Inside the World of Competitive Eating

What do you get when you combine an edgy rocker, a competitive eater, and a sexy pin-up model? You get Maria Edible! This Jersey native is not only on her way to the top in the world of female competitive eaters, but she also has a look that most people wouldn't imagine a professional eater to have. In fact, Maria says that neither her co-workers nor her parents know that she competes in eating contests! She works a normal nine-to-five job in New York City during the week, and models and eats on the weekends! Here are some of her training techniques and strategies that she shared with us:

Stretch Your Stomach

Stomach capacity is really important, especially with a food like hot dogs. Maria recommends eating a large quantity of low calorie foods like lettuce or watermelon to help get your stomach in shape. Her most important tip: Don't train alone!

Tune in and Zone Out

Maria likes to create her own little bubble when she competes. She wears sunglasses and giant headphones that blast German metal to help keep her pumped up and in the zone.

Dunk the Bun

The bread bun of the hot dog is arguably the hardest part of a hot dog eating contest. Maria suggests dunking the bun (or whole hot dog including bun) into some sort of liquid to help break down the bun and make it easier to get down. Maria uses hot iced tea.

Don't Eat on Competition Day

You should eat a lot in the days leading up to a competition, but you should keep your stomach empty on game day.

Just Dig In

Although it's good to think about an eating strategy before you compete, once the contest begins, it's time to just dig in!

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