Joey Chestnut Just Broke the World Record for Eating Big Macs
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut reigns supreme when it comes to chowing down on staggering numbers of hot dogs. And now, he's turning his appetite to burgers. This week, Chestnut broke the world record for most Big Macs eaten by one person in a single sitting, guzzling down 32 of the McDonald's staple; that's just over 18,000 calories.
Chestnut documented the entire thing in a visceral, oddly compelling YouTube video. "Today is my cheat day, and I'm going to do something I've always wanted to do," he begins. "I'm going to try to break the Big Mac record."
After ordering in a small mountain of Big Macs via Uber Eats, Chestnut explains that he's aiming to trounce the existing record of 30 double burgers. He also adds that he'll only be drinking warm water during the challenge, to help get those bad boys down.
Five minutes in, he's already getting the meat sweats, not to mention feeling nostalgic.
"I remember being a little kid and they'd sell two Big Macs for $4, and me and my grandpa, we'd go and get four of them, and I'd end up eating three," he says. "This is bringing me back to being a kid. Me and my grandpa used to go to the same McDonald's every time, and it's crazy, every time I drive by that McDonald's, I think about all the times I've been there with my grandpa... It's weird the way food takes you back, helps you remember things."
11 minutes 40 seconds in, Chestnut is visibly perspiring, not to mention burping like some kind of medieval king. 15 minutes in, and he's starting to slow down. "There's muscles in my throat that are getting tired," he says, "and my body's starting to metabolize the burgers, I'm sweating like a madman... right now it's like, all right, you got to find a rhythm and keep pushing."
Chestnut also breaks down his Big Mac eating methodology; he shakes off the lettuce from each burger and eats every single one the same way, to help himself get into that rhythm. (Don't worry, he's not cheating; just saving it all until the end.)
"This is one hell of a cheat day," he says at the 25 minute mark. "I'm gonna pass out, baby."
Upon triumphantly hitting his goal of 32 Big Macs, Chestnut says that this feat has been easier in some ways than other restaurant challenges, as he has been eating at McDonald's for years, in effect training his body for this very moment. "I have an amazing tolerance for Big Macs," he says.
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