There’s no doubt Oprah Winfrey wields a lot of influence over women, but for one exhausting year of Robyn Okrant’s life, the TV queen’s words were law.

The 37-year-old yoga instructor transformed herself overnight into a TV devotee who followed each of Oprah’s edicts to the letter, including:

• Dyeing her hair with Oprah’s preferred hair dye, Perfect 10;
• Following Oprah’s command to time her kisses with her husband to 10 seconds each;
• Adopting a cat from a shelter.

As the project, which started small, began to snowball, Robyn found everyone in her life affected by her new way of life, leaving her uncertain about whether she would make it through the year.

For instance, Robyn told her parents the usual Thanksgiving meal would be replaced by a strictly Oprah menu, made from recipes on Oprah’s website.

“For the most part they jumped at the opportunity to be part of my project,” she writes in Living Oprah, a book she penned about her experience. “Then I notice a few folks taking stock of what’s missing from the table. Sure the new dishes look fun, but will we survive without our much-beloved brisket? And where are the mashed potatoes?”

Robyn’s long-suffering husband, Jim, had to remove his beloved TV from the bedroom. Then he endured a Celine Dion concert, as Oprah decreed. But the final straw came when the screen queen invaded the couple’s bedroom with her tips for a healthy sex life.

Read the full story in this week's Woman's Day, on sale March 29, 2010.