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What Chain-Food Favorites Cost in Exercise

Posted Mon, Jun 01, 2009, 12:42 pm PDT

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My "two scoops won't hurt and neither will these french fries" approach to eating doesn't lend itself well to swimsuit season. Although the beach treks may have begun, there is time to make change. So, let me have it. What's that ice cream going to cost me in workout minutes? To tell us is Charles Stuart Platkin, also known as the Diet Detective. He is the author of five books and and host of WE TV's I Want To Save Your Life. Here is his report on what some of our chain-food favorites should cost us in time spent doing common exercises...

Note: Calorie content of foods are based on official website information at the time of publication. Minutes of exercise are averages based on a 155-pound person. The greater the weight of the person the more calories burned per minute.

DONUT
Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Frosted Donut (230 calories)
59 minutes of walking (3 mph).

BREAKFAST SANDWICH
McDonald's Egg McMuffin (300 calories)
32 minutes of running (5 mph).

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Panera Chocolate Chipper (440 calories)
62 minutes of biking (10-11.9 mph).

PIZZA
Pizza Hut Large Hand-Tossed Style Cheese Pizza (1 slice; 320 calories)
39 minutes of swimming (slow to moderate laps).

CINNAMON ROLL
Starbucks Cinnamon Roll (500 calories, varies by location)
85 minutes of dancing.

HAMBURGER
Burger King Original Whopper With Cheese (770 calories)
94 minutes of swimming (slow to moderate laps).

BROWNIE
Au Bon Pain Chocolate Chip Brownie (380 calories).
129 minutes of yoga (Hatha style).

FRIES
Wendy's Large French Fries (540 calories)
77 minutes of biking (10-11.9 mph).

ICE CREAM
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream (0.5 cup; 270 calories)
29 minutes of running (5 mph).

BURRITO
Taco Bell Burrito Supreme, Beef (410 calories)
70 minutes of dancing.

And check out these 10 feel-good activities for weight loss.

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1854 Comments

1. Posted by doc_musik on Mon, Jun 01, 2009, 6:24 pm PDT

Fun article! Though, I would have liked it more if they listed a few different options for burning the food off, such as 30 Minute run 1 hour walk 1.5 hour swimming etc. Then you would know how it pertains to your own choice of personal exercise.
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2. Posted by jeuchre1234 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:14 pm PDT

i got a good idea.... just pick up a sport!
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3. Posted by starbowie on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:15 pm PDT

yeah in a perfect world everything would pertain to your personal universe! duh, use your imagination!
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4. Posted by morgantreaster on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:15 pm PDT

Wow! I never realized how many calories were in my favorite foods! Great article!
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5. Posted by JIGAR P on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:15 pm PDT

Why author is always worry about calories so much? What if you eat just 2 burrito in a day? An adult needs to have around 2000 calories everyday for a healthy body. I can eat all of these items and still won't walk a step as long as I stay under my daily calories..
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6. Posted by Justin on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:16 pm PDT

ok um the breakfast sandwich you need 32 winutes of running (5 mph). umm......winutes?
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7. Posted by believeintheunicorn on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:16 pm PDT

I agree, I never go swimming....I'd like to know how to burn it off in more than one way.
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8. Posted by shugbugg on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:17 pm PDT

Wow i never knew any of that Wowza again!!!
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9. Posted by r_jblackman on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:17 pm PDT

I agree
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10. Posted by edithavila23 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:17 pm PDT

OMG!!!
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11. Posted by Nate B on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:18 pm PDT

Doc musik, just use some simple algebra.. not really that hard. Solve for "x"
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12. Posted by Tracey S on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:18 pm PDT

oh my gosh........................not sure I can keep up with the exercise side of it...would give up the food first!
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13. Posted by sindel1 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:19 pm PDT

I have to agree with doc_musik on that account. But then I supposed thats the catch. Some of us don't have the luxury of swimming and bikes. But walking I can do.
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14. Posted by ssiraj1116 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:19 pm PDT

that sucks...
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15. Posted by fr_rence20 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:19 pm PDT

omg i cant believe this.i really have to cut down on my calorie intake.i thought that a single donut or cinnamon roll wouldnt require as much exercise to burn it.now i know better...thanks
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16. Posted by vwjosh@sbcglobal.net on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:22 pm PDT

I'm hungry
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17. Posted by Gia Alia on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:22 pm PDT

How long is a winute?
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18. Posted by Genius on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:23 pm PDT

Okay, its nice to point out how much work I need to do afterr feeling guilty, but it would be really simple if everyone included exercise in their daily lives, make it a fun day or dance with friends, or even better, compete in awsome contests like dance-offs, races, olypmic games, etc. My favorite devilish snack is coffee cake!!
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19. Posted by dlbabineaux on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:25 pm PDT

one thing.........and how long it takes to burn it off. I don't just eat a burger, I eat fries and drink a coke. I will be working out MY entire life. OMG
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20. Posted by fiffie on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:25 pm PDT

wow .winutes?...that's something new!
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21. Posted by small.details on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:26 pm PDT

no way are these accurate assessments.
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22. Posted by fiffie on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:26 pm PDT

*coughspellcheckcough*
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23. Posted by aahockey41 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:27 pm PDT

32 winutes, eh?
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24. Posted by Lori U on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:28 pm PDT

hmm i was wondering about the winutes also is that like 60 weeks? lol
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25. Posted by Javier J on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:28 pm PDT

I am going to go with the "Breakfast Sandwich". It only takes 32 "winutes" of running. I dont know what a "winute" is, but is sounds like it might be less than a minute. :)
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26. Posted by wascotigers on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:28 pm PDT

32 "Winutes" of running=] lol
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27. Posted by Dan W on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:29 pm PDT

Just make your own conversion table. Donut 4 calories per minute waking, ice cream 9 cals a min running. Cookie 7 cals per minute biking... Now just take any other calorie amount and divide by these numbers... 500 calorie cinn roll / 7 cals per min biking is 71 minutes of biking... :) Sorry you do have to know some math lol
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28. Posted by supermario6449 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:29 pm PDT

59=Donut? I'm SERIOUSLY CUTTING BACK!
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29. Posted by tzrecbs on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:29 pm PDT

now I understand why my ass is so big! great article!
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30. Posted by cfrancix47 on Tue, Jun 02, 2009, 2:30 pm PDT

hard to see the credibility when things are measured in "winutes."
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