A new study that was just published in the recent issue of Cancer showed that smoking or alcohol use did not increase a woman’s chance of getting ovarian cancer. The study also showed that a woman’s risk might be decreased by the consumption of caffeine. But this is no free license for women to continue smoking because there is still significant evidence that shows that smoking increases the risk of a specific subtype of ovarian cancer known as the mucinous type.

Ovarian cancer is a very serious cancer resulting in approximately 23,000 new cases in the U.S. each year. Its cause still remains very unclear to the medical community.

There are four words that sum up episode 4 of Biggest Loser: Couples…

Yellow. Team. Brought. It.

If you haven’t watched this intense, dramatic, twisted episode yet- then don’t read this post because I’m going to spill it all. Episode 3 last week wrapped with the white team being removed, followed by host Ali asking who they would vote to remove if they could choose one more. A three way tie between Black, Yellow and Purple was settled by a deciding vote by the Pink team- Yellow Team.

The twist- that the contestants, viewers and even the trainers didn’t see coming- they weren’t sent home. Instead it was them versus everyone, 1 versus 6, 6 versus 1. Yellow team had to beat the average percent weight loss at this week’s weigh in- or immediately go home. If they did beat the average of all the other teams- then they would have sole choice of elimination.

This is a team that two weeks ago was up for elimination, then came all the way back and won Biggest Loser team of the week last week. They also got their choice of trainer- so they worked exclusively with Jillian all week and everyone else only had access to Bob.

One of the things I love about the show is that the trainers aren’t on the inside of anything. They never know who has been eliminated. They never know what’s going on with the twists and turns of the game. They’re innocent bystanders just like the contestants. Making the show and the game all the more interesting.

Alliances started being made- and everyone planned to gang up on the black team. Orange and Blue decided they would throw their weigh in this week, in order to reduce the percentage of weight lost and allow Yellow team to eliminate the Black team. So the typical “reality show” side of things started showing its ugly face.

I was so impressed with Kelly and Paul of the Yellow team. They just kicked it in to gear. Paul was sneaking into the gym in the middle of the night for extra workouts. And when it came time for this week’s challenge- Paul single-handedly beat the other 12 people. The prize- letters from home. Kelly was SO excited… but she and Paul had agreed that those letters would be nothing more than a distraction when they needed to give this game all they had and more. When presented with the prize, one coveted by every person in that house, Paul responded “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” They turned over the letters to the other six teams. HOW SWEET! He kept trying to be “a warrior”… but Paul, we know you’re a sweet guy.

A lot of stuff happened on that show last night- but I just have to concentrate on the force that is Yellow. Unbelievable. They went into weigh-in, which Paul called Judgment Day, and surprised everyone with their secret weapon. Their prize for team of the week was an extra two pounds off at weigh in. The producers also had a secret- the team of the week at this weigh in would earn immunity. So when Mark and Jay of the Black Team pulled a whopping 4.64 total percentage weight lost taking first place— SLAP IN THE FACE for all of the people who threw their weight so that Black would be sent home. No one saw that coming. Everyone had stellar numbers this week, except for Blue and Orange. And I seriously think had they not thrown their weigh in, which Dan happily admitted to, then Yellow would not have won.

But they did! They had to beat the average of 2.81% and weighed in with 3.39%. They won. Those two little engines that could beat the other six teams. They made the wrenching decision to send home Pink (which devastated me). In true Bette-Sue fashion she announced “We’ll come back skinnier than all of you damn people!” She’s one tough cookie and I believe her.

Next week we have Jillian crying to look forward to. Looks like it’s going to keep getting even more twisted as they aren’t eliminating teams anymore, but individuals. Which, doesn’t that defeat the entire purpose of a Couples/Teams season?

Here’s a new addition to the weekly episode blog:
Quote of the week:
Ali while training exclusively with Bob Harper- “Bob has flipped a nut and I’m scared for my life.”
Cry of the week:
Everyone reading letters from home.

As the mayor of one of the country’s fattest cities, Mick Cornett is not taking this one sitting down. He appeared on Ellen’s show last week where he introduced the country to Oklahoma City’s million pound weight loss initiative- This City is Going On A Diet. They built a Web site of the same name where Oklahoma City citizens can create a free account, track their weight and find valuable resources to help them in their effort.

There is a generous list of weight loss programs, local trainers and nutritionists and other advice about eating right and staying active. Mayor Cornett explains that without the program and the site “We’d be doing a disservice to our citizenry by pretending the obesity epidemic is going away on its own. We have to change what we expect. This is something that we as a community can take on and turn around.”

Since launching This City is Going on a Diet January 1, Oklahoma City has lost more than 13,000 pounds. The goal is for the city to lose a million pounds- and unlike the Just Lose It Meridian campaign in Meridian, MS championed by fellow mayor John Robert Smith, Oklahoma City doesn’t have a deadline. “There’s no time limit on the program. As long as it’s working and successful- there’s no reason to stop it,” explains Mick.

In addition to putting the resources together to create this weight loss program, Oklahoma City also has 300 miles of new sidewalks planned and putting in nearly 50 new elementary gymnasiums. “We have to turn the culture to a community that places a high priority on healthcare, values young people and is more pedestrian friendly,” says Mick. What does Oklahoma City gain in return? The Mayor says “We gain a more energetic workforce and citizenry.”

While Oklahoma City tops the country in the most fast food restaurants per capita in the U.S. (a fact the Mayor places on being an auto-based community and the low price of land making it easy for companies to support their business model), it has no plans to put a moratorium on the opening of these restaurants.

The Mayor was headed out yesterday to Washington D.C. for the bi-annual Conference of Mayors. While the agenda is set in advance and no discussion about Oklahoma City’s or Meridian’s weight loss initiatives are slated, he imagines he’ll have an opportunity to share thoughts with Mayor John Robert Smith among others to compare notes and possibly encourage others to follow suit.

The Mayor seems to be traveling a lot- as he’s just back from his visit to Ellen in L.A. Of his visit with Ellen? “It was a lot of fun. I was so impressed by her talent.” He thought that compared to her, and what her audience is used to, he thought his topic was a little mundane. But apparently Ellen helped spread the word because OKC’s This City is Going on a Diet had 2,000 sign-ups that day alone.

As per usual with Ellen’s guests, everyone was anticipating a dance from Mayor Cornett. He got off easy since the host was sick that day, but he says “I was prepared if necessary, but not disappointed about not dancing.”

Thanks Mayor for visiting with us today- and good luck to Oklahoma City on shedding those pounds!

Have you ever gotten in your car and started driving, not really sure where you were going? What happened? Did you just drive around aimlessly, wasting gas and precious time? Well, that is what trying to lose weight without clear goals is like. It’s a waste of time and precious resources, all at the expense of your weight loss confidence.

A great acronym to remember is S.M.A.R.T. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Trackable. When setting any kind of goal for yourself, compare it to this checklist. Here’s an example.

“I will never eat chocolate again”. Specific? Yes. Measurable? Uh, maybe, depends on if you keep a food journal. A piece of chocolate, once consumed, is easily forgotten in a matter of minutes. Attainable? Sure, as long as you make sure to never purchase chocolate again, even if your family begs. Realistic? Hmmmm, not so much. What happens when it’s yours (or someone’s close to you) birthday? What about that never ending candy bowl at work? Vending machine calling your name? Okay. So the goal fails the test; how can we reshape it?

How about “I will enjoy chocolate as a once-a-week reward, and will reduce my fat intake on that day to compensate….” This reshaped goal has all the markings of being S.M.A.R.T., and by tracking the intake, whether on your to- do list, your journal or even your checkbook register, you have now implemented one of the most important, yet most overlooked, success strategies for life-long weight loss management; setting goals is your road map to success!

Are you looking for a new book to jump start your diet efforts? Time Magazine has an informative review of the latest diet books and the ones you shouldn’t glance over at the bookstore. Among them are the latest from the “Skinny Bitches” and one that’s a not-so-subtly rip, I mean, homage to the Skinny Bitch sensation.

Others on the top ten list include:
How to eat like a Hot Chick
The Genotype Diet
The All-New Atkins Advantage