Oh my gosh.

I'm so full.

Even though I'm (usually) sticking to the super-healthy Bikini Boot Camp Six-Week Menu, I must confess that sometimes I may be eating way too much.

I may be eating so much that after some meals, I emit a series of sighs. I have to undo my pants. And all I can think about is napping.

I know I’m not the only one. So why do we eat so much, even when we're trying our hardest to be on our best behaviour?

In his new book, The End of Overeating: Taking control of the insatiable North American appetite, Dr. David A. Kessler cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat and salt. He says that food manufactures create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a culture of overeaters.

The book seeks to explain why it's so difficult to resist certain foods and why it's so easy to overindulge.

For a chance to WIN a copy of The End of Overeating, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about the food you're most likely to binge on. Maybe you set out to have just a few chips and end up emptying the bag every time. Perhaps you serve yourself a slice of pizza one minute, and the next minute, you discover that half the pizza is gone. (This happens to me all the time.)

You have until Friday, June 12 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Saturday, June 13.

Villamere. That's my last name. It's French, but apparently I'm not. If I was, maybe I wouldn't be such a chub-o.

We've all heard that French women don't get fat. But is it true? And why? (And if it is, I'm adding it to my list of reasons to move to France, right below 'Gilles Marini'.)

To find out the answer, I did a little Q&A with Laura Calder, host of the Food Network's 'French Food at Home', member of Chef Network Inc., and author of the cookbooks French Taste - Elegant everyday eating and French Food at Home. She's lived in France for the better part of the past decade, so I tasked her with confirming or dispelling the rumour that France has no fatties.

Q: We've all heard that French women don't get fat. Surely, that's not true. I mean, during your time in France, you must have come across a hefty French lady or two, non?

A: "One or two, yes. But it's not a blanket phenomenon like it is in North America today. The reason is, I suppose, that they are still eating the way we did two generations ago, to some degree:  good quality ingredients (nothing fancy, just meat and potatoes, apples and cheese, etc.), cooked in homey ways (stews, roasts, sautés, etc.) and eaten at meal times sitting down. The French are not snackers.

Really, there's no secret. It's just good eating. And it's guilt-free eating.  Our downfall is that we eat too much packaged food or food that's pumped full of chemicals and hormones, we snack like crazy on junk, and we don't move around enough."

Q: How do you keep your figure? You must be forever tasting things as you cook.

A: "How do I keep my figure? I eat like a farmer from the 1920s. No, seriously, I eat meals and don't snack and I eat really good food: organic meats from a butcher I know and trust, a lot of vegetables. I eat sweet things, too, but all homemade so I know exactly what's in them.  I also walk everywhere I go and I do a lot of yoga.

I think if we put pleasure first, we're healthier. Pleasure equals the best-tasting (and therefore healthiest) ingredients, plus taking the time to enjoy eating with people we love. That's the best healthy-eating program I can think of for anyone."

Q: Oh my gosh, can it be true? Guilt-free eating? Tell me about some of your favourite recipes from your new book, French Taste.

A: "I love the savoury swiss chard tart in the first-courses chapter. I love the craggy chocolate cake in desserts, and all the apple tarts. I love the beef and carrot stew. See . . . all the granny food. That's my bag."

***

None of that stuff sounds like diet fare. All of that stuff sounds delicious. Can it be true - can we eat deliciously decadent foods and stay healthy and slim?

I don't know, but this is definitely worth investigating. I've got a copy of French Taste and I'm going to start cooking. Maybe I am French after all . . .

If you're ready to eat like a French lady and see what happens, just enter for a chance to WIN a copy of Laura Calder's latest book, French Taste.  To qualify, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about a weight loss myth you've debunked or found to be true. Do you eat quality, homemade meat, potatoes and pies like a French person and still stay slim and trim? Does green tea really help you to lose weight? Did you lose weight when you started eating breakfast? Is cabbage soup really the answer? What about detox diets? Or grapefruits?

You have until Thursday, June 18 to let us know about your weight loss myth trials and tribulations. I'll announce the winner here on Friday, June 19.

Bon chance!

Can't there be a meal *between* brunch and lunch?

Since Bikini Boot Camp launched on May 4, you've probably rethought your diet. You may have cut out junk food. Maybe you're forgoing your daily double-double. You could be making your portions smaller. Or perhaps you've stopped snacking whenever you feel hungry.

Hunger. It's something that many dieters grapple with. You're forever tempted to satisfy your hunger with just a bite of chocolate. Just a half a banana. Or, in my case, just a half a dozen doughnuts.

And although weight loss is a struggle, hunger really isn't as serious an issue for most of us as it could be. We're tempted by the goodies stashed in the cupboard. But what if the cupboard was bare?

What if your hunger struggle had less to do with willpower and more to do with cash flow?

Today is National Hunger Awareness Day. This year, the need to help Canada’s hungry is more urgent than ever. In 2008, more than 700,000 Canadians were assisted by community food banks each month and more than a third were children. This year, Food Banks Canada is reporting a 20 per cent increase in the number of Canadians using their services.

With this steep increase in demand, food banks are finding it tough to keep their shelves stocked.

But you can help.

Did you know that if you donate to your local food bank between now and June 12 (that's next Friday), the Kraft Hunger Challenge will match your donation, dollar for dollar? Across Canada, they'll be matching donations up to $150,000.

Over the past five years, the annual Kraft Hunger Challenge has raised more than $2.5 million for food banks across Canada.  This year, Food Banks Canada is hoping to surpass the over $500,000 raised through the Kraft Hunger Challenge in 2008.

Here's how you can donate:

• Online at www.foodbankscanada.ca (Online? Really? That's so handy!)
• By phone by calling 1-877-535-0958
• In person at all participating food banks
• By mail - send your donations to:
  Food Banks Canada
  c/o Kraft Hunger Challenge
  2968 Dundas Street West, Suite 303
  Toronto, Ontario
  M6P 1Y8

A tax receipt will be issued for all donations over $10. And the warm, fuzzy feeling you'll get from helping a fellow Canadian will satisfy you like no doughnut ever could.

So many contests, so many winners during Bikini Boot Camp! 

Congratulations to roxy, who has won our Day 14 contest by telling us about her bad habits with salt.

roxy says:

"Well I think I’ve always had a thing for salt. I remember being a child out for dinner and shaking some in my hand and licking it and I did this many times it was a habit (like I was a horse?). This seems really silly right and I’m sure I’m the only child who did this but now I see why I used to get yelled at! I know why it was so bad but still this salt craze continues. Anything salty I want. Feta cheese, chips, popcorn, fries etc. I will put salt on everything I have been shaking less these days but its so hard not to just think the meal needs it!"

roxy has won a great prize pack from Mrs. Dash, containing all 12 flavours of Canada’s favourite salt-free, flavour-full seasoning plus a step counter and a jump rope.

Have you entered our Day 26 contest yet?

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!

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?

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!"