An Instagram user has attained viral status for a post he made relating how he ate only COSTCO Hot Dogs and Soda for a week – and lost weight. He also saved big on his food bill. What was the point? And how did he really feel afterwards?
The Classic $1.50 COSTCO Hot Dog: Could you stand to look
one of these in the bun three times a day for a week?
Blast from the past…
Remember when radical documentarian Morgan Spurlock ate only McDonald’s food for a month, February 1 to March 2, 2003, and filmed the whole thing? And lived to tell the tale? That effort propelled him to major celeb status in a single bound.
Notable among the outcomes of the experiment was the finding that Spurlock’s health deteriorated considerably over his McMonth, in alarming ways.
Wikipedia relates: “On Day 21, Spurlock has heart palpitations. His internist, Dr. Daryl Isaacs, advises him to stop what he is doing immediately to avoid any serious health problems. He compares Spurlock with the protagonist played by Nicolas Cage in the movie Leaving Las Vegas, who intentionally drinks himself to death in a matter of weeks. Despite this warning, Spurlock decides to continue the experiment.”
Folks were talking about him and his film, Super Size Me (2004), for months afterward.
Fast forward to 2024
Now – almost exactly 20- years later – A Cleveland, Ohio, man, Joey Kinsley (SirYacht on Instagram) (see photo, top of page), reports he lived exclusively on COSTCO Hot Dog meals for a week. But his experience with extreme dining was decidedly different from Spurlock’s.
Kinsley’s quest was to answer the self-put question: “Is paying $1.50 for a glizzy and a drink for a week worth it?”
He subsequently consumed 29 Costco hot dog combo meals and the results were unexpected. He lost 4.2 lb. / 1.9 kg. He paid only $43.50 for a full week’s food. Which he says is only about 25 percent of what the average Millennial spends. And he claims he had, “the culinary experience of a lifetime.”
On the down side, Kinsley admits the diet gave him perpetual diarrhea. But it cleared up after he started eating normally again.
The fans react
His Instagram post – predictably – sparked a broad spectrum of comments.
“The cholesterol levels [?]” one commenter wondered.
“Giant tapeworm [?]” another speculated.
“Cut out the soda, add some fibre, & sell millions of diet books!!” a third suggested.
“How does it feel… To live my dreams?” one fawning follower queried.
Was it worth it?
Hot Dog Man says, “Abso-f*****g-lutely!” No chance of misinterpretation, there.
Cautionary note:
Kinsley had the presence of mind to warn his Instagram followers: “This is not diet advice. This is just me making content. I do not recommend anybody attempt this!”
My take
First, I want to echo Kinsley’s Cautionary Note. Just don’t do it!
Second, we don’t know all the real consequences of his dietary experiment. Unlike Spurlock, Kinsley’s internist has not weighed in. At least not publicly.
Third, I discovered that Kinsley didn’t just scarf COSTCO Dogs and chill all week. “I also walked 10-15 miles a day, drank a gallon of water a day,” he told People magazine, “and took daily vitamins that may or may not have been the Flintstone dinosaur ones.” Hah! you could lose a lot of the weight he lost just from the walking. I know. I’ve done it!
Fourth, I wonder how COSTCO feels about this unexpected publicity? Obviously, it’s a mixed message, from their point of view. But… As Edwardian-era celeb author Oscar Wilde noted: “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
~ Maggie J.