How fast do you eat a Happy Meal?
Don't try to weasel out of this by saying you haven't had one since you were six — we
all eat them from time to time, especially when there's a really cool toy in the box.
So do you take it slow, savoring every bite and slowly sipping your drink?
Or do you choke it down as quickly as you can?
If you're in the latter category, what would you say your best time was — two minutes,
maybe three?
That's pretty fast, but you've got a long way to go if you want to break any records.
Watch and learn from the champ, YouTuber and competitive eater Matt Stonie.
In December of 2014, Stonie inhaled a cheeseburger Happy Meal — fries, soda, and all — in
15.22 seconds flat.
Who, exactly, does that sort of thing?
"You look proud and accomplished."
"I am proud and accomplished."
Stonie, who weighs in at just 130 pounds, according to his Major League Eating bio,
is the unlikely crown prince of competitive eating who, at the age of 22, temporarily
dethroned perennial champion Joey Chestnut at the 2015 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July
International Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Stonie's contest-winning feat was a seriously impressive display of eating: fans cheered
him on as he polished off 62 hot dogs in just 10 minutes.
Stonie, like Chestnut, hails from San Jose, and his 10+ million subscriber YouTube channel,
which he produces with the aid of brother Morgan, is dedicated to showcasing the numerous
eating challenges in which he's taken part.
They're all that impressive, and that's a lot of food!
Stonie's entire career in competitive eating started out on a whim at the age of 19, at
which time he was enrolled in Santa Clara's Mission College and majoring in nutrition.
Yes, really.
Another path through life opened up when he saw an ad for a lobster roll eating contest
at a restaurant just five minutes from where he was living at the time.
He thought it would at least be a way to score some free lobster rolls, but much to his and
everybody else's surprise, he beat the guy who was favored to win by half a roll and
took home the $1,000 prize.
Once he realized that he not only had a natural talent for stuffing his face but also that
there was good money to be made from said face-stuffing, there was no looking back.
"There's a restaurant that has this famous, like, 5lb burrito challenge.
Me and my friends were like, ‘Yo, let’s go try it, see who can finish it.’
And I was the only one who finished it."
So, how does this one-time nutritionist-in-training keep fit while downing all those calories?
Stonie told GQ that he works out in the gym five times a week, doing cardio or weights.
He also preps his body for those constant eating challenges by consuming two "serious
meals" per week, while living off protein shakes, multivitamins and the occasional carrot
or apple, or a handful of nuts the rest of the time.
Even with all of his training, he admits that it takes him several days to recover — on
the first day, he is bloated; by the second, he's losing water weight; and the third day,
he's trying to get back to normal.
Happy Meals and hot dogs aren't the only things he can eat in record time.
The first major record listed on Matt Stonie's web site has him consuming 10 and a half frozen
yogurts in 6 minutes, while some of his other dessert-related records include 20.8 pounds
of pumpkin pie in 8 minutes, 120 Twinkies in 6 minutes, 85 Moon Pies in 8 minutes, 203
cookies in 27 minutes, and 255 Peeps in 8 minutes.
Stonie has also set quite a few pork-related records, including 182 strips of bacon in
5 minutes, and 71 pork ribs in 5 minutes.
He doesn't diss other meats, though, having eaten 103 carne asada tacos in 8 minutes,
241 wings in 10 minutes, and 28 and a half gyros in 5 minutes.
Stonie has even set another Mickey D's record, gobbling down 25 Big Macs in 22 minutes.
That's dedication!
Warning: don't try this stuff at home, kids.
Binge eating, for the uninitiated, can have some pretty unpleasant side effects, and over-consumption
of fast food, on the whole, is not recommended for anyone who doesn't have Stonie's phenomenal
metabolism or follow his fitness routine.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about competitive eaters are coming soon.
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