Cheryl Swann | Canadian kettlebell athlete, vegan, doughnut enthusiast

Welcome to the platform podcast. I'm your host Jordan Kunde-Wright, founder and head coach of the Twin Cities Kettlebell Club And I'm on a mission to help others build sustainable healthy habits I know how hard that can be because I've struggled and succeeded to varying degrees throughout my life But I've lost over a hundred pounds and kept it off for over a decade now the key for me was discovering my passion for lifting weights in Kettlebell Sport on this podcast we'll talk to athletes coaches experts and everyday people about Kettlebell's fitness programming nutrition mindset making an impact and generally striving to grow and leave a legacy of positive change Please join me. All right welcome in to the platform podcast today's guest is Cheryl Swann She is a Canadian Kettlebell lifter and a vegan donut enthusiast with an awesome Instagram handle Kettlebell and donuts Thanks for coming on Cheryl really appreciate you having having you on. Thank you for having me. I was so honored when you asked me Yeah, I was super excited to have you come on. I've obviously been following you for a little while now and we had Kamm on earlier so you know You can give everybody the intro how do you know Kamm? Kamm? Yeah, he's my boyfriend actually funny enough. We went to high school together. Oh nice. I think I think the official term he used was my old lady He says my old lady a lot. Yeah, I wasn't sure if you were going to call him your old man Or what? I mean he is old but yeah Cool. Well, thank you so much. I'm really glad I'm really glad to have you on and you just competed yesterday right Yeah, I put up a poor showing, but I tried my best you know, it's okay Did the West Shore Kettlebell open and I entered for 10 minutes with a Double 12 long cycle my previous PR was 52 so I was going for more than that But I only got 47 unofficially because I they haven't sent me back my official rank yet But fingers crossed I get it and then I'll get a rank three and then all you can do is move forward from that I guess Yeah, absolutely. Well, let's so let's give people a little bit of context right when was the last time when did you when did you Do the the 52 and what weight class were you competing in because like you you've been doing a pretty massive cut recently Yeah, actually, I was looking back in my training logs and I did 52 last year In I want to say seven minutes. I was training. There was a competition in Michigan Uh in September I believe I was gonna go I didn't end up going um, but yeah, that's when I did it and I've been mostly concentrating on trying to lose weight Just to try and lower like get into a lower weight class But also because I have a foot injury and obviously the excess weight Worsons it so I do the advice of a doctor. I lost weight And I just I feel so much better It's not about really necessarily how you look. It's about how you feel, right? Well, I mean looking better is always a nice always a nice bit a bit of gravy on top Yeah, the feeling feeling better is certainly certainly the most important thing So what weight class did you compete in when you were when you were uh competing yesterday? Uh, actually it was under I think it's super lightweight which is insane It was under 165 pounds which I can't believe because I don't remember when I've ever been under 165 Usually when I compete whether it was doubles or Used to do I started doing one arm long cycle. Uh, I was about 183 to 186 usually um is where 183 to 186 pounds I usually sit at when I compete Nice, so you so you've got pretty pretty significant amount of weight over the last bit I mean both you and cam obviously have been have been doing it together which is super super cool So tell us tell us a little bit about that about that journey like what what's been what was your approach to it? Like how did you I mean a obviously other than the foot injury Were you thinking about it before that or did you just decide because you had the foot injury and the doctor said Hey, you know it'll help to lose weight Were you thinking about it before that or was that kind of the the tipping point? I mean, I always kind of knew but I I felt like good like I never it was never about aesthetics for me the way lost So I was like, okay, well either way. I love my body. So it's fine And then when I started dropping weight I noticed that my foot didn't hurt as much and I started Diating I would say I started may first with uh oev fitness So I have a coach for she does my gpp and she does my nutritional counseling and uh her name's lacy. She's amazing And I started yeah, she's so great. I do show it to lacy because I love her and She just helped me along and I just I kept going with it and it's It used to be kind of like I would do it on the side and I wanted to focus more on sport lifting But eventually I just I started feeling better and better so it kind of became a priority for me Nice, that's awesome And so let's let's talk a little bit. So it's been 12 weeks right you did a 12 a full 12 week cut, right? There's 16 weeks 16 weeks holy shit. That's a long time to be a cut. I know I mean, that's awesome good on you like that's a that's a hard that's a Four months is a long time to cut weight like how how severe was your caloric restriction and uh, you know Talk a little bit about the the the approach and what you what you learned and what what lacy was doing with you Yeah, so um, I pretty much was given like a meal plan like an outline and obviously you can play with it um You do talk a little bit about macros, but not much. It's a little bit of like and obviously you want to be aware of your calories But the big thing is weighing your food and getting enough protein um weighing my food really opened my eyes because Some things you can eat way more than you think and other things. I'm like oh, that's it Sometimes I all weigh it on my little thin scale and I'll be like oh, that's not worth the calories and I just put it back I can You really have to like be flexible with it and I um have been overweight or um, I guess I would be would have been classified as obese Most of my life and being 34 years old. I you know my family um Is it necessarily a snapshot of health so I was never really taught how to eat growing up You know both my parents were busy that everyone was working. We had school. We had Extracurricular activities. So it was just like oh you get McDonald's or oh you get this So it wasn't really I never restricted anything um and if I wanted food it was always there and I always ate you know obviously a lot So um actually just learning how to eat is so important and I like I'm not a parent But I really think it's important for parents to teach their children how to eat at a young age because Maybe that maybe I wouldn't have had to lose you know 30 pounds in my 30 Yeah, I know and as a parent of two relatively young kids I got actually it just Um, you know in full disclosure I was scrambling to get dinner on the on the table before before we started recording because I was like oh crap I'm running out of time. I gotta go I gotta go but uh, I made him you know I made him steak and steak and broccoli and and rice you know and I try and teach them You know what those different components are like my kids my kids like broccoli and they like green beans And they like a lot of their veggies and it's so funny because I get other parents Ask me like oh, how do you get them to eat their veggies and like I eat my veggies My wife eats her veggies like we eat like they eat what we eat and so like if we eat like garbage They like garbage if we well they well, you know, but like My kids actually like my kids actually know like what a car is and they know what protein is and you know I'm like, but I'm trying to like how do you thread that needle of like Making them educated and aware, but also not making them self conscious and like it's such it seems like such a A tricky balance to strike like I don't want them to like I want to be like hey That's probably not the best choice. You should probably eat less of that or yeah No, you don't get your sixth bowl of honey nut Cheerios today because you've already had plenty of carbs You know, but I also don't want them to have a complex about like right yeah, you know like So we I try and get them to like stop when you're full. It's okay to eat when you're hungry and you know, but uh It's it's hard to like build that autonomy and also give them Guidance so that they make good. I was super proud of my daughter though because the other day we were I asked her if she wanted to go if she wanted to go get a breakfast sandwich or if she wanted to get a donut as a treat And she's like I want I just like I want I want to bagel with egg because that's that's healthier than a donut That's amazing not as good, but yeah, yeah Well, so let's talk about donuts for a second because you have the epic Instagram handle Yeah, how much do you love donuts really? Very much. I honestly I I probably actually I ate one yesterday. It was an emotional. I was emotionally being yesterday to be honest But yeah, I don't eat them that much actually because of COVID everything is closed and it's pre-ordered I'm like, yeah, no, I'm not gonna pre-order it right um, but a lot of like Starbucks and Tim Wharton's here They don't have like vegan options. So I don't eat them as much as I like unfortunately. Yeah I for I forget I forget that that donuts aren't vegan like I they're vegetarian obviously But I forget that they're not vegan and that's obviously an important and important distinction for you So why why veganism like tell me a little bit about that Uh, okay, um, I went vegan over Oh, I want to say 12 or 13 years ago. It's been a long haul When I first became vegan I was just you know, I was Early 20 so I'm like drinking all the time and I'm eating junk food and like a sour patch kids and like Dorito Some flavors. Yeah, they're vegan. So I'm like, this is cool. This is fine Um super unhealthy vegan, but it is what it is um, I was actually driving to the gym late night and uh I saw a family of raccoons cross the road and a card and stop obviously I stopped Card and stop and it smoked the mama raccoon and I just like was not okay I pulled over and another big raccoon came and was like You know motion to try to get that babies off the road and I was just like sobbing, you know It was just horrible. I was like I don't want to be the reason that an animal suffers, you know So here we are over a decade later. Wow and 12 years later is still Still a vegan because of that mama raccoon. I know like and they're so cute too Yeah, oh, they're very smart animals too. So well, that's yeah, that's super I mean, that's super interesting because uh Obviously, there's an ethical component, but it's like that you're just that empathetic that you're just like no I'm like that that triggered it for you. That's that's really interesting. That's very cool. It did It's so weird. I know and I remember it so vividly um and I didn't really um so i'm allergic to milk So growing up, I didn't really have much dairy. Yeah, and um I never really ate meat unless it was like boneless skinless chicken So my mom always jokes that I was just meant to be vegan like that's just like who I am. So it's just it was pretty easy for me I guess. I don't know Oh, that's yeah, it's I can I can definitely empathize with that. Well, I can't personally but Because I am allergic to nothing. I am so lucky. I have no I have no allergies. No intolerances like as far as food is concerned Don't give me sulphur, but other than that, I'm fine, which I was super excited about I got a you know fairly fairly a broad allergy test, but my poor wife allergic to milk her whole life right and then she's also got silly x disease Which she didn't know um for for quite a long time And she she always just because she was allergic to milk and you know she would often she would often have you know problems after eating And for the longest time she always just assumed it was because of like cross contamination of things and that she was getting small amounts of dairy or something Because she's severely allergic to dairy like anaphylaxis and death, but like small small amounts just makes her like really really sick So she just always associated like being sick after eating as normal for one And then like and then she always just associated with like oh, there must be trace amounts of dairy in it You know and for the you know first few years of our marriage like I didn't really think anything know that I just took her at her word But then I was like okay, well, we'll just keep dairy in the house, you know like we're just like no dairy in the house at all And then like we you know we cooked almost all of our meals and then I was like babe, there's no way you're getting dairy So she I was like I think maybe you have an issue with gluten you might have an issue with wheat She was like no, no, no, don't you dare try and take my bread away from me I grew up not being able to eat so many things, you know And I was like okay, okay, you know and for the longest time she didn't she didn't do it But then she she finally decided she was gonna try it of her own accord She decided she was gonna try and cut out cut out wheat and like almost immediately Started weight started falling off she started feeling better and you know She's been gluten free now for a long time and our son has been diagnosed with silly x disease as well We know that there's a genetic component. So it's just it's just crazy like how Quickly all of those things add up, but she she's kind of the same way now where she like doesn't really eat much chicken She doesn't really eat much beef she mostly eats eggs and she's like yeah I'm kind of like thinking I'm just gonna go vegetarian like Okay, you know, she's just yes She's just much more used to having those those more limited options, so I don't know. It's uh, it's interesting how that's that's certainly a factor in it I think I'm not I'm not empathetic enough. I'm sorry like I you know I hunt and I my my family grew up as as beef traders, you know So I come from a beef trading thing But I've like been to slaughterhouses. I've been on a farm. I'm like I know where my food comes from as do my kids So there's there is definitely that I do try and be ethical about it But I guess I'm not as empathetic as you I think steak is just too delicious. I'm sorry Yeah, and you know, I think that's important for people to like be clear about, you know, there's been times where It I don't usually bring up unless uh people ask um, but I think if you're if you say oh like I want to go vegan But I could never it's like okay, but if you're like yeah, I just it doesn't interest me I'm not into it. I'm like yeah, okay, that's totally fine, you know But it's kind of the people that are like oh yeah, I care, but uh, it's like it's I don't know it's like It's like that's totally fine. You don't have to go vegan. You don't have to justify to me why you're not vegan Like let's just let's talk about something else, you know It's so it's so weird I like and I do think it is very important though to know where your food comes from even especially now with like Everything that's going on in the world. We've tried to shop local more. It's really opened my eyes to everything Yeah, I think that's I think that's super important to and to understand the impact that it has and to understand You know how far food has to travel and what it costs environmentally as well as monetarily and you know all of those things I think that is I think that is super important and I am I am being much more conscious about reducing the amount of Of protein that I get from meat sources. I eat a lot more eggs now than I than I used to before and I'm starting to do a meat You know a meatless day of the week, you know doing trying to do that to to reduce my environmental impact as well That's awesome. I think it's I think it's I think it is important I I agree with you and I actually did go vegetarian for a month in college just because somebody told me I couldn't and I'm that kind of guy You know, I was like yeah, I can they're like no, you can't I'll bet you you know 20 bucks, and I was like all right done You know and I went I went vegetarian for a month, but it was Kind of a similar similar thing is what you were talking about like him, you know 20 years old and like at first It was like I didn't know what I what I couldn't couldn't eat other than that. I knew I could eat vegetables in a hole So I started out pretty healthy and then I realized wait a minute Twinkies of vegetarian. Oh wait a minute Oh, cereals vegetarian like I started and then it was then it was bad So first I lost like 10 pounds and then I put it all back on because I realized there's all sorts of junk food That's that's technically vegetarian. So it was yeah Same thing as um There's I went v and I was like, oh what can I eat and then I started looking you read labels right because you have to and yeah I was like, oh, I can eat so much This is awesome. It's not nearly as restrictive as people think especially now. Yeah. Oh, yeah So what are your what are your Clean your clean vegan recommendations then what what do you when you when you're eating like the way you're eating now To to improve your health like How how would you recommend the people eat if they're if they're trying to be vegan? Um, honestly a lot of people worry about protein, but if you're eating Healthfully you shouldn't really have to worry about I mean I eat six ounces of extra firm tofu every meal so three times a day and I have at least one protein shake a day um And but also there is protein if you're eating kale like dark root red kale like Sorry, like red red lettuce anything like that like baby spinach, you know Black kale. There's there is protein in that and I think a lot of people don't realize yeah It's like you said with your kids, you know, they eat green beans and broccoli. I eat that all day every day um It's just getting in your vegetables um limiting processed foods is very important because I always would eat um Like I like hamburgers or like veggie burgers or some uh the beyond meat burger I would eat now I eat it like once a week for a treat because it's high in sodium and I just don't like the way that makes me feel yeah, I'm so like Cutting out all the processed stuff really and just trying to eat more vegetables than like lean protein Nice Now how about the do you worry about your amino acid profiles because you know one of the things that um vegans especially run into is is if for people that aren't aware uh a lot of plant sources are not Complete sources of protein, which means they don't have all of the essential amino acids that you need Essential are the ones that you have to get through diet because they're not present in food Um, or they're not present in our body. I mean uh, so you have to get them through through through diet Um, and you see some vegans run into that issue because they don't they don't pay attention to the amino acid profiles Have you ever run into that issue or is that not a problem for you because of the diversity you were just talking about Um, so I wasn't really aware of that until I started with OEB and uh the owner of OEB fitness Sarah I we had a conference call when I started and she was kind of telling me like a few supplements So I was like, okay, and then I listened to this podcast called empowered by iron um, which is uh like women lifters they talk about different things and they had a vegan uh A vegan episode and they were like, oh, like you missing this take this you missing this and the one girl She's so awesome her name's Mary She uh was like, oh, just drink monster like monster. She's like, yeah, monster energy drinks. You're good I was like, oh while I smash two of the other days, so we're gold and you know what I mean? Like I do I do take supplements. Yeah, I take like multi vitamins and such for vegans But I'm not much else, you know, you got your pre workout sometimes. I have my protein powder vitamins. That's it What kind of protein powder do you like? Are you a pea protein or do you have a a blender with what kind of protein do you like? I am a pea protein My supplement store uh shout out to boss supplements. They have a really good raw nutritional It's flavored caramel and it's from a few sources. I believe it's uh pea protein It's really good, but um, I'm right now. I'm using ghost protein. They have a vegan one that's it's says it's peanut butter cereal milk Whatever that means But it tastes like captain crunch. I was like peanut butter. It tastes like captain crunch. Well, I think that's what they mean Like the peanut butter captain crunch the milk left over from peanut butter captain crunch I think that's what they're saying like peanut butter cereal milk Okay, I don't remember captain crunch Tasting like peanut butter Well, that's because there's there's a peanut butter variety of of captain crunch So now you're now you're getting into now you're getting into my world like cereal is my like what don't Are to you cereal is to me You know, I don't I don't know what y'all have available up there But I can tell you that peanut butter captain crunch is like so normal captain crunch is like in these little squares Right, and they're super sweet and they're just you know corn and crunchy But then the peanut butter captain crunch is like these little round balls that are peanut butter flavored and Back in the day Because I'm you know a little bit older than you but not not too much Before before Reese's peanut butter puffs were a thing because that's you know, that's what we do in America We make we make our candy into cereal There's there's actually there's actually a cereal called Reese's peanut butter puffs that taste like chocolate and peanut butter You know cups But I used to take the cocoa puffs half cocoa puffs and half You know peanut butter captain crunch and mix them together to make my own version of Reese's peanut butter crunch before that was a thing I love that I was that was totally my thing Especially as a kid and and in college actually when I needed to keep my weight up because I was playing football and I was I was supposed to be like I was supposed to be 300 pounds and I actually had a hard time keeping my weight up during the season I would eat like five bowls of cereal at every at every meal before I ate my meal People thought people thought I was a freak because I would have a tray of food and then I would have a tray of of cereal Like just just bowls of cereal with whole milk Because it's awesome Well, when I had I had to crush like 6000 calories a day like it was it was actually really hard for me to keep my keep my weight that high Like I had to eat a lot it was it was actually really really challenging people were like, oh that sounds great It was like no, it actually gets kind of painful at times like you're literally for fun yourself with time Yeah, there's there's a bit of that So when I was younger, I used to love mixing cereal like loved it It was the best I was like my little like science experiment when I was younger right but we had the Reese's Puffs cereal and actually I don't know if it is there, but here it's vegan I don't eat it But yeah, we didn't have that peanut butter captain crunch We just have the regular one, but the the ghost protein that's vegan tastes like the regular captain crunch And I love it because other than it tearing your mouth apart it was delicious, right? Yeah, it's good But yeah, that's what that's what I normally have one or two of those a day With water. I don't mix it with almond milk Okay, nice Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I've heard very good things about the ghost protein It's actually you're actually the second person this week that I've talked to that that has mentioned ghost protein by That brand specifically so it is cool. There's there are a lot more vegan options coming out especially in the protein room too Like if you don't have a good tasting vegan protein powder now like you you're not gonna be competitive. It sounds like Oh for sure and you know what they're I've had other I guess you could say a little bit cleaner proteins But being like dieting down was it's you know It's mentally a little tough sometimes. So having that like sweet little protein shake is like a pick me up You know anything in the middle afternoon kind of thing. So yeah, I really like it. Yeah, totally Yes, that's You got to take your victories where you can you got to take your enjoyment when you can especially when you're when you're on a cut Like that's that's that's super super hard So what was the hardest part for you over over the 16 weeks? What was what was the most challenging phase of it? I got to say shout out to cam. He's it. He's such a sweet heart little boyfriend Because he you're old man. Oh right He's so sweet. So he obviously works his butt off at work and then comes home in trains And I was dieting so he was like, okay, I guess we're doing this and He didn't have to diet with me But if I'm making lunches like he's eating pretty clean too. Sorry bud And then he'll add cheese or whatever, but he would eat butter tarts on his break at at work And then like get a cheese slice on the way home and kind of eat it in his car. So he wasn't bringing that home And I came home from work early one time and he had a cheese pizza and he was like, oh, I thought I'd be done before you came So he's been so supportive and so sweet So it wasn't it wasn't you know avoiding temptation really It was honestly going through the lows where I got into the habit of weighing myself every day And there was a week or two where the scale didn't move And I'm like I'm weighing everything What am I doing wrong like you know and cam was like just wait it'll come and I'm like no like maybe I should cut cows a little bit and you know Lacey and camera like no don't do that just stay the course and I'm like I'm stubborn and I'm impatient. So I'm like we'll just cut some calories. I don't need that second, you know Protein shake or whatever But I obviously listened to them and eventually you know sometimes it just comes off in a couple of towns at a time, right? Yeah, it's totally not it's totally non-linear So for anybody that's for anybody that's doing a cut like don't freak out if you have a plateau for a couple of weeks Like that's totally normal. It's part of the process. Stay the course with your coach Yes, stay the course. I knew better too, and I'm just like, you know, you just get frustrated You're like I'm doing everything right. I don't know and then one night I just like I almost like broke down to cam I was like I swear I'm weighing my food. I'm not eating anything extra. I've been in a caloric deficit like I'm I'm logging everything and he was like He just looked at me dead cam was like yeah, like I believe you like you just calm down He's like nobody called you a liar Tiring up and then like two days later. I got my period. I'm like, oh there it is And then everything was fine, you know Sometimes you need to have those little freakouts, though. I think it keeps you healthy. It's normal Well, it's yeah, it's a normal part of the process, and I think that's the important thing like going into it If you can if you can expect that and understand it's gonna be a normal part of the process And like you said like you know in your head that this is normal, but your your heart is still like yeah, but Yeah, but I'm doing everything right like why is this happening? So so now that you're done with the cut What's the what's the plan for for the next phase? How are you how are you reversing out of it? Because you've obviously over the course of four months. I mean you've diminished You've diminished your body weight pretty significantly, which means you've had some some metabolic down regulation Just doing due to you know hormone levels going down and being a smaller person So what's the what's the plan coming out of it? Are you trying to stay stay there? You bringing calories back up or what's the what's the next phase look like Um in a bit. So for the last two weeks I cut out my second protein powder of the day I was only having one in the morning between breakfast and lunch and then I was having one in the afternoon And I cut that out just because I was finding it like I was getting too full I was not eating for a hundred and ninety pound person anymore right um and Cam sweet angel did not throw me under the bus when he was on your podcast, but We would we would eat junk like every night You know like so consistently and then when I entered what we used to eat in my fitness pal I was like oh Like you eat fine throughout the day and then it's like oh you want to watch a show? Okay. Here's some Like what's it called cherry blasters or Mike and I Both vegan and delicious and then like some all-dressed chips I guess you guys don't have there because no but yeah marica, but yeah, they're delicious Um and then I realized I'm like oh my god I was eating like 3000 calories a night just in snacks like just mindlessly eating And I wasn't even hungry because this would be after dinner. I was like what was I doing? um But yeah, I I'm going to add in that second protein drink now and just kind of be a little bit more relaxed with it So usually Saturdays after my kettlebell sports set. I'll have like a refeed meal It's not a cheat meal because I do eat what I want every day Uh, I just choose to like eat foods that are better for me um Especially being in a pandemic right now right like you need All the help you can get to try and be healthy or stay healthy, right? So food is definitely like such a huge part of that um Yeah, probably and put like an extra protein shake back in but that's pretty much it um Maybe eat uh like 200 more carrots like calories a day but not not that much honestly like I like how I I'm feeling with what I eat now um So days I have gpp with lacy Uh, I'll probably eat the same and then maybe have a little bit more um like Some peanut butter on rice cakes before like a kb sports said just like a An extra little treat kind of thing But yeah, I'm pretty good with the way that I eat now. I'm used to it, right? It's like habit Yeah, for sure. Yeah, you just you know the the big thing is you don't want to you don't want to continue Uh going into caloric deficit for too long Otherwise, you know, you can throw your hormones really really off So like you know coming out of it It's it's always good to like try and stabilize things right get get back to homeostasis like not try and lose anymore Not trying to gain anything either because you worked your butt off to get down to where you're at But like you know just trying to like Set this as the new baseline and that can be tricky for a lot of people I mean, that's that's hard but it sounds like it sounds like you've got it like really ingrained in it like it's It's it didn't sound it sounds like the habits were pretty solid and it's not like Super unsustainable for you like this was this actually was done in a pretty sustainable way and now you're saying I'm just gonna add in a couple more hundred calories have a little bit more here and there Yeah, so crazy how quickly it became so normal, you know, it was the first like two days I was like oh, I got this the third day of the of the diet. I was like I don't I don't know like I need like a donut or a cookie And then it was like nope not till Saturday. I was like oh sucks Yeah, I'm just I'm used to it. Oh, I was just gonna say so yes Let's let's nerd out a little bit on the difference between a cheat a cheat day and a refeed day, right? Like like when you talk about a refeed day, what does that look like for you? What do you mean? Okay, yeah, so um It's very like I listen to that like I said that empowered by iron and it's very important to not call it a cheat meal for Them and I guess for myself as well because I'm not really cheating Just like a new way of eating and fueling your money So I don't really do like a refeed day. It's just one meal So yeah, cuz you were gonna cut yeah, that totally makes sense. You're in a cut So it doesn't make sense to have a refeed day if you're in a cut one meal makes sense Right exactly so I would have um Like a little personal pizza from a vegan restaurant or I would have like a vegan burger or something Just something like delicious and then sometimes on this Sunday I would have like an ice cream sandwich or a cookie or a little bit of ice cream But the main thing is that we would go out to get it. We wouldn't have it in the house, right? So we wouldn't buy like a tub of vegan ice cream and have it because obviously I would just mindlessly snack some nights But yeah, I don't I don't really go crazy the only time I went crazy is Um actually last night after my set it was obviously I was emotionally eating but also I was just like You also just you just totally taxed your your CNS you taxed your your energy systems Like that's like the least damaging time to overeat is when you just went full on Balls to the wall for 10 minutes or more, you know depending on what event you're doing like I think you earned it Yeah, I just I didn't feel bad at all. I ate whatever I wanted to and it's funny because this morning I woke up and I felt hung over and I was like Why do I feel hung over, you know, and cam looked at me he's like I feel hung over too And then I was like we ate too much sugar I was like eating vegan marshmallows yesterday. I had a donut. I had a cookie I had half of a vegan pop tart from this like little vegan cafe, you know, and then I had This poutine that I didn't finish, but it was like the southwest poutine. So it's like a burger or some barbeque Fritos vegan cheese and like gravy. It was just insane. Oh That honestly doesn't sound good. I'm not Okay, well you're wrong. I I just right now it doesn't me. I'm sure if you put it in front of me I would probably stuff it in my face and be like okay, you're totally right here Which is like right now hearing about it. It sounds so heavy that I'm like Yeah, I don't know everything else you said. It was like yeah pop tart marshmallow. Yeah Give it to me. I was just like cam was warming up yesterday Just he didn't compete but he was gonna just train and he's warming up and I'm downstairs. Just handballing marks smell What am I doing now, but I mean whatever it's sometimes you need to like I think like Mentally, I just needed that like who cares day, you know, but I did I did me a feeling crappy today Then it was tofu and green beans for lunch. So yeah back back on back on the rails. Yeah, that's and that's important like I I think Refeeds you know refeeds are super important especially especially when you're You have a performance goal or when you're in the middle of the cut like a refeed meal I think is super important because otherwise you're you're just gonna Your your performance is is gonna go down even more severely than it than it already does right because an extended especially on an extended cut Like if you're not doing some type of refeed days like You're gonna get to the point where your performance is just gonna be hot garbage in the gym And it's just and it's simply because you don't have enough fuel to perform and that's expected And it's part of the it's part of the process, but the refeed days can minimize that affect a little bit without slowing down your progress I think that's I think that's super important and it sounds like mentally it was super important for you too Like it sounds like that really helped you be able to stick with it because you knew you had like Your treat day right you had your you had your burger or your ice cream sandwich or whatever it was that you wanted You had that coming and you knew that was on the horizon. So it made it maybe made it a little easier It did yeah, and it's so funny how once you change your diet any little blips like you could definitely tell like The doctor that I went to for PRP and Buffalo He was like well, do you eat much sugar and I was like Well Yeah, I guess I don't know normal amount right what's normal Um, and he was like nope sugars in flammatory like you don't you don't want to use that eat it very often He's like fruit but like no process. I was like oh Oh, and then he was like you know like You're um a competitive athlete, but like Your your body doesn't know that because you're you know, you're not fueling it for that And I was like oh that's also true. I got called out, you know And uh, he's like I'm not telling you to lose weight I'm telling you to lose fat mass and I was like okay And he you know what my doctors in Canada never told me anything they were never like you need to lose weight Um because it'll make your foot feel better right it's less weight on your foot um and Luckily the doctor Kaplan and Buffalo was so straightforward with me. I appreciate that. Yeah He's helped me so much because the doctors here didn't really help me Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna challenge him on the sugar thing though. I mean sugar can be in flammatory for sure But sugar is also that's also totally what your body craves and needs post workout especially if you're in a high glycolytic sport Like kettlebell sport where your body is being primarily fueled by burning carbohydrate energy. I mean, it's just it just it just is what it is That's the energy pathway that's being utilized. So you definitely need sugar in your diet because Uh, and not necessarily that you need processed sugar But um, even that I will say like fruit fructose When it's converted to glycogen only gets stored in the liver Other forms of carbohydrates are get converted to glycogen that can be stored in in the muscles. So You know, I will I'm gonna say you know, we talked a little bit actually I think on on the direct message where I was I was telling you about a Highly highly branch cyclic dexterate right like that's my like New favorite supplement like brings people back from the dead Because because because when you're in a highly glycolytic sport like you you just produce so much lactic acid And you you burn through so much glycogen that you need something to get you back into a parasympathetic state Well, the number one thing that does that is insulin insulin blunts cortisol response those two are inversely correlated So cortisol is produced by stress, which isn't those a bad thing right we want to stress response from training But once we're done training we want to tell our body it's time to rest and recover And that's where like something like highly branch cyclic dexterine is actually really going to help But it's kind of producing insulin response and it's it's really is sugar, you know, but it's You know a specifically engineered sugar, but you know, so I guess I'm just gonna say there's more nuance to it than just you know sugar is bad Maybe that's yeah, maybe that's oversimplifying his point I mean he was saying you're you're not fueling for performance right now So your body doesn't know it's a performance athlete, which I would agree with when you're gonna cut You're not fueling for performance. You're fueling to change body composition. So, you know, but Right. Yeah, no, no, no, it's okay. I actually saw him like Over the winter and so before when I saw him I had gained weight because I was off work for three months Because I couldn't even walk on my foot So I saw him as a last resort because doctors in Canada were too busy and then I went somewhere along story short they injected cortisone in my foot which made it worse Yeah, and then they did it again, which made it worse Did it make it didn't make it better at first like very short term and then and then it got worse or did it just Immediately make it worse. Yes, and then it got worse very very fast And then he was like he saw my foot and was just like what did they do? I was like I don't know But yeah, he I think he just meant like, you know, like constantly eating because I would eat a lot of candy like Yeah, overeating sugar is definitely bad. It was insane. So I'm not like the anti sugar. Obviously. I love donuts But it was it was a lot, you know, and I think he was just like he looked at like you know, what do you eat in a day? Okay, well, you're eating excessive amounts of sugar. Like let's cut that back Yeah, if there was more nuance to it than that. Yeah, then absolutely. I totally agree with that I get triggered by that because there are there are many many doctors, particularly in America And I have some very good friends of mine who are doctors in America my college roommate was a Is a doctor and he he comes to me for nutrition advice because he's like yeah, I got I got literally I got literally one semester in In all of my you know 12 years of training. I got one semester on nutrition Yeah, I remember you saying that in one of your podcasts like you know, so it's you know American doctors do not get a lot of do not get a lot of training on nutrition It's outside their scope and less they go into an area that specifically requires more knowledge, but you know, it's It's a little it's a little bit of a little bit of a thing that triggers me because I have had some I've had some Debates will say with with some doctors who who would tell some of my clients not good Not good advice and then and now I'm arguing with a doctor, you know, and it's like yeah This is and then they're like no one yeah exactly. This is a no one no one situation because they're like yeah But I'm but I'm a doctor what what do you I'm like? Okay, I've got three nutrition certifications and I've you know studied this for years But whatever you know Like this is what I do with my spare time because it's so interesting. I just love it That's that's me apparently, so So let's talk talk a little bit about your your set yesterday because I you you came in you came into it Pretty with pretty realistic Thought on it you were like I think it's gonna be a struggle Yeah, I think what you I think what you told me and I tried to give you a pep talk like you know You're tough you got this you'll you'll push through and I think cam did cam did the same thing But tell us a little bit about how that went and how it felt and you know, what what was going on Yeah, so I All of last week I was trying to die it down to Under 165 because for rank one with double 12s long cycle I would if I was under 165 I would only need 66 reps and I was like oh 66 I got this and then I said okay if I wait in over 165 The next class is under 175 so I have to do 71 reps and I just I knew I wasn't there um, which is fine um and I was like okay 66 like I got this and I was like I don't know if I have 66 in me and cam was like you'll make it happen because you're gritty And I was like yeah, I'm just I'm gonna okay and I stepped on the platform I was like okay, well, I guess we're doing this either way whatever and I kind of felt like This was the only time Before a competition that I was like I don't got this You know like all last week I just felt like depleted. I was tired. Even though I'm sleeping well I have like a sleep tracker. I was doing great. I was on point for nutrition Um, and for the competition I weighed in I think it was 163.8 so I weighed under Um, so I did still need 66 reps, but I just On the 47th I it got up there was lockout I came back down And then I cleaned it and on the way up my my hands just gave out like I my body was like nope done Yeah, and cam's like you put them down. I was like I didn't put them down You know when you put them down in competition if you've ever put them down early Yeah, which I've made the I've made I've made the decision to put them down And I've had the bells make the decision for me Two very different experiences So Scott Schettler um From epts and Atlanta is like my kettlebell coach and he was my very first coach And he said don't put them down early in competition I don't care if you rack them, but don't put them down And I'm like okay, so in competition. I've never put them down early I'll stand I'll fidget on my feet, you know, but I don't put them down early and I I don't think I meant to put them down. My body was just like I'm done like my grip gave out We trained in the second bedroom of our condo and it was hot I sweat through the chalk and I was like gripping it like it was just it wasn't happening and then I put them down and I just like couldn't feel my hands I was like yeah, I'm done Disappointed, but I mean it is what it is luckily. There's another competition in a month. So Yeah, and I think yeah, I think if you I think now like if you if you look at this next month If the goal is to just maintain what you've maintained the weight right that you've that you've cut Right, and I think we were you know, I was telling you this in in our in our You know private message like I'm really excited to see what your next competition looks like because you've got a full month now Where you're not you're no longer trying to cut you're just like trying to maintain what you've done And then get get back to baseline a little bit and and fuel a little bit more You know re reestablish some hormone levels and you know because even though you're sleeping like you're sleeping You said you're you're getting enough sleep your sleep quality is affected by your hormones And when you're in a caloric deficit for a long time like that stuff just starts to weigh in like I've seen the blood work It just happens, you know So in a you know this coming month you'll probably start sleeping better recovering better And you'll be able to have a little bit more fuel in your body I'm really excited to see because you'll be lighter still for your next competition But you'll have a month of of more consistent fueling where you won't be actively trying to cut anymore You know, and I'm I'm excited to see what the what the next set looks like because I have a feeling you're gonna You're gonna crush crush on the next set. So I hope so I'm I keep seeing everyone's results from the competition and I'm I'm so pumped for them and it's funny because there's been competitions um a couple years ago where I didn't get what I wanted and I was kind of set and I just I feel like maybe I'm just It's getting easier when you fail, you know, I mean when you you know, I'm using air quotations. You can't see me But it's it gets easier And you like you just have to learn to take it, you know, I'm really bad at like losing I don't like it. I am pretty competitive, but There were some girls one girl did like over a hundred long cycle I think was misty. I was like you are awesome like I don't even like You just like I wasn't even in the same hemisphere, you know So awesome, and I'm like so pumped for everyone that hit their PRs and it's exciting to see and I'm you know Years ago, I would be like no one ever on current, but now I'm like Genuinely so happy for them and I can't wait for like it for more weeks of training because It's crazy like you can step on the platform everything is dialed and everything is perfect But some days it's just not your day. You just gotta get used to it. You know, yeah, totally Yeah, yeah, absolutely and it's it's funny because I've had a kind of a similar a similar journey with Mentally right where like I used to when I first started competing in kettlebell sport like I had I had people that I was chasing that I wanted to catch up to or that like oh there You know, I can I can put up more reps than that person or like I want to be better than that person Or like you know, I want to be as good as that person or whatever right and and I would you know I would have a even if I had a good set for me right I would have a good set for me But because I fell short of what that person was doing I'd be pissed off or because I didn't hit the what I thought in my head I should be doing I'd be pissed off even though I had a good set, you know And and like it took me a while to to come around to like realizing that like Now all I can do is look at me and like let everyone else go and like if you know If somebody else has an awesome set great good for them like be happy for them and then just Move on and be you know just focus on your and focus on your own world because Like chasing other people just all it did was make me mad and it was such a big shift for me because like coming from playing Like American football like you're like my job was to dominate the person across from me I was an offensive lineman my job was to literally impose my will on them So like it was it was really weird for me to not have that direct competition right like you're you're certainly competing But like it's really just you against the bells trying to do your best that you can because that's what's gonna get you on the platform Many or get you on the podium anyways if you focus on other people like you're just gonna You're just gonna mess with yourself that that's been my experience at least It sounds like you had kind of a similar a similar mindset change Oh, yeah, there's been when I started kettlebell sport. I did one arm long cycle and Just seeing like I go to compete and I think we went to Ottawa and I was like Wow, there's a lot of people doing 16 kg one arm and like It's so humbling when you're like yeah, I'm sort of strong and then you're like Oh It's so awesome to see and I I just like the kettlebell sport community is so amazing. I just I love it so much. Yeah totally. Yeah, I love I that is it is an amazing it is an amazing community of people because it's like anybody Anybody that gets on the platform and and competes like everybody's just in full support of because we all know how hard it is Like once you've competed one time you realize how hard it is and like how brave it is Just to get out get up there and suffer for that long like everybody's just like yeah good on you man like good set like You know, no nobody's like that kind of sucked Like which is it's so funny because I have like a lot of powerlifting friends and They're either like oh like that's not that bad. Like it's okay. It looks easy. And then I'm like well And then or they're like yeah, why would you want to do that? That's horrible So funny it's like too extreme right yeah, people that are like oh that seems easy. I'm like what? Yeah, well, that was me. I was that guy right because I was a I was a power well not powerlifter Like I was a football player, but I trained powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting to get better at football And I was pretty relatively relatively strong right and like I was definitely that guy that was like oh, that's That looks pretty easy. Yeah, sure. I don't see what the big deal is Okay You know 10 years 10 years later, you know, still still trying to hit CMS. Okay Yeah, honestly, I'll never forget the the time that the first time that I Cleaned two 12 KGs. I was like How do people do because I had done eights and then I had done 10s and I was like okay Let's try the 12s just you know, no first set just for a couple reps I clean them and then when they landed on my chest. I was like oh This is like a new level of sock You know what I mean? There's girls doing like so many reps with them. We're doing, you know, 16s double 20s double 24s like Chicken my chicken my ass and double 24s She's not she's a badass Someone posted I came up because I followed like the hashtag kettlebell sport and it came off that like This like I think she was 12 or 13-year-old girl. She was doing double 12s and I was like her Like RPM is smashing me. I'm like oh no. Yeah. Well, have you have have you met Jordan Jordan Tajesky? Oh she like She's just so crazy I say I say she's she's she's the good Jordan in kettlebell sport She's she's a she's a badass and like she'll she'll throw around 28s 32s like I you know How I just like I can't like you are just so amazing. I just like She did her set it to Arnold's she walked on the platform and I'm sitting there and I'm just like Whoa and like my mouth was open like I might have been drooling. I don't know But I was just like wow like you're amazing and even you know Andrea she's doing double 24s in her body weight is so I'm like You're just a monster. I just love it so much mighty mouse like she's like one of my legs and she's Just cry like she's just crushing. She's awesome and she's so humble about it too. It's so she's so sweet. I love That's fantastic. So how did you I didn't I normally I asked this at the beginning How did you get into kettlebell sport? I don't even know how you how you stumbled into it. Oh, yeah, so We accidentally went into it on purpose Cam and I went to this kettlebell club out in Guelph and it was like a pay what you can so we did that a few times And it was fun and then Cam bought you know kettlebells and That's pretty much it. We had a couple so I would do you know some swings here and there some jerks some whatever and then When was it? Oh Like 2017 Cam and I drove to Cleveland and we met up with my Instagram friend Scott Shettler who is a strength coach in Atlanta and We had been friends on Instagram Scott and I because he we both like hardcore metal music and we're both vegan So he was visiting family and he's like, oh come out. We'll get vegan food So Cam and I drove down met him and he was like obvious coach. I was like, okay sweet And then that I think it was maybe a Thursday and then the Monday He emailed us trading plans and I was like, oh, this is actually a thing We were just like talking right and then he coached us and yeah, he's been awesome He came to the Arnold not this Previous March, but the year before that when Cam competed um and he's He's been great. He's been a great coach. He's been a great friend And he's definitely kept us motivated and yeah, we just kind of continued through obviously I've had some lows with injury and such um, but yeah, that's kind of the rest of history It's been such a blur the last few years because I feel like I finally found my thing, you know, I feel like everyone needs doesn't matter if it's you know Weightlifting powerlifting kettlebell sport horseback riding, you know, I feel like everyone needs a hobby That's also an outlet and I'm just lucky enough that kettlebell sport is keeps me like active But it also like it's so therapeutic right because you can have a bad day and you can take it out on the bells or sometimes they They take it out on you, you know what I mean like you never know, but yeah I wrote a blog post about that like finding quiet when the world is screaming And I said something very similar to that like you just got to find your thing whatever it is whatever it is The thing that like you can just pour yourself into and it and it It's your respite from the rest of the world like if you have a bad day And you need to go there or you had a great day and you just want to go there, right? But like that that place that like you just keep coming back to because it's it's where you can You can let go of everything else like you got to figure out what that thing is because I feel like every I feel like every human needs that I think that's I think that's so huge. That's that's awesome. I love that so much Yeah, and you know what you might find it when you're 15 or 16 years old You might find it when you're 40 or 50 it just you know, I had done So many activities, but I never stuck with it, you know, and I was young I did horseback riding I did like golf I took drumming lessons because I wanted to be a drummer, you know I did all these other things But I just never stuck with it because it they weren't my things, you know, but kettlebell sport is And I plan on you know doing it for the long haul so You know in the grand scheme of things me Getting 47 reps on one competition You know in five ten years. I'm not even gonna remember that So yeah, absolutely that's awesome. I don't think you'll ever forget that set actually Yeah, you're right. I think that I was like all I did Did you remember it now? You're gonna you're gonna always remember because because we always remember the negative ones way more than the successful ones Unfortunately, right like we're we're ten times more likely to remember negative stimulus than positive stimulus Which is terrible, but it's an evolutionary thing, right? So you'll definitely you'll definitely remember that you know Oh, yeah, that one set where I was like completely depleted in my arms Just or my hands just gave out because I just couldn't hold the bells anymore even though Scott told me never set them down Totally you'll totally remember that but you know what I will never forget my first competition ever it was It was yeah My first one still rings so clear in the bag of my head all the time like oh, don't do this again. Don't do that, you know Well, tell me about it. What what were those lessons Um, it was this CKA event in Toronto and I did 12 kg one arm-long cycle. I had only been training under Scott for like four weeks And he got you on the platform good on he was like I'm like do I do it? Should I even do it? He was like yeah, you're gonna do it He's like who cares and I was like yeah, you're right. Who cares? So um, I did it and I had been to competitions before but they were It was a Niagara kind of open. I believe and it was in a got to and CKA is a little bit different They're a little bit more strict about rules. So I'm wearing Yoga pants like leggings and yeah fail fail number one Hey, I don't have shorts and they're like you need shorts and I was like oh Because I had previously seen women lived in leggings. I was like oh, we're good And then so Kim and I had to drive to a sport check in Toronto to get short shorts and Just getting on the platform in short shorts at a hundred you know 90 pounds was That's all I could think about looking back. Nobody looks about nobody cares, you know um, but I was very nervous and I Was you know, they're calling me to the platform. They're like okay Cheryl swan. Where are you? And I was like I have to pee I was like so scared. I'm like I'm just gonna pee myself on the platform And then like Cheryl swan final call. I'm like I'm coming I'm just running like talking my hands. I'm just like I'm so sorry. Oh my god And then I get there if buzzer starts and then I lift and I just she was like you need to hold it like six eight And I was like okay, and I I got I squeezed out um like a hundred and four reps. So I got rank Um, but after I was like oh, this was like way more intense than I thought Because the girl the judge is yelling at me. She's like fixate. I'm like what I can't hear you I'm trying in my zone and I'm just my legs are shaking. I'm so nervous and I'm tired and I was like oh my god I'm like and then after I'm like scott like it didn't go well. I embarrassed you. I'm so sorry He's like you've been lifting for a month like you're good Don't worry and he's like how many reps did you get I'm like 104 and he was like that's crazy That's amazing. I'm like oh okay cool. Can I eat no? But yeah, it was it was so scary and I was like okay like now I always have extra shorts just in case you know what I mean And just in case like someone needs them or like my rip or whatever But I just it's the things you don't think about I was like oh my goodness like they're legit That's awesome. Yeah And so how's so how's your foot you you you had to you had to like completely redo your jerk form because of this foot injury So let's tell us tell us a little bit about that you went from a triple extension jerk, which is normal to a double extension jerk But you know essentially a push press. How's how's that transition been for you? So every time I compete with like I just competed with AKG's and then I did like I think it was like a four or six week improvement thing with the pro kettlebell Seattle kettlebell club thing And even every time I compete I'm like all like should I tell the judge Like that, you know, I can't like lift my heel and every time can't like just relax They'll your first rep they'll see what you're doing you have the double knee band band. It's fine and every time I'm like oh should I demonstrate do they know and he's like your lockouts fine. It's fine. I'm like okay But yeah, it's it's all like so much Wags like so much quad like my legs are always so tired from the gpp that lacy gives me and also for my kettlebell sport training But now my foot has been better since I lost weight And since I did get that PRP treatment in Buffalo the day that the American Canadian border Closed was the day I remember specifically it was a Wednesday was the day that I had an appointment In March of for my second PRP treatment Yeah, yeah, okay, we don't apparently we don't have it in Canada. I was like wow, okay, really I know yeah That honestly surprises me. I know they do like PRP facials cause meta for cosmetics But they don't do the PRP treatment that the doctor in Buffalo does which is crazy because in Canada the weight was so long I did physio. I did acupuncture. I did shockwave therapy. I did two rounds of cortisone injections I have orthotics and then I got the PRP treatment and it was like three days of Horrible pain and then it was it was fine. It was so much better That is that is interesting. I've I've actually I've heard about I've heard about PRP injections in the scalp For people that are going bald. I am not going to do that. I will just keep shaving my head As it gets less and less hair up there, but I have heard about that But I had never heard of anybody that had I've heard of it for as a therapeutic intervention But I've never heard anybody who got results from it or that's actually done it in that in that way So that's that's cool to hear that it that it appears to work well Yeah, and I was willing to try it because I was in so much pain And Nothing here had really helped me and most of our medical care is free But the wait times are so long for things You know Yeah, Cam and I yeah, Cam and I talked a little bit about that that is uh that is one of those things that we Americans here quite often about how long Canadian wait times are and you never quite sure how How much of it is political spin and how much of it is truth Unfortunately, that's that is the that is the The sad truth of living in America Sometimes but Well, thank you so much Cheryl. I want to be respectful of your time I know we blocked an hour and I think we're probably a little bit over that So I want to I want to make sure that I that I give you a chance to get back to your normal day I know you work today. So thank you so much for coming on and how do people follow you on on Instagram? It's uh At kettlebell at kettlebell and donuts, right? All one word and all spelled out, right? Yeah, at kettlebells and donuts. Nice. Well, thank you. Thank you so much for coming on I'm really looking forward to seeing how you're how your next set goes Thank you so much. I appreciate it so much and I'm sorry if I rambled because Oh, no, this is great. I love it. No, I loved it. This was great. Thank you so much Thank you. We'll talk soon. Thank Cheryl. Yes, take care. Bye. Bye Thanks for listening to this episode of the platform podcast. I'm Jordan Kunde-Wright If you have a question, please email me at twinsities kettlebell club at gmail.com Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at twinsities kettlebell club on twitter at tckb club Online at twinsities kettlebell club.com and please help us grow our reach and give us a review on apple podcasts Spotify stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts until next time