Guess How Many Calories You Consume When Hungover?

I don't know about you, but I can't remember the last time I went to bed after a few drinks without first having a late night snack. But a new report suggests binge drinking leads to overeating for the next 24 hours, not just the night of. The study defines binge drinking as having about four pints of beer or more, and binge drinkers tend to consume around 6,300 extra calories when we take into account food and drink consumed that night and the following day (I guess we know why Justin Bieber placed that ridiculous food order). This could lead a weight gain of 2 lbs. a week. The worst news is the kind of food choices we make after a few drinks — obviously fast food, because when have veggies ever made for a satisfying midnight meal?

The survey (to be taken with a grain of artery-clogging salt as it was commissioned by Slimming World, a UK-based weight loss organization) collected data from 2,042 respondents. Dr Jacquie Lavin, head of nutrition and research at Slimming World, explained that binge drinking loosens self-control (duh), and this is what leads to us indulging all our french fry cravings. "Alcohol makes the food even more rewarding. It tastes good and feels even better than it would do normally," said Lavin. OK, now I'm actually getting hungry.

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Before you despair, you should know there are ways to make your Netflix-sponsored hangover Sunday a less caloric experience. You could try making art next time you get a food craving – apparently, drawing a pizza can trick your brain into making you feel satisfied enough to cancel your Domino's order. But honestly, who wants to channel their inner Picasso when they're in the middle of a Game of Thrones binge?

While eating burgers at 3 a.m. might not be ideal, there's a bigger issue at hand here — and I'm not talking about those tie-dye overalls you thought were a good idea when you went online shopping after cocktails. Binge drinking leads to a whole lot of health problems, including memory impairment (yep, even when you're sober) and bone health issues like osteoporosis. So all in all, you might be better off skipping that fourth drink and going for a burrito instead. And with a whole slew of late-night spots that aren't McDonald's, veggies might actually start looking like a yummy option you won't regret.

Image: reactiongifs, Jerry Huddleston/Flickr