop a few pounds in a few days, it is possible; however, you'll gain it right back as your thirsty body soaks up all the water it can. If you don't drink water, you likely won't feel well enough to walk, let alone compete.
Calorie Counting
Wrestlers do a lot of calculations to determine what their bodies can achieve. It takes 3,500 calories lost to burn one pound of fat. To lose two pounds of fat in a week, you'll need to eat about 1,000 fewer calories each day, burn 1,000 calories per day, or some combination with the same net result. However, undereating can make your diet less effective: The less you eat, the more your body counteracts by reducing your metabolism and increasing your desire to eat. If you fast, you'll find yourself packing on the pounds as soon as the fast is over. Instead, eat smaller meals frequently throughout the day, carefully observing the amount of calories in each. Always eat at least 1,200 calories every day.
Diet
When they're trying to lose weight, wrestlers stick to a very specific diet. The goal is to get as much useful nutrition as possible without adding fat or water weight. Avoid salty foods, which make your body retain water. Never skip breakfast, and be sure to eat fiber in the morning because it will reduce your hunger throughout the day. Avoid eating fat and starches, and never drink alcohol. Get plenty of fluids, but make sure you drink more water than sugary energy drinks because sugary foods are "empty" calories that provide no nutrition and only give you more calories to burn off later.
Exercise
Exercise is an integral part of any weight-loss program, and as athletes, wrestlers do a lot of it. Running is the best way to reduce the body's fat resources, and wrestlers usually jog, use elliptical trainers and run on treadmills. In the final days and hours before a weigh-in, wrestlers might turn to extreme practices, such as working out while wearing a plastic suit, or running while dehydrated. This crucial stage is the most dangerous, when illness and death are most likely. Unless you want to get very sick, stick to tried-and-true exercise methods instead of extreme workouts.
Risks of Extreme Weight Loss
Weight cutting is banned in many wrestling leagues, including the NCAA, because of its health dangers. In 1997, three collegiate wrestlers died in the space of six weeks, all from to weight cutting. All three were exercising in heated rooms; two were wearing plastic suits. One died of a cellular breakdown of his skeletal muscle from overexercising, which combined with dehydration to cause kidney and heart failure. Another died of a heart attack. Even if you don't dehydrate yourself to death, using wrestlers' weight-loss methods can cause you a lot of pain. Dehydration can result in decreased muscle function and blood flow and the decreased ability to regulate your body temperature. When combined with overexercise, it can cause severe muscle cramps.
Member Comments