How I Regained 6 kg in 8 Hours After Weigh-Ins. The Thai-style weigh-in recovery blueprint.
6:30 in the morning, I stepped on the scale at 64.8 kg.
At 19:00, when I entered the ring, I weighed 70.8 kg.
Thai-style weigh-ins are quite unique. They’re not a same-day weigh-in or a day-before weigh-in. The weigh-ins are at 6:00 in the morning, and the fights are after 19:00.
This situation creates two problems.
- You can’t afford any mistakes during the weight cut
- You can’t afford any mistakes when rehydrating and refueling
Because the recovery window is so small, most fighters mess up both.
They cut carbs too aggressively during the cut, then completely wing the rehydration.
This leaves a lot of potential on the table.
So in this post I’ll break down how I gained about 6 kg post weigh-in.
The weight cut.
The weight cut was fairly straightforward.
Starting weight: 69.85 kg
Goal weight: 64.8 kg
Amount of days to lose the weight: 4 days
Weight cut strategies: modified water load, fiber and sodium manipulation, and carbohydrate manipulation (without going low-carb).
Reload strategy: Moderate protein, low fat, high carb.
For this fight I aimed for 10 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight, based on my weight on the morning of the final cut.
Rehydration + refuel
At 6:30 I weighed in at 64.8 kg (142.2 lbs).
This is the exact protocol I followed
6:30 – 7:30: rehydration + refuel
- 1 liter oral rehydration solution + 1 bag of candy
7:30-8:30: rehydration
- 1 liter ORS
- 1 latte (because I craved one)
8:30-9:00: rehydration
- 500 ml ORS
9:00: meal 1
- 2 portions of cornflakes, 450 ml chocolate milk and 1 banana
9:00-10:00: rehydration
- 500 ml ORS
10:00-11:00: rehydration
- 1 liter ORS
11:00: meal 2
- chicken and rice dish + 500 ml of real Coca-Cola
11:00-12:00: rehydration
- 1 liter of ORS
13:00: meal 3
- 2 portions of cornflakes, 450 ml chocolate milk and 1 banana
15:00: meal 4
- chicken noodle dish + 500 ml of real Coca-Cola
16:00: coffee
- 1 latte
16:00-18:00: keeping glycogen topped up
- sipping on Gatorade when thirsty. Finished it at 18:00
19:00: pre-fight
- one bag of Haribo candy.
19:45: fight time
Macros
- Calories: 3500 calories
- Protein: 139 grams
- Fats: 33 grams
- Carbohydrates: 672 grams
In about 12 hours I went from 64.8 kg on the scale to 70.8 kg in the ring.
Fully hydrated. Fully fueled. Ready to fight.
Looking for guidance for your weight cuts and weight cut recovery?
I work with fighters and serious hobbyists to build nutrition plans that support performance across every phase of camp.
I work with a small number of fighters each camp to build weight-cut and recovery protocols that actually work.
If you have a fight booked or you’re training with intent, you can sign up on Gumroad or message me directly.
Until next time
Alex
