In this week’s issue of Closer, Jessie Wallace told us that her weight loss was largely down to ditching the booze.
During her stint on Strictly Come Dancing last year, 36-year-old Jessie went from a size 12 to a 10. However, after the show, she soon went back up to a 12-14.
However, for the last six weeks, Jessie’s been running almost every day to train for a 10k run, as well as working out three times a week for 90 minutes.
The actress – who has previously admitted to problems with alcohol and drugs – has also ditched the booze to aid her healthy lifestyle.
We think Jessie looks amazing – and to be quite honest, we can understand the ‘alcohol-assisted’ weight gain – so many people make a habit of booze without realising its actual calorie content! (Which is really quite high if we may say so ourselves!)
Four in 10 of us didn’t know a glass of wine has the same calories (120) as a slice of cake, or that a pint of lager (and a small sausage roll) have 170 each!
A poll of 2,000 adults in England was carried out as part of the government’s drive to curb people’s drinking habits.
The campaign also stresses that a heavy drinking session is often followed by an unhealthy breakfast, which again helps to pile on the pounds. (C’mon, who can resist a greasy fry-up after a heavy night!?)
The Know Your Limits campaign has focused on other consequences of drinking in the past, such as disease risk.
But to coincide with the focus on weight, the Department of Health carried out research showing a regular beer drinker, who enjoyed five pints a week (or 250 over the course of a year) packed away the same number of calories as someone eating a whopping 221 doughnuts over the same space of time!
The research also revealed the average wine drinker consumed a (horrifying!) 2,000 calories each month.
And in case you’re wondering, over the course of a year that is the equivalent of eating an extra 38 roast beef dinners!
Health minister Phil Hope warns that it’s not only the calories in the actual alcohol you should watch out for… “It’s not only the calories in the drinks themselves that can help to pile on the pounds, we’re also more likely to eat fatty foods when we’ve had one too many.”
And Heather Caswell of the British Nutrition Foundation puts it right into perspective.
She added: “Most people would baulk at consuming a full glass of single cream, but wouldn’t think twice about a couple of pints.
“But the calorie content is similar and, over time, excess alcohol intake is likely to lead to weight gain.”
So, we hear you cry, what exactly are we drinking…!?
A pint of cider is 200 calories. Equivalent to some scrummy beans on toast!
A pint of bitter is 190 calories. Equivalent to a mouth-watering doughnut!
A cream liquor shot is 160 calories. Equivalent to a tasty chicken drumstick!
A glass of wine is 120 calories. Equivalent to a yummy slice of cake!
A shot of vodka is 55 calories. Equivalent to 25ml of single cream…oops!
So, Closer Online readers – were you aware of the calorie content of your favourite tipples? Are you conscious of your calorie intake when you’re on a night out?
By Tasha Usefnia