\n<\/p>\n
While Michael Phelps<\/strong> <\/a>has since retired from his competitive tenure<\/a> in the swimming pool, he\u2019s remained in tip-top shape.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was more of a chore \u2014 it was part of my job,\u201d the Olympian told\u00a0Muscle & Fitness<\/a>\u00a0<\/i>in 2020 about his training regimen ahead of his Games\u2019 appearances. \u201cI could have days when [my weight] would fluctuate between five and 10 pounds, and that\u2019s not water weight. When I\u2019m swimming 10 miles per day, and spending\u00a0more than an hour in the weight room or doing some kind of\u00a0circuit cardio, it became a nonstop job. I was eating around the clock, getting my hands on whatever I could, whenever I could, and as much as I could.\u201d<\/p>\n The Maryland native\u2019s approach to fitness and wellness<\/a> has changed since his 2016 retirement.<\/p>\n \u201cTo look back then, and now, fast-forward 10 to 20 years, it\u2019s completely different. I\u2019m not someone who always enjoys to eat, because it was such a part of my life, I had to basically force myself at times to eat food because I had to maintain that weight,\u201d he recalled to the magazine. \u201cSo, I am now in a transition where I give my body what I think it needs. I don\u2019t overindulge on a bunch of different things. I\u2019m very specific in what I put into my diet, so I have\u00a0transitioned more into a plant-based diet. I\u2019m a lot leaner than I\u2019ve probably ever been, in a post-swimming phase<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Phelps \u2014 who married Nicole Johnson<\/strong><\/a> in 2016 \u2014 announced in August 2016 that he was stepping away from competitive swimming<\/a> following the Rio Olympics.<\/p>\n \u201cDone, done, done \u2014 and this time I mean it. I wanted to come back and finish my career how I wanted and this was the cherry on top of the cake,\u201d he told the\u00a0Today\u00a0<\/i>show at the time. \u201cI\u2019m done. I\u2019m finished. I\u2019m retired. I\u2019m done. No more. \u2026 Between now and London, I was so much more emotional during these Games<\/a>; I think that showed at times on camera. That\u2019s the difference. Because I knew this was the last time. I knew this was the last race that I ever had, the last Olympics that I ever had. And everything just really hit hard.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to working on his physical wellness, the University of Michigan alum \u2014 who shares children Boomer, Beckett and Maverick with Johnson<\/a> \u2014 is also an avid advocate for mental health awareness<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was all about being vulnerable. I think it\u2019s scary for a lot of people to think about that word. I just wanted to change,\u201d Phelps exclusively told\u00a0Us Weekly\u00a0<\/i>in October 2017<\/a> of opening up about his battles with anxiety and depression<\/a> in his\u00a0Angst\u00a0<\/i>documentary. \u201cI was to the point where I didn\u2019t like who I was. I didn\u2019t like looking at myself like seeing the reflection that you see in the mirror. I kind of just tackled it head-on.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThere are a lot of different things that we have going on and you\u2019re starting to see more, whether it\u2019s athletes or celebrities who are opening up and talking about depression and anxiety<\/a> more. I think they\u2019re understanding that it is OK to not be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n