Online calculator reveals exactly how much exercise you need to do to work off food and drink

Would you still enjoy a meal out with a few drinks if you knew exactly how much exercise you’d have to do to burn off those delicious calories?

Well, a new online calculator is revealing just that, with UK website WorkOffYourDinner telling users exactly what they need to do to work off their food and beverages.

The website lets people select what they’ve consumed on a night out, offering various drinks including wine and beer, as well as pub meals and takeaways as options. 

It then shows users the different exercises they could do to burn off the calories consumed – such as rowing, cycling, walking and squats – and how many miles or reps they’ll need to do it for. 

While a Chinese takeaway could be worked off with a 21 mile walk or 3,071 sit ups, one glass of Prosecco can be redeemed with a two mile cycle. 

The free tool was built by the people behind Alertr.co.uk, a website that notifies users when the price drops on their favourite products, to mark the launch of its new diet-foods and weight loss sections. 

The data behind the site is from a mix of sources, such as fast food restaurants’ own information, alongside average sports and nutrition statistics gathered using desk-based research by the owners of Alertr.co.uk and their team. The exercise statistics are weighted to cater for the average adult.

Users of the tool should consult their doctor before starting any exercise program or dramatically changing their diet. Yorkshire-based charity SEED (Support and Empathy for people with Eating Disorders) has criticised the website and others like it for focusing on the significance of burning off calories.

Speaking about the new, free online tool, Andy Barr from www.WorkOffYourDinner.com said: ‘What started off as a fun project to highlight a new section of our website quickly became quite an eye-opening experience, especially when you consider the Government’s efforts to reduce obesity in the UK.

‘WorkOffYourDinner shows how quickly the calories can build up, even on a short night out, and before you know it you are having to put in a serious shift in terms of either running, cycling, walking, burpees or sit ups in order to work off that big night.’ 

REVEALED: How much would exercise YOU need to do to work off your indulgent food and drinks?

CHINESE TAKEAWAY

Food: Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls, Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Chow Mein and Prawn Crackers

Calories: 2,150 

• 21 mile walk 
• 16 mile run 
• 48 mile cycle 
• 2,866 burpees  

•  4,095 squats 
• 23 mile row 
• 3,071 sit ups

PIZZA

Four slices of pepperoni pizza, which is 1,032 calories, will apparently take a nine mile walk to burn off, according to the website (stock photo)

Food: Four slices of pepperoni pizza

Calories: 1,032

Exercise:

• Nine mile walk 
• Seven mile run 
• 21 mile cycle
• 1,376 burpees 

• 1,965 squats 
• 11 mile row 
• 1,474 sit ups

 

PROSECCO 

Beverage: One glass of Prosecco

Calories: 130 

Exercise:

•  0.93 mile run 
• One mile walk 
• Two mile cycle 
• 173 burpees  

•  247 squats 
• One mile row 
• 185 sit ups

 

CRISPS 

One packet of standard sized crisps – counting as 184 calories – will need 262 sits-ups afterwards to burn off the treat, the website says (stock photo)

Food: One packet of standard sized crisps

Calories: 184

Exercise:

• One mile run 
• One mile walk 
• Three mile cycle 
• 245 burpees  

• 350 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 262 sit ups

 

LAGER 

Beverage: One pint of lager

Calories: 185

Exercise: 

• One mile run 
• One mile walk 
• Three mile cycle 
• 246 burpees

• 352 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 264 sit ups

CHIPPY 

A medium sausage and chips from the local chippy will seemingly take an eight mile walk or 1229 burpees to work off (stock photo)

Food: Sausage and chips

Calories: 922

Exercise:

• Six mile run 
• Eight mile walk 
• 19 mile cycle 
• 1,229 burpees 

•  1,756 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 1,317 sit ups

CURRY 

Food: Tikka Masala, rice and a plain naan

Calories: 1048 

Exercise:

•  even mile run 
• Nine mile walk 
• 21 mile cycle 
• 1,397 burpees  

• 1,996 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 1,497 sit ups

PUB MEAL 

One pint of lager, which is a 185 calories, takes a three mile cycle or 246 burpees or 352 squats or a two mile row or 264 sit ups to burn off (stock photo)

Food: Steak and chips

Calories: 925 

Exercise:

• Six mile run 
• Eight mile walk 
• 19 mile cycle 
• 1,233 burpees 

• 1,761 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 1,321 sit ups

MILKSHAKE 

Beverage: One medium milkshake

Calories: 500

Exercise:

• Three mile run 
• Four mile walk 
• 10 mile cycle 
• 666 burpees

• 952 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 714 sit ups

FAST FOOD 

Food: Big Mac and medium fries

Calories: 930

Exercise:

•  Six mile run 
• Eight mile walk 
• 19 mile cycle 
• 1240 burpees  

•  1771 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 1328 sit ups

FIZZY DRINKS 

One glass of Prosecco could take a two mile cycle to work off for the average adult (stock photograph)

Beverage: One glass of coke

Calories: 200 

Exercise: One mile run or one mile walk or four mile cycle or 266 burpees or 380 squats or two mile row or 285 sit ups

• One mile run
• One mile walk 
• Four mile cycle 
• 266 burpees 

• 380 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 285 sit ups

CHOCOLATE

Food: One Mars bar

Calories: 230

Exercise:

• One mile run 
• Two mile walk 
• Four mile cycle 
• 306 burpees

• 380 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 438 sit ups

BISCUITS 

Food: Four chocolate digestives

Calories: 336 

Exercise:

• Two mile run 
• Three mile walk 
• Seven mile cycle 
• 448 burpees 

• 640 squats 
• Two mile row 
• 480 sit ups

Emmerdale actress Gemma Oaten, who is a patron of SEED, said: ‘In reference to this I am dumbfounded. Food is to be enjoyed, to be sociable, to celebrate, to nurture us with what we need to live, to breathe, to function. This is making it as though food is there to just “burn off”.

‘That is extremely damaging to not just anyone with an eating disorder but the nation as a whole. Especially our kids. What lesson is this teaching? That food is only there for you to get rid of… that’s borderline eating disorder talk right there.

‘Many eating disorder sufferers develop exercise addiction; this message, I feel, encourages this and that is scary. Exercise is vital and important but it has to be proposed or delivered in a healthy way. I feel this isn’t healthy at all.’