Jay Cutler did not have an easy path to success; behind one of the greatest physiques lies an ugly amount of discipline. A routine the bodybuilder followed every day without excuses.

Other than grinding inside the gym, there was an unglamorous commitment to eating one that the four-time Mr. Olympia has since called the hardest part of his entire career.

"I used to buy whole cow. I would buy 140 pounds of chicken at a time. I'd buy 30 dozen eggs at a time," Cutler said. "I just stayed in and ate the meals, cooked the meals. I was eating six times a day. You wake up hungry. You start your first meal of the day, make it your largest meal, and then you roll with it from there."

Cutler had an unbelievable nutritional program; his diet included around 350-400 g of protein every day, along with carbohydrate intake totaling 6,000 calories.

"But it was all force-feeding. You think I was hungry for six meals a day? Never," Cutler added.

Cutler never had a large appetite and rarely had cravings; for him, eating was entirely about fueling performance, not chasing flavor.

For the four-time Mr Olympia, the kitchen was as demanding as the gym. He built his edge around the willingness to show up at six meals with the same intent as his first one. Guess that's what four Sandow trophies really cost.

Jay Cutler Spent $50,000 a Year on Food at the Height of His Bodybuilding Career

Jay Cutler claimed he spent over $50,000 per year solely on nutrition to stay in peak shape. His diet somewhat looked like this: four pounds of meat daily, 30 dozen eggs and 150 pounds of chicken every week.

"I just didn't want to lose. My fear of losing kept me going," Cutler said while reflecting on the cost of his diet. "People laughed at my monotonous eating style, but it's just what I knew."

It is never a vanity to spend on nutrition for bodybuilders; it is always a strategy. He spent every penny to keep his body fueled to compete against the best in the world.

Still, he lost to Ronnie Coleman in the 2001 Mr Olympia, even though Cutler felt he had a huge shot to actually win it. "I never had anyone to tell me, 'You've got this, you're going to win,'" he recalled. Five years later, in 2006, he finally got there.

Spending on nutrition should never be a question, even for people who are not bodybuilders. How much would you spend on nutrition to lead a better and healthier life? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore