Avoid weight gain while on vacation

Exercise your smarts: Avoid weight gain while on vacation!

1. Be sure your hotel offers access to an exercise room or gym.

2. Pack your running shoes and workout clothes.

3. Before arriving at your destination, look at a map of the area around your hotel and plan to see as much as you can by foot.

4. Refuse the key to the in-room mini-bar, which will save you money (do you really want to pay $2.50 for a bag of chips?).

5. Pack yourself a few healthful snacks so you don't eat the high-carb, preheated stuff served on airplanes.

6. Once you clear airport security, buy a bottle of drinking water. The water will keep you hydrated during the flight and help you fight the temptation to suck down high-calorie soft drinks.

7. If your hotel offers a free continental breakfast, skip the glazed pastries. Try yogurt or whole-wheat cereal with low-fat milk.

8. If you are going to be on the move all day -- say, taking your kids to an amusement park -- try to have at least one healthful, sit-down meal. A solid meal will reduce your chances of snacking throughout the day.

9. Drink alcohol in moderation -- it's loaded with calories. Two Manhattan cocktails have more calories than a 2-ounce Snickers candy bar.

10. Be active. If you're vacationing by the shore, don't just lie on the beach all day. Take surfing lessons or rent a bicycle to explore the coast. Use your vacation time to play like a kid.