Although it may seem like a lot of work and discipline, you'd be surprised as to what some of your favorite athletes are actually eating.

In a perfect world, we could all pack in 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day by eating pizza, pasta, and sweets like gold medalist Michael Phelps, but life just isn't that kind (and we're just not that motivated).  Phelps' morning consists of three fried-egg sandwiches topped with cheese, tomatoes, fried onions and mayo.  

After his morning snack, Phelps gobbles down: 

• 2 cups of coffee 

• A 5-egg omelet and grits

• 3 pieces of French toast and...

• 3 chocolate chip pancakes.

Three hours later, Phelps sits down for lunch where he chows down on: 

• 1 pound of pasta

• 2 ham and cheese sandwiches covered in mayo, and washes it all down with...

• 1,000 calories in energy drinks... 

We wish we could stop there, but he still has dinner to go.  For his evening main course Phelps ends the day with another pound of pasta and a whole pizza.  How is this humanly possible?  Oh yeah, we forgot to mention he also works out 5 hours a day, 6 days a week.

With that said, mom and Olympic swimmer Dara Torres has a more "realistic" diet routine. Torres told MSN that she's not one for counting calories, but does watch what she eats. She's a fan of berry-flavored Living Fuel shakes for breakfast with some milk and fruit. For dinner Torres has a mixed green salad, turkey-spinach lasagna, garlic bread and green beans. Lean proteins are also good for a faster recovery. Although she eats plenty of healthy foods, Torres says, "I eat what I want, when I want, but I exercise so I can do that."

Kinsey from Diet in Review has nine tips on how to diet like the Olympic athletes:

1. Don't skip meals. Eat healthy and regularly to maintain optimal health and weight maintenance.

2. Variety Variety Variety! Don't allow yourself to get into a rut, which may end up causing you to snack on your junk food of choice. If you constantly restrict yourself on cravings, you'll end up eating the whole bag of chips next time you try to just have one.

3. Be choosy with your calories. Pick nutrient dense food and avoid empty calories.

4. Limit fat, but do not avoid it. The right kind of fat is important for optimal health. Cut out trans and saturated fats.

5. Choose whole-wheat, whole-grain. Whole grains provide you with fiber, which is great for your health.

6. Go lean with your protein! Try to minimize the amount of red and high in fat meats.

7. Limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol in moderation (one drink a day) has been shown to provide you with some health benefits.

8. An apple a day. Fill up on fruits and veggies.

9. Include dairy. Pick low-fat or fat-free dairy choices.