Spending a lot of time traveling can make it difficult to stick to a proper diet, especially when most of the choices are fast food, but Statlander manages to find a way to eat right and work out on the road.
“It can be [difficult], but there’s always like secret hacks,” Statlander said. “And sometimes it’s not necessarily about the places that you eat, but the choices that you make at the places that you eat.
“Like, one of my go-tos is, it’s very boring, but if I get Buffalo Wild Wings, I’ll have the grilled tenders. I’ll do that and the veggie sticks instead of getting a regular chicken nugget or boneless wing or something like that.
“You can find something anywhere. I’m too lazy to meal prep and bring it places, so you have to make conscious choices. And then I’m also very strict about making sure I don’t miss my workouts, whether I’m wrestling that day or not, or if we have to travel that day. I do everything I can to accommodate and stay on track with all of that.
“I’m also not someone who restrains what I eat. If I have a craving, sometimes I will find a way to satisfy it. The thing about wrestling is it’s obviously a very performative, physical business, so part of that is ‘How do I try and look my best but also, how do I not hurt myself every time?’
“Unfortunately, with wrestling, someone who is super lean can be in a lot of pain a lot of times, because bumping hurts. And sometimes not being super lean is a bit safer for your body. So I don’t always try to be the leanest.
“I’ve never really been a super lean person. It took me a very long time to have a decent relationship with food in that aspect. I don’t love-love food in that way. I’m not a foodie.
“I’ll eat what I can, when I can, and I’ll do my best to not eat like crap and not eat horrible, disgusting, gross fried foods all the time. If I want something, I won’t be afraid to have it because it’s not going to hurt me in the long run. Life is so short. Why cry over some ice cream or something like that?”
