Cutting weight.

This year i have not had any national selection tournaments yet but i have been competing the whole year at -55 and i am right at the top of the weight limit. The nationals are in 5 months and i am growing a lot right now (I'm 13). I do not have much fat on me so i was wondering if you guys think i should cut a few kilos or move up to the harder weight class.i have never cut weight before and am wondering how many kilos i could lose and still feel good when i compete.

I think it is  wrong for a 13 year old who is not over weight to to try and lose weight. You will grow a lot bigger and you will need nutrition for this. You will need to eat.

This competition is unimportant in comparison to growing and future competitions when you are bigger.

3knvw wrote:This year i have not had any national selection tournaments yet but i have been competing the whole year at  -55 and i am right at the top of the weight limit. The nationals are in 5 months and i am growing a lot right now (I'm 13). I do not have much fat on me so i was wondering if you guys think i should cut a few kilos or move up to the harder weight class.i have never cut weight before and am wondering how many kilos i could lose and still feel good when i compete.

Are you male or female ? The health consequences are not the same depending on the gender.

Cichorei Kano wrote:

Are you male or female ?  The health consequences are not the same depending on the gender.

I have always respected your input on this site and look forward to your comments, however I am with samsmith on this one.

still learning wrote:

Cichorei Kano wrote:

Are you male or female ?  The health consequences are not the same depending on the gender.

I have always respected your input on this site and look forward to your comments, however I am with samsmith on this one.

Um ... where did I write that I did not agree with Samsmith ?  The only thing I wrote is that the health consequences differ depending on the gender. That is nothing to agree or disagree with that is a medical fact. Saying that they differ does not mean that they aren't negative in both genders; it only means they are different. They are by far the most dramatic in the female and the reason obviously is their hormonal system and the evolution of that hormonal system over time. Nowhere did I write that cutting weight is recommended for 13-year olds. Whether one is going to stop a 13-year old female gymnast or jûdôka whose body mass is borderline from cutting weight simply by saying on a forum that she/he shouldn't obviously is a whole different matter.

Cichorei Kano wrote:

still learning wrote:

Cichorei Kano wrote:

Are you male or female ?  The health consequences are not the same depending on the gender.

I have always respected your input on this site and look forward to your comments, however I am with samsmith on this one.

Um ... where did I write that I did not agree with Samsmith ?  The only thing I wrote is that the health consequences differ depending on the gender. That is nothing to agree or disagree with that is a medical fact. Saying that they differ does not mean that they aren't negative in both genders; it only means they are different. They are by far the most dramatic in the female and the reason obviously is their hormonal system and the evolution of that hormonal system over time. Nowhere did I write that cutting weight is recommended for 13-year olds. Whether one is going to stop a 13-year old female gymnast or jûdôka whose body mass is borderline from cutting weight simply by saying on a forum that she/he shouldn't obviously is a whole different matter.

I had obviously inferred incorrectly from your post that there were some acceptable situations. Surely it is appropriate to say to all young athletes that cutting weight is not acceptable in any circumstances, the long term health is far more important, end of story. If somebody has questions about weight it is inappropriate for anyone other than a doctor to give advice. I would deem any advice to cut weight to a minor except on a medical basis, as child abuse.

Maybe I'm sensitive on this but it is black and white for me.

OP, you'd best talk to both your parents and your coaches about this. If you're actively growing, cutting weight could be very bad. your parents can help you with a nutritionist to make certain your diet is healthy and will sustain your growth, giving you the energy you need no matter what weight category you end up competing at. Your coach can help you with your weight class decision and may be able to point your parents in the direction of a good sports nutritionist.

Listen, assuming you're not a black belt, and you're competing at the national level in juniors competition, what's really important is the development of your judo and your body. Strategies are great, but cutting weight when you're still growing, and when you have hopes of making a seniors national team some years in the future, is probably not the best thing you could be doing right now. Further, 5 months from now is a long time for somebody your age - that's a ton of growth if you're having a growth spurt. Nobody but your physician can tell you that stuff. You can make a guestimate about your eventual body size, but really only a doc can give you a good estimate based on x-ray and other tests (x-ray will tell a doc how close your growth plates are - the further apart they are, the more you're going to grow). Good on you to have goals 5 months down the line, but I'd rather see you strong and healthy at a weight that's appropriate for your body than worrying about keeping under 55 kg for the next 5 months.

Really, take the issue up with your parents and your coaches. If it's deemed appropriate to cut weight, they will help you to cut weight safely. Cutting weight for a 13 year old is quite different than cutting weight for a 25 year old or a 50 year old. You shouldn't be screwing around with your weight without supervision, and I'd say that to anybody who's never cut weight before, no matter how old.