Remember Michael Phelp's Beijing Olympics Diet? He inhaled 12,000 calories a day, including breakfasts full of pancake stacks, grits, French toast, eggs, the whole works.
Tour de France cyclists are encouraged to consume a like amount of calories per day.
These guys burn and burn and burn away the calories.
If Phelps ever decides to switch careers, we imagine he would win the gold in a competitive eating contest.
Unfortunately, we're not as blessed to eat uncontrollably without worry of blowing up like the Good Year Blimp.
An average male at Phelps's weight and height should only consume around 1/6 of what Phelps takes in.
The ancient Olympians like Hercules followed what in essence was the Atkins Diet - lots of protein sans the carbs.
This article highlights the nutritional programs for a variety of "Olympic" focused athletes.
Workout with the same motivational Olympian prowess, eat like a champ, and you'll see your gorgeous face planted on a Wheaties box in no time! Women skiers don't burn as many calories as Michael Phelps's whopping 8,000 calorie-burning swim workouts, but they still manage to smolder 4,000 - 5,000 calories per training session.
For comparison's sake, 4,000-5,000 burned calories is more than 2x the amount of daily calories the average woman consumes in a day.
Don't jump to conclusions saying "Oh No" that the most decorated USA Winter Olympian in history, Apolo Ohno, follows an extreme no-holds-barred diet.
He may be falling over from the weight of his medals, but he's certainly not fainting from his caloric intake.
So what can we learn from the Olympic competitors? Your daily lifestyle and workout regime should influence your diet.
If you run around all day for work with lots of activity, and then you chase that with a 5-mile run when you get home, you will need to consume more calories naturally than someone who moves from desk-to-couch each day.
Downhill skiers need protein to build their muscles, while speed skaters need carb-heavy diets for recovery.
Meals heavy in protein, such as lean meats, make up the majority of Bode Miller's and Lindsay Vonn's diets.
Whereas ice skaters lean toward meals like whole-wheat pasta dishes which offer a large amount of glucose, which is stored and released into energy for that day's specific caloric needs.
The same concept is applied to the powerhouse cyclists like Lance Armstrong.
Big breakfasts are followed by nibbling on highly-enriched granola bars to sustain riders for a long distance treks.
Skiers and snowboarders consume larger portion sizes for optimal performance.
Shredding and slicing through the snow unleashes a powerhouse of energy contained within the foods they eat.
Winter Olympians, and other athletes who are dressed in heavy gear, sometimes forget the importance of water.
Dressed as they are they need to stay on top of the amount of water they consume.
Now Regular Joes may forget about the amount of perspiration they expire; we assume super athletes are well aware of this important factor.
Add high altitude to the mix and everyone's heart works harder to pump more blood.
So the lesson here: drink lots and lots of water.
A good rule of thumb - drink beyond what you feel is enough.
And don't forget about replenishing electrolytes.
Good sources include Gatorade's G2 and Smart Water.
Bottom line ladies: be conscientious of what you consume.
Also, try and work out 4-5 times a week, consult with a nutritionist, and/or subscribe to a magazine like Shape or Fitness.
Both magazines are great to pick up workout tips, healthy recipes and will give you added encouragement.
Most of all have fun and stay healthy!