Jake Arrieta's Incredible Diet 'Cheat Days' Include 10,000 Calories Of Food

(CBS) Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta eats well, aiming to make 80 percent of his diet healthy. But the remaining 20 percent is pretty incredible.

The 2015 NL Cy Young winner, Arrieta has what he calls "cheat days" on his diet. He explained it in great detail to the Bernstein & Goff Show on Wednesday in his regular appearance with the show.

"We start with a flight of french toast, which is blueberry, strawberries, pecan, a cookie french toasts, and then I'm going with a chicken and waffles," Arrieta said. "Probably two pancakes, three eggs and a side of bacon. That's breakfast.

"I'm carb-loading. I'm getting a ton of sugar, high fat. And then I'll probably end up at the park with the kids for an hour, as long as I can stay awake. I'll have to hit a nap then, and I kind of plan out my food accordingly if I know I'm really going to get after it.

"Usually, around lunch, before dinner, I'll probably eat a pint of ice cream, just as a snack -- a nice little snack. And then we'll go to dinner. We'll go to DMK (restaurant), we'll go there. I'll get two double-doubles, probably an order of fries, maybe two, and then a shake -- at least one shake after dinner.

"I'm probably throwing down close to 10,000 calories. And then I don't eat for three or four days."

Arrieta's typical diet is mostly plant-based and consists of organic foods. He maintains excellent physical condition and a extensive workout regimen. But the cheat days can be just as important to maintaining a healthy diet. Arrieta sure does his right.

This season has been a struggle so far for Arrieta, who's 4-3 with a 5.44 ERA. He pins the struggles on mechanical issues.

"I wasn't too far off from where I want to be last start," Arrieta said. "But it's just a continuous process, trying to work through it, find that comfort zone and go from there."

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