KNOWLEDGE

Think Before You Drink

December 16, 2014

Get the calorie lowdown on classic holiday drinks—and how much treadmill time they'll take to work off.

At least one-fifth of the calories you consume come from things you drink, and let's face it, you're much more likely to tip back a glass or two during the holidays. Here's the fat truth about some classic holiday drinks and how much gym time is required to burn them off—plus, tips on how to enjoy them without winding up with a belly that only Mrs. Claus could love. (And remember: If you choose to drink, give the keys to your sleigh to a designated driver.)

EGGNOG

Calorie content: You’ll guzzle 340 calories in one cup of the store-bought stuff, but many homemade recipes contain significantly more fat and calories. And if you plan to spice up your eggnog with rum, one ounce will add 80 or more calories to your drink.

Better beverage: Pour half a glass of the traditional eggnog and then fill to the top with skim milk and stir to save 170 calories. Making it from scratch? Sub Splenda for sugar and use an egg substitute.

Burn time: Can’t resist the real thing? Depending on your body weight, that cup of eggnog will take about a half hour of jogging on the treadmill to work off.

HOT BUTTERED RUM

Calorie content: About 300 calories in one cup.

Better beverage: For a healthier sit-by-the-fireplace option, try a hot toddy, which usually includes brandy or whiskey, along with honey, lemon and hot water or tea. By itself, tea packs zero calories.

Burn time: Still think butter is better? It will take anywhere from a half hour to 45 minutes to work off one calorie-laden cup on a stationary bike.

LIQUOR

Calorie content: One shot has about 80 calories. Two or three shots in one of those mammoth holiday tumblers can raise the count to 300 calories.

Better beverage: Whenever possible, be your own bartender. Having control of the portion size you drink means having control over the calories you consume. And remember: the higher the alcohol content, the more calories. For example, 80-proof vodka has 64 calories per ounce, while 100-proof vodka has 82.

Burn time: If you still plan on throwing ’em back, you’ll need to spend around 10 minutes on a stair-climber for every shot you drink.

BEER

Calorie content: A 12-ounce serving of beer contains an average of 149 calories.

Better beverage: Opt for light beer—which contains an average of 103 calories per 12-ounce serving—and drink it from the bottle. You’ll take smaller sips, and it’s built-in portion control. When it comes to drinking, many caloric miscalculations occur because estimating portion sizes can be tricky.

Burn time: You can always row, row, row away about one brewsky per 10 minutes on a rowing machine.

COSMOPOLITAN

Calories: About 200 calories in a four-ounce glass.

Better beverage: Cut your calorie intake with the sugar-free mixers available on www.bajabob.com. A great holiday pick is the Cranberry Cosmo mixer ($7.59 for a 32-ounce bottle), which has fewer than 10 calories per serving.

Burn time: You could spend 30 minutes in an aerobics class to burn off the cocktail.

KAHLÚA-SPIKED HOT CHOCOLATE

Calorie content: This and other whipped-cream- topped, chocolate-drizzled confections can easily pack 500 calories or more.

Better beverage: If you simply must have that spiked hot chocolate, consider it your dessert and say no to additional treats.

Burn time: Be prepared to devote 90 minutes to a marathon yoga session to undo that decadent drink’s caloric damage.

LONG ISLAND ICED TEA

Calorie content: An eight-ounce glass contains vodka, tequila, gin, rum, triple sec and sour mix—and a whopping 780 calories.

Better beverage: Generally speaking, a two-ingredient cocktail is a smarter choice than a five-ingredient concoction, so try your favorite holiday spirit on the rocks, with just a dash of lime. At 80 calories per serving, this simple holiday drink saves 700 calories!

Burn time: Or you can breaststroke your way through about an hour of laps around the pool to work off that drink.

WINE

Calorie content: A typical four-ounce glass of red wine contains about 100 calories. A dry white has about 80 calories, and a bit of the bubbly will set you back about 84 calories. But the sweeter dessert varieties, like port, may carry almost double that.

Better beverage: Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, but steer clear of the sugary after-dinner kinds. And make this rule for yourself: No refills until you can see the bottom of your glass.

Burn time: If you find you’ve raised your glass a bit more than you should’ve, head out for an after-dinner stroll. Brisk walking can burn upward of 50 calories per 10 minutes, depending on your weight.