6,000 Calories a Day and still so Lean

Michael Fred Phelps, an American swimmer and winner of 16 medals in the last two Olympics, has recently revealed that his caloric intake about 5,000—6,000 calories a day. Now, the big greater concern is how can he consume 10,000 calories a day and still be so lean! We all end up complaining how we’re unable to burn calories and here we have Phelps who does it just right.

So, what does it take to maintain an athletic physique and prepare for the Olympics again. To consume that much and burn it all, athlete needs to follow a rigorous training regime. Take a look at the 6,000 calorie diet of Phelps and see if it is of any help to you. Make sure you consult a dietician or a nutritionist before embarking on this journey.

6,000-calorie Diet

• Morning meal: Breakfast options for the champion swimmer include sandwiches of fried eggs, mayonnaise, omelette , cheese, lettuce, a bowl of grits, tomato, fried onions, few slices of french toast with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.
• Healthy meal plus energy drinks : Supplementing meals with energy drinks is wasy way to absorb fats and foods. Moreover, it provides 2.5 times more calories as compared to protein or carbohydrates.
• 2,000 calorie meal: A combinations of health drinks and meals makes it a 2,000 calories meal, which energise athlete for intensive training schedule. Major part of the meal is from the carbohydrate group.
• Fruits: The heavy meal of whole grain breads, cheese and fried eggs. The addition of fruits or fruit juice gives it a balance.
• Healthy fats for athletes: A diet rich in carbohydrates and fats provide athletes with necessary energy to compete. Unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, are the health fat sources for athletes. Fat-rich fried preparations should be avoided by athletes.
• Managing calories with dense liquids: The athletes should feel fuelled with calories going into the event and deliver their best. For this, athletes are encouraged to have nutrient-dense liquids such as smoothies, which burn calories quickly. Alternatively, athletes can also have foods that are high in calories but small in volume, such as granola with fruit or yogurt
• Timing: The meal time is an important factor; right timing of meal ensures that athlete gets right number of calories and nutrients, without feeling bloated or experiencing interference with training.
• Taking rest to recover: Rest between practice sessions is a balancing act, which makes muscles recover and ready again 

Guidelines for Non-Athletes

Non-athletes should not try 6,000-calorie diet, you can instead follow the general guidelines of consuming and burning 2,500 calories a day. These calories should come from healthy food choices, and burned with physical activity.

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