Texans' J.J. Watt reveals he needs 9,000 calories per day to maintain physique

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Friday, August 14, 2015
J.J. Watt
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt smiles during an NFL football training camp practice Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015, in Houston.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip

HOUSTON -- Want to look like J.J. Watt? Be prepared to scarf down 6,000 to 9,000 calories a day.

ESPN's Tania Ganguli recently revealed Watt basically does two things during the off-season.

"It's literally, if I'm not working out, I eat the whole time I'm not working out," Watt said. "It's exhausting. You have to force feed. You have to force yourself to eat food."

PHOTOS: Houston Texans' J.J. Watt

So what is included in a 9,000-calorie diet? For the average Joe, you could hit the 9,000 calorie mark by eating 32 slices of cheese pizza or by drinking 63 cans of Coca-Cola. For Watt, it's a little bit healthier.

His trainer revealed Watt is a fan of chicken breasts wrapped in bacon with a side of avocado. While Watt's entire meal plan is a secret, it would take about 50 slices of bacon, 20 chicken breasts and 13 whole avocados a day to reach 9,000 calories.

The massive caloric intake also includes a cheat meal, and for Watt that means one thing.

"I love brunch," Watt said. "Brunch is my favorite meal ... I had a massive potato pancake omelet, which is an omelet inside a potato pancake. Then I had stuffed French toast with berries and stuff. My cheat meals aren't even that exciting. That was my cheat meal. The omelet is still pretty darn healthy. The stuffed French toast was the cheat meal, but that was delicious."

Watt isn't alone in scarfing down unfathomable amounts of food. In 2008, swimmer Michael Phelps said he consumed up to 12,000 calories per day while training for the Beijing Olympic Summer Games.

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