DRINKING and eating too much is all part of the fun of a holiday but is often a passport to weight gain and sadly, those pounds don't fade away like a tan. GMTV's health and fitness expert, Nicki Waterman, says post-holiday bulges are the most common problem she has to tackle in the winter months.

''Holidays are great for reducing stress. Unfortunately, they tend to have the opposite effect on our waistlines,'' she says. ''We relax and give in to all those temptations and probably spend lots of time lounging around, which isn't good for our figures.''

The 42-year-old, who's worked with celebrities including Robbie Williams and Denise van Outen, says: ''Motivating yourself to get back into shape as well as a work and family routine is terribly hard. Many people just don't have the time or money to go to the gym or have the luxury of a personal trainer.''

So she's devised an easy seven-day plan, with diet advice and exercises to do at work and at home, to help you shape up.

''I believe a short-term goal is easier to work to,'' she explains. ''Just a few changes over just a week - reducing alcohol intake, cutting out snacks and adding around 20 minutes extra exercise a day - can make people look and feel better.''

Her simple suggestions include getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way, or moving around the office to talk to colleagues rather than emailing.

CUTTING CALORIES

STOP SNACKING: Swap sugar-laden biscuits and crisps for protein-based snacks such as small portions of ham and chicken, or fruit.

Take a prepared lunchbox of salad and fruit to work. If you must have bread, opt for granary or wholemeal. Don't avoid carbohydrate altogether as you'll lack energy and be driven to eat the wrong foods.

DRINK SENSIBLY: Beware calories that lurk in drinks. A latte or a fizzy drink is around 130 calories, while an orange juice is 99. Keep hydrated -make sure you drink up to eight glasses of water daily or drink a sports drink like Lucozade Sport Hydro Active.

EXERCISE

CHEST/SHOULDERS

AT HOME: Assume a press up position (hands on the bottom stair, placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your knees bent on the floor and ankles crossed).

Looking straight at the seat of the stair and keeping your tummy muscles tight, bend your elbows until your chest comes close to the stair, keeping your back straight. Hold for one count as you straighten arms and press up to starting position. Hold tummy muscles in tight throughout. Repeat 20 times.

AT WORK: Grab two bottles of water. Sit with your back supported by your chair and hold a bottle in each hand with arms bent at 90 degrees and elbows out at shoulder level. Push one bottle upwards, raising your arm above your head (don't lock your arm straight), counting one second up, one second down. Repeat with other arm. Do as many as you can.

ARMS

AT HOME: Assume a press-up position (as above).

Looking straight at the stairs with tummy muscles tight, bend elbows slightly and, one at a time, walk your hands down to the floor and back up to the bottom step. Repeat 30 times.

AT WORK: Sit on a chair and grip the edges. Ensure your legs are out at a right angle with your feet on the floor. Lift bum off the chair and then lower and lift again. Keep arms at 90 degrees. Repeat 20 times.

LEGS/THIGHS

AT HOME: Lie on one side on the floor, with your knees bent in front of you, feet together (your soles should be in line with your back), and stomach pulled in. Keep lower arm extended under your head and place your other hand on the floor in front of you for support.

Then, ensuring you don't sink into your waist, lift up your top knee so it's pointing towards the ceiling. Keeping your leg in this position, lift it towards your hip. Now lower your leg until your feet are touching. Repeat ten times on one leg, then turn over and repeat on the other side.

AT WORK: While sitting at your desk, place your left heel against your right toe. Slowly straighten out your right leg while pushing back against it and 'resisting' the movement with your left leg. Once your leg is completely straight, reverse the movement: Push back with your left leg and resist with your right until you have returned to the starting position. This tones the muscles in the front of your thighs (quadriceps) as well as the ones in the back (hamstrings).

BUM

AT HOME: Lie on your front. Raise one leg so that your knee forms a right angle, squeeze your buttocks and push your sole to the ceiling, then lower. Do 20 on each leg.

AT WORK: Clench your bum cheeks for five seconds. Do as many as you can throughout the day.

TUMMY

AT HOME: To work your tummy muscles try to imagine you are zipping up an internal pair of jeans. To do this, breathe in and, as you breathe out, draw up the muscles of your pelvic floor (as if trying to prevent the flow of water) and then hollow the lower tummy muscles back towards your spine. Don't tilt the pelvis; it should remain still.

Practise engaging these muscles while breathing wide and full. The best thing about this exercise is that you can do it anywhere. Try to do about three sets of 25 each day.

AT WORK: Sit on a stability ball at your desk instead of an ordinary chair - it's a great way to improve the tone and strength of your abs, thereby flattening your stomach. Sit with your weight balanced in the middle, hips pointing straight ahead, to keep your spine and lower back in alignment.

If you're 5ft 7in or under, use a 55cm model ball; 5ft 8in or taller, try a 65cm one.

l For information on losing weight and shaping up with Nicki Waterman's help, visit www.nickiwaterman.co