Stepping onto the grey steel scale, you try to levitate your body up into the sky, so the blue digit number on the  rectangular screen appears smaller than it is.  Sadly there is no luck, and you’ll be trying to lose 5 pounds in only the next 3 days.

This is the life of a wrestler. You must lose or gain weight when ever your coaches tell you to. If you can’t follow through, then you may not be able to compete in the next match.

Many wrestlers are forced to go on diets so that they can make the expected weight.  They consume things like fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, low-calorie foods, and lots of water.

“When you are cutting weight you have to watch everything you eat,”said source, sophomore Austin Gagne. “Chicken with no seasoning, with some veggies, and a small glass of water would be a good weight-cutting meal.”

By not taking in their proper daily calories, these wrestlers are left feeling drowsy and lacking their daily energy.  Some say they can barely make it through the day.

“Cutting weight takes everything out of me,” said source, Trevor Therrian,a sophomore. “I feel like a zombie walking through the halls.”

There is a reason why so many wrestlers are willing to drop weight on the spot even with all these complaints they have.

“Well there are not many varsity spots open, and in order to make into one of the spots you need to weigh a certain amount,” said sophomore Matthew Gagne. “It all comes down to if you can lose or gain the weight in the amount of time they need you to.”

Some members on the team don’t just lose the weight to make a varsity spot, they cut weight to help the entire wrestling program as a whole. Since there are only 14 spots for varsity, most wrestlers perform on JV.  Even on JV players must cut weight to stay in a low weight group.

“Depending on what weight class you go [into] can be beneficial to your team,” senior, Emily Boisvert said.

Even though some teammates are very apt to cut weight, others can disagree with the whole process.

“Ugh, I hate cutting weight!” said junior, Shane Welch. “I can’t stand it, I can never eat what I want.”

Although the players dread cutting weight, they still don’t have to in order to wrestle.  Wrestling coach Steve Vermette says there are more factors to cutting weight than the scale, it is also about showing dedication.

“It builds character, because they have to want it, and they have to work for it,” Vermette said.

In the end, wrestling isn’t just about eating low calorie diets, or running on the treadmill for hours. There is way more to this winter sport that keeps these kids on those mats each and every day.

“I would never just quit wrestling”, said sophomore, Noah Gagne. “It is very difficult and you must make some sacrifices, but that is why I enjoy it so much.”