Maybe you'll never scarf down 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes like Coney Island hot dog champ Joey Chestnut , but as we approach the holiday season, you can learn to eat like a pro -- and still watch your weight.
At the Nathan's July 4th Coney Island Hot Dog Championship, Chestnut defeated Japanese eating legend Takeru Kobayashi with his 66-dog performance, setting a new world record.
Fresh off his latest triumph -- 103 hamburgers in 8 minutes at the Oct. 28 Krystal Square Off in Tennessee -- Chestnut sat down with About.com to talk about his eating strategy over the Thanksgiving-to-New Year's Day rush, when folks are trying to stay thin, but really want to enjoy their time with friends and family -- and all the trimmings!
"Nobody wants to pack on the pounds, but you also don't want to feel cheated out of all the good fun," says Chestnut. "From my experience, you can really let yourself go once in a while, and not pack on the pounds.
The six-foot-tall, 218-pound engineering student keeps himself in remarkably good shape for a man, who, at 24, has devoured a slew of eating records over the last year. When you consider some of his achievements, you'll be happy he won't be sitting around your table this Thanksgiving. They include:
- 8.6 pounds of deep fried asparagus in 10 minutes
- 7.5 pounds of chicken wings in 12 minutes.
- 47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes.
- 1 gallon, 9 ounces of vanilla ice cream in 12 minutes.
How does Chestnut save himself from latter-day Elvis-like obesity? Here are some tips from the champ, and No. 2 ranked eater Patrick Bertoletti:
Don't worry about a one-day splurge:
"It really doesn't matter what you do on any one day. If you eat healthy all week long, one meal won't make a difference. The human body is capable of amazing things,” Chestnut says. “I've abused my body the way a boxer abuses his. But you can bounce back, if you prepare, from too many punches, or too much punch."
Don't starve yourself before a meal:
"I try to find a sort of consistency in my training,” says Chestnut. “I'll watch my salt intake, especially if I know I'm going to an event where I'll be eating a lot of meat. But starvation itself is a very bad plan to prepare for a big meal. It's better to eat moderately."
Start with the less fattening dishes:
The 22-year-old Bertoletti -- a man famous for inhaling 10.63 pounds of corned beef in 10 minutes -- suggests loading up on salad at the start of the meal. "There's no point even trying to hold yourself back at Thanksgiving, in my opinion," he says. "But if you start with the less fattening foods, you'll fill yourself up faster."
Despite holding records in chocolate, doughnuts and a host of other foods, the six-foot-two-inch Chicago resident is a trim 180 pounds. What makes that even more impressive is that he's kept his weight under control while studying to be a chef at Kendall College, a top-ranked culinary arts school.
Get plenty of liquids:
"Hydration is very important for your health," says Chestnut. "I'm always conscious of drinking a lot of water or Gatorade. It'll help so much in digestion."
Focus on cardiovascular exercise:
Exercise not only works up a good appetite -- something any big eater can appreciate -- it also helps you burn off holiday calories. "I go on three-mile runs twice a week, and it not only helps me stay in shape, it helps me eat faster," Chestnut says. "When you're eating 20, 30, 40 hot dogs in very little time, it's hard to breathe. That's one reason big guys sometimes have trouble at competitive eating."
Indeed, many have noted that competitive eating has become a thin man's sport. Many Americans have wondered how Kobayashi -- who weighs just 160 pounds -- came to dominate the hot dog contest, winning five consecutive contests and becoming the first man to eat 50 dogs when his nearest rival ate less than 30.
Another top-ranked competitor, Sonya Thomas, barely cracks the scale at 100 pounds, and still somehow managed to eat 11 pounds of cheesecake in nine glorious minutes.
"We all splurge in our own ways," says Bertoletti. "The important thing is figuring out a way to make it work for you."
