"You're going to eat 8,000 calories on purpose? In an hour? For your name to go on the wall of fame?" The excitement of defeating food is the new American past time and completing belly-bursting food challenges has become the norm. Devouring pounds of food for bragging rights just seems to be downright insane.

Pushing calories to new heights, food challenge participants pride themselves on coming out hefty but victorious. If you're a food maniac and enjoy pushing your body to its limit, then you should try these eight challenges.  

1. Big Mama & Papa's Pizza - Los Angeles, CA 

Created with 20 pounds of dough, 6 pounds of sauce, and 12 pounds of cheese, this bad boy may require you to pick up some hungry strangers off the side of the street. With a maximum of 5 people helping, this 54' inch of pure deliciousness must be fully demolished in order to receive the $1,000 prize to split.

2. 72 Oz. Steak Challenge - Amarillo, TX

They say that everything is bigger in Texas. Well, I guess this is true considering this $72 meal consists of a 72 oz. steak, shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, and dinner roll. If you successfully wolf down all this food in an hour before going into food coma, the restaurant, Big Texas Steak Ranch, will grant you the meal free.  

3. Beer Barrel Main Even Burger - Clearfield, PA

Whatever the price, hamburgers will always be one of the most quintessentially American foods. Priced at a whopping $379, this 123 pound giant features an 80 pound beef patty, 30 pound bun, 12 tomatoes, and 160 slices of cheese.

The chefs top off the mouthwatering burger with a pound of lettuce, ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Finish a burger that weighs more than you in less than five hours and you'll receive a $350 reward, t-shirt, and your name posted on the pub's wall of fame.  

4. Kitchen Sink Challenge - San Francisco, CA

Can you really finish the Kitchen Sink from San Francisco Creamery Co. without getting a brain freeze or two?  

Consisting of 3 bananas, 8 scoops of ice cream, 8 different toppings, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry, this massive sundae may just be the sugar rush you've been needing. Completing this endeavor in under an hour will win you free ice cream for a year.  

5. Ghost Wing Challenge - Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Girvan Grille, notorious for their 10 blazing hot wings, requires each person to demolish the plate of wings in 15 minutes or less. You may be thinking, "10 wings, that's a piece of cake." You will be taking this back when you find that the ghost pepper is the hottest chili pepper and 400 times hotter than than Tabasco sauce

6. Kidz Breakfast Challenge - Great Yarmouth, England

A kid's challenge, you say? Think again. 6,000 calories and 9 pounds of food in an one hour sitting sounds absolutely repulsive. This monstrous platter consists of 9 pounds of bacon, sausages, potatoes, mushrooms, bread, eggs, beans, and hash browns.  

Health experts are demanding the removal of this dish and cautioning people with a heart condition that they could die from eating three days worth of calories in one sitting. Completing this task alone in less than an hour will win you a free meal. 

7. The Pancake Challenge - Honolulu, Hawaii

Topped with either blueberries, walnuts, chocolate chunks, pineapple, coconut, macadamia nuts, cinnamon streusel, or vanilla glaze, these three stacker 14-inch pancakes served at Hilton Waikiki may give you major heartburn.

When the challenge was hosted on Man vs. Food, even Adam Richmond could not succeed this task in 90 minutes. If you're one of few to finish this dish, you will receive an free meal, t-shirt, and picture on the wall of fame.  

8. Nacho Challenge - Las Vegas, NV

Who doesn't love a good Mexican dish and margarita? These $55 nachos are filled with 8 pounds of chipotle sauce, queso, mixed cheese, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, poblano peppers, poblano and pickled jalapeños, taco meat, carnitas, fajita chicken, carne asada, shrimp, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and pico de gallo.  

Finishing in under 55 minutes will win you a free meal, t-shirt, and picture on the Sammy Hagar's Macho Nacho Hall of Fame

Completing one of these challenges deserves a victory dance. Throw your self-control and dietary plans out the window and over-indulge in one of your favorite foods. If eating dangerous amounts of food is your biggest vice, then trying these challenges is just right for you.