by Ryan Kohlhof

At lunch, they just sit there, watching others eat. See, they would if they could, but eating whatever they want wouldn’t allow them adequate weight loss ability. Yes, that would be PCM’s own wrestlers.
To make weight, or for competitive reasons, sometimes PCM wrestlers have to give up the goodies. That means no sugar. The best foods for them include: Lean meats like turkey and chicken, along with lots of vegetables and water. It takes a lot of integrity to be a wrestler. But at PCM, the wrestling team has a lot of goals to achieve this season, so making weight is important
“Not being able to eat nor drink almost anything has to be the worst part,” sophomore Leevi Telfer said.
When dropping weight, wrestlers always need to be careful. They lose a lot of water weight, so dehydration may become a problem. Electrolyte imbalance and muscle wasting may occur. Also, extreme weight dropping may be caused by starving themselves. This is harmful to your body. An easy way to tell if you are starving is extreme tiredness and feelings of sickness during the day. Weight loss should always be monitored by a coach and/or parent.
“It’s up to the kids whether or not they want to drop weight.” Coach Matt Teeter said. “The best way is to start a month ahead of time, cut back on anything other than water and orange juice, then slowly substitute healthier food in your diet.”
It isn’t bad to drop weight, though. Dropping weight actually allows some wrestlers to get an advantage. Dropping weight takes determination and will. Senior Tristan Clark and sophomores Xavier Miller and Leevi Telfer have already lost 25, 20 and 15 pounds, respectively.
Xavier Miller said, “My coaches help push me, and if I can make weight, it will help me get to State.”