NEED HELP ASAP... cutting weight

Houston We have a problem!!! Need ALL the BJJ guru help asap. Cora aka "Triangle Queen" has been hitting the gym hard and its causing her to GAIN weight. Crazy huh?? 3 days ago she was only 64 lbs, yesterday she was only 65 lbs, all of this was weighed in after her workout. So today, no work out, she just went to the park and play around. We came back home and weigh in again....66 lbs!!!! WTH??? This is without her gi on. Unfortunately we don't have any of her GI top to try it on as it is in the tailor to have some patches sewed on. For Kids Pan Ams, she must NOT go over 67 lbs with the Gi on. Just 3 weeks ago at a local tournament, she weighs in at 62.3 lbs without Gi on. After that tournament, she's been working out really hard and I'm thinking that she is building up muscles that is why she is getting heavier. OR she is going through a growth spurt. In any case, we have till tomorrow to move her to a higher weigh division or risk being disqualified. OR if there is anyway for her to lose 2 lbs in a week. Moving up in weight class, she will not have any competition. I want her to stay where she is at now because there are already 5 girls in her division. Suggestion greatly appreciated.... Bruce

Pshh thats nothing, i used to lose like 4 ppounds in an 2 hours for a wrestling match. Make her eat light until the tournament and she should be fine, if worst comes to worst put a lil vaseline on here, some swears and her gi and make her roll, but trust me she should be fine if she eats some smaller portions.

Well, PERSONALLY i don't like the idea of weight cut in kids. It's not the actual physical cut, it the mentality of it. I PERSONALLY am not a fan. I had the same issue with Mikey last tourney, so he moved up. He weighed in under (could have stayed in the lower bracket) at weigh ins but I would rather be safe than sorry when traveling so far and so much money has been spent. If you are set on her staying in that weight, watch her sodium intake. You'd be suprised on how much it helps. But also keep in mind you are going to be traveling so eatting well could be tricky.

Side note- Cora is amazing, and you should be VERY proud of her. I love seeing girls her age compete. I wish I would have found this amazing sport when I was her age. She is very lucky to have you to help her along the way. Best of Luck at Pan Ams!

I would not consider cutting wight at her age... she's probably gaining weight because she still growing

A lil extra clothing under her gi, and she'll be fine, a lil sweat isnt going to hurt her and shes got plenty of time

Those are great ideas guys.. thank you so much. Although I also don't like the cutting weight idea myself. She just trained so hard for this tournament that it will dissappoint her if she goes up in weight and doesn't have that many fights. Hope yall understand when you train so hard, you just want to show off what you got and test yourself. Hopefully those girls will push her enough so that you can see what she has added to her game. We already told her that we will cut down her portion of the meal, no more soda, no more sweet, no more snacks. She hates this idea, but its only for 1 wk and then she can eat all she wants. Its actually great that she is gaining weight because I do want her to gain weight so she won't be the lightest in the local tournament. If she gets to 67-68 lbs, she will rule her division at the local tournaments like NAGA.

Cutting out soda and carbs will help a lot. Just have her eat healthier with more meat and vegetables and less breads and sweets like you mentioned. It will help if your family eats the same way so she doesn't feel left out. She is a kid and it will be hard so reward her with whatever meal she wants after weigh ins or after she competes. It is hard as a kid for weight cuts and even harder for a female. Replacing soda and sweets should be more than enough to do it so she isn't doing an actual cut, just a diet change.

I wont let my kids cut weight until they get to high school. It isnt worth the grind if they burn out early. Bump her up is what I would personally do.

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Originally Posted by Mike Dewitt Jr

I wont let my kids cut weight until they get to high school. It isnt worth the grind if they burn out early. Bump her up is what I would personally do.

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+1 she is growing, son naturally she will have to go up in weight classes.

well im not as against weight cuts as some people. just depends how u do them. its already been mentioned. take the soda and sweets out but another good one is no red meat. chicken and fish. salads etc. i only rarely eat red meat these days and it makes me feel sluggish anyway but its good for the weight aswell. doing a weight cut by a change in diet is fine by me but the whole water cuts and stuff seem a lot for a kid. but if she needs to lose like a pound or two, at her age changing the diet a bit should fix that. and if she works out at the gym going for lower weights and more reps could help tone instead of bulk.

good luck. i hope it all works out and you guys come back with the gold

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Originally Posted by Mike Dewitt Jr

I wont let my kids cut weight until they get to high school. It isnt worth the grind if they burn out early. Bump her up is what I would personally do.

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Agree 100%, she is growing. Most kids do not hydrate enough as it is, you do not want to cause serious damage by trying to have her cut weight.

You have her fight at whatever she weights in....no skipping meals, no changing diet, or extra workouts. She is still growing and you need to let her! What's the difference in weight, she will fight just as hard in both weight classes.

Sorry to say this cutting weight for a kid how is not obese is extremly dangerous , your girl trains hard that's why she gain weight . but do not cut weight because she wants to stay in her weight class . Just cut some training days !

OK guys, things are getting even weirder... this morning when she woke up, she weighs in at 64.8 lbs and 2 hours later she weigh in again, but this time it was 65.4 lbs. She only has a granola bar in between the weigh ins.

I know this is a little too late to apply to this situation, but please consider it for any situation in the future:

Do not bother even considering cutting with kids... of any kind...(Excepting cutting out junk food, soda, white sugars etc, that they really shouldn't be having anyway). The most important thing to them is proper developmental growth, winning a medal now isn't worth impairing their development in any way. Especially at their low weight, the ratio of impact of losing just a few lbs is massive on their body.

A very commonly neglected aspect of shocking your body with a weight cut of solid %, is that the state it puts your body in, does not just last for a day, it lasts for weeks. The way it can effect your body's use and storage of fats, glucose, insulin, and by proxy all functions of your body and aspects of athletic performance can be hindered far more than the benefits a weight cut can often offer. Especially at her age, anything that could imbalance metabolic stability is a poor idea.

I have researched weight cutting extensively, and am near competition of an in depth manual on the topic including health concerns of various methods and I can tell you for sure, at her age weight growth spurts are not abnormal, and it would be a terrible thing for her to be cutting weight. For both her future health and her future as a jiujitsu competitor cutting weight will hinder her development. For her to have her full potential in healthy growth and development is much better overall than being able to bully a tournament by being in the top of the weight cap instead of the bottom.

Cora is super skilled, and it's much better to be in the middle of a division and skilled enough to where a few lbs is no difference at all, than relying on having to be the biggest in it. I know in this case you wanted her to stay in the division so she would have MORE competition, but again it isn't worth the drawbacks.

If your reading this and still saying 'yeah but she really wants to compete and win so we will cut this one time even though it might be...', just stop there and ask yourself whats important -- this ONE medal or ONE event with good competition, or all the ones in the future she will get by not having her growth and development impaired.

Cora is a future world champion, hurdles like this might be frustrating now, but shes got a long and bright future, and girls/womans bjj is only getting started. ;]

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Originally Posted by Cora Sek

OK guys, things are getting even weirder... this morning when she woke up, she weighs in at 64.8 lbs and 2 hours later she weigh in again, but this time it was 65.4 lbs. She only has a granola bar in between the weigh ins.

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Weight fluctuates, I can have a difference of 5 pounds in one day. Again, I am not a fan of weight cuts in kids and agree with Zog and DeWitt. Since you posted to get opinions, mine is to move her up in weight class. Let her enjoy her trip to Pan Ams, she can worry about this type of stuff when she's older!

cutting wait at a young age can stunt your growth, that's why so many wrestlers are short. & if she gets into mma one day she's gonna want that reach. plus the burnout factor is too great

Little kids should not cut weight.

As life long wrestler I will cant explain the damage you could do by having her cut. Let her compete at her walking weight what ever it is. TRUST ME!!! I grew up with a father who was a insane college westler and what I went through to win was nuts very dangerous! As Dan stated there could be development issues that develope. Not Worth another Medal. She has 30-40 yeas toget more medals.

OMG... you guys...:) All i'm saying is i'm cutting down on her exercise, cutting down sodas, cutting down all the junk food as this girl loves junk food. For the rest of the week we are going to work out very lightly. Her coach and I been talking about his and we know now why she is gaining weight. Since she's been training hard after class with him, we don't leave the gym until late, so there is a Chinese restuarant just next door. Last week we only cook food at home 1 time. Been eating out alot. Also after school, I got lazy so I would buy her McDonalds about 4 times last week. I do this because if I spend time cooking for her after school, we will cut down on our practice time before we go to the gym. All of the eating late, and eating out and McDonald contributed to her gaining weight. ANd with her working out so hard, she's turning all that food into new muschle mass. So if we cut all that down, she will be back to her walking weight at 63 lbs. In over 8 tournaments, she's been at 63 lbs. I am 100% agree with you ALL on the subject of cutting weight. I do not believe in it at all. Also, going up another weight class is NOT an option either. I've been keeping track of the registration for Kid Pan Ams and there isn't anyone registering in that next weight class. She will not have anyone to fight, so she might as well be disqualified. She will be heart broken if she training so hard and have noone to fight. I know yall know where I'm coming from with this. So in recap, I am NOT having her cut weight like you think I am, she's not a pro fighter cutting weight, no... we are just going to eat better and at the proper time and not train so much this week. That should set everything back in order for her. What yall think I am.. a bad parent?? LOL And btw, we are already setting up exhibition fights also once the tournament is over. She will be fighting higher belt and bigger kids. She also got invited to go to AOJ to spar with some of their high level kids, but I don't think we will make it because we rather go meet Master Eddie. :)

i would say monitor her diet, and just make sure shes eating things that is much easier for her body to break down, and yet nutritious for her body too, lots of water, and take probiotics to help break down of everything, and the avoidence of bread, or wheat items would probably help a little

lol MIKE, you know us asian can never cut out the rice.... :) We can eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner....

Personally I feel you shouldn't have her cut. Shell still beat everyone..lol plus it will be better experience.

Jeremy: please read my previous messages...:) I am NOT having her cut weight, just cutting the bad eating out, and the junk foods, just making sure she is at her weight class. The current weight class she is in now is her ideal weight class. We are just making sure she stays in it. Also going up to another higher weight class guarantees that she will not have anyone to fight. For 8 tournaments, she's been at the bottom of her division at 63lbs. while all the boys were in their 67-69 lb range. Now that she is able to gain weight, I actually like it because with weight comes strength also. Maybe more strength to hold down the rubber guard...:)

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Originally Posted by Cora Sek

OMG... you guys...:) All i'm saying is i'm cutting down on her exercise, cutting down sodas, cutting down all the junk food as this girl loves junk food. For the rest of the week we are going to work out very lightly. Her coach and I been talking about his and we know now why she is gaining weight. Since she's been training hard after class with him, we don't leave the gym until late, so there is a Chinese restuarant just next door. Last week we only cook food at home 1 time. Been eating out alot. Also after school, I got lazy so I would buy her McDonalds about 4 times last week. I do this because if I spend time cooking for her after school, we will cut down on our practice time before we go to the gym. All of the eating late, and eating out and McDonald contributed to her gaining weight. ANd with her working out so hard, she's turning all that food into new muschle mass. So if we cut all that down, she will be back to her walking weight at 63 lbs. In over 8 tournaments, she's been at 63 lbs. I am 100% agree with you ALL on the subject of cutting weight. I do not believe in it at all. Also, going up another weight class is NOT an option either. I've been keeping track of the registration for Kid Pan Ams and there isn't anyone registering in that next weight class. She will not have anyone to fight, so she might as well be disqualified. She will be heart broken if she training so hard and have noone to fight. I know yall know where I'm coming from with this. So in recap, I am NOT having her cut weight like you think I am, she's not a pro fighter cutting weight, no... we are just going to eat better and at the proper time and not train so much this week. That should set everything back in order for her. What yall think I am.. a bad parent?? LOL And btw, we are already setting up exhibition fights also once the tournament is over. She will be fighting higher belt and bigger kids. She also got invited to go to AOJ to spar with some of their high level kids, but I don't think we will make it because we rather go meet Master Eddie. :)

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Then why did you ask.

Well thanks to yall here, I did get the answers I needed...:) And now.. at the same time, I don't want yall to think I'm starving my kid...

most jiujitsu players have a complete obsession & addiction phase. witch is perfectly normal, during this phase most people try to learn as much technique as possible " literally try to learn everything '' & go mad hard and have no problem training 7 days a week if possible. And you develop crazy skill at that phase so it's good for you. But at the tail end if your not careful you'll burn out quick. This is where Balance can help you tone it down a little and keep your fire going. So many high level jiujitsu players & most athletes talk about the importance of '' Balance '' the jiujitsu highs & lows are great for adults, you can burn out, take a break, get some balance and come back with renewed vigor. but kids don't understand the need for balance and once they burn out there done ! kids jiujitsu should be all fun zero stress. The life lessons should be for adults only.

The title of your thread was/is "cutting weight".
Seems like you already had a plan and didn't like the answers/advice you got anyways. Laying off the Oreos and Doritos is different than "cutting weight" (IMO). Your title was regarding weigh cut and that is the answer/advice we gave.

Side note: Did you call the organizer to see if the plan is combine weigh classes if she moves up and there's no one else in that bracket? That has been the standard in tournies my son has ever done. Usually there are weight class, but they group kids within so many pounds of actual registered weigh once registration closes. Pan Ams is huge, so I would think they'd do the same. If not, get a refund of your registration fee and airline tickets - save the money for another time.

Yeah I can see where the title has something to do with the miscommunication...:) Anyways, no I did not call the organization, but on their website, once you miss the weight that you sign up for, you are DQ. No refunds, no changes of weight class. At first I was truly concern about this. But after talking to her coach, we are confidence that she will make weight. THis is not new to them, if they can train professional MMA fighters to loose 15 pounds, i'm sure they have a plan to make sure she work out properly to make her weight.

Kids grow. She is growing. Kids should not ever restrict calories or dehydrate at all. If you want here diet to be better then make it more paleo. Do not cut weight.

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Originally Posted by Mike Dewitt Jr

I wont let my kids cut weight until they get to high school. It isnt worth the grind if they burn out early. Bump her up is what I would personally do.

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Amen. Thanks Mike. This is how all parents should be.

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Originally Posted by Cora Sek

Yeah I can see where the title has something to do with the miscommunication...:) Anyways, no I did not call the organization, but on their website, once you miss the weight that you sign up for, you are DQ. No refunds, no changes of weight class. At first I was truly concern about this. But after talking to her coach, we are confidence that she will make weight. THis is not new to them, if they can train professional MMA fighters to loose 15 pounds, i'm sure they have a plan to make sure she work out properly to make her weight.

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Pro fighters generally cutt 20-30 pounds. I cutt 20 pounds for jiu jitsu tournaments. Once again my wrestlers and jitsu jitsu kids dont cut weight.

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Originally Posted by Matt Hester

Kids grow. She is growing. Kids should not ever restrict calories or dehydrate at all. If you want here diet to be better then make it more paleo. Do not cut weight.

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Agreed eating clean is key, Modified Paleo is what our whole family eats me, my 5.5 yr old, my pregnant wife. You wouldn't put 87 octane in a 1000 hpo evo, you would put 100 plus octane.

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Originally Posted by Josh Passini

Pro fighters generally cutt 20-30 pounds. I cutt 20 pounds for jiu jitsu tournaments. Once again my wrestlers and jitsu jitsu kids dont cut weight.

Agreed eating clean is key, Modified Paleo is what our whole family eats me, my 5.5 yr old, my pregnant wife. You wouldn't put 87 octane in a 1000 hpo evo, you would put 100 plus octane.

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Wait... You're not supposed to put regular in the Lambo...