How to Stay on Your Diet and Exercise Plan During Holiday Travels

Holiday travel, for many of us, is just as inevitable each year as the need to respond to at least some of those holiday greeting cards (I would never neglect my 92-year-old cousin Bob, for example!).

The challenge for dieters: all those restaurant and hotel meals plus gatherings at relatives and friends can make it tricky. The solution: pack your own food perks and exercise extras!

Here are some tips for staying on your diet AND building exercise into your holiday travel:

1. Pack tennis shoes. Whether you're staying in a hotel or with a relative, look for opportunities to go for a quick walk around the neighborhood. Bad weather? Head for an indoor mall, which is a great way to entertain yourself while walking (just stay OUT of the food court!).

2. Whether you're traveling via plane, car, bus, or train, take along your own snacks and beverages. If permitted (some forms of transportation may not allow), take along plenty of bottled water. My current favorite: MetroMint chocolate mint - zero calories, LOTS of flavor! If you're on a low-carb diet, try low-fat string cheese or (especially great for car rides) take an ice chest with hard-boiled eggs and chicken breasts broiled without skin. Low-calorie dieters: fresh veggie snack packs work great for travel.

3. If you're staying in a hotel, ask if they have a hotel gym or a free pass at a nearby gym. Some hotels even offer classes and/or DVD players in each room with fitness videos.

4. Fattening salad dressings can result in way too much fat, sodium, calories, and carbs for most dieters. Don't let an innocent salad become a diet-wrecker! The solution: pre-packaged single serving salad dressings from Minimus.biz. This online store offers an extensive array of low-calorie and even zero-calorie, zero-carb salad dressings. From fat-free mayo to zero-calorie, sugar-free Walden Farm Ranch salad dressing (my personal favorite), this store is like a treasure chest for dieters.

5. Don't let dessert weigh you down (literally!). Fresh fruit is always available, whether you're at Aunt Sally's or an exclusive restaurant. And if it's Aunt Sally's house, you can even liven up that fresh fruit with a treat: Minimus also has sugar-free maple syrup packets that are the perfect size for travelers - and great over a sliced fresh apple or pear sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon or ginger.