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Must Be Nice

MissMimi posted on Aug 14, 2008 | views: 211 | Tags: swimming, Michael Phelps, Olympics, food, So funny, bigwhat
Olympic swimming superstar Michael Phelps eats around 12,000 calories a day.  Full story here.
 
I read what a typical day's menu might be.  Two pounds of pasta a day.  A whole large pizza.  Eggs, grits, french toast, pancakes.  You know what I just noticed?  No salads, vegetables, fruit.  Interesting.  What's listed in the Yahoo article doesn't sound particularly healthy. 
 
I can't even imagine eating that much food in a day. It just boggles the mind.  But it makes sense, given the enormous amount of energy he burns in a day.
 
12,000 calories a day, and he says he has trouble keeping weight on.  Must be nice.


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Comments

  • botoni said on Aug 14, 2008....
    Thanks for that amazing detail MissM.  Just imagining the amount of energy he expends in order to burn that many calories boggles my simple little mind.
  • MissMimi said on Aug 14, 2008....
    I know!  Imagine being able to eat anything you wanted, as much as you wanted.  Of course, then I remember, oh yeah, he swims seven hours a day too.  Just thinking about that wears me out. 
  • Me-Myself&I said on Aug 14, 2008....
    Here i try to stay under 2,000. lordy .... if i ate 12,000 - i'd float like a buoy! *smile*
  • MissMimi said on Aug 14, 2008....
    Yeah, I hear ya.  I'd need two wheelchairs-- one for each butt cheek!  :D
  • beyondtheveil said on Aug 14, 2008....
    mimi- I don't think I could eat that much. His breakfast sounds about like what I eat in a day. But my exercise regimen falls a wee bit short of his anyway. 
  • uniquely-ironic said on Aug 14, 2008....
    Sounds like he carb loads with all those starchy foods.  That makes sense when you realize that sugary foods would leave him with energy spikes and heavy proteins would probably cause him to lose weight.
     
    I can't imagine how much energy it takes to swim that many hours a day.  Also, he's a very tall man which just carrying around his bulk would burn more calories.  Maybe that's all we need to do, get stretched so that we look thinner ;)
  • wishyouwerehere said on Aug 14, 2008....
    "I'd need two wheelchairs-- one for each butt cheek!  :D "
     
    Ms. Meems - you are hilarious!
  • MissMimi said on Aug 14, 2008....

    beyond -- no I don't think I could either.  I can't imagine eating a pound of pasta at one sitting.  I'd need a PeptoBismol chaser.  ;)

    uni -- LOL  That would take some serious stretching. 

    wishy -- :D  only speaking the truth!

  • Mamie said on Aug 14, 2008....
    I read that too! Ridiculous, I tell ya! Cracked me up about the two wheel chairs, you are nuts!! I would be barfing all afternoon!! Um, have a good lunch?
  • Eilan said on Aug 14, 2008....
    He swims up to 50 miles a week.  I'd imagine that, like u-i said, he's going with starchy carbs because they'd be better fuel for his activity than fibrous carbs.

    I have portion-control issues, and I think I could eat 12K calories a day.  I'd look like Jabba the Hutt's younger sister in six months!
  • botoni said on Aug 14, 2008....

    Just minutes ago I read that the man has size 14 feet.  That's one of the things that gives him an advantage in the water.  I'm betting those feet are hollow and that's where he stores all the food intake.

  • uniquely-ironic said on Aug 14, 2008....
    I bet he has exceptional balance with those gun boats!  I also heard one of the commentators mention that proportionally he has the torso of a man who would stand 6'8" and the legs of a man who would stand 6'2".  He stands 6'4" according to the same source, which means he's largely torso.
  • MissMimi said on Aug 14, 2008....

    Mamie -- I had a fairly unbalanced lunch.  Half a bag of microwave popcorn.  Healthy, huh?

    Eilan -- Portion sizes are really a lot smaller than most of us think.  Did you know a serving of pasta, at least for diabetics, is a half cup?  That's not very much.  I somehow do not see you as Jabba the Hut's younger sister.

    botty -- size 14?  So he has swim fins without actually wearing swim fins?  That's some big shoe.

    uni -- and muscled!  He's got muscles on his muscles.  Verrrry nice.

  • starchini said on Aug 14, 2008....

    u know what they say about big shoes ; > 

     

     

    BIG FEET!!!

    bahahaha....i crack me up

    : P 

  • MissMimi said on Aug 14, 2008....

    star, you are a naughty girl!  ;)

    (But I thought the same thing...)

  • uniquely-ironic said on Aug 14, 2008....
    I always look at at the hands.  It's easy to wear oversized shoes ;)
  • Eilan said on Aug 14, 2008....
    Mimi: I make several servings and eat them all!  :(

    I think we're so used to distorted portion sizes that, psychologically, a "normal" portion size doesn't seem like enough.  Isn't a serving of meat/protein supposed to be about the size of a deck of cards?  Given the Mega-Cows served at steakhouses, you'd never know it.

    Mmmmm. . . steak.
  • seer said on Aug 14, 2008....

    Actually you'd be suprised with calorie counting and exercise. Once I calorie counted a day's hard climbing and I ate 7,000, and I'm not trained even half as much as an olympic swimmer.

    People eat more drastically when the exercise, but there is climate considerations (going off topic but you might find it interesting) - I read somewhere that for bumming around an Artic Research Station you need about 6,000 just for moving petri-dishes and bunsen burners about. 

  • Lucytorial said on Aug 14, 2008....
    Phelps is a machine in the water... Aussie traditionally own the pool but this guy is amazing! freaking awesome.  I love swimming but it is a little concerning that the vege and fruit are missing...
     
    When I was doing competative gymnastics I was ten and eating twice what my father was, the amount of calories you burn to build and maintain muscle and core strength is quite astounding.
  • Zayda said on Aug 14, 2008....
    The did a segment on him tonight on NBC before 200 IM; he burns 4000 calories a day simply swimming (practicing).


    Apparently, Phelps genetics also play a large part in his swimming ability; he has double jointed knees and elbows which gives him a better range of motion than many swimmers. It gives him more "pop" in his stroke.


  • RollingC said on Aug 15, 2008....
    I think he's going to meet his goal of 8 medals.  :^) Rc
  • CreativeWoman said on Aug 15, 2008....
    Wow, that's what I call a metabolism.  :-)

    CW
  • MissMimi said on Aug 15, 2008....

    uni -- Ring size says it all...  lol

    Eilan -- That's what they told us in WeightWatchers and at diabetes school, that the serving size for protein (meat) is about the size of a deck of cards.  That's pretty darn small.  I also learned that the correct portion size for lasagna, for example, is the size of your closed fist.  That made me want to whine -- a lot.

    seer -- that's interesting.  Maybe that's because your body is burning energy to stay warm.  Artic temps would certainly make that a challenge.

    Lucy -- He is like a machine, you're right.  I was watching him doing the butterfly stroke -- it's just amazing the strength that takes.  For gymnastics, I always thought those girls were strongly encouraged to limit their calories to keep their weight down.

    Zee -- I can see where being double-jointed would make you have wider range of motion.  It's pretty amazing. 

    Rc -- I think he will too.  He's also become the media darling of this Olympics.

    CDub -- Yep, I wouldn't mind having the problem of keeping weight on.  With me, pounds just seem to enjoy pasting themselves to my butt.

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