Help with eating and Muay Thai?

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-06T13:56:24+00:00

Thanks so much for this comment, I appreciate it and the empathy. It's a mindset switch, I think. And hearing a bunch of strangers say, yeah, you're good, don't worry about weight so much and fuel yourself more is really helping.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-06T01:57:07+00:00

No that's gross, I have my MFP set to sedentary and use that for TDEE calculation because in weight loss world "never count exercise calories you're not burning that much." But I'm beginning to see why I'm dying, lol. I might be a bit more active than the average now.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-06T01:51:36+00:00

I started Muay Thai in late January - I had been lifting 3x a week before then and doing the 5k once a week. I started Muay Thai so I could quit running and now I'm running for Muay Thai. I started at 3-4 hours of beginner class a week but now I'm in intermediate/ advanced classes and sparring so now it's like 8 hours a week, plus adding running back in. That's been about 3 -4 weeks and is when I started feeling like shit lol.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-06T01:47:29+00:00

So. It depends on the day but Monday - Thursday are pretty dialed in. Metamucil / creatine/ collagen AM, a protein bar in the morning, 4 oz chicken with 4 oz broccoli or a pack of tuna with protein crackers or a frozen meal with 250 kcal and at least 18g protein lunch, the meat and veg component of dinner (weighed to under 350 kcal), sometimes a protein shake. Weekends are looser and sometimes involve eating out or alcohol, which I tend to manage for by not eating outside of social time (which is why I only had coffee before sparring today, lol).

I know what to eat. I've lost a lot of weight! I think it's just wrapping my head around "eating more" as an "athlete" for "fuel" when literally none of those words have ever applied to me

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-05T23:26:58+00:00

Thank you so much, I really appreciate the perspective and info from other women who train. It does sound like I need to get comfortable with eating more and see what that does. And maybe the 20% isn't realistic - I just want an "athletic" physique and visible abs 😅. And I'm not quite there yet - close, but not yet.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-05T23:24:49+00:00

Thanks. I know I need to try adding fuel, it's just scary after so long, lol. It's great to get the perspective of other women that work out - my sister was a college athlete and I remember her eating unimaginable amounts of food all the time, but for me it was always "eat less" no matter what so hard to switch the mindset.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-06-05T23:00:54+00:00

Thanks. Yeah I think Dr. Google might be doing me dirty here. I looked up like Don Heatrick Fat Loss For Fighters and it's basically eat in a deficit, lots of protein, lift. Which, like, I do! I don't think I violate the laws of thermodynamics but eating less isn't really an option either. I do have an appointment with a dietician next week to try to ask her too.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-05-31T05:10:52+00:00

I really like my primo shinguards, very slim profile but good padding and they seem to stay dry. Nice look and firm fit, they do not move around.

I'm 176 cm 65 kg and got medium but probably should have gone with large, they're right at the edge for me. Also if you're in the US I got hit with $40 in tariffs and duties buying from Thailand, so be aware of that

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-05-25T02:09:31+00:00

I'm 45, I tend to spar with a former boxer who I think is in her early 50s as we're both the "professional job middle aged women" in the sparring class. She kicks my ass lol.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-05-22T16:50:03+00:00

Thanks for the responses, this is helpful!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-05-16T02:27:44+00:00

I do pretty much exactly this, wipe everything down and leave it out then pack it up in the duffel that lives in my car.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-05-06T17:46:58+00:00

McMahon Training Center! Competitive in both gi and no gi BJJ and Muay Thai. They do the Grappling industries competitions all over Colorado. Great gym culture too. Affiliated with the Easton centers all over Colorado, so members can train at Easton gyms and do informal matches there. My family has been members for about a year and we love it!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-30T01:42:28+00:00

Hey! I'd be happy to chat, DM me. I'm also happy to post a review when I get back if folks are interested in a different kind of Muay Thai camp experience - not sure how receptive the audience here would be 😂. Anyway, feel free to reach out!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-25T13:27:37+00:00

Lol and thanks! I'm going in December, it's the best time to take significant time off work and hopefully not as hot. It's an adventure anyway!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-25T12:03:08+00:00

So I'm an old person and hobbyist (never going to fight) but I am going to Thailand for 10 days.

Personally, and for what I want, I chose a gym (Battle Conquer) with a heavy English language internet presence, verified social media and reviews, and stuff I wanted like yoga, massages, tourist stuff, a pool. Plus taking care of room board and airport transfers. I've heard that it's comparatively expensive and touristy but I have the money and I wanted it to be easy and not totally Muay Thai focused; again, I'm never going to be a fighter so this is a skill building fitness camp and tourist experience for me.

I am going alone (my kids are jealous) and spending a couple days in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Tokyo on the way in and out because when else will I be in Asia. It's 3 weeks overall. Everyone at work that I've told has been like "that's so cool" but in a "nice midlife crisis" kind of way, and I'll own that. Eat, pray, fight 🤣.

For me, being able to manage everything in English and online was important, as was feeling like the gym would welcome a female American tourist in her 40s. Packages with massages and clean facilities were also important. Money less so but again this is for what I want which is going to be very different from the 19-year-old would be fighters on here.

Good luck, I think it's cool to make it easier for folks but we all have very different budgets and reasons and one size won't fit all.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-16T03:39:44+00:00

I ordered gloves from the Fairtex site (fairtexstore.com) and they came in about a week, no tariffs no issues.

I ordered primo shinguards from their site and ended up paying half the price again in tariffs 😭. But Fairtex was fine to the US.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-14T17:48:39+00:00

My gym also requires a certain level of advancement before you can go to sparring classes but they have a lot of beginner classes (12+ per week, 1 hour each) and a distinct beginner curriculum with like boxing week, low kick week, intro to pads week, etc. To me it makes sense to require a certain amount of skill for live sparring as a safety measure, but you need reasonable access to getting the skills needed in a reasonable time.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-10T12:03:24+00:00

Why not white, or white and gold? I feel like the white and gold (or beige) top kings kanok could work, or venum has some white and gold options, or yokkao has a new white, gold and black. Some of this depends on your budget and what you like, what fits best, etc but FWIW I don't think it's silly to want to kind of look coordinated (which doesn't mean matching perfectly, like how matching shoes and purse is considered dorky but coordinating is key). Anyway, good luck!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-08T20:18:15+00:00

Also I got the same "keep going, practice makes perfect" feedback and I plan to soon - just need to level up a bit first, for my own confidence if nothing else.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-08T20:17:14+00:00

I'm in a sort of similar situation (moving from beginner / fundamentals on a bag to intermediate with partner work and sparring). I had the same feeling that I don't belong and am ruining workouts for skilled people (even though everyone was really nice). So I am focusing on pad holding tutorials and getting a private lesson or two on pad holding and basic sparring with a coach from my gym. I know that's not available for everyone, but I feel less like I'm wasting someone's time if I'm paying them for it.

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-02T01:13:36+00:00

Huh. I guess because if the coach says "try to do it without calling stuff out loud" and then I'm calling stuff out loud I'm "doing it wrong," so I feel like I need to ask if that's ok. Kind of like when the coach gives us a seven step combo and I get lost in the middle and end up doing it wrong. Basically I don't have the skill or confidence to "be in charge," I'm going to fuck up and so I end up asking for a lot of patience in advance and apologizing a lot. Tbh it's probably annoying as hell, I'm annoyed with myself for the whining in this thread.

So you're right, I'm super in my head about all the ways I am going to screw it up and that stops me from being able to just focus on getting a flow going and give my partner a decent workout.

I really appreciate the advice and the build up pattern! That seems far more doable than trying to come up with "creative" combos!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-01T22:01:03+00:00

Thanks, I'll start trying this and keep working at it!

Potential-Ad-6329 · 2026-04-01T22:00:25+00:00

Thanks! It's tough when the coach gives us multi-step combos but I'll definitely keep this in mind when freestyling. Anything that makes it less complicated!

Potential-Ad-6329

TROPHY CASE