Archive for February, 2010

Some of us love to figure skate - it's terrific exercise, plus it's hard not to smile when you're flying down the pond or gliding around the rink. Others love to watch figure skating - especially when we win gold like we did late last night!

Figure skating is one of those truly joyous activities that makes winter worthwhile and helps us to endure through these last few bleak days of February.

Are you a figure skating aficionado? Tell us the story of your love for figure skating - whether you're a seasoned pro, an ardent fan, or an aspiring skater - for a chance to WIN this beautiful coffee table book, Figure Skating's Greatest Stars, by Steve Milton.

You have until Tuesday, March 2 to melt our hearts with your warm and fuzzy figure skating story. I'll announce the winner here on Wednesday, March 3.

On Day 32 of Boot Camp, I asked you to tell us about how you treat yourself for a chance to win these two new books:

• Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Break Free from the Perfection Deception by Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., and Alice Lesch Kelly
• Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won't Break Your Health, by Susan M. Love, M.D. and Alice D. Domar, PH.D. with Leigh Ann Hirschman

Congratulations to our winner, Janice Cournoyer, who says:
"I have a demanding job, with long hours and shift work. I find that to live a little, and get some normalcy back into my life, I spend time with my family. It is a way to reconnect, and to me it is a way to destress. Always feels like a treat to me, whether we go skating, cross country skiing, or just a simple game night."

On Day 8, I asked you to tell us about a goal you had achieved for a chance to win a Hamilton Beach premiere cookware 5.5-quart slow cooker.

Congratulations to our winner, cheryl, who says:
"I achieved my goal of losing 20 pounds before my daughter's wedding last July. I started in January by going on the treadmill twice daily for 20 minutes each time. I ate no sweets from January until the wedding. I also cut down on the portion size of my meals. So by the BIG DAY I had lost the 20 pounds! I wanted to look good in the wedding pictures and I must say I looked slim. I was very proud of myself for achieving my goal."

On Day 17, I asked you to tell us about a time in your life when you had to be strong - either emotionally or physically, for a chance to win a Lebert Equalizer.

Congratulations to our winner, mary, who says:

"I accepted to be the Power of Attorney for an elderly man who had no family to help him, this man had dementia that quickly became worse during his 10 months in the hospital, so it was a very trying experience to go through it with him, but I made it to the end with him, and was his source of strength when he needed it very much!"

On Day 9, I asked you to share five quotes, quips, mottos, sayings or personal stories that inspire you for a chance to win these four fantastic books by Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD:

1. You: Being Beautiful
2. You: On a Diet (revised edition)
3. You: Staying Young
4. You: Having a Baby

Congratulations to our winner, Ann, who says:

"Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
- 
Albert Einstein

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Know put foundations under them.
- Henry David Thoreau

Inspiration and genius — one and the same.
- Victor Hugo

To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says: Leave no stone unturned.
- Edward Bulwer Lytton

If you would create something, you must be something.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe"

On Day 31, I asked you to tell us what important piece of wisdom you learned with age for a chance to win a great selection of books, including:

• The G.I. Diet Menopause Clinic: A Week-by-Week Guide to Coping with Middle-Aged Spread, by Rick Gallop
• Fit and Fabulous After 40: A 5-Part Program for Turning Back the Clock, by Denise Austin
• Start Fresh! Your Complete Guide to Midlifestyle Food and Fitness, by Diane Clement and Dr. Doug Clement
• The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner

Congratulations to our winner, Rose, who says:
"I turn 50 this year, and I have spent a lot of time reflecting . . .

But I think the single most significant thing I have learned is that I am entirely responsible for my happiness. I cannot "earn" it from someone else. It is a slight change in perspective but it has made all the difference to me."

And now . . . a chance to WIN!

With Boot Camp wrapping up on Sunday, I want to hear about how you plan to continue to stay in shape and eat great! Five lucky winners will each WIN a complimentary four-week experience at Booty Camp Fitness, a national women's-only boot camp that promotes fun, friendly fitness. Each prize is valued at $159.

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a comment telling us about how you plan to stay in shape after Boot Camp ends. You have until Tuesday, March 2 to let us know. I'll announce the winners here on Wednesday, March 3.

Way back on Day 5, I asked you to let us know how you get fit at home for a chance to win one of six copies of Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy for the Nintendo Wii.

Congratulations to our winners: Cait, Luisa, bev, crystal porter, MeMee and Shelley!

Cait says:
"I'm an RN, and I work in a busy ER, so when I get home from work, I feel like just sitting on the couch. However, as of the beginning of this week, I am really starting to enjoy doing the Boot Camp workouts - my downward dog, quite pathetic on Monday, is looking much better today, just 5 days later!"

Luisa says:
"My favourite way to keep fit is to just crank up some of my favourite music and jump on the treadmill. Afterwards, I do some cardio, sit-ups, and stretches. The music keeps me going and makes me want to keep going. This would be pretty cool as well because I like being able to work out at home."

bev says:
"I am very structured (I tend to plan the fun out of anything) but one upside is that since I had children I work out at home 5 days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Fridays I do step and 5-8 minutes of weights (5 pound dumbbells) Tuesday and Thursday I either do Tae-Bo or Leslie Sansone or just marching on the spot while watching TV. I bought my girls a Wii for Christmas last year, it is great fun. I would love a real workout to go with it."

crystal porter says:
"I live in the country and have a wood stove so carrying the wood around is a good workout as well as chase after 2 growing boys. The Your Shape for the Wii looks interesting especially considering the technology behind it."

MeMee says:
"My 2 daughters, 7 and 10, and I have been practicing karate for a few years now and all 3 of us like to work out at home doing our Katas and kumite. It keeps our minds and bodies in shape."

Shelley says:
"I'm a total TV addict, so on days that I don't get my workout in early, and there's something on TV that I want to watch, I set "commercial break challenges" for myself. I try to see how many reps of an exercise I can do during a break, such as crunches, lunges, step-ups, etc. Or I see if I can do a wall sit for the entire break (sometimes I can!). And lately, I've discovered the "free run" on the Wii Fit. You can start it, and run on the spot in your living room (or around your living room, if you have space), then switch your TV to what you want to watch, while the game continues in the background. You get encouragement through the speaker in the Wii Remote. Very cool...and 10 minutes of solid cardio each time!"

On Day 26, I asked you to tell us about a time where you overcame adversity 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!

Congratulations to our winner, Marlene V, who says:
"I overcame adversity by being able to finish my university degree even though I was raising three children. I entered into my degree program with only one child; by the end we were raising three!

My husband's job was extremely demanding at the time as well, so I was on my own lots. It was especially hard when our second child was colicky, but I now know that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

Also when things are tough, I think back to that time and realize I made it through then, that I can do it again and anything else seems easy compared to that time in my life! Thanks for the great giveaway."

I hope you've been enjoying your daily dose of Boot Camp motivation and information in your daily e-newsletter. Did you know that CanadianLiving.com has oodles of nutrition and fitness  articles online year round? Some have appeared in Canadian Living Magazine, others are exclusive to the website.

You can find great nutrition articles here:
www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition

Stay healthy with our prevention articles:
www.canadianliving.com/health/prevention

Keep fit with our fitness articles:
www.canadianliving.com/health/fitness

Check out our workout videos:
videos.canadianliving.com/Health-Wellness-Club-video-10831-Boot-Camp-Workout-Week-Six

And keep an eye on your waistband with the Health and Wellness Club articles:
www.canadianliving.com/health/health_and_wellness_club

Even though we've been dedicated to working out and eating healthy foods for the past five weeks, it doesn't mean we shouldn't live a little!

Rewarding yourself for good behaviour and enjoying a treat now and again in moderation is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.

How do you treat yourself? Let us know how you show yourself some love and you could WIN these two new books:

• Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Break Free from the Perfection Deception by Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., and Alice Lesch Kelly
• Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won't Break Your Health, by Susan M. Love, M.D. and Alice D. Domar, PH.D. with Leigh Ann Hirschman

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a comment telling us how you live a little. You have until Thursday, February 18 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Friday, February 19.

On Day 23, I asked you to share what's on your workout play list for a chance to win an Obus Forme shiatsu massaging cushion with heat.

Congratulations to our winner, Lena, who says:
"My list goes like this. It's got to be music that moves me.

1. Crystal Waters - Pure Love
2. Kat DeLuna - Whine Up
3. Keisha - Tik Tok
4. Sean Kingston - Somebody call 911
5. Rihanna - Please Don't Stop the Music
6. Lady GaGa - Pokerface
7. Mariah Carey - Obsessed
8. Black Eyed Peas - Meet he Halfway
9. Massari - Body Body

Pitbull - I know you want me
10. Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous
11. David Guetta - Sexy Chick
12. Stereos - Throw Your Hands Up
13. Jennifer Lopez - Waiting for Tonight
14. Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow up
    And last but not least an oldie . . .
15. Cher – Believe (remix)
 Because everyone should while they workout!
    Thanks for letting me share!"

Today's contest is custom-made for those who are loving their midlife. We all know wisdom comes with age - tell us what important piece of wisdom you learned with age and you could WIN a great selection of books, including:

• The G.I. Diet Menopause Clinic: A Week-by-Week Guide to Coping with Middle-Aged Spread, by Rick Gallop
• Fit and Fabulous After 40: A 5-Part Program for Turning Back the Clock, by Denise Austin
• Start Fresh! Your Complete Guide to Midlifestyle Food and Fitness, by Diane Clement and Dr. Doug Clement
• The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a comment to let us know the lesson you had to wait until midlife to learn. Did you have to turn 40 before you could really understand the meaning of family? Did you need to turn 45 before you truly understood true love? Did you turn 50 before you really understood what it meant to seize the day? You have until Tuesday, February 9 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Wednesday, February 10.