Envy is not healthy, but it is inevitable . . .

Melissa Hershberg is a beautiful, tanned Canadian gymnast, fitness champion and medical doctor with flowing blond locks, a perfect complexion and a best-selling book.

I haven't met her, but I'm pretty sure I hate her.

Anyway, while completing her medical residency at the University of Toronto, Dr. Hershberg discovered an innovative approach to teaching patients how to eat for weight loss and health — an approach specifically designed to help patients lose weight quickly while lowering their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

This approach is detailed in her book, The Hershberg Diet.

I have two copies of The Hershberg Diet to give away. To qualify to WIN a copy, you need to Subscribe To This Blog, using the button on the left. (It's free and it means you'll receive the Health & Wellness Club blog right in your inbox!) I'll announce the winners here on Monday, February 9.

I can't guarantee that if you follow the advice in Dr. Hershberg's book, you'll become as fit, beautiful and accomplished as she is. But I do know that if you become that perfect, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore . . .

Good luck and happy Boot Camping!

Delicious. Who knew?

Do you have any idea how delicious fruit is?

I really had no idea. I picked up some pre-washed, pre-cut strawberries, pineapple and kiwi on a whim at the grocery store the other day and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it.

I snacked on it while I made dinner last night (Quick Fisherman's Stew) and it kept my hands and mouth too busy for me to bother pouring myself a glass of wine. No small feat.

And while I suddenly find fruit to be a surprisingly tasty snack, I still can't accept the idea of having it for dessert. Even fruity pies are suspect. I am unwavering in my belief that dessert should be chocolaty (and preferably gooey).

So you can imaging my delight when I came across a Chocolate Fondue recipe this afternoon. It meets all the criteria for an indulgent little weekend reward: It's chocolaty! It's gooey! It includes my new BFF, fruit! And you can spike it with amaretto, brandy or rum!

Each tablespoon has 64 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs and a gram of fibre, which makes it a reasonable weekend treat to reward another successful week of healthy living with Boot Camp.

How will you reward yourself this weekend?

Don't get me wrong — I enjoy cooking.

But sometimes I'm gripped by fear on a Thursday afternoon like this when I realize that my weekly pot of Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup has expired and I need to figure out a tasty, healthy dish I can whip up when I get home. And sometimes I am underwhelmed by the prospect.

It's at times like these that CanadianLiving.com's Recipe Search comes to the rescue. A quick search always leads me to a favourite recipe or a new dish I can't wait to try.

But you can never have too many recipes, and I know that some of you are enjoying success by supplementing the Boot Camp program with Weight Watchers, which is why I have two copies of Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes — 250 Fresh Fast Recipes to give away.

For a chance to WIN one of the books, let us know what your favourite Canadian Living recipe is. It can be any kind of recipe — a healthy main course, a delicious, simple starter or even a decadent desert that you reward yourself with once and a while.

You have until Thursday, February 5 to tell us your favourite Canadian Living recipe. I'll announce the winners here on Friday, February 6.

"I'll never be thin and fit.

In fact, I probably won't even manage to lose one pound. If I do, I'll only gain it back, and then some.

A gym membership would be a waste of money because I'll never go — I'm too embarrassed to exercise in public. I don't have anything to wear to a gym and I wouldn't know what to do at a gym, anyway. Everyone there would be looking at me and judging me.

I can never stick to a diet, and when I inevitably pig out, I just chalk it up as one of my many failures. I just can't seem to stick to anything or to follow anything through.

If I did manage to lose weight (and I don't think I will), it's just a matter of time before I pack the pounds back on at the next holiday or celebration or if I get pregnant or even if I'm just feeling down or sad or lonely.

I'm fat and it doesn't matter.

Because I don't matter."

Chances are, some of these thoughts have crossed your mind in the past. These self-defeating thoughts can be the biggest obstacle in your quest for a healthier lifestyle.

On the other side of the coin, overcoming your denial that you need to do something to improve your health can also be a major hurdle.

Irene's attitude was holding her back. Irene's the winner of our Boot Camp Diaries Day 16 contest and her prize is Kim Bensen's book Finally Thin. On Day 16, we asked you to share what's been holding you back and how you cleared these barriers. Irene told us:

"I have been carrying around belly fat for years and have wanted to get rid of it. The main barrier was my attitude, because I didn’t think I was unhealthy until I see myself naked in the mirror. Then, I decided to change my attitude in eating and exercising. And I am still trying to make sure I eat healthy and exercise regularly. It is hard, and I do stumble a bit around every holiday and celebration where food is always tempting me. But reading blogs like yours and reading anything about healthy lifestyle give me the inspiration and encouragement to continue on my healthy quest to lose the fat."

Having a positive, realistic attitude and being honest with yourself is the first step towards embracing a healthier lifestyle, and it's a step you have to re-do on a regular basis to keep yourself on the right track.

But how can you keep your attitude in check and get it working for you?

A good support system (either among trusted friends, family members and colleagues, or an online community like ours) is an important way to keep your attitude in check. Your support team can help pump you up when you’re feeling defeated and we're there to keep it real when you feel like straying from your healthy habits.

Do you ever have doubts about your ability to enjoy a healthy lifestyle in the long-term? Have you ever been in denial about your weight problem?

You can tell by the overwhelming response to our Boot Camp Diaries Day 14 contest that we've all tried some unusual tactics in our quest to shed the pounds.

Here are two of the kookiest strategies, as submitted by our two winners:

Debbie S. says:

"I danced around wearing nothing but a garbage bag to make me sweat!!!"

And Jen S. confesses:

"it was a long long time ago - so willing to admit it. It was diet coke and carrots."

Yikes. I'm hoping we're all finding Boot Camp to be a more productive (and healthier!) alternative to the desperate measures some of us have tried in the past.

Debbie S. and Jen S. have each won a copy of Paul McKenna's new book, I Can Make You Thin.

I hope you both enjoy the book, but remember: only you can make you thin!

Yin . . .

Our goal as Boot Campers is to develop healthy habits we can stick to, and that means balance is important.

That's why today we're running a contest to GIVE AWAY a copy of Kirsten Hartvig's book The Healthy Diet Calorie Counter, which measures the goodness of more than 600 foods. It's a handy reference to keep you on track and to help you count calories with exact precision.

. . . and yang.)

To balance out the science of diets, we'll also give the winner a copy of Daisy Westmoor's It Doesn't Count if . . . it's the Last One — and 204 More Reasons Why You Can Eat That. It's full of "perfectly reasonable" reasons why calories don't count. (Certainly not words to live by, but a good antidote when you feel like you're overdoing it on your diet!)

For your chance to WIN, let us know how you find the right balance between healthy living and living it up!

You have until Monday, February 2 to share your secret. I'll announce the winner here on Tuesday, February 3.

Boot Camp isn't a diet, it's a healthy living program designed to encourage life-long habits for better health.

I have to keep this in mind as I enter Week 4, energized and hoping to take it to the next level.

I'm making some more changes to my daily routine in the hopes of ensuring results.

For example, when I started Boot Camp three weeks ago, I replaced my daily cafe mochas with decaf soy lattes. The change saved me 150 calories and 7.5 grams of fat each day.

As I head into the final three weeks, I plan to replace the soy lattes with green tea, which has zero calories and zero fat. I am also planning to work out every weeknight and redouble my efforts to stay within my daily limit for caloric intake.

Sounds good, but here's the conundrum:

How can you tell when you are taking your healthy intentions too far?

I'm afraid that, in my quest for results, I'm setting the bar too high and therefore setting myself up for failure.  Am I really creating lifelong healthy habits, or am I flirting with crash dieting with an eye towards short-term results?

How can you tell if you're pushing yourself hard enough — or if you're pushing yourself too hard?

Week three has flown by — despite the muscle-burning three sets of 12-15 reps that fitness expert Maureen Hagan has been dragging us through in her Week Three fitness video.

Like many of you, I think I've hit a plateau in week three. It's a time when many of us have seen some progress in the strength and shape of our bodies. And if you're like me, you're feeling like you've achieved something.

You feel like you've done it.  And since it's done, now you can quit.

Or at least slack off a bit. That's certainly where I'm at. Luckily, the Online Food Journal helps to keep me honest. And my commitment to undertaking the Boot Camp fitness videos every day (okay . . . three times a week) is keeping my reluctant muscles in a constant burn.

Monday marks our halfway point, and it's the day I'm going to recommit to my Boot Camp resolutions. I want to finish strong. I look forward to our last day, February 15, when I can look back and say that I gave it my all for the entire Boot Camp.

Then I can look forward to how I'll invest the energy I've earned through my commitment to healthy living.

Congratulations to 'Katie murphy', who has won the Health & Wellness Club blog's Boot Camp Diaries Day 11 contest!

Katie wins Jennifer Cohen’s new book No Gym Required – Unleash Your Inner Rock Star.

We asked what you have the courage to do now that you're succeeding with Boot Camp. Here's what Katie told us:

"I have lost weigh and am working out daily and now have the confidence and courage to speak out at work meetings.

I even applied for a job transfer I have wanted for years and got it!!!! WOW! thanks!"

Katie —I can't tell you how happy we are for you. Enjoy the book and good luck with the transfer!

There's a lot of cold and flu bugs circulating at this time of year, and sooner or later — despite your healthy new lifestyle — you may find yourself under the weather.

And then what happens? Do you stick to your diet and keep exercising — even when you're sick? Or do you use your sickness as an excuse to forego your workout in favour of a big honkin' bowl of rocky road ice cream?

In my case, the answer has been rocky road, every time. Here's why:

1. Self pity. I think to myself: "Look at me on the couch, sick, all by myself and there's not even anything good on TV.  I'm trying to be so healthy and I still got sick! Life's not fair. No matter how hard I try to be healthy, it never works. I might as well eat a big bowl of ice cream."

- Or -

2. Mild panic/confusion. I think: "Okay, I took Advil/Tylenol/Pepto/Tums/Midol/Gravol/a hot bath/a long nap/a day off. I should be feeling better. I should be on the mend. What's going on? Why aren't I feeling better?! Is it because I haven't had a big bowl of ice cream?"

Sadly, all roads lead to rocky road. And the rocky road leads to guilt and anxiety, which isn't conducive to letting your body relax and recover.

Next time I feel under the weather, I can say with some certainty that I will again succumb to the rocky road.

But I will not let myself feel guilty about it. I've been eating healthy and looking after myself, and I'm not going to let a scoop or two of ice cream throw me off track once I'm feeling like myself again.

What's your strategy for soldiering on when you're under the weather? What’s your favourite remedy for the mid-winter cold or flu?