How much does exercise offset those holiday meals?
You’re with friends and family that you haven’t seen in some time. Frequently, the focal point of the gathering is the meal. Well, what does the meal add up to in calories and how much exercise do you have to do to burn those calories? Here’s some food for thought.
| ITEM | AMOUNT | CALORIES |
|---|---|---|
| red wine | 3.5 ounces | 75 |
| white wine | 3.5 ounces | 80 |
| regular beer | 12 ounces | 160 |
| light beer | 12 ounces | 95 |
| 80 proof alcohol | 1.5 ounces | 95 |
| 90 proof alcohol | 1.5 ounces | 110 |
| egg nog | 8 ounces | 340 |
| cola | 12 ounces | 160 |
| fruit soda | 12 ounces | 150-180 |
| fruit punch | 8 ounces | 113 |
| whole milk | 8 ounces | 150 |
| 2% milk | 8 ounces | 120 |
| skim milk | 8 ounces | 85 |
| canned cranberry sauce | 1 cup | 420 |
| bread stuffing | 1 cup | 420 |
| black eyed peas | 1 cup | 190 |
| string beans | 1 cup | 45 |
| brussel sprouts | 1 cup | 60 |
| carrots | 1 cup | 35 |
| corn | 1 cup | 135 |
| peas | 1 cup | 125 |
| mashed potatoes | 1 cup | 225 |
| baked sweet potatoes | 1 potato | 115 |
| canned sweet potatoes | 1 cup | 260 |
| white meat turkey | 3 ounces (2 slices, 1/4″) | 135 |
| dark meat turkey | 3 ounces | 160 |
| roast beef | 3 ounces (1/4″ thick) | 315 |
| gravy | 1/2 cup | 95 |
| cheese cake | 1 slice | 280 |
| apple pie | 1 slice (1/6 9″pie) | 405 |
| pumpkin pie | 1 slice | 320 |
| choc. chip cookie | 4 21/2″ diameter | 180 |
| sugar cookies | 4 | 235 |
| oatmeal cookies | 4 | 245 |
| shortbread cookies | 4 | 155 |
Now if you add up the calories for a holiday meal, along with the drinks, and deserts – and this doesn’t even include those caloric depositories called appetizers – a realistic intake is over 2000 calories at a single sitting. That’s right, 2000 calories. When we calculated this we considered 2 beers, 1 glass of wine, 1 piece of apple pie and no cookies in our total!!
If you are a 150-pound person feeling a little guilty about all that, you might consider taking a walk. If you walk 3 miles in 45 minutes (not too shabby, and you’ve waited at least one hour since eating) you will have burned off less than 1 sixth of that meal – 300 calories. That’s the bad news.
Here are some other equivalents for exercise for a 150-pound person in better than average condition. (These are approximations and will vary from one individual to another, but you’ll get the point)
| EXERCISE TYPE | TIME | CALORIES |
|---|---|---|
| walk, 15 min/mile | 60 min | 400 |
| golf, walking | 270 min | 600 |
| jogging 10 min/mile | 60 min | 660 |
| skiing – alpine | 120 min | 660 |
| skiing x-country | 60 min | 420 |
| tennis, singles | 60 min | 420 |
| basketball | 60 min | 540 |
| rowing | 60 min | 700 |
| stationary cycling | 60 min | 600 |
| weight lifting | 60 min | 350 |
| stair climber | 60 min | 600 |
| chopping wood | 60 min | 444 |
| raking leaves | 60 min | 200 |
| snow shoveling | 60 min | 700 |
Conclusions
Excess intake of calories around the holidays is only partially offset by exercise. The levels of caloric expenditure above are for a relatively fit individual, and it is unlikely that someone who does little physical activity will be able to attain these expenditures. The best plan is to exercise restraint in eating and drinking. It will take as much exercise exercise as one individual can normally do in one week to work off one average holiday meal.