How do boxers make weight

One of our Founders at Hy-Lyfe wanted to end dry January in style by fasting for 72-120 hrs. They were doing this to see what fighters must do to make weight. They were also doing it for detoxifying mind and body, weight loss, mental strength and clarity. The only things they consumed in this time was water, fruit tea and black coffee. They weighed in just before at 78.2kg. You will not believe the results and what fighters have to go through... 

Adjusting Diet  

• Caloric Deficit: Boxers gradually reduce caloric intake weeks before the fight to lose fat while maintaining strength.
• Low-Carb Diets: Reducing carbohydrates helps shed water weight since carbs cause the body to retain water.
• Low-Sodium Intake: Cutting salt helps reduce water retention.
• High-Protein Meals: To preserve muscle while losing weight, boxers focus on lean protein sources like chicken, fish, and eggs.

‘Water Loading’

• Drinking Excess Water (Early): They drink large amounts of water a week before the weigh-in, which tricks the body into flushing fluids.
• Cutting Water (Before Weigh-In): A day or two before the weigh-in, they dramatically reduce water intake to shed as much water weight as possible.

‘Sweating It Out’

• Saunas and Hot Baths: Boxers sweat out excess water weight by sitting in saunas or taking hot Epsom salt baths.
• Sweat Suits and Workouts: To increase sweat production during cardio exercises like running or jumping rope, athletes wear sweat suits. 

Day 1 - Mon Jan 27th. 

I started with x2 coffees around 7 am, with my last meal at Sun 26th @ 6 pm. I do feel hungry, but this is normal as I am used to fasting for 36+ hours and the hardest part is easily the first 24hrs! My stomach rumbled a bit, but nothing unusual there though, I walked 2.5k at lunch and did not feel any fatigue. I consumed x4 black coffees, x3 teas and 2.5 litres of water as well. I weighed in at 78.2kg that day. 

Day 2 - Tues Jan 28th. 

I started with a coffee and a 2.5k walk around my local park, a bit hungry as you can imagine, but no real fatigue. I just have a bit of a blocked throat today, but that has probably nothing to do with fasting. 40+ hours in my stomach is rumbling and making a real gurgling sound. By this point, I would have had an intense HIIT workout the day before and fasted Monday from 6 pm to Wednesday at 6 am, so I am not new to this and just levelling up. I haven't had any of the side effects... Sleep issues, Brain fog, Irritability, Emotional changes, Anxiety and changes in mood, or Dizziness and sugar cravings (YET). 

Day 3 - Weds Jan 29th. 

I got up and had NO COFFEE with a 2.5k walk (and another 2.5k at lunchtime). I have been sneezing and weighed 77.4kg. My stomach is rumbling, but I think 'ketosis' may have set in 60+ hours into my fast. "Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose". So my coughing and sneezing may be a result of 'Keto flu'. I may also have 'keto breath', which is caused by the release of acetone, a form of ketone, into the breath. However, I am working remotely, so I don't think people can smell it through my laptop screen! My mouth is dry, but my energy levels are the same. I have a slight headache. 6 pm came around and I had 250g rice, 408g tuna, 140g sweetcorn and x2 hard-boiled eggs, with a bowl of granola. This was 1200+ calories and it felt like a Michelin star meal after 72 hrs fasting! I only savoured it for an hour, before I had to rush to the bathroom, as my stomach could not handle such luxury!

Day 4 - Thurs Jan 30th. 

I woke up feeling fine with no sneezing, dry mouth or blocked throat, so I'm guessing it was 'keto flu'. No coffee or walk this morning and just 1 litre of water all day. It may sound like a lot, but I usually consume 3 litres per day AND multiple coffees and teas! My stomach is not rumbling and looks much flatter. I just walked 2.5k and I think I'm still in ketosis, as I do not feel hungry at all! This has been 4 days off social media, including YouTube and WhatsApp and you would not believe how much time you have. Your mind is also a lot clearer and I have been doing much more meditation, yoga and ab workouts. I just walked another 2.5k at lunch and I feel just the same, my energy levels are not low at all. I finished 0.5 litres by 12.30 pm and will finish another 0.5 by 5 pm. My stomach is starting to rumble, other than that everything else is the same and less water has not affected me. 

Day 5 + 6 - Fri  + Sat  (Jan 31 + Feb 1st). 

I could not sleep as my stomach was rumbling so much, so I got up and had a bowl of granola! After a really good night's sleep, I woke up feeling full and absolutely fine. I have walked 2 miles and I do not notice not having a coffee when I wake up anymore. The hardest part of today will be 0.5 litres of water instead of my usual 3 litres. I just walked 3k and I honestly don't feel drained at all, as crazy as it sounds I think you need to move around to forget about eating! I watched a movie last night with loads of restaurant scenes and that made me hungry. You have so much extra time when you fast, cut out SM and don't go to the gym. My mind is clearer and I am sleeping much better. I am coughing and sneezing a bit, so the 'keto flu' may well have returned today and my stomach is rumbling again now. I have just weighed in at 76.9kg (169.5 pounds) - so I dropped 1.3kg of body fat in 5 days. I have still not made 168 pounds, the Super Middleweight lol, I will go for 5 days full fast next time. I got up at 6 am after sleeping very well, had a coffee, some brownie bites, drank some electrolytes and ran 5k in just under 25 mins, on a very hilly park run and felt great afterwards, but it was a few hard 50 metre inclines during. 

Parkrun results for event #239. Your time was 00:24:57