How many hours does it take to work off spaghetti and meatballs?

When I’m craving a high-calorie snack or meal, I find it helpful to see how many minutes or even hours it would take me to work off that little “cheat.” More times than not, seeing that I will have to run for three hours or do push ups for the rest of the decade is enough to nudge me into making a more healthy decision. Check out some of the worst food offenders in our country and how much exercise it takes to burn off a serving.

If you eat this: A premium burger fast food meal with fries and a regular soda. I compared the nutrition values of the three leading hamburger fast food restaurants and their premium hamburger value meals all contain between 1,500 and 1,600 calories (that is the number of calories that I intake in one entire day!)

You will have to do this: 

• 140 minutes of running (6 mph pace)
• 378 minutes of walking (3 mph)

If you eat this: Pot Pie. This creamy, flaky crusted comfort food is not so comforting when you find out that many of these pies have around 1,000 calories per serving! AHH!

You will have to do this: 

• 333 minutes of bowling
• 111 minutes of continuous jump rope

If you eat this: Spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce (Macaroni Grill). If you order this dish, you will be served up a heaping plate of 2,430 calories.

You will have to do this: 

• 8 hour of pushups
• 3.5 hours of running (6 mph)

If you eat this: Ice Cream (specifically Dove brand). One half cup (the size of a light bulb) of this creamy, dreamy treat is a nightmare at 300 calories.

You will have to do this: 

• 25 minutes of vigorous spinning (group cycle class)
• 30 minutes of swimming laps

If you eat this: Large white chocolate mocha (at Starbucks). Drinks like tea and water do not have calories, but this frothy drink had 580 calories…that’s as many as a large meal!

You will have to do this: 

• 90 minutes of hiking
• 85 minutes jogging

For a great and comprehensive calorie burn calculator, click here.

* All calories burned were based on a 150-pound person. If you weigh more, you will burn slightly more calories, if you weigh less, you will burn slightly less.