You've spent weeks killing yourself in the gym and endured a painfully strict diet just so you can squeeze into this year's bikini.
By the time you arrive at your dream destination all you want to do is hit the sun lounger, eat and drink. However the danger, now you are firmly in relaxation mode, is that all of the weight you've worked so hard to shed will return.
Research shows that on average most of us will put on at least two pounds every holiday we take. This may not seem like a substantial amount. But nutritionists claim that many of us never lose this weight and we simply go on getting larger every year.
But just a few small changes to what you eat, drink and do while you are away can prevent you gaining this weight.
Here are a few tips to avoid the hidden calories while on vacation. We've also included an number of simple exercises that can be easily incorporated into your summer break with minimum hassle.
Eating just 500 calories more than you usually do a day will leave you two pounds heavier after two weeks. So if you choose a few of the tips below each day to cancel out these 500 calories you should return home with a body as buff as when you left.
Drinks
Non-alcoholic
If you are soaking up the sun, you will need to drink more fluids than at home. But don't be tempted to opt for carbonated sugary drinks.
Just one can of fizzy drink such as lemonade and coke contains more than 150 calories. Try to drink water where possible - you'll need up to four liters a day. Drinking a lot of water also helps to flush toxins out of your system.
Alcoholic
Most of us dramatically increase our alcohol intake during when on vacation - but we often forget about the hidden calories.
There is no reason why you shouldn't have a few drinks on vacation but be aware some choices are worse for your figure than others.
The worst offender calorie-wise are cocktails. "Many cocktails contain cream so are highly calorific," says Colette Kelly, a nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation.
Top Tip: Spirits with low calorie mixers and wine are lower in calories than many cocktails and beers, so are the best choice.
Food
Nibbles
These addictive pre-dinner snacks go hand in hand with eating overseas, particularly in Europe. Crisps and nuts are very calorific. Just one handful of crisps contains eight grams of fat - and 110 calories. A handful of peanuts contains 13 grams of fat - 150 calories.
Top Tip: One easy way to cut hundreds of calories from your holiday diet is to replace crisps and nuts with olives.
Olives in brine contain just three calories each. So eating ten olives instead of a handful of peanuts immediately cuts 120 calories from your diet.
Breakfast
Faced with a vast array of different breakfast foods on holiday it's easy to eat hundreds of unnecessary calories each morning.
Top Tips: Breakfast hams and cheeses available in some countries may be tempting, but try to limit yourself to small portions. Cheese - particularly hard cheese - can be highly calorific.
Breakfast pastries such as croissants are also extremely fattening and not very filling - they are best avoided.
Other meals
It's tempting to try the local specialties on a foreign menu, but choosing carefully can make a huge difference to the amount of extra weight you bring home.
Top Tips: Don't hesitate to ask for sauces on the side with your dishes. Sauces made from cream can add several hundred calories to a dish and you often only need a small amount of sauce to enjoy the dish.
Ask for grilled fish or chicken rather than fried. Frying will add at least 100 calories.
Choose a salad instead of fies with your meal. This will save you at least 200 calories.
Desserts can be tempting while you are away. But rather than indulge every night, why not try some of the local fruit? You will save yourself at least 100 calories compared with most other desserts - and probably many more.
If you can't resist an ice-cream try having a sorbet instead. You will save almost 100 calories. If you fancy an ice cream during the day, go for a lollipop made with fruit juice. You'll save 100 calories.
Exercise
If the only exercise you are considering doing while on vacation is the occasional dive into the pool or sea then you are not alone - the vast majority of us do absolutely nothing while on vacation.
In fact holidays are the ideal opportunity for exercising. You have more free time, often easy access to the sea or pool and most resorts will offer a range of activities to choose from.
Any exercise that you do will leave you feeling energized and invigorated.
Better still, if you do keep active while you're away you'll find it easier to return to your regular fitness regime when you arrive back home.
How to burn calories
Here is a guide to some of the exercises you can easily fit into your daily routine on holiday - and the number of calories you will burn in half an hour.
Swimming - 250 calories
Cycling - 150 calories
Diving - 100 calories
Horseriding - 120 calories
Sailing - 100 calories
Table tennis - 120 calories
Tennis - 250 calories
Walking - 100 calories
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