by Sally Hammond

"Do you realise you're over-weight, madam?"

The svelte airline clerk at the check-in counter was eyeing me grimly. Guiltily my hands flew to my hips. How could she see them from her high desk? And what business of hers was it anyway! Then I realised she was referring to my baggage, not my body. Yet I knew that bits of me were bulging just as much as my suitcase. And while it was weighed down mainly with goodies for friends and family at home, the extra on me was mine. All mine!

In order not to bring back more than we bargained for from our holidays we need to realise the possible pitfalls and think carefully about how we will cope with each one. It's no use saying "Oh well, I just won't begin my new eating and exercise programme until I get back." Or "I'll make up for it by crash-dieting and working-out extra hard after it's over." Take that attitude and believe me, you'll be fighting extra kilogrammes and reduced fitness for months. Follow these easy tips and you might come back not just refreshed, but well-ahead on your personal health programme.

Plan ahead:

- If you know that you can never resist the luscious smorgasbords on cruise liners, book a bus tour. Or call ahead and see if they offer special meals or options.

- Ask for a fruit platter or low-kilojoule meals from the airline when you book your ticket, while your resolve is high.

- Check out what facilities your hotel can offer by way of spa cuisine (many places make this a selling-point now) and whether they have a gym, health club or other fitness options.

Don't be too strict:

- Be sensible. Work on getting in shape as much as you can but don't go crazy either. Don't expect miracles on the holiday unless you're booked into a health-farm. It's unreasonable to plan to diet rigidly on holidays and you might even jeopardise your health, apart from your enjoyment of the break.

- Remember that our metabolism varies from week to week and is even affected by jetlag and our emotions, so plan to maintain your healthy eating regimen rather than impose new limitations.

- Remember it is a holiday after all and relax and pamper yourself, preferably in non-food ways. Spoil yourself with a long spa-bath, a new outfit, a piece of jewellery, or a special souvenir rather than a double malted milkshake ' because I am on holidays'.

What to pick:

- Unless you have booked self-catering accommodation, you will be at the mercy of other people's cooking and meal-planning three meals a day - every day. Tell them your needs early, then forget it and enjoy being looked after.

- If you have a choice, such as at a cafeteria or smorgasbord, zero in on the fruit and salads, natural grains, vegetables and lean meats. In restaurants, don't be afraid to ask how food is prepared - whether it has been steamed or fried, for example. And don't feel you have to finish every morsel just because it is included in the package price. As soon as the plate is presented, remove anything over your planned amount and put it on a side plate. That way you won't eat it without noticing.

- Watch your alcohol intake and set your own limit, then finish the meal with mineral or plain water, or juice.

- If the weather is very hot or dry you may find you are thirstier than usual. Opt for water - plain or bottled - rather than soft drinks.

- If you are eating out in the evenings, plan simple picnic meals for lunches using crispbreads and fruit and salad ingredients bought fresh as you travel. A tub of low-fat yoghurt and some juice make a full meal.

What to pack:

- You probably won't be able to take your bathroom scales, and unfortunately hotels (even the best ones) usually don't supply them. Perhaps it's just as well as they all vary and we might become either unduly disappointed or deluded into thinking we had reason for a second serving of dessert. But you can pack your tape measure which will give you almost as good an idea of how you are going - particularly on a longer trip. Often clothes are not a good guide as leisure wear may be looser, or we might take different clothes to those we wear at home.

- You can also pack some emergency rations for those times when temptation is too great, or the choice is weighted (literally) towards fried, sugary or fatty foods. A packet of rice cakes or crackers can form the basis for open sandwiches or a sustaining snack. Weightwatcher's soups and jellies can be made up using the teamaking jug from your hotel or motel room, and of course you can carry sugar substitute, although many establishments now offer them as freely as sugar.

- A calorie counter helps you to know whether foods you are tempted with (some of which may be unfamiliar) will fit your eating plan. Some pocket-sized books even include details of popular takeaway foods.

- Take your exercise gear, so you have no excuse not to work-out whenever, wherever. Pack a skipping rope and some good walking shoes.

- And take your swimsuit (your most flattering one) and make sure it just fits, so you will know immediately if you need to increase your activity or decrease your meal sizes.

Keep a routine:

- There would be nothing worse than going on holiday and still getting up at 6am if you didn't want to, but just the same, don't drop all your at-home habits. You still apply makeup and wash your hair, don't you? So of course you will also include a daily walk, some exercise, and moderate your food and alcohol intake.

- Many hotels and motels have pools and gyms. Use these, even if you don't swim or work out at home. After all, on holidays you finally have the time you're always saying you wish you had at home! And you might just form some good habits to take back with you.

- Usually holiday locations also offer natural opportunities to exercise more: beaches, mountains, bush - even shopping and sightseeing. If you have come by public transport and don't have a car - rejoice! Resist taking a cab or bus everywhere and walk as much as you can.

- Look at exercises to do in your room. It is amazing how a skipping rope, towels or rubber tubing can double as simple exercise machines, and be fun as well. They can solve your problems of keeping fit, when the weather turns grey.

- Remember to keep active on long aircraft or bus trips. Particularly at high altitude it is important to keep your legs and feet moving, even while sitting in your seat to avoid puffy ankles and thrombosis. Exercise even minimises the effects of jetlag.

Put these simple strategies into place and, rather than putting a spanner into your carefully formed diet and exercise programme, your holiday can be a tool for greater health and fitness.