Hear what the British middleweight champion Tommy Langford eats to make weight for championship fights
The reigning British middleweight king has a strict diet that has worked for years and has never even looked like failing to make weight. Here he shares his stringent but successful schedule to show what aspiring boxers need to follow to get in tip-top condition for championship fights.
9:00am Breakfast:
Black coffee
Porridge with natural peanut butter
10:00 Morning snack:
Apple
10:30am Training
1:00pm Lunch:
Black coffee
Chicken with vegetables and rice
“It’s always chicken or fish for protein, but not really a big fan of fish. Sometimes I’ll mix it up with chicken salad wraps or a chicken stir fry with rice noodles”
4:30pm Dinner
Chicken with vegetables and rice
6:00pm Run or strength and conditioning session
7:00pm Recovery:
CNP Pro-MR shake
Banana or apple
Drinks:
Minimum of four litres of water per day
"During rest periods and training sessions, I have to keep hydrated so it probably amounts to six litres per day."
Cheat Meals:
Chicken Madras
Chicken Jalfrezi
Caribbean jerk chicken
Curried goat
“I usually have a cheat meal once per week, if I’ve done well.”
Overview:
“I probably eat more on strength and conditioning days as it requires more fuel. I generally eat little and often to keep strength up.
As I’m a qualified nutritionist, I do it all myself. If I need more carbohydrates, then I give myself a bigger portion of rice in my meals. I train so hard that I can quite often give myself more.
In boxing, you have to get your carbs in the right places to keep you going and protein to sustain muscle mass.
It’s hard to stick to diets, but if you’re eating less than you’re burning then you’re going to lose weight. If you keep fit in-between camps then it makes it so much easier.
Burning more calories than consuming means there’s a deficit in your favour and, ultimately, you will lose weight.
My body is used to this regime now and gets the goodness out of the food.”
Tommy’s tips for dieting:
Think of food as fuel rather than a treat
There are apps available now that are really good for losing weight – try MyFitnessPal
Cut out bread and that helps you lose lots of weight, the difference it makes is amazing
Can go even further by cutting out white foods like pasta and rice
Food Preparation is key, get it all prepared for the week and it’s easy and you won’t stray
Increase your water intake
To follow Tommy Langford on Twitter, click here @Tommy_Langford1
Tommy Langford would like to thank his sponsors TX ODDS, UK Display Stands, JS Wright & Co Ltd, BLK Sport, All Car Leasing, Bartercard UK, Strategy Plus, Atlas Pain Relief, Ringside UK and Agent Tim Rickson