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!

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.

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.

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.

Congratulations to jentam, who has won our Day 6 contest by telling us about her  favourite non-workout way to get exercise.

jentam says:
"This may sound strange but I enjoy cleaning the house and getting exercise doing so. I move quickly when I clean and I try and stretch as I reach to clean windows or sweep under the bed. It feels great to have a clean house *and* feel like I’ve been working out."

Ooh, extra points for multitasking! Nice work. Your prize is a copy of Move a Little, Lose a Lot: New NEAT science reveals how to be thinner, happier and smarter by James A. Levine, MD, PhD.

In other news, today is World Hypertension Day. Who knew? Not I. But to help . . . celebrate . . . wait, I don't know if we're meant to 'celebrate' World Hypertension Day, but anyway, to help 'mark the occasion', we're giving away a great prize pack from Mrs. Dash. It contains all 12 flavours of Canada's favourite salt-free, flavour-full seasoning plus a step counter and a jump rope. The folks at Mrs. Dash say that using Mrs. Dash instead of salt is a great way to cut down on your sodium intake.

Mmm. Sodium. I confess that I put salt on everything. It's a habit I really have to break. Is there something that you put salt on even when you know you really shouldn't? Do you add salt to your food before you even taste it? Do you ever add a visible layer of salt to your food? If someone served you a bowl of salt, would you proceed to put salt on it? For a chance to WIN this fab Mrs. Dash prize, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about your bad salt habit.

You have until Sunday, May 31 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on June 1.

I have a Turtle in my desk drawer.

That's right, a Turtle. A delicious, chocolaty pecan treat.

It has been in my desk drawer since last Thursday, making it the longest surviving Turtle ever. Usually such a sweet snack would be devoured on its first day at the office. (Although, now that my colleagues know it's in there, its days are probably numbered.)

Turtles and other such tasty treats are forever in danger of extinction because of my rampant love of snacking. It's a real testament to my commitment to Bikini Boot Camp that this Turtle has survived so long.

(I just took it out of my drawer and smelled its wrapper. Mmm. Then I slid it back in my drawer. That is willpower.)

Anyway, turns out that snacking is not such a bad thing. Just look at the Bikini Boot Camp Menu — it's littered with snacks. The trick is to snack well.

The Snack Factor Diet: The secret to losing weight by eating more, by Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D, has more than 100 ideas and recipes for crunchy, sweet, salty and creamy snacks to enjoy. Best of all, these waistline-friendly snacks promise to help keep your energy high, your metabolism up and your mood positive.

I have two copies of The Snack Factor Diet to give away. For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe to This Blog and post a reply telling us about your favourite snack. No — no Turtles allowed. These have to be healthy snacks!

You have until Monday, May 18 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Tuesday May 19.

Happy snacking!

"Oh Lord. Is it only Day 4? Will it ever end? Am I thin yet?"

It's Day 4 of Bikini Boot Camp and the healthy groceries I so enthusiastically purchased on Day 1 are dwindling. The weekend — and its promise of easy, breezy, fattening beverages on a patio — is looming. My muscles are sore. My gym clothes are in the wash. The couch is calling. The odds are stacked against me.

It's days like today when a story of inspiration and success goes a long way.

Enter Chantel Hobbs, who took control of her life, changed her thought process, lost 200 pounds and became a personal trainer. Her story is one of enormous transformation — both physical and psychological. Chantel says it started when she learned to change the way she thinks — after years of failed diets, she discovered the power of the 'brain change'.

Chantel's book, Never Say Diet: Make five decisions and break the fat habit for good, tells her incredible story and also includes quick tips, a strength training plan and some jaw-dropping before-and-after photos.

It also helps to put Bikini Boot Camp in perspective. If she can lose 200 pounds, surely I can lose six pounds in six weeks. If she can become a personal trainer, then I bet I can continue to lose a pound a week until I reach my goal. If she can change the way she looks and feels without yo-yo dieting, so can I!

Chantel's story has already inspired me to make some changes today. My to-do list now includes doing laundry, taking Advil, getting groceries and gearing up for Day 5 and beyond.

Need to feel inspired? I have a copy of Chantel's book to give away. For your chance to WIN Never Say Diet: Make five decisions and break the fat habit for good, Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about what inspires you.

You have until Thursday, May 14 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Friday, May 15. Good luck!

Part of Bikini Boot Camp is learning to reward yourself for working hard to establish a healthier lifestyle.

And while I used to reward myself for a job well done with a beer (or two . . . while waiting for a pizza), a better way is to enjoy a treat that will leave you looking, feeling and even smelling better!

You have a chance to WIN such a reward, thanks to Fruits & Passion! This great prize pack includes all of the products in their new, eco-friendly 'Imagine' collection in the alluring ‘Apple Illusion’ scent.

You'll get:

• eau de toilette
• foaming bath
• hand soap
• hand cream
• shower gel
• quenching butter
• a sample eau de toilette Imagine fragrance box

It's a total value of $116.50, plus it's all packaged in a super-cute reusable shopping bag!

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and leave a reply telling us about your favourite way to pamper yourself.

You have until Wednesday, May 27 to enter. I'll announce the winner here on Thursday, May 28. Good luck!