Bode Miller Lost 20 Pounds For The Olympics Using A Low-Carb Diet

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Before competing in his fifth Winter Olympics, 36-year-old Bode Miller dropped 20 pounds by eating a low-carb diet and doing intense conditioning workouts on the beach in San Diego, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Miller wanted to drop the weight so that he could be more agile and quick on the technical slalom competitions. He explained to the WSJ, while weight is good for downhill events, being thinner is better for the more technically difficult runs:

"We're not going in a straight line. If we were just speed skiing then definitely being heavier would certainly help but you are changing direction the whole way down, and in Sochi fitness is going to be a huge component."

So far, Miller's plan is working. At a practice run in Sochi, Miller had the fastest time of all the downhill skiers finishing in 2 minutes and 7.75 seconds, according to the L.A. Times. The decorated Olympian told the Times:

"I was psyched to show up to see the course in such good shape after all the speculative talk about marginal snow conditions, or the changes that were going to have to be made. I think the hill is the toughest we've seen this year."

Miller has already won five Olympic gold medals and, at a lighter weight, he is looking to add more to his collection in Sochi.