Welcome to the Season of Temptation as Average Brit Consumes 7,000 Calories on Christmas Day

Mums Tips

Feeding the Family

Published on Sunday, 15 December 2013 09:00

Last Updated on 09 January 2020

Monica Costa

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It comes to no surprise that we overindulge over Christmas but it the calculations of consumed calories on Christmas Day in a new study is incredible and I thought I’d share it with you.

With less than three weeks to go until Christmas, the countdown is on until the season of merriment. But with the endless supply of chocolates, snacks, mince pies and festive drinks, the average Briton (and probably most Europeans and beyond) is likely to gain up to 6lbs in weight in the eight days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

According to new research conducted by weight management company Ideal Weight, 2.08pm on 25th December is the time that most of us will have consumed our Recommended Daily Allowance (Guidelines for the recommended intake is 2,000 calories per day for women and 2,500 for men) – and that’s before we’ve even tucked into Christmas dinner! The astonishing claim comes as no surprise given that the average person consumes 7,000 calories on Christmas day alone.

TIMELINE OF CHRISTMAS DAY: Time Food and drink Calorie intake

8.30am Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs 135 calories

Glass of bucks fizz 95

10.00am Chocolates from the Christmas stocking 320

11.30am Four double Gin and Tonics 712

12.00pm Two mince pies 460

1.30pm Three slices of shortbread 300

2.15pm Portion of mixed nuts 243

3.00pm Traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings 1,450

Three glasses of wine 525

4.30pm Second helpings of Christmas dinner 725

5.30pm Slice of Christmas pudding, custard and brandy butter 1,174

6.00pm Second helpings of Christmas pudding 587

8.00pm Two portions of cheese and biscuits 500

Glass of port 165

9.30pm Two mince pies 460

As invitations for long lunches and festive dinners start to pile in, it’s no wonder that UK revellers are starting to think about slimming down into that little black dress, with one in eight wanting to look good for the Christmas party season. The research findings also reveal that over a third (35%) said they would like to be 7lbs to 1 stone 7lbs lighter than they currently are.

However, it appears that when it comes to shifting the extra pounds gained, Brits have found themselves in a yo-yo dieting cycle, with nearly two thirds (65%) of those that had tried at least one weight loss programme finding that they either did not lose any weight or have piled it all back on since.

My advice is to rather watch what you eat during the festivities rather than thinking of starting a diet in the new year. Greed often can fool us into lots of temptations that we then regret.