Tinsel-coated quiz

Christmas is here and there are parties to attend, cocktails to sip and canapés to nibble. But before all of that, we want to put you to the test to make sure you’ve learnt some valuable festive lessons over the last few weeks in order to help you stay on track and avoid that post-indulgence slump.

You might not continue losing weight during the party season, but you can at least limit the damage to just maintaining, not gaining, with a little know-how and some prudent choices.

Take our Christmas quiz and see if you know how to dodge the gluttonous nibbles, sip on a less calorie-laden drink and keep your training in check.

1. It’s common knowledge that we all put on a few extra grams during the holidays, but what is the average weight gain over the Christmas and New Year period?
   1. 0.72kg
   2. 1.77kg
   3. 2.36kg
2. What is the main culprit of weight gain?
   1. Overeating
   2. Drinking alcohol to excess
   3. Lack of exercise
3. How many minutes of walking would it take to burn off a 100g-serving of Christmas pudding?*
   1. 55 minutes
   2. 76 minutes
   3. 85 minutes
4. If you jogged for 30 minutes at 5km/hr, what would you burn off?*
   1. Party-sized sausage roll
   2. Slice of leek and bacon quiche
   3. Slice of cheese and tomato pizza
5. Everyone likes a drink at Christmas, but do you know much alcohol is classed as one standard drink?
   1. 8g
   2. 10g
   3. 12g
6. Sometimes a drink isn’t always one standard drink. How many standard drinks are there in a 180ml glass of wine (12% Alc./Vol)?
   1. 1.2
   2. 1.4
   3. 1.8
7. Full of rum and coconut cream, any idea how many calories there are in a pina colada?
   1. 193
   2. 262
   3. 314
8. Everyone becomes a nibbler over the festive period, but what would be the healthiest picking preference out of the following:
   1. Pretzels
   2. Peanuts
   3. Salted crisps
9. When it comes to exercise, should you:
   1. Take Christmas week off, but train extra hard the week before and after?
   2. Rest up for the month of December and go great guns come January?
   3. Continue to train two to three times a week, but short, intense 40-minute sessions?
10. What would be the healthiest choice of dessert to complete your Christmas meal?
    1. A serve of Christmas pudding with low-fat ice cream
    2. A mince pie with low-fat custard
    3. Three rum balls

Answers

1. The answer is B.

According to a recent survey by BigPond Health, of the 1002 respondents, more than two thirds admitted to putting on weight during the month of December, with the average weight gain per person being 1.77kg.

2. The answer is A, B and C.

All three are equally responsible for weight gain over Christmas. We all eat and drink too much and our exercise regime falls by the wayside. That’s why it’s so vital to stick to your normal healthy regime as closely as possible, with just the odd treat here and there and perhaps just one or two lazy days off from the gym.

3. The answer is B.

For a 90kg person it would take 76 minutes of walking at a moderate intensity to burn off the 292 calories found in a serving of Christmas pud. For a person weighing 75kg, it would require 85 minutes of brisk walking.*

4. The answer is A.

A 30-minute jog would use up about 158 calories, which is enough to burn off a 122-calorie party-size sausage roll. Unfortunately you would have to jog for 90 minutes to rid your waistline of the slice of quiche at 452 cals and the 369 calories found in a serving of pizza would require 75 minutes. Ouch!*

5. The answer is B.

A standard drink contains 10g of alcohol.

6. The answer is C.

A 180ml glass of wine is equivalent to 1.8 standard drinks.

7. The answer is B.

A creamy pina colada cocktail is laden with 262 calories.

8. The answer is A.

Pretzels contain 189 calories per 50g, whereas a handful of peanuts boasts 191 cals and a 50g bag of crisps has a massive 255 calories.

9. The answer is C.

According to specialist trainer Lee Parore, “Aim to stick to at least two to three sessions per week, but they can be quite short to avoid cutting into your Christmas time too much. An intense 40-minute session is enough to stimulate metabolism for both fitness and fat loss.”

10. The answer is C.

One rum ball has 63 calories, so three totals 189 cals. However, a serving of Christmas pud (292) with a scoop of low-fat ice cream (70) contains 362 calories, while the mince pie (219) and low-fat custard (125) has 344 cals. 

*All calculations based on a person weighing 90kg.