Congratulations to Doreen, who has won our Day 7 contest by telling us what part of the Boot Camp Workout she finds most challenging.

Doreen says:
"I would love to win this and have something to refer to at home. For myself…the hardest part is all of it. The body is use to lazing."

Doreen has won a copy of Maureen Hagan's new book, 6 Weeks to a New Body.

Check out the Week Five Boot Camp Workout video. (Can you believe we're already in Week Five?!) This week's video features seven sensational conditioning moves, including single leg dip squats, walking lunges, the superman lift, high knee lifts, pushups and ab hundreds. All of it is challenging. But, boy, do you feel great when it's all over!

Congratulations to Carla, who has won our Day 24 contest by telling us how she handles stress.

Carla says:
"I’m very bad at keeping stress inside and then it all snowballs into one big cry/yell fest."

Carla, it sounds like you really need this prize. The Thrive Diet promises to help you achieve optimal heath through stress-busting, plant-based whole foods.

Let us know how it works out!

Remember these things? Legs. The time has come to slowly re-introduce them to sunlight.

Monday is June 1. And you know what that means: shorts weather is coming.

Sometime between now and Labour Day, you are going to have to show some leg. Even if you're unwaveringly devoted to full-length jeans, knee socks and long-sleeve turtlenecks, there will inevitably be a day this season where you will have to dawn capris. A skirt. Or shorts. And yes, maybe even a bathing suit.

Shorts weather is coming. Best to make peace with it now and get ready.

This is your time to moisturize, perfect your fake tanning technique and most importantly, shave.

Oh Lord. Shaving. What a colossal pain in the rear. Seriously, am I expected to balance on one leg in the shower like a chunky flamingo and run a razor-sharp . . . razor . . . all over my legs every frigging day? Look. At the size. Of my thighs. Do you have any idea how much area I have to cover with that tiny razor? The whole prospect is absolutely ridiculous.

I refuse.

This summer, I'm opting for non-razor hair removal. And you can, too, because I have a prize pack from Nair available for one lucky blog subscriber. It includes:

• Nair pretty glitter hair removal wax strips for legs & body with cherry scent
• Nair pretty glitter hair removal wax strips for face & bikini with chamomile and apple scent
• Nair shower power hair removal cream for legs & body, sensitive formula
• Nair 'cire divine' no strip wax for legs and body in sensual berries scent.

Hmm. Whoever wins this prize will have to report back to us about what 'sensual berries' smell like.

For your chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog (it’s free, you know) and post a reply with your shaving horror story. Have you sustained a serious (or seriously embarrassing) nick or cut? Have you forgotten to shave for a special occasion? Have you ever done the classic 'I accidentally only shaved one armpit' maneuver?

You have until June 5 to tell us your hair removal horror story. I'll announce the winner here on Saturday, June 6.

Congratulations to Christine, who has won our Day 3 contest by telling us about her favourite way to relax.

Christine says:
"The way I pamper myself is by going for a swim at my local pool. Yes, this also counts as exercise, but there is nothing more relaxing than doing laps. My body is swimming, but my mind is usually a million miles away. Also, when you are under water you are truly alone; none of the little voices that constantly require my attention at home can get to me when I’m under water! It feels really luxurious and indulgent to take this time for myself."

Christine has won a fabulous Fruits & Passion prize pack. Have you entered our Day 20, Day 23 and Day 24 contests yet?

I don't know about you, but when I eat well, I'm less stressed.

Since starting the Bikini Boot Camp, I feel less anxious, more organized and more relaxed. How 'bout you?

The Thrive Diet: The whole foods way to losing weight, reducing stress and staying healthy for life is a new book by professional Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier. It's touted as a long-term eating plan that will help you achieve optimal heath through stress-busting plant-based whole foods.

It promises to help you understand why some foods create nutritional stress and how other foods can help eliminate it, giving you a lean body, a sharp mind and everlasting energy.

And who doesn't want that?

For a chance to WIN a copy of the Thrive Diet, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about how you handle stress. Do you scream, punch a pillow and stomp your feet? Do you quietly count backwards from 10 to one? Do you bottle it all up inside until it eventually erupts in a crazy, beer-fueled bender?

You have until Friday, May 29 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Saturday, May 30.

It's Week Four of Bikini Boot Camp and I hope you're starting to notice some changes in yourself!

I have a lot more energy, I've lost a pound each week and thanks to Maureen Hagan's challenging Boot Camp workout videos, I can feel my muscles!

All this good news means it's time for a little reward. There are many ways to reward yourself for a job well done, from a bubble bath to a shopping trip to a pedicure.

But for many of us, the most coveted reward is chocolate.

Willie Harcourt-Cooze's new book, Willie's Chocolate Factory Cookbook, shows you how to use the ultimate luxury ingredient in a collection of over 60 mouth-watering recipes. And these aren't just desserts — Harcourt-Cooze works this magical ingredient into all kinds of dishes!

For a chance to WIN a copy of Willie's Chocolate Factory Cookbook, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply to let us know your favourite way to reward yourself when you've reached a healthy living goal.

You have until Tuesday, June 2 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Wednesday, June 3.

A new week is underway, which means a new week of meals. I am loving the Bikini Boot Camp Six-Week Menu, and I also have a new favourite Bikini Boot Camp-friendly slow cooker recipe: Meal-in-a-Bowl Mushroom Barley Soup.

I know, I know — a hearty beef barley soup hardly screams 'spring!', but this is tasty, low-calorie and it's ready when I walk in the door after work, so I say it's suitable for every season!

Did you know that CanadianLiving.com's Simple Recipe Search lets you search thousands of free, Tested Till Perfect online recipes by their calorie content, total grams of fat, grams of protein and more? You can search by type of dish, main ingredients, type of cuisine and you could exclude gluten, wheat, peanuts . . . in short, the Simple Recipe Search lets you find recipes that are exactly suited for your diet.

What's your favourite CanadianLiving.com recipe?

Congratulations to mary and Shawna Sanderson who have won our Day 15 contest by telling us about how they like to enjoy their favourite vegetable.

mary says:
"My favourite would have to be tomatoes, since they are so easy and fast growing, I love to eat them sliced on hot toast with some butter and freshly cracked pepper on top, what an eye opener to start the day. I am always sad to see the last of them be devoured in the fall, my mind though goes to the next summer and thoughts of growing and enjoying them all over again"

Shawna Sanderson told us:
"My favourite are peas right out of the garden. When I was around 5 years old, I used to have a hey day in my grandmother’s garden sitting in the dirt and eating all the peas right outta the shell!"

I used to do exactly the same thing at my grandmother's. This year, I'm planting peas of my own for the first time with help from Douglas Green’s new book, The Guide to Canadian Vegetable Gardening. And I'll be sending a copy of this great book to our winners.

Have you entered our Day 20 contest yet?

Ah, Saturday. Finally, some time to focus on breakfast.

If you're like me, you're pretty rushed during the week and you have to make a special effort to find time for breakfast each morning.

Turns out the effort is worth it - research has confirmed that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

A study by Dr Mark Pereira and colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that skipping breaky increases your chances of becoming obese, developing diabetes or even having a heart attack.

They found that people who ate breakfast every day were a third less likely to be obese compared to those who skipped it. Folks who chowed down in the morning were half as likely to have blood-sugar problems, which increase the risk of developing diabetes or having high cholesterol, which is a known risk factor for heart disease.

The researchers believe that eating first thing in the morning can help to stabilize blood sugar levels, which regulates your appetite and energy. They suggest that if you eat breakfast, you're less likely to be hungry during the rest of the day and so you're less likely to overeat.

Their study found that people who eat whole grain cereals every morning are among those most likely to see the health benefits.

So bring on the whole grains!

I've got a 'Daily Dose of Breakfast' prize pack to give away from Kellogg's. It's designed to help you kick start your morning and it includes:

• A handsome breakfast tray
• Two bowls
• Two spoons
• Two cloth napkins
• Kellogg's Guardian Cinnamon with a hint of vanilla flavour cereal
• Kellogg's Guardian Original with a hint of maple flavour cereal
• A Kellogg's Guardian stress ball

Kellogg's Guardian cereal is one of the few cereals on the market with psyllium fibre, plus it's low in fat and calories, high in fibre and made from the all-important whole grains.

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about how you find time for breakfast each morning. Maybe you get up a little earlier. Maybe you spend less time on your eyeliner. Maybe you get breakfast organized the night before. You have until Saturday, June 6 to let us know. I'll announce with winner here on Sunday, June 7.

We're well in to Bikini Boot Camp Week Three and if you've been enduring Maureen Hagan's fabulous/tortuous online workout videos, you're feeling a difference already!

If you haven't tried the online workouts yet, it's not too late to start — The Week One video is still online waiting for you.

Here are some of the most common questions that folks ask Maureen about workouts and weight loss:

Q: How long should I hold the plank position for?

Maureen: "The Plank is a fantastic exercise for your core and it's a great way to build endurance in your abs, your back and your stabilizer muscles.

The length of time you hold the plank depends on the strength of your core muscles. Fifteen seconds is great - then take a break and do it again. Work up to 20 and eventually 60 seconds, and repeat it 3 to 5 times."

Q: How much should I work out each day?

Maureen: "You can safely and effectively get results if you consistently workout for 30 minutes a day, five to six times a week. Do both cardiovascular (aerobic) and strength training exercise plus flexibility training to ensure safe and effective results. Nutrition and lifestyle strategies are also very important.

If you are not presently exercising or are inexperienced with exercise, you might want to seek the advice of professional fitness trainer. Get started and be consistent. It will pay off."

Q: Is there a formula for weight loss and maintenance?

Maureen: "There is a formula to weight loss, and it is pretty straight-forward.

A pound of weight is equal to 3,500 calories.

If you eat an extra 3,500 calories over a week, you will gain a pound that week.

If you average it out, 3,500 calories a week works out to 500 calories a day, which is about the calorie count of a piece of pie.

If you cut 500 calories each day for a week for a total of 3,500 calories, you can lose a pound a week. Burning calories through exercise helps. Every calorie counts!"