How many calories were in your July 4 drink binge?

Independence Day is no time for diets.

The barbecues are fired up, the drinks are on ice, and the party has been going since Saturday.

Nonetheless, nutritionists and doctors insist it can’t hurt to keep in mind what you’re eating and drinking as you head back to the buffet table for round 12 and offer your glass for a rosé refill. 

Alcohol is a silent contributor to weight gain, experts warn. 

‘It’s no secret that alcohol contains calories, but you may be surprised to hear that alcohol contains as many calories as pure fat,’ Professor Paul Wallace, chief medical adviser to the charity Drinkaware, told Daily Mail Online. 

‘Three gin and tonics have more calories than a hotdog and drinking one and a half pints of 5 percent ABV lager is the equivalent of eating a burger.’ 

The Drinkaware calculator allows you to put your alcohol calories into perspective

So how should you detox from the indulgence of the weekend? 

According to Orville Hewan, personal training manager at New York Health Racquet Club, your top priority – before exercise – should be hydration and rest. 

‘Get some BCAAs, electrolytes and water in your system to help with dehydration and try to get as much rest as possible,’ he tells Daily Mail Online. 

BCAAs are ‘branched-chain amino acids’, which your body can’t produce on its own. They help repair muscle damage and fuel muscle growth. They can be found in eggs, chicken, and low-fat Greek yogurt.   

If anyone does want to blitz their calories in the gym, Hewan advises taking it easy.

‘Do a lighter workout, keeping your heart rate low,’ he says. ‘If you normally run, jog at a lower speed instead. Or if you lift, lift lighter weights. 

‘You’ll most likely want to lower your expectations for your workout. Do as much as you can, within reason. Don’t push yourself too hard until you feel like your normal self again.’

For those of us that knocked back a few drinks in celebration, we have compiled a guide on the average number of calories most popular party drinks contain from Drinkaware’s Unit Calculator.

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The calculator offers a guide for how many calories are in each drink, comparing it to food calories, and how much exercise would be needed to burn off those calories. 

That final category – exercise calories – is the subject of interest in sports medicine at the moment. While many nutritionists and trainers advise sweating out the calories, a body of research suggests exercise is only minutely effective in shifting weight. 

But dismissing long-term weight loss aspirations for a second, exercise is proven to expunge toxins from your body – and burn those pesky calories. 

‘The key is to get your heart rate up and your muscles burning just enough to stimulate the release of these body chemicals without pushing yourself too hard, since you’re already likely fatigued and dehydrated,’ Tony Gentilcore, a Massachusetts-based trainer who created a 20-minute hangover workout, told Men’s Health.

With that in mind, here is an overview of the average calories in America’s favorite party drinks, and the amount of cardio needed to burn them off… 

BEER

Three pints of beer contains more calories than eating two whole burgers and buns at a barbecue.

That would take you 55 minutes to burn off on the treadmill. 

However, if you dipped into the barbecue as well, your total calorie intake will likely have scaled up to around 770. Add cheese, and you’re looking at closer to 900.

To burn that off, you’re facing around 100 minutes in the gym. 

Three bottles of beer, containing less alcohol, totals 426 calories, the equivalent to 1.4 burgers. 

That would require 43 minutes on the treadmill today, if you’re up to it.

PINTS: Three pints of beer is almost equivalent to eating two whole burgers with buns

BOTTLED BEER: Three bottles of beer amounts to fewer calories than pints or wine glasses

WINE 

Three glasses of wine (small 175ml glass, 13% alcohol) contains marginally fewer calories than three pints of beer, totaling 477 calories. 

To run that off, you’ll need to be jogging for 48 minutes. 

Once you’ve added your obligatory hot dogs and extras from the barbecue, your total calorie intake will be more like 700 calories – a third of a woman’s daily recommended intake. 

WINE: Three small glasses of wine will require almost an hour of running the next day to burn

CHAMPAGNE

Three glasses of champagne is the healthiest of the bunch thus far, if you cracked out the good stuff last night.

At 267 calories total, it amounts to fewer calories than one burger. 

That means you face a 27-minute run today to burn it off.

CHAMPAGNE: Three glasses of bubbly is lower in calories than three beers – but expensive

SHOTS 

Three shots of tequila: the lowest in calories for those who took the plunge.

The highly potent gulps amount to 183 calories, about the same as half a burger. 

To burn that off you’ll need a mere 18 minutes on the treadmill – if you can lift your head out of bed. 

SHOTS: Three shots of tequila is low in calories – but incredibly high in alcohol content

LIQUOR

Two single gin and tonics amount to 150 calories, about the same as one chocolate-filled crepe. 

That will require about 14 minutes of cardio the next day to burn off, according to Drinkaware.

Two rum and cokes are a bit more calorific, containing 170 calories. That is equivalent to eating one bag of chocolate buttons, and requires 16 minutes of cardio to burn. 

Two vodka and cokes made with a 25ml measure contains 220 calories – similar to two slices of pizza.

You’re going to need about 22 minutes of cardio to burn that off.