- Graphics reveal that the average person consumes a 5,241-calorie festive feast
- You would need to cycle for 109 miles or swim for 13 hours to burn it off
- The dinner alone would require you to play four 90-minute football games
Everyone knows that Christmas is an indulgent time of the year, but revellers may be unknowingly consuming up to 5,300 calories on December 25, according to research.
Those who indulge in a day of feasting would have to run the equivalent of two marathons – 52 miles – to work off the calories in their celebratory meals.
Cyclists would have to pedal 109 miles to limit the excess, while swimmers would have to spend 13 hours in the pool.
The average Christmas feast can contain 5,241 calories, which would require the diner to run the equivalent of two marathons to burn it off
The average person can eat up to 5,241 on Christmas Day if they indulge in a starter, big turkey dinner, dessert, cheese and alcoholic tipples.
Gym goers would need to work out for almost 9 hours and burn 590 calories an hour doing weights and running on the treadmill to work off the feast.
The average person puts on 4lb between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day after consuming twice their recommended calorie intake, according to a survey of 1,000 people by Forza Supplements.
The shocking number of calories in a Christmas dinner (and the exercises required to burn them off)
This graphic breaks down just how many calories are in each course of a person’s blowout Christmas dinner – and how much exercise you would have to do to burn it off
Starter and appetiser
Smoked salmon with buttered toast and horseradish – 366 calories
Small portion of nuts – 130 calories
Total: 496 calories
Exercise required to burn it off: An hour’s jog/10 mile cycle/swim for 1 hour and 15 mins
Dinner
4 slices of turkey – 404 calories
3 roast potatoes (200 calories each) – 600 calories
5 pigs-in-blankets (sausages wrapped in bacon) – 400 calories
Gravy – 79 calories
3 balls of stuffing (125 calories each) – 375 calories
Buttered sprouts – 100 calories
A plate of buttered carrots – 80 calories
Bread sauce – 90 calories
Total: 2,128 calories
Exercise required to burn it off: Jog 4 miles every day for a week/play 4 90 minutes football matches/work-out in the gym for 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Dessert & cheese
1 mince pie – 177 calories
A portion of Christmas pudding, custard & brandy butter – 587 calories
5 Quality Street chocolates – 132 calories
Cheese and biscuits – 394 calories
Total: 1,290 calories
Exercise required to burn it off: Run a half marathon/4 hours of pilates/4 hour hike
Drinks
Two glasses of champagne – 226 calories
A bottle of beer – 142 calories
A glass of mulled wine – 245 calories
Two glasses of red wine – 320 calories
A glass of port – 154 calories
Two glasses of white wine – 240 calories
Total: 1,327 calories
Exercise required to burn it off: Two-and-half hours running on gym treadmill/two rounds of golf/three hours of tennis
Total calories in a Christmas dinner: 5,241 calories
You would have to run two marathons, cycle 109 miles, work out for 9 hours or swim for 13 hours to burn off a Christmas dinner
It takes until Easter for many dieters to repair the damage, as more than a third said it would take four months to get back into the same shape they were before Christmas.
A team of fitness experts calculated a range of exercises which burn the equivalent calories of a Christmas dinner blow-out – from running to golf or taking a brisk Christmas walk.