This week, competitive eater Matt “Megatoad” Stonie devoured 12 pints of Ben and Jerry’s in 36 minutes, just for fun. Stonie consumed a whopping 13,400 calories in under 40 minutes, which is more calories than Michael Phelps eats in an entire day.
Previously, Stonie shocked the world over Fourth of July weekend when he crushed 62 hot dogs, beating the reining hot dog-eating champion, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. After a month-long hiatus from YouTube, Stonie was ready to get his fans hyped again, and this time with ice cream.
We spoke with Stonie about the pros and cons of consuming massive amounts of ice cream, how it compares to eating 62 hot dogs, and if he has any suggestions for trying this at home.
What does consuming 12 pints of ice cream feel like? Did you get brain freeze?
It was rough. I took on 12 pints because it seemed like an impressive number. Eating ice cream wasn’t easy; whenever I do eat something cold, it’s much more difficult. It makes your stomach cramp and your brain freeze, so you learn how to make things go quickly. I had done a Shamrock Shake challenge in the past so I knew it would be hard. Eating [huge amounts of] ice cream always seems like a better idea beforehand than it does during and after.
How does eating large quantities of ice cream compare to speed eating hot dogs?
It’s hard to compare the two. At the hot dog-eating contests, we are timed. We spend the contests dunking the dogs in water, and we don’t enjoy eating. For videos, it’s a different experience. We interact with the camera and actually taste the food. There wasn’t a strategy, I just enjoyed what I was doing.
Was there a specific reason you saved vanilla for last?
Comic relief. I actually love vanilla. I really don’t like chocolate. Vanilla ice cream was also much easier to get down after all those other pints, because vanilla melts faster. The cookie dough flavor didn’t thaw fast, so that was hard to get down. Ice cream that has been melted is easier to eat because its warming and doesn’t freeze your brain or your palette. I’m not a professional at eating ice cream, but I know the pros use hot water to relieve their brain freezes. Toward the end I used hot water to help relieve how cold I was feeling.
Do competitive eaters have workout regimes? What is yours like?
I definitely exercise to stay in shape. Diet wise, after a competition, I tend to eat less afterwards. While I’m training, I’m on a strict diet of protein shakes. We take care of our bodies and exercise. It isn’t a situation where we are starving ourselves and then bingeing out on massive amounts of food.
How does one build the capacity to eat 12 pints in 36 minutes?
I don’t recommend this. You won’t feel good. We put in work to build up our muscles and mental well-being. We are professionals, and we really don’t recommend you do this at home.
What’s your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor?
The Milk and Cookies. It’s like a cookies-and-cream flavor. A close second is mint chip.
What was your least favorite?
Chunky Monkey was the worst. Having too many bananas is never fun. I also really don’t like chocolate, so Chocolate Therapy wasn’t fun either.
Catch all of Matt Stonie’s amazing food challenges over on his YouTube page.