Joey Chestnut is not one to brag. He would never want to have to eat his own words.

That’s about the only thing Chestnut interested in eating.

He is best known as the 16-time champion of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest held each July 4 on New York’s Coney Island, setting a record in 2021 with 76 hot dogs (and buns) consumed in 10 minutes.

Chestnut boosted his hot dog-eating record to 83 in September during a special one-on-one competition with rival Takeru Kobayashi live-streamed by Netflix. It is among 52 world eating records held by Chestnut for consuming dozens of different foods.

Chestnut served as grand marshal for Friday morning’s Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade. He greeted fans during the game between No. 21 Syracuse and Washington State and then serve as CEO (Chief Eggnog Official) for the second annual celebratory “eggnog dump” on the winning coach.

The 41-year-old Chestnut never could have imagined that a healthy appetite growing up in Vallejo and a college dare at San Jose State would pivot from an engineering career into one as a professional eater.

“In college, I did a burrito challenge in a restaurant and then a friend signed me up for a lobster-eating contest in Reno,” Chestnut said. “I had just turned 21. It was at a casino and they offered me a free hotel room. So I did it and tied for third and I was like, ‘Oh, my god.’ It felt good.”

Chestnut said he is shy by nature, but is completely comfortable on stage in competitions stuffing his face with food as fast as he can.

“I have a weird comfort zone,” he said. “I love it.”

Love at first bite, as it were.

Joey Chestnut beats Takeru Kobayashi AND his own World Record with 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes. #ChestnutVSKobayashi pic.twitter.com/ThF9GSkWQF

— Netflix (@netflix) September 2, 2024

“I was always a big eater,” Chestnut said. “It was something I was also conscious of. I made sure not to be the first one to finish at dinner. Don’t be the first one to try to get seconds.

“In the dorms, guys would say, ‘Joey really piled up his plate.’ People noticed. Finally, in the eating contests I could do it and not feel bad at all.”

A big appetite is one thing. Eating 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes is another.

“I looked at it almost like an engineering problem,” Chestnut said. “I had a build a tolerance and somehow get more food inside of me. It took a lot of practice of getting used to being more and more empty, which is hard.

“I put a lot of worked in to getting my stomach stretched and loose with liquids and things that are low calorie to make sure I could go from empty to full.”

Chestnut estimated he could eat as many as 16 hot dogs in a sitting before he began training and developing a “technique.” His prematch routine includes burping exercises, stretching and listening to music.

Early in his eating career, Chestnut worked with a doctor and nutritionist at San Jose State who helped him brainstorm.

Preparation time for a big contest is eight weeks, with one practice a week.

“There’s a day and half cleanse, to make sure I’m empty,” he said. “There’s practice, then there’s recovery. One normal day of eating, then back to cleanse and practice again. Every practice I’m ramping up.”

Chestnut said 76 hot dogs and buns weighs about 18 pounds. There is an additional 8-10 pounds of water (the buns are dunked in water as he eats to help them go down faster).

Were you ever worried that your stomach would explode?

“No,” Chestnut said. “I’ve talked to a couple of doctors. They say the only way that could happen is if I’m super unhealthy. The stomach is a bunch of muscles. It expands and digests and everything.”

After consuming all that food, there’s the other — getting rid of it.

“It moves pretty quick,” Chestnut said. “It’s not pretty.”

Suffice it to say he’s needs to be close to a bathroom, and we’ll leave it at that.

Among the notable records Chestnut has set:

• Ate 182 wings in 30 minutes at the 2007 Wing Bowl in Philadelphia.

• Ate 121 Twinkies in six minutes at the 2013 World Twinkie Eating Championship in Mississippi.

• Ate 102 tamales in 12 minutes at the 2012 Western Days Festival World Tamale Eating Championship.

• Ate 14 1/2 pounds of pie in eight minutes at the 2016 Knott’s Boysenberry Festival World Pie Eating Contest.

• Ate 47 sandwiches in 10 minutes at the GoldenPalace.net World Grilled Cheese Eating Contest in 2019.

• Ate 32 Big Macs in 38 minutes, 15 seconds in 2020.

Contests don’t always end with Chestnut crowned the champion.

“Last year, in a shrimp cocktail-eating contest I choked, I literally choked, and got second,” Chestnut said. “It happens once in awhile. At the beginning of the contest I was overly excited and tried to swallow too much. It’s like the muscles seize and you can’t get a good rhythm.”

Those instances are few and far between.

Chestnut was looking forward this week to overseeing the postgame eggnog dump.

Asked how much eggnog he could drink, Chestnut estimated two gallons.

More impressive is his ability to consume eggs not as nog but hard boiled.

Paul Newman’s character in “Cool Hand Luke” famously consumed 50 eggs to win a bet. At a contest in Kentucky in 2013, Chestnut ate 141 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes.

“I love the contests,” Chestnut said. “It’s a crazy, weird, primal thing. You’re lined up against all these people, and everybody has an ego. I’m pushing myself to another level and the person next to me is pushed to their breaking point.”

Chestnut ended Kobayashi’s six-year run as the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating champion in 2007, winning 66-63. It was the first of 16 titles. Chestnut did not defend his title last year after being disqualified over a sponsorship dispute. He  hopes to return in 2025.

“I haven’t burned any bridges,” Chestnut said. “That contest is amazing. I love it. … It’s been a crazy ride. I never wanted to be on stage, but construction engineering never made me happy. You’re working on schedules and dealing with money. Now I get to make be happy by taking pictures and talking about food. It’s something I never imagined that I would like doing, and that I’d get to do it through eating.”

Originally Published: December 27, 2024 at 4:00 PM PST