I must confess that I am a habitual fad dieter, a consequence of my unhealthy eating habits. I have tried everything from the Atkins Diet to the South Beach Diet. Sure I lost a good amount of weight at first, but it didn’t take long for the weight to reappear, and it was clear that these fad diets weren’t a solution to my lifestyle as a foodie. I’m certainly not overweight, but I’m not exactly wearing my skinny jeans either. So when the opportunity came up to try out the Mayo Clinic Diet for two weeks, I was hopeful yet hesitant. It took me about a week to put down the chicken fingers and honey mustard sauce to finally get in a place where I knew enough was enough. I decided it was time to begin this diet which is designed to help me loose between 6 and 10 pounds in two weeks. The book was obviously written by geniuses, because the authors were able to make the rules as clear and straightforward as possible. Easier than a Dummies book.

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Touting its new tagline Go greener(SM), TruGreen, the nation's largest professional lawn care service, today launched an initiative to help educate Americans on how unlocking their passion for their lawns can also positively impact the environment. TruGreen is the exclusive U.S. organic and sustainable lawn and landscape care sponsor of Earth Day Network. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010, TruGreen is suggesting to homeowners 10 sustainable lawn care tips at www.earthday.org/action/trugreen that qualify for Earth Day Network's Billion Acts of Green(TM) environmental service initiative. 

As part of its sponsorship, TruGreen will participate in Earth Day Network's flagship Earth Day event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 25. Free to the public, the event will recognize achievements for mobilizing America to create a green economy.

"Homeowners want to get the most out of their lawns, but often lack the time and expertise to create a lawn they can truly enjoy," said Stephen M. Donly, president and chief operating officer, TruGreen. "At TruGreen, we're not only partnering with homeowners to create a healthy, green lawn that's easy to care for, but we're also helping them do so responsibly."

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Mother knows best ... especially when it comes to feeding and nurturing her family. And to prove it, Ragu® pasta sauce and Molly Ringwald are teaming up to launch the "Recipe for a Good Start" Contest -- a nationwide search for Moms and their recipe for giving their kids a good start in life. 

Beginning Monday, March 1, 2010 and ending Wednesday, March 31, 2010 parents can enter the Ragu® Recipe for a Good Start Contest at Recipeforagoodstart.com. Submit your favorite original recipe using Ragu® pasta sauce and share your tips for giving kids a good start in life like promoting imagination and creativity.

"I might be known for my roles in movies and on TV, but my most important role is being a mom," said Molly Ringwald, actress and mother of three.

"I am so proud to partner with Ragu® to recognize all the special things that parents do to give their kids a good start -- like helping them with their homework, encouraging them to play outside and making sure their kids eat their veggies," she said.

"Thanks to Ragu®, my family gets a delicious, nutritious meal and I get extra time to do the things I know will give my children a good start - like finger painting and family reading time."

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The team behind Oscar-winning documentary The Cove have successfully orchestrated a sting operation at a California restaurant they accuse of serving up illegal whale meat.

Louie Psyhoyos and Ric O'Barry's movie follows a group of activists as they struggle with police and fishermen to gain access to a secluded cove in Taiji, southern Japan, where dolphins are hunted. Days after the film won the Best Documentary Oscar at Sunday's (3/7) Academy Awards, U.S. federal prosecutors announced the producers helped to uncover an alleged violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act at Santa Monica restaurant, The Hump.

According to police reports, two undercover diners working with the documentary associate producer and director of clandestine operations, Charles Hambleton, requested whale as part of a $6.00 omakase - a sushi meal in which the chef picks the dishes. The pair pocketed a sample of and gentic testing confirmed it was meat from the endangered Sei whale. Spokesman for the United States attorney for the Central District of California, Thom Mrozek, declined to say what charges could be brought against the restaurant, but said the office is "moving forward rapidly" and charges could come as early as this week (ends 3/12). The Hump lawyer Gary Lincenberg tells the New York Times, they are going to look into the allegations and try to determine what is true. Until we have done that, I don't have any other comment. The possession or sale of marine mammals can lead to a year in prison a nd a fine of $20,000

'Biggest Loser Asia' finally came to an end with its first biggest loser winner David Gurnani of Jakarta, Indonesia who lost a total of 183 lbs. (approximately). Gurnani won the grand prize of US$100,000 and a brand new Renault car. David says,

"I never thought that I would say this, but it feels great to be a loser. Asia's Biggest Loser!" After a 13-week in-camp contest, the top four went home for two months to continue losing weight on their own. As soon as David returned home, he trained from eight to ten hours a day and watched his diet. So how's he going to spend his money, you ask?? "I'm thinking of buying a house with the money, because I'm planning to get married by the end of this year. I also want to go for a short holiday before getting back to my normal life." (via Klue)

Guarnani can be seen in the image above, but he looks a little sickly, no?  The other three contestants who Guarnani beat out look great!  Check them out below.

You can check out how much they lost at Klue.com.  

Recent photos of Nadine Coyle showed the Girls Aloud singer's shockingly skinny legs as she headed into a recording studio in North London.

Since moving to Los Angeles, California, Nadine has went from about a size 4 to a size 0 in a year. However, sources close to the singer including her manager Bruce Garfield, deny that Nadine's health may be in danger, saying she's in 'fabulous shape' and 'great health'.

According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, last year Nadine requested a pair of scales from her bag to weigh out her food while dining at the popular The Ivy. The dish she weighed was a plain fish with no vegetables, and at the end of the dinner, the dish was sent back still half full.

Referring to her current weight, Garfield comments:

'She's probably in the best shape she's ever been in spiritually, mentally, physically. She's never been better.'

Hhmm, I don't know about 'the best shape' ever.  With a new debut of her solo album, pressure of having a No.1 album and single in the U.K. like bandmate Cheryl Cole, I'm sure adds a ton of stress - which might be an element contributing to her weight loss.