2008 beijing olympics
beijing olympics
greatest olympian
michael phelps
olympic gold medals
olympic swimming
olympics
Who Eats 12,000 calories a day?
By PearlGrace
@PearlGrace (3171)
United States
August 14, 2008 9:12pm CST
Michael Phelps, one of the U.S. swimmers in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is said to eat 12,000 calories a day! No, I'm not kidding! I saw what he eats every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as Good Morning America discussed it today.
I couldn't believe it, a pound of pasta just for lunch, with some other foods.
Breakfast was a 7 egg omelet, 3 sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and one other entree that I don't recall.
I can't remember what they said he had for dinner. It was just so much food. All carbs to give him stored energy.
And, his swimming is sure amazing. He is so fun to watch. So, have you seen Michael Phelps swim in the Olympics? He now holds the record for the most Olympic Gold Medals in Swimming and some now consider him the "greatest Olympian ever."
What do you think, of his calorie intake and his swimming?
4 people like this
17 responses
@sunnflr (2767)
• United States
15 Aug 08
I heard about this today. That is alot of food! I know he does alot of exercise and he's a big guy, but still. I wonder if his cholesterol and everything is good? Seems that he could eat healthy foods more than non-healthy and still accomplish the same goal.
2 people like this
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Your right! He should eat a little better!
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi sunnflr.
Yes, isn't that just unreal? I mean, it just doesn't seem that the human body could process all that. But then, think of how much and how hard he works out and swims.
I swim 100 pool lengths in our pool 3 or 4 times a week, weather permitting. And I will tell you, that about an hour after I get done swimming, I have the most voracious hunger that I've ever felt, no kidding. And I just really need to eat then.
So, as hard as he swims, I can't even imagine it. I know that his choice of food is based on high carbs, which stores energy until used. I ran a sprint triathlon a couple of times, once in 2004 and once in 2006. And I was advised to eat high carb and it definitely helped me to train better and finish the triathlons, once those days arrived.
2 people like this
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
15 Aug 08
No known person needs to eat all that, but then, Michael Phelps is not a known person. If he didn't eat that much, and only ate as much as we average people do, he would just collapse in the pool. I am concerned about what is going to happen when he stops swimming, because he's going to be used to eating that much and, therefore, might get very fat, very quickly.
2 people like this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi cripfemme.
Michael Phelps is fast becoming well-known, isn't it? Yes, he no doubt needs all those calories to give him energy to engage in all that swimming. Well, his appetite will probably drop in conjunction with how much swimming he's doing.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi jill.
Is he a swimmer or what??? Can't get over his teachers telling him he wouldn't "amount to anything" because of his attention deficit disorder. His mom was smart to get him involved in sports and whatever she could.
He is an awesome creature, that's for sure. And, talk about inspiring, every time he comes on the TV, I get an urge to get on the treadmill or go jump in the pool and swim! Too bad he's not on TV all year!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Unfortunately, I have to fill out job applications, work mylot, go to interviews, write down and follow through on ideas for earning money, answer emails about job leads, search the internet, etc. Why can't I loose my job when there isn't an olympics going on? That plus reclaiming and replanting a field. But I really like your discussions abou the olympics on here, they keep me up to day. Maybe be I should find a way to tape the olympics and see them later, they only come along once in every 4 years. TAke care and thanks for the updates.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Maybe if there is one you would like to watch, but are working, you could tape it. People don't realize that I'm actually busier when I don't have a job than when I am, I work harder for little or no money than I do for a regular job. Maybe I should start my own business, but I'm still trying to figure out doing what?
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Hello writersedge. Sorry that the Olympics are on at a bad time for you. Wow, it sounds like you are so very busy with so many things to do.
I love the Olympics and would probably try to tape them if I couldn't watch at least some of them. I don't see them all, of course, because I work and take care of our home. However, I usually tune in in the evenings and see what's going on.
I wish you the best of luck in your work endeavors.
@sameroad (3179)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Wow! That is a lot of calories. I haven't actually seen him though
but my neighbor was talking about him and asking if me i had seen the Olympics yet.
But 12,000 a day is crazy! but i guess he needs all that for everything he does but i also wonder about his health? can eating that much really be that good for you?
sure you might need most of it for fuel but what about all the stuff thats bad in the foods. I wonder what hes fat and sure intakes are and stuff.
2 people like this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hello sameroad.
Yes, I just can't imagine being so thin and muscular and eating like he eats. Oh my gosh, if you haven't seen him, there may not be an opportunity left. The swimming events are almost over. He is just amazing, he swims like a machine!
I have a feeling he is probably advised by some of the best sports nutritionists in our country (if not the world). I am sure he and his coach know that what he is doing is right for his sport and his body. On the other hand, it does seem mind-boggling that a body could process that much food in a day.
I will say that when I swim my 100 pool lengths (our pool is 26 feet long), about 1 hour after I'm done swimming, I have a ginormous appetite. I mean I AM HUNGRY!
Anyhoo, hope you get to see him as those swimming events are gonna be over in the next day or so, I think.
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
15 Aug 08
I have heard that he eats 12,000 calories also! He needs that much to keep up with all he does! He practices for like 8 hours a day! He is doing awesome this year. I think that he has 6 Gold Medals already!
I am so glad that he went to the Olympics and did not have they surgery for his cancer. He is doing very well! Hopefully he will not regret a single second of it!
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi LouiseKnittel.
I know, I can't believe how much energy he has. He is just awesome. I've not heard anything about him having cancer. Are you sure you don't have him mixed up with someone else? I haven't heard that. He was, however, diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder as a child.
Anyway, He is an incredible human being all the way around. And so very inspiring. Thanks for responding.
1 person likes this
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
15 Aug 08
I have the right guy! I am not sure how to spell it. He has Testicular cancer he was diagnosed like 1 week before he left!
He is awesome!!!
1 person likes this
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
15 Aug 08
It was on the World News. I am not sure what channel!
@Meljep (1666)
• United States
15 Aug 08
If the average person ate 12,000 calories a day they would be as big as a barn. He does strenous exercise all day long every day and it shows. When he went into the Olympics he said he was going to win the most medals and break records and he has definitely accomplished his goal. We should be proud of his hard work! I think I'll sit in front of the computer and eat my 1200 calories a day - thank you.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hey Meljep.
You are so funny, you'll eat your 1200 a day and Michael Phelps will eat his 12,000 calories a day. I think if a person ate half that, they'd be as big as a barn. He is an amazing fellow and an awesome athlete. He inspires me.
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
15 Aug 08
Of course it cant be normal, but then again, winning so many medals isnt normal either, so perhaps there is a lesson for us all. Also, he burns the callories that he eats, so maybe he just burns more than us
blessed be
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hello ESKARENA1.
I guess you are right about Michael Phelps nutritional intake. He's obviously burning all those calories with all that incredible swimming he's doing. And it seems feasible that his metabolism is just way kicked up. I should be so lucky.
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
15 Aug 08
I saw this also on the news. He needs all those calories to give him the energy he needs to swim. He swims for hours and hours a day so he is able to consume that much food without ever actually gaining any weight. It just goes to show you what an amazing machine the human body really is.
He is really an incredible athlete and he must know what he's doing. He's won more gold medals than any other Olympian.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi wachit14.
Yes, he just burns up all those calories in a day due to swimming like that. I love you analogy about the human body being an amazing machine. Because, it seems to me, he sort of swims like a machine. He just goes and goes and goes!
I agree that he is an awesome athlete. And the king of Olympians, that's for sure.
@wondericequeen (7876)
• Hong Kong
16 Aug 08
I don't know how many calories I eat a day but definitely not 12,000, that's way too much for me, especially that I don't do any exercise (maybe I should start doing some). But I think for using that much of energy in swimming and practicing, he really needs to eat that much to sustain.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Apparently, Michael Phelps knows what he's doing when he eats all those calories. He's quite a fantastic swimmer and athlete. I shouldn't even be eating 1/6th of that amount, but I suspect there are days I do. And he does seem to be able to sustain energy. Pretty awesome.
@hiddenwing (3719)
• China
15 Aug 08
Anyway, michael is incredible, his food must be reasonable.
However, people are different. What he eats for breakfast is good to him. It doesn't mean that others will benifit from it.
He is really a great althelete.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Hello hiddenwing.
I agree, Michael Phelps obviously knows exactly what his body needs and it is working. Thanks for your comments.
@Elixiress (3878)
•
15 Aug 08
That is a large amount of calories, but considering the amount of exercise he must do to be able to to swim that well then it is understandable. It is recommended that guys have 2500 but it is also recommend that what you eat equals what you burn off, which I think he is definitely doing. However, I don't know where he finds the time to go swimming in between all that eating.
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi Elixiress.
That is so funny, how does he have time to swim with all that eating. It is amazing to think that one person could eat that much in 1 day every single day, isn't it? He's obviously burning all those calories off as he doesn't appear to have a single bit of fat on him. Take care.
@coffeebeatnik (327)
• Philippines
15 Aug 08
That sure is a lot of food.But for Michael Phelps' amazing energy, I'm sure he gets to burn all the calories.Swimming is strenous and you really will eat much after.Michael Phelps is amazing.He is young and he has a very bright future ahead. God bless America!
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hello coffeebeatnik.
It does appear he's burning every last one of those calories everyday, doesn't it? Swimming sure is strenuous. And for me, it builds an appetite. I swim my measly 100 pool lengths (the pool is 26 feet long, I think) about 4 times a week. And when I do, I am VERY hungry about 1 hour later. No doubt, swimming kicks up my metabolism a few notches.
I can't even imagine what it's doing to Michael Phelps, given his speed of swimming and the number of hours he probably swims in a day.
Yes, he's an inspiration, that's for sure.
@coffeebeatnik (327)
• Philippines
16 Aug 08
I guess I'd eat that much too if I'm as good as Michael Phelps in swimming. :)
@Blindside2080 (7)
• United States
15 Aug 08
I am amazed he stays so skinny after hearing how much he eats. Even though he is swims all the time and burns the calories, I just wonder how he burns 12,000. He is my favorite olympic simmer.
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi Blindside2080.
I can attest that swimming makes a person very hungry and works off alot of energy, as I swim a little bit myself. About an hour after I swim, I have a huge appetite! I mean, I AM HUNGRY!
12,000 calories is such a large number of calories. Obviously, Phelps is burning that off each day. Plus, if he swims 8 hours a day like some people say, that's going to burn off alot of energy.
Yes, he's quite a swimmer.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
15 Aug 08
i heard about michael phelps from one of my colleagues, how is he doing in the olympics. he said that phelps is really doing great and already have several gold medals in swimming events. with what he eats, i cannot imagine eating that much. i wish i can eat even half of his breakfast for my breakfast. i don't think it's with my appetite but i guess it's with my "storage room". my body is small in size though i am already forty, works a lot and get hungry but i can't hold so much food in my stomach. 
(neildc @ red/88/1598)
(neildc @ red/88/1598)1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi neildc.
Oh, Michael Phelp is one awesome dude. He's won several Olympic gold medals this year and already had a couple from before, I think. He must know exactly what his body requires and he provides it. It no doubt works for him. What an athlete!
I doubt if any of us could even hold half of what Phelps eats. It's a huge amount of food.
@stagewhisper (901)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Wow! That's pretty amazing. Though it makes sense, considering all the energy he must be burning off every single day. 
He can be fun to watch for swimming, but to be honest, I'm tired of watching everyone focus on the Americans (and I'm an American myself!). I wouldn't mind a bit more focus on some of the other countries... and I'm looking forward to when we get past the swimming events to other events, like the tae kwon do and so on..
He can be fun to watch for swimming, but to be honest, I'm tired of watching everyone focus on the Americans (and I'm an American myself!). I wouldn't mind a bit more focus on some of the other countries... and I'm looking forward to when we get past the swimming events to other events, like the tae kwon do and so on..@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi stagewhisper.
Yes, Michael Phelps is definitely an awesome human being. I am having a blast watching him. I do enjoy hearing about all the American athletes because, to be honest, I don't usually hear about them at all, as I don't read the sports page in the newspaper. So, they are all news to me.
But, I get what you mean, it might also be interesting to hear some of the stories of the athletes from other countries. I am looking forward to some of the running events. I just saw the first ones today (they might have been on earlier, I just didn't see them). I always love triathlons, I wonder if they have that event in the Olympics?
Take care.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hey pearl, Honesty I haven't seen him swim. But, quite frankly,
with that menu I'm really suprised he doesn't drown! That's
an awful lot of carbs. He's really clogging up his arteries
and pushing his luck on cholesterol. What kind of doctor
ok'd that diet? That's amazing! I really am surprised he's
able to swim after eating a pound of pasta!
1 person likes this
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
15 Aug 08
Hi Opal26.
Oh my gosh, I hate you haven't seen Michael Phelps swim. I swear, it is something to see. Amazing. What an athlete! I've never seen anything like that in my life.
I think it's customary to eat alot of pasta before sports events. I used to be a runner (just short distances, 1 to 3 miles) and always before a running event, they would hold a pasta party the night before. Eating high carb provides for stored energy which is what you need during such sporting events.
Surely he's being advised by the top sports nutritionists, wouldn't you think? The food they showed on Good Morning America looked like high carb but not high fat, so I wouldn't think his arteries would be clogged, would they?
Anyhoo, we need a sports nutritionist to respond to this discussion and explain all this stuff, don't we?
