The 72-year old that ate over 35,000 Big Macs and is doing just fine

And why that doesn't surprise me in the least!!!!

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EGR (my UK doctor penpal) wrote to me the other day… “Look up Donald Gorske. He’s literally me and you lol”

Now as context me and EGR exchange notes about this process for a number of months already and he’s been using a mouthguard for I think around 1.5 years and was noticing a lot of the same things that I was.

So when he found me our stories strongly resonated with one another.

And he follows a similar philosophy to me… we eat whatever we want, whenever we want.

For him this usually means eating lots of these sweet sugary snacks that he sends me as whatsapp message. This one above was his lunch a couple weeks back lol

I am not a huge fan of these things but I pig out in other ways…. ice cream, breads, lots of McDonald’s etc

We enjoy exchanging these biomechanical ‘war stories’ and talking about how we feel better and healthier each day regardless.

He is, i believe, in his mid-20’s and says that he is getting into the best shape of his life while doing no exercise and pigging out on this stuff.

Why? Biomechanics.

Now let’s talk about Don Gorske.

Who is Don Gorske?

Don Gorske, a retired prison guard from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, became a cultural icon for downing thousands of McDonald's Big Macs.

His journey began on May 17, 1972, when he purchased and consumed three Big Macs after getting his first car. That day marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong commitment.

"The first time I had a Big Mac, I thought it was the best food I'd ever had," Gorske has said in interviews.

In the early days, he would sometimes eat up to nine Big Macs in a single day, meticulously saving the packaging and receipts to document his consumption.

What makes Gorske's story particularly fascinating is his unwavering consistency. He has only missed eating a Big Mac on eight days in over five decades. One such occasion was in 1988 when a snowstorm shut down the local McDonald's. Another time, he skipped his daily ritual to respect his mother's passing, as she had requested no Big Macs be eaten on the day she died.

In 2018, Gorske celebrated his milestone 30,000th Big Mac, and in 2021, he reached 32,340, officially recognized by Guinness World Records. As of 2023, he had consumed more than 35,000 Big Macs.

How is he doing today?

He is doing absolutely fine. Healthy as a horse.

Despite the fact that Macs constitute approximately 90-95% of his solid food intake.

At 72 years old, Gorske stands 6'2" and weighs around 185 pounds, which is within the normal BMI range. His cholesterol levels remain normal, and he doesn't suffer from the health issues one might expect from someone with his dietary habits.

In a 2020 health check, his cholesterol was 140 mg/dL, well below the threshold for concern. His blood pressure was 120/80, considered ideal by medical standards.

Gorske attributes his good health to genetics, his naturally fast metabolism, and the fact that he walks regularly. Be here at Reviv… we all know what the real reason is hahaha

Why this doesn't surprise me

His structure is solid. Even if his haircut is questionable lol

He’s never done orthodontic work and according to what is publicly known has never done extractions or any major dental work.

So he never tampered with his structure. And when the structure is intact my view is that you can eat whatever you want.

The body handles it just fine.

It is when your body is collapsing that diet plays more and more of a role. I felt this myself when i was in my 20’s.

My energy, mood and various things seemed to correlate with what I ate and so I ate very healthy. I was known as the guy who ate huge salads for much of my twenties.

But now that has all changed.

I eat whatever my body tells me for almost 5 years

For nearly five years now, I've followed a simple rule: I eat whatever my body wants, in whatever quantity it wants, whenever it wants.

Sometimes this means some Cold Stone Creamery ice cream at 1 AM, sometimes it means chips while working, and sometimes it means just a solid meal that my wife cooks.

I do not go out of my way to eat unhealthy. I just eat whatever my body tells me it wants because the assumption is that the body is much smarter than me at knowing what it wants.

For example I drink maybe one glass of alcohol in a month. Why? Because my body tells me it doesn’t want it. The mere thought of it often turns me off.

But with McDonald’s… my body often says to me “Bring it the f*ck on baby!” lol

And despite this my energy levels are consistently high, allowing me to work from 8 AM until past 10 PM daily without fatigue. Every weekday for over two years.

While also not having been sick in about five years.

I’d estimate my cognitive function is sharper than it was in my 20s, and I continue to improve physically despite doing zero exercise this entire time.

Why? Because I've mastered the biomechanics that are to me the foundation.

This isn’t a 80/20 rule… this is, in my experience, a 98/2 rule.

Meaning i believe health is 98% about structure and perhaps 2% all the other shit.

Closing thoughts

Don Gorske's story is often portrayed as an anomaly - a man who defies medical expectations by remaining healthy despite a diet that conventional wisdom says should have killed him long ago.

But to me his story makes perfect sense.

The truth is that diet has been massively overrated in its importance to health. When your structural biomechanics are solid, your body can handle almost anything you throw at it. Conversely, when your biomechanics are poor, no diet in the world will save you from declining health.

So the next time someone tries to make you feel guilty about enjoying a Big Mac, do what I do… take a big bite and exclaim “mmmmm mmmm mmm this shit is soooooo good! I might get me another one.” :)