Since the premiere of Dancing With the Stars, Olympic-gold medalist, Apolo Anton Ohno has been a favorite to skate to victory.

He has been following a strict diet and has a personal trainer and nutritionist, John Schaeffer, who likes to hand out at Real Food Daily, L.A.’s premier health-food restaurant.

In a recent interview, Apolo answered some questions about his diet and training:

What is your diet and exercise regimen?

It’s very intense. John is my strengthening and conditioning coach; he’s also my nutritionist. He writes my entire program of what to eat, when to eat.

For my sport, I want to have a certain body-fat percentage, I want to be a certain strength and a certain body weight. I’m secretive about what I eat. I can say that I eat many times a day, every couple hours.

Has your athleticism helped you with dance?

I think I bring a lot of bad habits to the table from my sport. I skate rounded forward, and everything in the ballroom is in a big frame. It doesn’t even feel good. I’m not used to the steps. But I’m becoming more comfortable with it, and I’m learning the dances a little bit faster. I have the mental discipline.

What did you grow up eating?

My dad is Japanese, and I grew up eating Japanese food. He’s really healthy, and he made me eat carrots 365 days a year. He brags about that.

My eye doctor told me I can focus on something like three times faster and stronger than the average person. I was like, “Hmm, I wonder if that’s from the carrots?”

Do you come to Real Food Daily often?

I do come to the restaurant, although I’m not vegan. I eat a lot of meat, but I like restaurants that are organic and healthy. [via]