Still, Stallone, who brought Rocky to life, knows a thing or two about staying in shape. And, at 59, he's written his first fitness book, "Sly Moves," his outline of diet and exercise as he nears 60.

"Wherever I go, the first thing people ask me is, 'How do you stay in shape for your age?' " Stallone said in a recent interview. "They think I live in a gym. Not at all. Then I go over and start eating a hot dog with them. Trust me, I am not a genetic freak."

Q: I don't recall anybody ever saying, "Man, Sly Stallone really looks bad." So when did you decide to do the book?

A: If I had written the book at 35 years old, big deal. It really wouldn't have been that informative. But having gone through the process and putting my body through extremes -- to the point where some of it was actually bordering on undermining my sanity (laughs) --now is the time. I just thought that after all these years, why not just put down what has worked and what hasn't worked. If you've seen Cop Land, I was as rotund as I get.

Q: Rotund? I wouldn't say you were rotund.

A: It was a 40-pound difference, though. If I had stayed in that mode, I would have definitely gone a lot larger. The point is, I can understand what it's like to walk around with 40 extra pounds.

Q: Is that what got you into the health craze?

A: That's what gave me the credibility, in my mind, to say that I have been on both sides of the fence; I get it. I know it.

I know that I can gain 40 and lose 40 without any radical lifestyle change.

Q: I would think you're not a fan of fad diets.

A: They are Band-Aids. I'm a firm believer that people ultimately can't change 25 years of eating habits overnight.

How do you slowly segue into that without, psychologically and physically, putting demands on people that are impossible?

Q: Doesn't it have to be more of a lifestyle change? You can't go into it thinking, "I have got to lose X amount of pounds in X amount of time or I have failed."

A: That is the way people presume it has to be done. I think that is too much of a radical change, too quickly.

What I recommend, first, is that maybe for the next four or five months, reduce the amount you eat but not change your diet. In other words, instead of eating a quart of ice cream, you're eating a pint. You're now reducing the amount of intake, which is a positive move. It's not so radical.

Q: It obviously gets harder as you get older to maintain a good weight and to eat healthy. Plus, when you're in Hollywood and in the public eye, people always focus on how you look.

A: (Laughs) Actually, when you get to be 50 and you start to feel the body not responding the way it did at 40, you're kind of motivated to do something. At 50, you can see the handwriting on the wall. But at 50, people are not going to be opposed to moderate, easy lifestyle changes that don't drastically uproot them from their lifestyle.

Q: How often do you work out?

A: I exercise three times a week, moderately, for one hour. And my ice box looks like 90 percent of everybody's ice boxes.

As for what's in his fridge, Sly said his kids have pizza and frozen soft pretzels.

He has yogurt and beer.