If you're anything like us, your week has been filled with thoughts of endless holiday food and you're planning to destroy the dinner table this Thursday like a baby destroys its diaper. Before you get ahead of yourself, though, it might be wise to listen to the advice of an international eating champion. Ranked number 15 in the world, competitive eater Pete "Pretty Boy" Davekos shared some tips with us on how to lay the Thanksgiving smackdown. The 215-pound body builder, who is also the world spinach eating champion (conquering 7.5 pounds of cooked spinach in five minutes), can eat without ever feeling full. This is how he does it.
1. Empty that stomach out.
Davekos: "Start prepping a week before by cutting out meats and sauces. When a competition is near, I reduce my diet to only vegetables, fruit and protein supplements. This ensures that my stomach is empty and that my body is nice and light. It makes eating 10 to 15 pounds of food easier if your digestive system is clean."
2. Get familiar with the spread.
Davekos: "Experiment with the food as soon as you can. Eat a little bit so that you're familiar with it. Your body has to adjust to the taste and texture."
3. Get lean.
Davekos: "The less body fat you have, the less difficulty you will have digesting because fat acts as a blocker. If you can try to get leaner before Thanksgiving your stomach will be more able to expand."
4. Carbs first, protein last.
Davekos: "Proteins, like turkey and lamb, are heavier in mass so eating them later on after your stomach has stretched is best."
5. Stay away from water.
Davekos: "My dunk juice of choice is two gallons of boiled Diet Arizona Iced Tea with ginseng. The ginseng gives you a kick and it keeps the calories low. I actually love drinking water but the taste of the water mixed with the food is kind of gross. I like the hot tea because it opens up the esophagus and helps to disintegrate the food."
6. Watch football; don't play.
Davekos: "Get relaxed and into the zone, then go tackle that turkey. You want to build up the urge to eat so that you can take out your aggression on the food. You can't do that if you're tired."
7. Do some crunches.
Davekos: "I do a lot of ab exercises and stretch before eating. You have to keep in mind that once you're at the table eating all of that food, you will be sweating and your heart will be pounding. It's a very demanding sport."
8. Grab some pink stuff.
Davekos: "Make sure you have Pepto-Bismol afterward. It fixes everything should a 'problem' occur."
9. Don't be a pig.
Davekos: "Use a napkin."