The following is a sample diet to go by to maintain nutrition. Please avoid fried, fatty or high calorie intake (fast foods, candy, donuts, chocolate, etc.) Proper weight loss is done over time and without doing starvation or dehydration. It has been proven that starvation and dehydration equates to a 14% loss in athletic performance (and that’s the average. It can be even higher in some athletes – especially younger athletes.) Every wrestler should maintain proper nutritional intake, meaning eating something from all food groups everyday.
A pill, protein shake or vitamin/protein supplement does NOT take the place of good, wholesome food. Weight loss is a combination of good, hard work combined with eating healthy and sensibly.
The following lists possible meals. The numbered items listed are to reference a meal for that meal time for that day, i.e. Breakfast #1 is for the Breakfast meal for that day, #2 is for the next day, etc. DO NOT EAT #1-7 AT ONE SITTING! This also provides variety or if you don’t like a particular item, there are alternatives. Also – you don’t have to eat everything listed for a particular meal, nor do you have to eat all five meals (I personally don’t snack between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner…but that’s just me.) Bottom line, this is flexible to fit any wrestler. This works in combination with a strong workout regimen…running 3-4 miles first thing in the morning, lifting weights mid day and wrestling 1.5-2 hours every night, six times a week.
Breakfast
1. 4 SMALL pancakes, ¼ cup low calorie syrup, 1 cup low fat milk.
2. 4 SMALL waffles or 4 slices of toast, 2 Tbs regular syrup or jelly, 1 cup low fat milk
3. 1 ½ cups corn flakes, 2 cups low fat milk, 1 banana
4. 1 ½ cups non-sugar coated cereal, 2 cups low fat milk, 1 apple or orange
5. 1 poached or hard boiled egg, 1 slice of dry toast, ½ grapefruit, 8 oz. Juice
6. 1 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 cup low fat milk, 1 orange
7. 2 cups non-sugar coated cereal, 1 cup low fat milk, ½ grapefruit, 8 oz. Juice
Morning Snack
1. 1 orange
2. 1 slide of bread with 1 tsp of peanut butter
3. ½ grapefruit or 1 cup of strawberries or 1 apple
4. ½ bagel with 1 tsp jelly
5. 3 oz popcorn – NO BUTTER
6. 1 peanut butter sandwich (2 slices of whole wheat bread with 2 Tbs of peanut butter)
7. 1 cheese sandwich (2 pieces of whole wheat bread with 1 slice of cheese.)
Lunch
1. 1 turkey sandwich made of 3 thinly sliced pcs of turkey, 2 slices of bread, 2 Tbs mustard, lettuce, slice of tomato; vegetable salad – ¼ tomato, ¼ cup broccoli, ¼ cup cucumber, ¼ cup onion, low fat or non-oil salad dressing
2. Chicken, ham, tuna or lean roast beef sandwich to replace turkey sandwich above.
3. Spinach or other dark, leafy vegetable to replace lettuce (avoid iceberg lettuce – mostly water with little or no nutrients); other vegetables for veggie salad can include bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage or celery.
4. Pasta salad made of 1 cup cooked pasta shells, 1 ½ cups raw vegetables, 2 oz chopped ham or turkey, ¼ cup non-fat Italian dressing; 1 roll or two slices of whole wheat bread
5. Spaghetti with 1 ½ cups spaghetti noodles, ½ cup tomato sauce, 2 oz lean ground beef, 1 Tbs Parmesan cheese; 1 roll or 2 slices of whole wheat bread
6. Stir-fried vegetables – (cook with Pam cooking spray – not butter or oil) 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup chopped cabbage, 1 Tsp soy sauce, garlic or onion to taste; 1 cup rice; 1 cup fruit
7. ½ package of Ramen noodles mixed with 1 ½ cups broccoli; 1 cup of fruit
Afternoon Snack
1. 1 cup non-fat yogurt
2. ½ cup sliced fruit
3. ½ bagel
4. 2 slices whole wheat bread
5. ½ banana
6. 1 apple or orange
7. 1 cup of cereal, 1 cup low fat milk
Dinner
1. 1 grilled or broiled chicken breast (no skin), 1 cup broccoli, ½ cup boiled potato, 1 roll, vegetable salad (same as lunch salad), 2 cups low fat milk
2. 2 grilled or broiled chicken thighs (no skin), 1 cup green or yellow vegetables, ½ cup peas or corn, 1 slice whole wheat bread, vegetable salad, 2 cups low fat milk
3. Spaghetti – 2 cups spaghetti noodles, ½ cup tomato sauce, ¼ cup lean ground beef, 1 Tbs Parmesan cheese, vegetable salad
4. 2 bean burritos made of 1 small flour tortilla, ¼ cup refried beans, 2 Tbs grated cheddar cheese, 2 Tbs salsa, ½ cup rice topped with salsa
5. Chef Salad – dark, leafy lettuce, diced ham, cheese, sliced bell pepper, uncooked broccoli, chopped carrots, kidney beans, low-fat Ranch dressing
6. Tuna casserole – 1 cup pasta, 3 oz tuna (water packed, not oil packed), ½ cup non-fat plain yogurt, ¼ tsp garlic, ¼ cup mushrooms, ¼ cup onions, supplement with ½ cup peas; 1 small roll; vegetable salad
7. 4 oz lean beef steak, 1 baked potato topped with cottage cheese, spinach salad topped with mixed vegetables and a non-fat/non-oil dressing, 1 slice of whole wheat bread
Fluids
Keep fluids up until the day of a match. Water weight is considerably easier to lose than solid weight. Fluids also flush your system keeping your natural antibiotics working (wrestling, unfortunately, takes place during the height of cold/flu season). Juices are also a good supplement in place of snacks. Gatoraide/sports drinks help replenish body nutrients/electrolytes but I recommend this after your workout – not during practice or during a tournament or before a match as it will lead to cotton mouth during competition/practice. Water is the best fluid to drink during a tournament or before a match or during practice.
Vitamins
First and foremost, check with your doctor regarding vitamins. This is what I take but your doctor will know what works or what may not work for you – 500 mgs Vit. C, Vit B12, a multiple vitamin. I also take ginko biloba and Siberian ginseng. A day before competition I will take Echinacea Gold Seal as well as the day of a tournament/match and the day after. Studies have proven that taking Echinacea more than 10 days straight reduces the effect. If I have to get on a plane, I take the morning of my flight “AirBorn” – a tablet that dissolves in water. I take it again when returning home on the plane.
Protein Supplements
I have never been a believer that protein supplements do any more than good, hard work can do. Creatine, in some states, is illegal. I have also read studies where dehydration through hard wrestling in combination with Creatine adversely affects the kidneys.
Bottom line, a pill won’t make you a champion. That’s something only good, hard work can provide.
Work hard. Eat healthy. Keep your fluids up. Then work hard again.
About the author: Jim Lucas was a three-time All-PCAA wrestler at San Jose State University between 1972-74 and was a member of four USA dual match teams between 1971-1975. He currently wrestles at the Masters level and is a six time Masters All-American and recently won the Masters AAU Ironman World Championships. He is in the process of resurecting wrestling once again at San Jose State University (where it was a Title IX casualty in 1988.) SJSU Wrestling infomation can be viewed at: www.sjsuwrestling.com Jim was also a charter inductee into the Ironman Surfing/Wrestling Hall of Fame: http://Molasar.BlackMagic.com/surf/HallofFame/home.html
