Diet and workouts are two everyday words for pro athletes. They trained their bodies to perfection, and Michael Phelps was the perfect example of a swimming superstar. He lived around the pool and ate almost 10000 calories a day. It added fuel to his fire which proved to be a catalyst for his workouts. However, when he retired, his whole complexion changed. You never needed to diet, and Phelps bloated up.
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Several athletes find it hard to maintain their diets after their careers. With no motivation to look forward, they kick back and enjoy the rest of their time. But, Phelps gained weight to a point where he felt uneasy. At that moment, things changed, and he slowly went from being the fittest to the fattest. Well, probably, not that fat!
Michael Phelps gained weight
From 2004 to 2016, he won 28 Olympic medals, going through intense workouts every day. He trained 365 days a year, and it led to significant differences. But, when all of it stops, one can see the changes that happen to their bodies. Similar to his intense workouts, Phelps ate like a machine. Food is key to a swimmer, and he never skipped a meal. Getting in those proteins and carbs, he burnt them inside the pool. He often said that “it was a part of my profession.”
In a world where he never needed to maintain a strict diet, Phelps let loose and ate whatever he found. He gained 30 to 35 pounds and weighed just shy of 230 pounds. Gaining weight for fit athletes is not normal, and they feel unhealthy.
Weight became an issue, and he soon started to look for ways to improve. Finding solutions was easy as he started working out with his wife, Nicole Johnson. He treated his body like a ‘high-performance car’ for years and that became the motivation to get better. Probably, he took lessons from Arnold Schwarzenegger too.
Getting back to shape
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Although determination was never an issue, getting back to shape is difficult. Phelps had trainers and dieticians who looked into his meals round the clock. But now, he had to do it all alone. Along with his wife, he started working out and started eating healthy. Eating healthy is the new trend globally, and Phelps found himself in the middle of veggies. “I was seeing more clearly in all aspects of my life,” mentioned Phelps, who prioritized eating vegetables.
Likewise, he incorporated salads into his regular dinner routines and started getting back to shape. Eating vegetables can help people become healthy and reduce the effects of falling sick. Therefore, motivated, determined, and pumped to lose weight, he finished the challenge. Now he looks as normal as before and looks back in shape. What are your opinions about the Olympian’s metamorphosis? Let us know in the comments.
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