WASHINGTON—A pair of two-pound burgers. One pound of tater tots smothered in chili, jalapeños and cheese. One hour to eat it all. At Hamilton’s Bar & Grill in Washington, the “Fat Boy Challenge” is no walk in the park.

According to Katie Sowick, a waitress at Hamilton’s, only about 10 percent of all competitors complete the challenge.

When facing food challenges, there are two mindsets. One is to prepare for a couple days beforehand, come in with a strategy and attack. The other is the exact opposite: Go in looking for a good meal, and eat as much as you can.

Is one mindest better than the other? We found out well before the one-hour mark.

Joe: Growing up, I loved watching Travel Channel’s Man v. Food and I’ve always wanted to try a food challenge at some point in my life. I knew that if I were to attempt a challenge, like the “Fat Boy Challenge,” I would have to come prepared.

I looked up “how to prepare for a food challenge” a week before the trip and had my sights set on dismantling those burgers. About 24 hours before the challenge, I had a max-out meal, where I downed three McDonald’s Big Macs during my open lunch period — and, as a result, felt sicker than I’d ever been in my life (for the time being).

In the hours between the max-out meal and the challenge, I had only consumed an apple and a protein shake; I also drank water to expand my stomach. To my dismay, Hamilton’s burger was truly a Big Mac on steroids.

I decided to dismantle my burger, eating the patties first and then the buns after everything so I wouldn’t fill up on carbs too early. That failed. I barely got to the second burger before I entered the food coma.

Looking over at Danny’s plate and seeing how much more he had eaten than me made the challenge all the more heartbreaking.

I learned something extremely valuable through all of this, however: Don’t do a food challenge.

Danny: While I knew the task at hand was going to be tough, I was confident I could kill the majority of the burgers. I didn’t really have a strategy, I was just looking forward to seeing how much food I could actually eat.

When the food came out, I looked over at Joe and we both shook our heads at the sight of the two biggest burgers we had ever seen. The waitress started the timer. I dove in despite the fact that my confidence had taken a hit before the challenge even started.

About 10 minutes in, Joe had already dropped one of his dismantled patties on the floor, and I was just about done with my first burger. It looked like I was going at a solid pace, yet in my head I knew I was already starting to slow down.

Twenty minutes later I couldn’t bear to move. I was one-and-a-half burgers deep, and had only started to pick at the tater tots.

After we clocked out and the waitress came back with the results, I was surprised to find out that I had eaten three of the five pounds of food. And when I found out that Joe (who prepared for the challenge) had only eaten a little more than two pounds, I saw the challenge as a success.

But if there’s one thing I learned from the “Fat Boy Challenge,” it’s that I’ll never try another food challenge again.

Our takeaway: Whether one prepares for a food challenge or doesn’t, the task is difficult to complete. But one longtime Hamilton’s foodie has seen “Fat Boy” triumphs.

Folger Ridout, a resident of Annapolis, MD, has been coming to Hamilton’s almost every weekday since it opened in 2006. One time, he saw some police officers disassemble the monstrosity of a burger and down it all in eight minutes.

About 40-50 people have accomplished the feat, but unfortunately our attempt will go down in Hamilton’s and Hi’s Eye infamy. Food challenges are no joke, especially five pounds’ worth. Proceed with caution when attempting a food challenge, because you just might regret it later.