Hi gang,

Many of you joined me in January for Canadian Living's super-duper-fabulous Boot Camp — a free, six-week program that jolted us into living healthier and looking great in the new year through daily e-newsletters, expert advice, online fitness videos, daily blog posts, fabulous contests, a Boot Camp menu and more.

Well . . . I am excited to announce that we're going to be running a Bikini Boot Camp starting May 4! Yes, just in time to tone us up for beach weather, we'll be running another free six-week program. The daily newsletter starts May 4, but you can already sign up for it here.

We'll also have fresh experts to offer you advice in our forums, a brand-new six-week Bikini Boot Camp menu, a slew of great new contests and more. Stay tuned for updates, and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter!

I am crazy hungry these days.

I don't know what's causing it. All day long, I just want to cram fistfuls of banana bread into my mouth.

Obviously, this does not bode well for my healthful diet.

Have you ever gone through phases where you were super-hungry? (Besides when you were pregnant. I'm not pregnant. Mom? Are you reading this? I'm not pregnant.)

Maybe the hunger has something to do with the onset of spring. I am like a big hungry bear emerging from hibernation. A big hungry bear on the hunt for banana bread . . .

Anyway, we have a book to give away: The Skinny on Losing Weight Without Being Hungry: The ultimate guide to weight-loss success, by Louis J. Aronne, M.D.

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe to this Blog and leave a reply telling us about a weird food craving you’ve had — while pregnant or not.

You have until Wednesday, April 15 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Thursday, April 16.

Congratulations to Jeannine, who has won our February 27 contest. Her prize is a copy of  Dr. Georgia Andrianopoulous' book, Retrain Your Brain, Reshape Your Body: The Breakthrough Brain-Changing Weight-Loss Plan.

We asked what stresses you out and sends you snacking. Jeannine told us:

"Retraining my Brain and Reshaping my Body is exactly what I need….I’m getting married this September!

What stresses me out and sends me snacking? Oh gosh, what doesn’t? Let’s see…

planning my wedding
financial strain
my 10 yr old
having just put down my ill cat
my noisy upstairs neighbour
the chance I might lose my job
not having enough put into my RSP

…should I go on?

Yes, I know I’ll feel better while on my honeymoon…but then again I’ll be stressed out worrying about my child while I’m away. Then again, I’ll be worrying about the bills that will be waiting for me too! Ahh! Help me!

I take comfort in chocolate. Chocolate good. Mmmm."

Yes, chocolate good, indeed. Congratulations, Jeannine!

I am a terrible athlete. I don't even think I could call myself a terrible athlete.

I am a non-athlete.

And my lack of skill applies to all sports — from hockey to bowling.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "How do you know you're bad at hockey? I bet you've never even played!"

That's where you're wrong. I totally play. This is my rookie season. Full equipment. Costly enrolment. Weekly humiliation. The whole deal.

Also — I bowled last Saturday. Despite the "turkey" (that's three strikes in a row!) I warmly recall bowling in my parents' living room at Christmastime, it seems my Wii skills do not translate into the real game. I bowled at 38.

(For those of you unfamiliar with bowling scoring, that is a terrible score. That's the score of a first-timer. A toddler first-timer.)

I can't help but think that if I excelled at sports, I would be in better shape because I would enjoy staying active.

What do you think? Are you sporty? Does it help you stay in shape? Or maybe, like me, you were humiliated in elementary school gym class to the point where the idea of even throwing darts or playing badminton makes you feel a little sick. Do you subject yourself to sports despite your shortcomings in an attempt to stay fit?

The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

I know — no one wants to leave a reply spilling their guts about how their Grade 4 gym teacher made them cry in the middle of their gymnastics routine and how, even now, the thought of spandex makes them weep a little bit on the inside.

But it's cathartic. You'll see. You are not alone. And to sweeten the deal and encourage you to confess, I have a huge book giveaway for you. The person with the sorriest story — or sweetest story of perseverance — will win:

1. The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A delicious alternative for lifelong health by Nancy Harmon Jenkings
2. The Diet Detective's Count Down: 7500 of your favorite food counts with their exercise equivalents for walking, running, biking, swimming, yoga and dance, by Charles Stuart Platkin
3. Fat Proof Your Family: God's way to forming healthy habits for life, by J. Ron Eaker, MD
4. Happiness: How to find it and keep it, by Joan Duncan Oliver
5. The Source: Beat fatigue, power up your health and feel 10 years younger, by Woodson Merrell, M.D
6. Jaime Brenkus' Get Lean in 15 — 15 ways in 15 days to shape up and slim down . . .  fast!
7. The Instinct Diet: Use your five food instincts to lose weight and keep it off, by Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D.

That is a huge, fabulous prize. For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe to This Blog and then leave a reply, telling us your story.

Let us know by Monday, April 6. I'll announce the big winner here on Tuesday, April 7.

Congratulations to Marilyn, who won our Scanpan giveaway for telling us how she handled her fitness plateau.

Marilyn says:

"While staying on track with diet and exercise I hit a plateau for a few weeks. I decided to eat more of my favourite vegetables in addition to my current intake and added two more hours of exercise (walking) for the week. I had been working out (moderate aerobics) three times a week for an hour. The plateau broke and I dropped two pounds that week. I am learning to maintain my weight now and am eating less if I exercise less and eating more filling, lower-fat foods when exercising more. So far so good!"

Marilyn has won a 28 cm (11″) Scanpan frypan and kitchen accessories.

The Scanpan Classic line of cookware is made of high-quality ceramic titanium that’s designed to keep its shape and eliminate hot spots when cooking. It’s dishwasher-safe and ovenproof to 260 degrees Celsius. Plus, its non-stick coating can’t be damaged by metal, so you don’t have to worry about which utensil to use.

Congratulations Marilyn!

Is it me, or is everyone coming down with something these days? A cough, a cold, a weird bronchial thing, a sinus situation - it seems everyone is a bit under the weather in March.

The worst part about getting sick is that it makes it easier than ever to succumb to temptation, skip your workout and retreat under the blankets with a box of Kleenex and a bag of cheezies.

But no more - now it's time to take charge of your health and be proactive about fighting coughs and colds!

To help you win your fight, we've got four fabulous Cold Survival Kits to GIVE AWAY,  brought to you by the new zinc-based cold remedy, ZICAM. Each kit is valued at $100 and includes a hot water bottle with cover and blanket, a branded mug, green tea, chicken noodle soup, essential oils and a holder, bathtub salts, a $25 Chapters gift certificate and a selection of crossword and sudoku puzzles. Just the
stuff you need to get over a cold quick and get back to your healthy lifestyle!

But wait . . . there's more!

We also have a super-charged GRAND PRIZE from ZICAM that's valued at $500 (!) and includes a Honeywell 'Quiet Care' humidifier and a light therapy lamp. That's some serious cold-fighting ammunition!

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe to This Blog and leave a reply telling us how you nurse yourself back to health when you're under the weather. Maybe your prescription is chicken soup and game shows. Maybe
you enlist your spouse to pamper you. Maybe you just soldier through it.

Let us know by Tuesday, March 31. I'll announce the four winners and the one grand prize winner here on Wednesday, April 1 (no foolin').

And: you'll also want to visit ZICAM's website at www.zicam.ca to nominate your favourite nurse in the first-ever No Nonsense Nurse Awards. Our great Canadian nurses are on the frontlines of the healthcare system helping us overcome illness and dispensing crucial health care advice. It's time to recognize your favourite nurse by nominating him or her for the No Nonsense Nurse Awards!

March is National Nutrition Month. (I had no idea. Were you aware?)

This year's theme is Stay Active. Eat Like a Champion.

The whole idea of Nutrition Month is to eat healthy, nutritious foods as part of an active, healthy lifestyle. Sounds like good stuff. So why does the invite to 'Eat Like a Champion' entice me to adopt swimming superstar Michael Phelps' 12,000 calorie a day diet? Or wolf down 59 hot dogs in ten minutes like world champion hot dog eater Takeru Kobayashi?

Maybe next year's theme should be Eat Like a Bird. Or Eat Like a Supermodel.

Are you doing anything to mark National Nutrition Month? Do you have a food motto or mantra that helps keep you on track?

Join Canadian Living Editor-in-Chief Susan Antonacci and a group of Canadian Living staffers on March 6, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST, in our forum to chat about pets (share your training tips, please!).

Go to our forum and tell us your favourite entries to date in our Canada's Most Lovable Pet Photo & Video Contest and you could 
WIN a Tassimo brewer and a selection of hot beverage T-discs.

Ruby Gettinger is just like us. She has her ups and downs, her friends and family, and she's trying to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

The first season of her documentary-style series, Ruby, has chronicled her quest to get healthy without surgery or shortcuts.

At over 500lbs, it might seem like she's facing a bigger challenge than many of us, and one that's more urgent: her doctor has told her that if she doesn't make changes, she won't have much longer to live.

But sometimes, trying to loose that last 10 pounds can seem like a challenge as insurmountable as Ruby's struggle to reach her goal weight of 145. No matter what the numbers, weight loss isn't easy.

Ruby has faced her challenges with strength and humour. And she's come out on top. You'll be inspired by her progress so far on tonight's season finale, which airs at 10 p.m. EDT on E! Entertainment Network.

I've been chatting with Ruby and I'll share what inspires and motivates her in future posts . . .