Lower Calorie Alcohol: What Difference Can It Make?

In order to lose weight, you need to ensure you eat fewer calories than you burn during the day. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The reality, however, is that putting this into practice is a huge amount of hard work. Therefore, to help in your attempts at attaining a healthy calorie deficit, we’ve put together this guide on calorie consumption and the impact that switching to lower calorie alcohol can make - especially in terms of the time saved from the dreaded treadmill.

Calorie Deficit: What Is The Optimal Number?

To reiterate, the general rule is that if you consume more calories than you use, then you’ll gain weight; if you take in fewer calories than you use, then you’ll lose weight; and if those numbers are pretty much the same, then you should maintain your weight.

If you speak to any nutritionist, though, and float the idea of cutting calories to a very high degree all of a sudden, then they will likely tell you that that’s not at all optimal to achieving your goals in the longer-term. The optimal calorie deficit is supposedly large enough to stimulate steady fat loss, but not so large that you're always hungry and lethargic.

However, due to the optimal calorie deficit being entirely different for different individuals and changing over time, we’ll refrain from putting any targets in place here. We will, though, make reference to the fact that 3,500 calories equals 1 pound, meaning that a person has to have a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat. 3,500 calories spread out over two weeks equals 250 calories per day, which should hopefully help paint the picture of how a calorie deficit might look like in your daily life.

Calories in Alcohol: What Are The Numbers?

Although the labelling of alcoholic beverages needs improving, we all know that alcohol contains calories - and often quite a large number of them. But what difference can the lower calorie lagers, wines and spirits sold at DrinkWell really make in your attempts at burning more calories than you consume?

Well, let’s firstly look at the facts in terms of the average number of calories contained in regular alcohol versus our extensive collection of lower calorie alternatives.

Calories in Lager:

According to the NHS, the average number of calories in a pint of lager is 215 calories. In comparison, a pint of SkinnyLager has only 142 calories - 34% fewer calories.

Calories in Red Wine:

When it comes to red wine, the average number of calories in a 175ml glass is 160. In comparison, our lowest calorie red wine comes in at just 109 calories - which is 32% fewer calories. Across our entire range of lower calorie red wine, the average glass is 123 calories per 175ml - still 23% fewer calories on average.

Calories in White Wine:

At 159 calories per 175ml, the average number of calories in a 175ml glass of white wine is ever so slightly lower than red wine. In comparison to our lowest calorie white wine, though, which comes in at just 106 calories, choosing a glass of our B&G Sauvignon Blanc would constitute 33% fewer calories. In terms of our entire range of lower calorie white wine, the average glass is 123 calories per 175ml, meaning 23% fewer calories on average.

Calories in Rose Wine:

With regards to rose wine, the average number of calories in a 175ml glass is 147 calories. In comparison, our lowest calorie rose wine from First Cape is only 63 calories per 175ml - 57% fewer calories on average. In fact, across our entire range of lower calorie rose wine, the average glass is still only 96 calories per 175ml - which is 35% fewer calories.

Calories in Gin:

When it comes to gin, the average number of calories in a 25ml measurement is 64. Compare this to our botanical infused spirit from Loca Bev, which comes in at just 46 calories per 25ml, and this is a pretty significant 28% fewer calories.

Calories in Cider:

Lastly, the average number of calories in a pint of cider is 210 calories. In comparison, the newly launched SkinnyCider from SkinnyBrands has 149 calories per pint - a total of 29% fewer calories.

The Calorie Difference: How Much Exercise Does It Take To Burn The Extra Calories?

Now that we’ve clarified the difference in full-fat alcohol and our skinnier alternatives, let’s put these calories saved into perspective in terms of time saved from the treadmill.

To do this, though, let’s get a few things straight when it comes to calories burned. Firstly, the more you weigh, the more calories you burn. In addition, the more effort you exert, the more calories you burn - as you might expect. Therefore, the following calculations are based on the UK average female and male body weight, and also based on a moderate effort level of exertion.

With that out of the way, here are the average number of calories burnt for a male and female running for one hour on the treadmill (at 6mph):

Female = 752 calories burnt (125 calories per mile)
Male = 895 calories burnt (149 calories per mile)

Based on this data and also based on enjoying four glasses of your favourite tipple across a single week, this is the amount of extra time you might need to dedicate to the treadmill to burn the extra calories off should you continue to drink alcohol with the average number of calories - as opposed to the lower calorie alternatives provided here at SkinnyBooze.

Lager:

One Week (female): 23 minutes 17 seconds
One Month (female): 1 hour 33 minutes 8 seconds
One Year (female): 18 hours 37 minutes 36 seconds
One Week (male): 19 minutes 34 seconds
One Month (male): 1 hour 18 minutes 16 seconds
One Year (male): 15 hours 39 minutes 12 seconds

Red Wine:

One Week (female): 16 minutes 16 seconds
One Month (female): 1 hour 5 minutes 4 seconds
One Year (female): 13 hours 0 minutes 48 seconds
One Week (male): 13 minutes 40 seconds
One Month (male): 54 minutes 40 seconds
One Year (male): 10 hours 56 minutes 0 seconds

White Wine:

One Week (female): 16 minutes 55 seconds
One Month (female): 1 hour 8 minutes 24 seconds
One Year (female): 13 hours 40 minutes 48 seconds
One Week (male): 14 minutes 13 seconds
One Month (male): 56 minutes 52 seconds
One Year (male): 11 hours 22 minutes 24 seconds

Rose Wine:

One Week (female): 26 minutes 49 seconds
One Month (female): 1 hour 47 minutes 16 seconds
One Year (female): 21 hours 27 minutes 12 seconds
One Week (male): 22 minutes 32 seconds
One Month (male): 1 hour 30 minutes 8 seconds
One Year (male): 18 hours 1 minutes 36 seconds

Gin:

One Week (female): 16 minutes 17 seconds
One Month (female): 1 hour 5 minutes 8 seconds
One Year (female): 13 hours 1 minutes 36 seconds
One Week (male): 13 minutes 41 seconds
One Month (male): 54 minutes 44 seconds
One Year (male): 10 hours 56 minutes 48 seconds

Cider:

One Week (female): 19 minutes 28 seconds
One Month (female): 1 hour 17 minutes 52 seconds
One Year (female): 15 hours 34 minutes 24 seconds
One Week (male): 16 minutes 21 seconds
One Month (male): 1 hour 5 minutes 24 seconds
One Year (male): 13 hours 4 minutes 48 seconds

In Conclusion: Drinking Less Calories Is The Smart Choice

We’ll be honest with you, before doing the sums, we hadn’t realised just how dramatic the difference is - especially when you start looking at things across a whole year. For instance, 21 hours 27 minutes and 12 seconds saved from the treadmill for a female of average weight who switches from standard rose wine to our lower calorie bottle from First Cape - wow!

We should reiterate that the numbers are based on inferred data and you should always personalise your own calorie tracking through the different apps and devices available, but it is definitely awakening if alcohol is something you enjoy fairly regularly with friends and family.

Nevertheless, here at SkinnyBooze we offer you the chance to continue socialising with alcohol but ensure that you consume less calories whilst doing so. Launching in 2012, it has been a long-term endeavour of ours and it’s something we’re as passionate now as when we first started.

I don’t know about you but I could do with a refreshing bottle of SkinnyLager after all of those numbers…

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