The Lincoln Log

In order to insure that wrestlers are healthy, they take a hydration and body fat test before they’re allowed to wrestle. Students that are too dehydrated can’t join until they pass the test and the body fat testing prevents wrestlers from becoming too thin. They are given a minimal weight limit for the amount of pounds they can drop.

“Depending on your body composition if you have extra pounds we help you burn that by cutting back your fats or junk food, a mixture of diet, exercises, healthy food and water consumption.” Wrestling coach Noel Yescas said.

If an athlete needs to gain weight, eating a few bags of potato chips isn’t the way to go.

“When people want to gain weight they usually start weight lifting more because you don’t want to gain body fat, “said Senior wrestling team captain Loni Alex Nguyen, “Constantly you have to maintain your weight because even if you’re just .1 pounds over you get bumped up a weight class. This is a big deal because then you have to wrestle someone who may be ten pounds heavier. It’s really easy to gain weight versus losing it.”

Nguyen has now lost 8 pounds over a month and a half to cut weight for the wrestling team by waking up at 5:30am every day to work out at the gym along with two hours of wrestling practice after school; Her diet of 1,500 calories consists mostly of brown rice, fruits, vegetables and lean protein.

“You got to put in a ton of dedication and motivation if you want to improve and succeed. You can’t just say you want to improve, you have to take the time to improve,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen feels that taking a more natural approach of losing weight is the way to go instead of unhealthy methods. Allowing yourself to eat, and just tweaking your diet slightly is healthier than cutting food out completely.

“I don’t believe in taking laxatives or vomiting and it’s not natural and it’s just gross,” said Nguyen.

All this effort focuses on being the heaviest in her lightweight but not passing the maximum limit so she has the advantage on her opponents. To be slightly over the 112 weight class means she is moved to the next heavier range of people to face, the 119-weight class. This would mean having to face opponents who have a 7-pound weight advantage.

“I chose to do this on my own, and I’m encouraged to do what I want to do. No one is forcing me to cut weight,” said Nguyen.

The healthiest way to diet is to simply follow healthy examples of athletes and most of all get off the couch.

“I perform well because I still eat, I don’t starve my self, I work out more, I’ve been building up my endurance and I’m a lot stronger now. So I’m doing pretty good.” said Nguyen.