So this past week I’ve been cutting weight to make sure I make the weight class I want to be in for the kettlebell competition.

Unlike the powerlifting competition, I didn’t have to drop 10 lbs in one week because my eating has been super clean.

Actually I really only had to drop like 2 lbs.

But those 2lbs are the HARDEST two pounds for me to lose.

My weight seems to comfortably rest in the 120-126 range. This is where I feel like I look good. In this range my body fat is within the athletic range or that range that is above essential, whatever the chart you have may call it, so I’m happy.

AND the best part…the reason I haven’t really worried about getting my body fat almost to essential is that I perform my best in this range. That’s right…PERFORMANCE is more important to me than getting close to essential body fat.

The only people who really need to be close to essential body fat are bodybuilders and fitness/figure competitors…And even they are only near ESSENTIAL for a few days around a competition.

Anyway, so my weight is usually between 120-126 (I’m a little under 5’4″ which then by definition makes my weight technically a bit over what it “should be” but I like muscle!).

For this competition, I need to be under 119, which you would think wouldn’t be hard since I’ve been hovering right around 120 for the last few weeks.

BUT IT IS!

It is ridiculously hard for me to drop under 120, which is funny to think about for me since only a few years ago I hovered around 110. But 110 was during collegiate tennis and right after when I didn’t lift heavy, have near as much muscle, eat as clean or have as good a body composition.

So I’ll take being 120 over 110. It took awhile to accept the new number (I had to get over my scale addiction), but once I did, I started to see results because I wasn’t as number oriented.

But now I have to be number oriented…I have to hit 119.

BLEHHHHHHHH!

So I’m cutting…I cut out sodium. I drank a ton of water the first couple of days…Very little yesterday and nothing today really till weigh in (Please don’t dehydrate yourself unless you know what you are doing for competition…It isn’t healthy and water weight will come right back on so it isn’t really meant for long-term weight loss! It is simply a tool to cut weight for a competition so that you save as much muscle tissue as you can.).

My diet was nothing but lean meat and veggies. Simple. Pure.

And never have I wanted a chocolate bar so bad in my life.

I had to stay super clean though because that last pound for me, losing that pound to get under 120 is harder than losing 10lbs to get down to 120.

It is crazy but that last pound sometimes takes a bazillion times more perfection to lose than the first 10 or 20. Not that it isn’t hard to get the weight loss going, but it is amazing how those last few pounds can sometimes be the hardest!

Don’t get frustrated. If you stay consistent and give just a little bit extra effort, it will come off!

However, if you are near starving yourself to get it off and doing other unhealthy things (unless you are cutting for a competition and KNOW what you are doing) maybe that isn’t the weight your body is meant to be at.

Listen to your body. Sometimes you do just need to really buckle down to lose the last pound or so. Sometimes you have to recognize that weight is just a number and that if your body feels good and wants to stick at a weight, maybe you should just relax there for awhile.

And sometimes you just need to take a break from your diet and maintain for awhile and then figure out where you really need to go!

So wish me luck tonight at weigh in. I made it down, but I can’t wait for my carb refeed once I weigh in!!! 120lbs I can’t wait to see you again!