A Success Story Pt I: You Can't Outwork a Shitty Diet

In late May / early June of 2010, after graduating college I weighed 200 lbs.  This was quite the jump since I had wrestled in high school at 170, 152, and then at 160; and in college at 165, 157, 174, then back to 165.  The last competition being in the Fall of 2009.  Those were (of course) dehydrated figures depicting the weight classes I was competing in.  My natural weight would have been approximately 12 - 15 lbs higher.  At 200 lbs I was still in shape, or trying to convince myself that I was.  I did not look obese, but was not content with my now "average" (most 'average' Americans are overweight) body weight, athletic ability, or physique.  And so the journey began....
     After graduating college in May of 2010 I had been training to gain lean mass from previously weighing in the mid 180s.  It is generally acknowledged that if you gain about 10 lbs of body mass, about 3 lbs will be from fat.  However, the result of being in denial of my lax diet, and a very sedentary lifestyle outside of the gym, were very painfully obvious and certainly not favorable.  Again, I probably was not extremely obese, but nor was I were I wanted to be in terms of physical ability.
     I began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, and Muay Thai Kickboxing at Peoria Athletic Club in Peoria, IL in May of 2010.  After enduring many grueling training and sparring sessions my weight dwindled off a bit.  Slowly but surely I was shedding the pounds, but my diet was still completely lax.

     February 26, 2011 was my first Mixed Martial Arts fight.  I had entered my training camp phase weighing about 187lbs.  My goal through the next month (my "Training Camps" usually last 6 weeks with the first and last week being rest/recovery phases and the middle 4 weeks being exceptionally taxing) was to get to less than 185lbs in order to realistically be able to cut/dehydrate the remaining weight to weigh in at <170lbs.  The night before the competition, at the weight ins, I weight in at 168lbs (Dehydrated).  I got in the cage the next night at approximately 183lbs.  I was victorious by Arm Bar Submission in 2:40 of the first round.

     After the fight I did an analysis of my training, diet, and weight... the works.  I felt that in all honesty, I was too short to be fighting as a welterweight at 170lbs.  I am only 5'8" and my reach is short for my height, only about 65".  I had sparred with many other welterweights who had much longer reach and some who were nearly 6 feet tall and some TALLER.  It was clear that while I could manage at 170lbs, I was much better suited to fight at 155lbs (Lightweight).  But was I willing to make the dietary sacrifices required?
     With the summer of 2011 came the 2011 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  May 7th in St. Louis, MO would be my first BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) tournament.  The weight class was to be 170lbs.  However, different from MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) weigh ins, the weigh ins for this tournament were the morning of the competition, leaving only hours to rehydrate and refuel the body.  I began cleaning up my diet after my about a month ahead of time by eating healthier foods such as fruits instead of sweets, whole grains instead of white grains, much more protein, and weening off fatty foods in general while maintaining healthy fats (those found in fish and nuts for example).  At the competition I weighted 168 slightly dehydrated and without my Gi on.  When fully hydrated I weighed about 180 with a 5lb Gi, meaning my naturally hydrated weight was about 175lbs.  I took second place in the competition.  (Below is a flexing picture from my home before departing to the tournament)

   My next BJJ tournament was scheduled for June 11, 2011 in Indianapolis, IN.  However, the weight classes were to again change.  I was now mandated to weigh in at 167.5lbs while wearing a Gi.  There would also only be an hour or two between weigh ins and the start of competition.  Below are the progress pictures leading up to the tournament.  Both were taken while hydrated, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and prior to eating or drinking anything.  Preparation for this competition began immediately following the previous.  I would go on to finish 2nd in a 16-man bracket at the competition.

May 29, 2011

169 lbs

June 10, 2011

165 lbs

How was this all accomplished?  What new fangled diet and fancy supplements did I use?  Which zealous bodybuilding magazines and celebrity workout regiments did I employ?  Want the answers?  Stay tuned for Part II.