Michael Phelps, the swimming star of these past Olympic games, made more than a few headlines with the revelation that he eats 12,000 calories a day, almost 10 times what us regular folks consume. But while this number is much talked about, it's not actually true.

During his recent appearance on 60 Minutes, Phelps revealed that he actually eats about 8,000 to 10,000 a day when he's training. That's still quite a lot of food, but Phelps insists that he really needs it -- "I have to always just constantly shovel food in because I can lose five to 10 pounds in a week," he says. Dang -- I sure wish I could say the same.

What does he eat to keep his calorie intake up? His Baltimore apartment is stocked with junk food and healthy foods alike -- peanut butter cups and Nutrigrain bars, to name a few.

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Michael Phelps might have consumed 12,000 calories a day while training for the Beijing Olympics, but gymnast Nastia Liukin wants to make sure the world knows that not all athletes get to eat like that.

The gold medalist said that she takes in close to 1200 calories, starting with "eggs or yogurt or oatmeal" for breakfast. "Then for lunch I'll have a salad with chicken or fish or some sort of protein and then for dinner I keep it really light with probably just a piece of fish and vegetables."

Liukin says that it's "just enough to keep [her] energized," which is a good reminder to those of us trying to drop some pounds. Even if you're putting in serious time at the gym, as she and her Olympic teammates undoubtedly do, you still have to be careful about your diet. She might not be taking in a ton of calories, but she's making sure they're healthy ones!

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So, Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day. Lucky guy. Not only does he get to eat lots, he reportedly gets to consume loads of junk food. Wouldn't it be great if we could all shovel in whole pizzas without worrying about calorie overload? Well, it might seem pretty great, but it's not really a healthy approach, even for the elite athletes of the world.

Cynthia Sass, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, tells Prevention.com that while moderation is key, it's more about the 80/20 rule for her.

Eighty percent of the time, we need to fuel our bodies with nutrient-rich, whole, healthful foods. Twenty percent of the time, we get to eat what we want. That goes for Phelps too. Even if he can get away with eating anything weight-wise -- the guy is a calorie-burning machine, after all -- it's still best to make healthy eating a high priority because what you put in your mouth is key to boosting power and strength, pumping up endurance, speeding recovery, reducing injury risk, decreasing inflammation, and bolstering immunity. And while it may seem Phelps is not hurting in any of these areas -- despite his hearty diet -- we regular folks really ought to heed this advice.

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Gold medal phenomenon Michael Phelps never stumbled at the 2008 Olympic Games, but what was he thinking when he signed the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes sponsorship agreement? A cereal high in sugar, low in fiber, made with mostly refined grains. One of the last meals I'd feed my kids for breakfast. At least the deal also includes Kellogg's Corn Flakes, a better option.

We've never bought a box of the Tiger's frosted cereal. Significantly lower in sugar, Cheerios and Rice Krispies are my kids' favorites. I've taught my eldest to consider 'grams of sugar per serving' as he peruses the toy-filled cereal aisle. "No, honey" isn't sliding off my lips so often in Aisle 2 - Cereal anymore.

As a parent trying to teach my children solid nutritional habits, I'd rather see Phelps' inspirational butterfly stroke from the back of a box of Cheerios. At this point, maybe Phelps can scratch out Kellogg's Frosted Flakes on the contract and write-in Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Gold instead -- the Tiger's partially whole grain version. Pic from Gettys.

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Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps counts lap after lap in the pool, but he doesn't need to count calories. He eats to the tune of about 12,000 calories a day. Every time he throws his arms skyward to cheer another gold medal, I can't help but notice Phelps' six-pack is more like a 60-pack -- muscles pop across every nook and cranny of his statuesque frame. An army of Pac-Mans, those muscles need to eat, eat, eat.

I've read ultra-high-altitude mountain climbers slip a stick of butter into their hot chocolate thanks to tremendous caloric-needs, yet Phelps isn't exactly swimming in the 23,000-ft-and-above Death Zone. He trains with Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor, MI at 840 feet. However all those Pac-Mans steaming ahead during his five-hour a day workouts need shovelfuls of food. Here's a sample day's menu Phelps-style:

• Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches topped with lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayo; one five-egg omelette; grits; three slices french toast and three chocolate chip pancakes.
• Lunch: One lb of enriched pasta; two ham 'n cheese sandwiches with mayo on, gulp, white bread; 1,000-calories of energy drinks (must be PureSport).
• Dinner: One lb of pasta (again?), a pizza, more energy drinks.

Michael, where's the fruit? WARNING: To stay fit and trim, do not eat like Phelps at home. Pic from Getty Images.

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It seems that the ideal dish to eat while watching the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing is Chinese food. As an homage to the host country, you may be tempted to order out for some fast and cheap General Tzo's Chicken, Beef Lo Mien, and Chicken Fingers. But mark my words, if you continue to eat this food well after the Olympics has ended, you'll find your body better resembles that of Michael Moore than Michael Phelps.

A report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reveals that Chinese food is ... well, suffice it to say not exactly gold medal food. That's because most Chinese food entrees contain between 1,000 and 1,500 calories -- and that's without taking rice, crispy noodles, and other extras into account. Not to mention that fact that some dishes were found to contain two days' worth of sodium.

But, if you're still bent on ordering Chinese food, ask for your sauces to be kept on the side, avoid deep-fried foods altogether, and keep the serving sizes small. To find out which Chinese dishes truly are healthy choices, visit www.dietdetective.com and do a little food sleuthing. In the meantime, Go Team U.S.A.!!!

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PureSport, a new performance drink, launches today. Some U.S. swimmers training for the Olympics have been gulping it down, including the incredible Michael Phelps.

Phelps says PureSport is the best performance drink he's ever found and would never train without it -- that's a powerful stamp of approval for a new product within a competitive sports drink market. PureSport was concocted last year, sporting an optimal blend of carbohydrates/protein/electrolytes to improve performance and hasten recovery. Grape, fruit punch, lemon lime and banana berry flavors can be purchased in bottled or just-add-water powder form directly from PureSport or available retail in a handful of states.

PureSport Workout is designed for use prior to and during exercise, while PureSport Recovery needs to be swallowed within 30 minutes post-workout to take advantage of a narrow window of muscular sensitivity to nutrients, a topic which That's Fit has covered previously here. Will Michael Phelps make PureSport a rockin' choice for fitness warriors? I'm guessing there will be a big media blitz with the 2008 Olympic games. Don't miss the Phelps gallery -- we'll be hearing from him in Beijing. Pics from Gettys.

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