I only ate beige food on vacation. Do you know how much weight I gained?

Breakfasts filled with PASTRIES, bustling buffet restaurants and poolside cocktails – is it any wonder that many of us return from holiday with a little extra baggage?

Despite our best efforts to get our bodies “beach ready” before we leave, it seems that once we step onto the sand, our attempts at healthy eating fall apart faster than a burst air mattress.

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Unbelievably, Brits eat an average of 50,000 calories a week on an all-inclusive holiday – around three times the recommended amount.

In some cases we eat as much as 1,000 extra calories a day, so it’s no wonder that a third of us gain weight abroad.

Dietitian Azmina Govindji says: “When we go on holiday, we often see it as an opportunity to treat ourselves – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But beware of mindless eating: moments when you reach for an unhealthy snack just because it’s there, or have an extra drink.

“Keep doing that and you’ll be less likely to gain weight.”

Lynsey Hope asked three women to keep diaries of what they ate while on holiday. You might be surprised how much weight they gained, or even lost…

I became fascinated by the delicious spreads

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MICHELLE LOPEZ, 38, a childcare worker from Wimbledon, south-west London, gained 10kg while staying in Ibiza with her husband Juan, 38, a musician, and their children Issy, 15, and nine-year-old Tommy.

She says: I recently lost weight for the first time since having my children to a size 14 and weigh 13st 8 pounds.

But this vacation was a chance to treat myself and I let myself go.

Every day we were the first in line for the breakfast buffet.

The hotel made great toasted sandwiches for breakfast. I would have two.

Other treats I ate were croissants, yogurt and donuts.

One day I even tried a chip butty in the morning.

For lunch I ordered cheeseburgers, fries and onion rings and ate them by the pool, accompanied by sweet mocktails.

The children and I then made our own ice cream sundaes.

At home I only drink alcohol on the weekends, but there was a cocktail menu and I tried them all, including the creamy daiquiris.

The poolside snack bar made nachos with three cheeses and creamy dips, which I couldn’t resist.

In the evening we sat at the buffet for two hours. I always had a second helping.

I am back to size 16-18 and weigh 14st 8lbs and feel like I paid for the holiday twice, once in pounds and the other time with the extra pounds around my waist.

I TOOK MORE PICTURES OF FOOD THAN PICTURES OF US

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ANGELA REID, 54, a grandmother and tax expert from Barking, Essex, gained 26lb (12kg) while on holiday in Dubai with her civil servant husband David.

She says: Since I went through menopause at age 45, I have had to watch my weight.

At home I try to stick to two meals a day: lean meat, legumes, grains and salad.

My weight then remains stuck at 14st.

My biggest gripe is the food during the holidays.

I took full advantage of the all-you-can-eat breakfast, usually spending about two hours on this one meal.

For lunch I often choose a healthy salad or grilled fish.

But by mid-afternoon I was craving something sweet again and treated myself to afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and cakes.

I was on vacation and this was a chance to treat myself.

In the evening we enjoyed a three-course meal with bread.

The food was delicious and I took more pictures of the food than the view!

Cocktails and wine also contributed to my calorie intake.

The hotel offered snacks 24 hours a day, so sometimes we would order chicken wings before bed.

It’s no surprise that I gained weight, I now weighed 95 kilos.

From now on I will have to eat two meals a day again and not drink alcohol to lose those extra pounds.

STRESS LEVELS DECREASE AND STEP COUNT INCREASES

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TEJ PATEL, 42, is a body transformation specialist from Harrow, North West London.

She went on holiday to Gran Canaria with a friend and her two children aged 12 and 10.

She says: I was surprised that I lost weight on vacation because I definitely ate more than normal.

I am a size 38 and I went from 7st 8lbs to 7st 7lbs.

I work in the fitness industry and always try to stay active when I travel.

There was a gym in our hotel and I went there twice, for 20 minutes each time.

But I love walking near the sea, so I have increased my step count considerably: between 22,000 and 26,000 steps per day.

I also did a 15-20 minute bodyweight session on our balcony every other day.

Normally we book all-inclusive holidays, but this time we stayed on a bed and breakfast basis only, so we ate out for all other meals.

I was worried it would be hard to find healthy options, but there was plenty of salad available.

I certainly wasn’t counting every calorie – and I certainly wasn’t eating less than normal.

I ate churros and gelato every day.

Maybe I lost weight because I had less stress than normal?

I’m always so busy at home, working and chasing the kids.