How to stay slim all holiday


You've spent weeks denying yourself your favourite foods and forcing yourself to the gym. So when you arrive on holiday you probably just want to flop, then eat and drink to your heart's content.

But research shows that on average most of us will put on at least two pounds on 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 is the guide to how to avoid the hidden calories in your holiday food and drink and the simple exercises you can incorporate into your break that will prevent you from putting on weight.

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 as svelte as you were when you left.



If you are holidaying in the sun, you will need to drink more fluids than in Britain. 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 litres a day. Drinking a lot of water also helps to flush toxins out of your system.


Most of us will drink more alcohol while we're are on holiday - but often forget all the hidden calories it contains. If you choose wisely though you can avoid putting on weight. Some of the worst choices calorie-wise are cocktails. 'Many cocktails contain cream so are highly calorific,' says Colette Kelly, a nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation.

'Spirits with low calorie mixers and wine are lower in calories than many cocktails and beers, so are the best choice.'

How to save calories

Drink a non alcoholic drink between alcoholic drinks. This can save several hundreds of calories in one night.

If you drink wine, have a small glass of wine with soda water (a spritzer) instead of a large glass of wine. This will save 80 calories.

Try to stick to spirits and wine - these are far less fattening than beer and cocktails. Spirits and low calorie mixers are particularly good - and will save 150 calories compared to a traditional mixer.



These addictive pre-dinner snacks go hand in hand with holidays, but can really pile on the pounds. Crisps and nuts are particularly calorific. Just one handful of crisps contains eight grammes of fat - and 110 calories. A handful of peanuts contains 13 grammes of fat - 150 calories.

How to save calories

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.

If you must eat crisps, Twiglets are a healthier option. One handful contains 75 calories - a third less than standard crisps. The yeast extract they contain also helps the body to release energy from food.


Faced with a vast array of different breakfast foods on holiday it's easy to eat hundreds of extra calories each morning.

How to save calories

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 will not leave you satisfied for long.

Instead of your second croissant, opt for a slice of toast, lightly spread with butter. This is just 100 calories compared to 216 in a croissant.

If you are tempted by Greek yoghurt for breakfast beware - it contains 10 per cent fat. Instead supplement it for a pot of full fat fruit yoghurt sometimes. This will save 100 calories.

Other meals

It's tempting to try the local specialities on a foreign menu, but choosing carefully can make a huge difference to the amount of extra weight you bring home.

How to save calories

Don't be afraid 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.

Trying out the local bread is all part of the fun of holidays. But don't be tempted to over indulge - particularly with garlic bread. Garlic butter will add 20 grammes of fat to three pieces of bread - and 210 calories. Breadsticks are a good alternative to bread as they are extremely low in fat.

Choose a salad instead of chips 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 are tempted by ice cream, try a sorbet. 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.


If the only exercise you ever consider on holiday is moving from your beach towel to take a momentary dip in the sea you're not alone. But just a small amount of gentle sport each day could prevent you gaining extra pounds while you are away.

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.

If you do include a little exercise into your break, the chemicals released by the body during sport will also make you feel even better.

'There are many things people can choose from that can make a difference,' says Louise Hurley, group health and fitness instructor for the Living Well fitness chain. 'Even simple things like walking along the beach for half an hour can make a difference and keep the metabolism levels higher.'

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 return home. 'For many people it's not just putting on weight on holiday that's the problem,' says Louise Hurley.

'They get out of the habit of doing exercise and when they return home it can take them weeks to resume their fitness regime.'

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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