Archive for January, 2010

Are you watching The Biggest Loser this season? I am (it's my guilty pleasure), and I cannot believe how mean Jillian Michaels can be to the contestants! She's super-tough, but she sure does get results.

For a chance to WIN a copy of Jillian Michaels' book, Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body! (exclamation point!), just Subscribe To This Blog and post a comment telling us about a time when you had to overcome adversity - you may have had to stand up to a bully, work through a difficult personal problem, or make a choice where there was no easy solution. Let us know how you handled it and share what you learned.

You have until Friday, February 5 to tell us about how you overcame adversity. I'll announce the winner here on Monday, February 8.

On Day 18, I asked you to tell us what makes cooking fun for you for a chance to win these three great cookbooks:

• Flavour: A World of Beautiful Food, by Vicky Bhogal
• One Pot French: More Than 100 Easy, Authentic Recipes, by Jean-Pierre Challet with Jennifer Decorte
• Cooking up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook, by Sam Stern

Congratulations to our winner, Irene, who says:
"I love to cook and bake! And I love to eat and try different foods. I love to experiment with recipes from different ethnicities and see if I can "healthify" them. I have learned to cut the sugar by half on baked recipes and sometimes use applesauce. I also find it a creative challenge if I could take a recipe and reduce the calories by substituting or omitting the fats for a healthier choice, but still keep the dish tasty.

And the most fun I enjoy about cooking is the learning how to pretty the food by garnishing, decorating the plate by painting the sauce (something I picked up by watching cooking shows), and simple things as just piling the food in layers in a mound like at fancy restaurants. Most of all, cooking allows me the opportunity to not only try my tricks of the trade creations with my family and friends but to share good food and memories with them."

Have you checked out the super-fantastic new 'Healthy Options' button on our Recipe Search? Try it today - just visit www.canadianliving.com/search_recipe.php and click on 'Healthy Options' to find terrific, free healthy recipes.

On Day 16, I asked you to tell us how you combat excuses, and I am totally inspired by our winner's entry!

Isabelle says:
"I was a pro at excuses!! I decided to make myself a motivation booklet in order to combat these. First, I wrote down my goals and objectives, then I wrote down all the benefits of being healthy (eating right and being physically active. On the few pages after that, I listed all the excuses I have as well as all the obstacles I see. As soon as I find (or make up) a new excuse I write it down there. Then, I made a collage that says: THIS IS NO EXCUSE!! And wrote down motivational quotes and stories for many of the other pages. Sometimes, I simply need to read the goals page to motivate me again. Sometimes, I need to read the whole excuses page to remind me that there is no good excuse for not being healthy. Finally, on really bad days, I read the whole motivation section and usually by that point, my excuses seem completely irrelevant and I am back on track for that training session or to put aside junk food!"

Isabelle has won:

• The Easy Fitness Work Book: The Complete Fitness Class in a Book, by Lorna Lee Malcolm
• Fat to Skinny Fast and Easy! Eat Great, Lose Weight, and Lower Blood Sugar Without Exercise, by Doug Varrieur
• A pair of Banglz ½ pound weighted bracelets to add resistance training to her daily routine

I'm ready to start working on my own motivation booklet tonight! Right after dinner. And a nap. Ooh, and after I watch American Idol. And check my email. But after that, I'll definitely get to it . . .

There are a few things that can make me actually look forward to working out. Comfy workout clothes. Knowing I'll feel great afterward. And a terrific play list of songs to get me revved up through my workout.

What's on your workout play list? Share your favourite workout songs and you could WIN a super-duper post-workout treat - an Obus Forme shiatsu massaging cushion with heat!

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us what's on your workout play list.

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

Have you checked out the super-fantastic new 'Healthy Options' button on our Recipe Search? Try it today - just visit www.canadianliving.com/search_recipe.php and click on 'Healthy Options' to find terrific, free healthy recipes.

On Day 12, I asked you to let us know about your favourite part of Boot Camp for a chance to win these four great books:
•    Get Healthy, Get Happy: How to Make Small Changes that Give You Big Results, by Julie Isphording
•    The G.I. Diet Express for Busy People, by Rick Gallop
•    The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin, by Jorge Cruise
•    The Good Eater, by Ron Saxen

Congratulations to our winner, Debbie Starkey, who says:
"I love everything about it. Having Boot Camp gives me a good friend to diet with, be motivated with and stick with it but my favorite thing is to see all the other women trying so hard as well."

Have you checked out the super-fantastic new 'Healthy Options' button on our Recipe Search? Try it today - just visit www.canadianliving.com/search_recipe.php and click on 'Healthy Options' to find terrific, free healthy recipes.

On Day 11, I asked you to share your reasons for wanting to lose weight for a chance to win one of two copies of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, by David Grotto, RD, LDN, courtesy of David and the California Strawberry Commission.

Congratulations to our winners, Lara and Michelle.

Lara says:
"I have always been heavy. My parents are heavy, grandparents too. I knew I was overweight but always felt I loved food too much to be able to do anything about it.

I would do crazy 800-calorie diets but the best I could do was like a few days before I fell off the wagon. Recently, however, my husband's little sister got married, and after seeing the pictures of myself I was horrified. I have hit rock bottom. I have committed to working out at lunch with some women from work, and walk for one hour after work every day. On top of that, I am eating healthier, and having grapefruit for dessert instead of chocolates.

In addition to my appearance, I have developed sleep apnea, which affects every aspect of my life. People that don't have it have no idea what it is like to be tired every waking moment. This has added to my clinical depression/anxiety disorder, so that I am pretty much a mess.

I have resolved to do something about it, and although my clothes aren’t feeling looser just yet, I have faith that I can keep this up until they do."

Michelle says:
"My main reason for getting in shape and losing weight, while gaining muscle was simple...I decided I was finally going to be selfish! Ever since I got married and had children I've always done everything for everyone else, never thinking that I wasn't throwing a preserver around my own waist to save myself.

After reading a story about Tosca Reno (my heroine), I decided that it was time for me to take care of ME and love ME. So here I am, a year later, loving my new body, my new strength, my new muscles, and knowing my body is truly my temple and the only shot I have in this world at being healthy.

And my kids are picking up on my healthy eating and lifestyle as well as my husband, who finally lost the extra 30 lbs he's had for years. Now his health is better than it was in his 20's. Yay for ME and being influential!"

How much are you loving the Boot Camp menu? I cannot wait to tuck in to tonight's One-Pot Macaroni with Beef and Tomatoes.

Learning to cook terrific new healthy meals at home has been really rewarding, but it's also been a lot more fun than I expected. I like to crank the radio or put on an mp3 and enjoy myself when I'm in the kitchen. What do you do to make cooking more enjoyable? Do you have a TV in the kitchen? Do you have a favourite album you listen to? Do you enjoy the alone time? Or do you love cooking with your family?

Tell us about what makes cooking fun for you for a chance to WIN three great cookbooks:

• Flavour: A World of Beautiful Food, by Vicky Bhogal
• One Pot French: More Than 100 Easy, Authentic Recipes, by Jean-Pierre Challet with Jennifer Decorte
• Cooking up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook, by Sam Stern

For a chance to WIN all three books, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us what makes cooking fun for you. You have until Thursday, January 28 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Friday, January 29.

If you've been keeping up with the weekly Boot Camp workout videos, you're probably noticing a difference already in your strength and stamina.

Fitness expert Pam Mazzuca Prebeg's exercises have been whipping me into shape - have you tried the side plank with a twist yet? Yikes!

Today, we have a chance for you to WIN a tool that can help you increase your strength. The Lebert Equalizer Total Body Strengthener is a simple, portable, versatile piece of strength training equipment that works arms, chest, back and core muscles using your own body weight as resistance.

For a chance to WIN a Lebert Equalizer, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about a time in your life that you had to be strong - either emotionally or physically. You have until Wednesday, January 27 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Thursday, February 11.

We're back in the middle of a busy week and if you're like me, you feel like there's never enough time.

"Not enough time! I'm in a hurry!" Those are my most common excuses for not working out or eating right.

How do you combat excuses? How do you make yourself and your health a priority? Share your strategies for a chance to WIN some fast and easy health and weight loss aides, including:

• The Easy Fitness Work Book: The Complete Fitness Class in a Book, by Lorna Lee Malcolm
• Fat to Skinny Fast and Easy! Eat Great, Lose Weight, and Lower Blood Sugar Without Exercise, by Doug Varrieur
• A pair of Banglz ½ pound weighted bracelets to add resistance training to your daily routine.

For a chance to WIN all three great prizes, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a comment letting us know how you combat excuses and make yourself a priority. You have until Tuesday, January 26 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Wednesday, January 27.

It's the third Monday in January, the day that reports say is the most depressing day of the year due to a combination of bleak weather, post-holiday debt, abandoned new year's resolutions and overall low levels of motivation. Are you feeling it?

No, me neither.

I think it's because we've been so busy working out, cooking healthy meals, getting stronger every day and sticking to our new year's resolutions!

On Day 4 of Boot Camp, I asked you to tell us about your new year's resolutions and how closely you've managed to stick to them for a chance to win a Special K prize pack.

The winner is Chelsea, who says:
"My new year's resolution this year was to quit smoking, exercise regularly, and get my body feeling better all around. So far so good - I am 14 days smoke free, ride my exercise bike for 30-50 minutes per day, do a 7-minute walk... and eat a yogurt, fruit cup or healthy cereal every morning for breakfast to get my day started. I am very proud of myself for accomplishing this goal, even if I am only 2 weeks in. And a bit of advice for anyone who would like to quit smoking, but feels you can't. You can! Push yourself to work through it. And it really will get easier day by day."

Congratulations, Chelsea!