Dry January: We Calculated How Many Calories You'll Save (And the Exercise Equivalent)

Doing Dry January this year? We've calculated exactly how many calories you'll save—and what exercise it would take to burn off the equivalent.

The results are eye-opening.

What Counts as "Moderate" Drinking in the UK?

The NHS recommends no more than 14 units per week for both men and women. But many Brits drink more than this.

For this analysis, we're using 12 drinks per week—typical for someone who has a couple of glasses of wine most evenings or goes to the pub a few times a week.

The Calorie Count of British Favourites

Drink	Serving Size	Calories
Pint of lager	568ml	180
Pint of ale/bitter	568ml	170
Glass of wine	175ml	160
Large glass of wine	250ml	230
G&T	Single	120
Vodka & mixer	Single	100

Average across drink types: ~150 calories per drink

Dry January Maths: Your Calorie Savings

For a moderate drinker (12 drinks/week):

Period	Drinks Skipped	Calories Saved
1 week	12	1,800
2 weeks	24	3,600
3 weeks	36	5,400
Full January (31 days)	53	~8,000

That's 8,000 calories—nearly a kilogram of body fat.

Calculate your weight loss timeline →

The Exercise Equivalent

We used our Calories Burned Calculator to work out what exercise it would take to burn 8,000 calories.

For an 80kg person:

Activity	Time to Burn 8,000 Calories
Running (10 km/h)	12 hours
Cycling (moderate)	20 hours
Swimming	17 hours
Brisk walking	29 hours
Football (playing)	13 hours

Put it this way: Dry January saves you the equivalent of running a half marathon every week for a month.

Calculate your own exercise equivalents →

Beyond Just Calories

The 8,000 calories is just the alcohol itself. We haven't counted:

The Kebab Effect

We've all been there. A night at the pub often leads to:

The inevitable kebab or chips on the way home
A full English the morning after
"Hair of the dog" and more poor choices

Add another 500-1,000 calories per drinking session for many people.

The Day After

Hangovers mean:

Skipped gym sessions
Lying on the sofa all day
Ordering a Deliveroo instead of cooking

The Real January Savings

If you're a moderate drinker who also tends to eat rubbish while drinking:

Category	Calories Saved
Alcohol itself	8,000
Post-pub food (conservative)	2,000
Better food choices sober	1,500
Total	~11,500

That's over 1.5 kilograms of potential weight loss—just from not drinking for one month.

Week-by-Week Breakdown

Here's what you're saving each week:

Week 1 (Days 1-7)

Calories saved: 1,800
Exercise equivalent: 3 hours of running
You'll probably miss your evening drink

Week 2 (Days 8-14)

Total calories saved: 3,600
Exercise equivalent: 6 hours of running
Sleep quality typically improves

Week 3 (Days 15-21)

Total calories saved: 5,400
Exercise equivalent: 9 hours of running
Energy levels noticeably better

Week 4+ (Days 22-31)

Total calories saved: 8,000
Exercise equivalent: 12 hours of running
Skin looks better, weight may be down 1kg+

The Money Angle

The average UK drinker spends £50-80 per week on alcohol (more in London).

Dry January saves:

~8,000 calories
~£200-320 in your pocket
~12 hours of exercise you don't need to do

The Bottom Line

Dry January isn't just about "detoxing" or proving something. The maths is simple:

8,000+ calories saved from alcohol
12 hours of running worth of exercise you don't have to do
1-1.5kg of potential weight loss
£200-320 saved

Whether you're doing it for health, weight loss, or just to prove you can—the numbers are on your side.

Ready to calculate your own numbers?

Calories Burned Calculator - See exercise equivalents
Weight Loss Calculator - Plan your timeline
BMI Calculator - Check your starting point

Thinking about cutting back permanently? Even reducing from 12 drinks to 6 per week saves 4,000 calories per month—that's nearly half a kilogram of fat every month, or 5kg a year.