Diet Research

Heidi Diaz' sock puppets say that Kimkins' dieters are to blame for any ill effects from the diet as they "should have done their research". As Kimorexia suggests, it is very possible that they did their homework to the extent possible at the time.

Researching Kimkins in June 2007 would have led me to:

• The Women's World magazine article. Who wouldn't want to lose 100 pounds in 5 months and end up looking like Christin? Or like Kim, 200 pounds in 11 months and looking good enough to qualify as a Russian bride?

• Thousands of blogs and articles on the internet, all praising Kimkins and displaying pictures of Deni and Christin. Who wouldn't want to have a similar success?

• Kimkins.com website with Kimmer's picture! The founder that lost 198 pounds in 9 months! No faster diet, none! Better than gastric bypass! Etc, etc.

• The "Ask Kimmer" thread on LCF. Reading it, it is apparent that Kimmer was adored by everybody and revered as a diet guru for years before she went off to start her own site.

• Blogs and comments saying that Kimkins was the new celebrity diet, naming a number of skinny, young celebrities that had used kimkins to get "red carpet ready".

• Hundreds of yahoo answers where Kimkins is the solution to any weight loss problem. MySpace profiles set up by affiliates.

So, what from this research should have prevented me to pay $59.95 to get access to Kimkins? Low carb, low fat as was clearly stated? Atkins is low carb and that is a reputable diet. Low fat? Well, we have been brainwashed to embrace low fat all our lives, so that sounds good too. It seems logical that with lower fat (less calories), weight loss would be faster, doesn't it?

Not until paying the Lifetime fee did the member become exposed to the Plan Behind The Plan, which entailed cutting calories and fat much below acceptable levels. Being cheered on by sock puppets that "experienced" amazing losses and never had any problems sticking to the diet. Feeling like a failure if going above 500 calories.

Luckily, many members, possibly a vast majority, soon gave up as their body's survival mechanism kicked in and in one way or the other told them that this diet is not good for you. Others stayed with it a little longer due to the peer pressure and the addiction to seeing the scale going down on a daily basis. Many of these victims are still suffering and struggle to get back to healthy eating.

In June 2007, there was really nothing negative to be found about Kimkins!

So, please do not claim that a Kimkins victim "did not do their homework." There wasn't a homework to be done at the time. And this is the reason that all we bloggers write all these Kimkins posts. At least now a google search on Kimkins will provide material for a "homework" and nobody has to join Kimkins before finding out how bad this diet is and that Heidi Diaz is a fraud.

If we had seen a true picture of Kimmer, Heidi Diaz, at the time, I'm sure nobody would have joined Kimkins.



We are also working on getting rid of Kimkins weeds from the internet. Want to help? Check out the daily challenge.

Kimkins Boot Camp

In the introduction to Kimkins Diet Plans it NOW says:

"We suggest a minimum of 800 calories per day or per your doctor's recommendation."

I'm just at a loss how to reach these 800 cals using the Plans listed. This is the Boot Camp Diet Plan, "The most popular Kimkins Option!":

KIMKINS BOOT CAMP

The most popular Kimkins Option!

30 minutes of intense daily exercise required

Breakfast
Up to 2 eggs (cooked without fat)
Up to 1/2 cup List 2 veggies
Up to 2 oz lean ham or other lean protein (raw/cured weight)
Unlimited non-calorie beverage

Lunch
Up to 4 oz lean protein (raw weight)
Up to 2 cups mixed greens + Wishbone Spritzer dressing (or caloric equivalent)
Unlimited non-calorie beverage

Dinner
Up to 4 oz lean protein (raw weight)
Up to 2 cups mixed greens + Wishbone Spritzer dressing (or caloric equivalent)
Unlimited non-calorie beverage

Take a complete multivitamin each day plus other desired supplements

--------------

Fitday for:

BF: 2 eggs, 2 oz lean ham, 1/2 cup broccoli
L: 4 oz chicken breast, 2 cups mixed salad greens
D: 4 oz chicken breast, 2 cups mixed salad greens

gives me 465 calories AND I'm supposed to exercise intensely for minimum 30 minutes on top of it.

I didn't even substitute the eggs with "2 egg whites + 1 whole egg" or eggbeaters as recommended:

• Save fat calories by mixing 2 egg whites + 1 whole egg for scrambles or omelettes
• Eggbeaters are excellent

So what I am supposed to add to get the calories up to 800? Fat? Surely not, as none is listed and even the less strict "original kimkins diet" says:

"Use minimal fat to make your menu work (careful, calories count!)"

No matter what the "new" guidelines say, this is still a VLDC (Very Low Calorie Diet). VLDC is defined as a diet less than 800 calories and VLDC diets should only be administered by practitioners who are experienced in their use and in the setting of a comprehensive weight loss program with medical follow-up.

And what about vitamins and essential fatty acids (EFA's)? Kimkins says to "take a complete multivitamin" and as most multi have 100% of RDA it brings the Fitday %RDA values up to recommended levels. However, can I trust that my body will absorb these nutrients from a pill? I have not found a good source for an answer. Some articles say only 15% is absorbed but don't reference any research. Surely, while a daily multi doesn't hurt, it would still be a lot better if as much as possible of the RDA comes from food.

Kimmer of Kimkins Lies to the Attorney General!

Asked to respond to a complaint for unfounded banning, Kimmer blatantly LIES to the Attorney General of California, and fabricates false records to support the lies!

I don't think that was a smart thing to do, Heidi. It is obvious that you have a hard time telling the truth but, come on, lying to the Attorney General?

The story in a nutshell:

Magicsmom joined Kimkins on 06/11/2006. Her last post on kimkins.com is dated 2006/09/30. Proof in the form of a screen shot of her Kimkins profile:


Hey, did you see that she was last active on 2008-01-08? Amazing! Magicsmom must really have magic powers.

She was banned on 10/07/2007 due to "TOS" violation, and wrote about it here on LCF. As for most of us, no explicit reason was provided by Kimkins. We were just shown the TOS violation screen when trying to log in to kimkins.com. Of course, no refund was given.

Magicmom wrote a complaint to Edmund G. Brown, Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. The complaint was forwarded to kimkins.com and this is Heidi's response:

December 28, 2007

State of California
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice
Public Inquiry Unit
P. O. Box 944255 Sacramento,
CA 94244-2550

REF: Complaint ID#XXXXXX

To Whom It May Concern:

We are aware of a lawsuit against Kimkins.com. We expect there may be frivolous complaints made against Kimkins in preparation. There is no certified class action lawsuit.

Due to Ms. "Magicsmom's" engaging in malicious, disparaging and false accusations within the forum area of the website, she has been restricted from community discussion areas. She still retains full usage of the Kimkins weight loss program including the diet, diet variations, food list, grocery shopping lists, recipe library, BMI calculator, calorie calculator and other diet aids.

Please see attached documentation fo the comments made by Ms. "Magicsmom" which was upsetting to other members and interfered with their right to enjoy their membership.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Please contact us if we may be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Kimkins Customer Service

"Engaging in malicious, disparaging and false accusations within the forum area?" Magicsmom last posted on kimkins.com on 09/30/2006!

And the proof? The attached documentation? This is the screen shot of the administration area on kimkins.com that was provided as proof:




The date given for the ban is 2007-10-07, which Magicsmom agrees with. (Last visit is 2007-12-17, guess they didn't even try to explain that one). However, what about the "reason?" The text is directly copied from a post on LCF, made 2 weeks after she was banned, on 10-20-2007 !

How can Heidi even pretend that this post that was "upsetting to other members" was posted "within the forum area?" Magicsmom did not have any access to the forum area at the time.

It is also obvious that the post is made after she has been banned. Notice the wording "after I was banned" in the post.

It is equally obvious that this post was not made "within the forum." Notice the wording "their site" and "here."

Kimmer needs to proof read a little better when she is fabricating documents, especially when she is fabricating them for the Attorney General.

Other lies in her response are the claims of "she still retains full usage of the Kimkins weight loss program including the diet........" The letter from Kimkins was dated December 28, 2007. I do not remember the exact date when the "free" areas of the website disappeared but I believe it was well before the date of the letter and they are certainly not there now.

Kimmer was in trouble before, with the class action law suit in full swing. She is in even more trouble now. You don't lie to the Attorney General!

Magicsmom has written a very factual response to the Attorney General, providing proof of Heidi's lies with all the screen shots referenced above. John Tiedt has received a copy of all the documentation as well.

I want to thank Magicsmom for giving me access to all this information, and for her continued efforts of taking Kimkins.com down.

Want to help? Join the Challenge!

HoneyBee thinks Kimmer deserves a Cheerleader Award for her achievement!

A clarification by Magicsmom:
Please let me clarify how there can be activity on my profile at Kimkins. Heidi did tell the truth that I am able to get into certain areas of the website if I log on. So it is entirely possible that I visited her home page early in January. After all, like many others, I am awaiting with baded breath the weekly updates on Heidi's weight loss.

However, the access Heidi described to the Attorney General is not what I was promised when I signed up. My "lifetime" membership was supposed to give me the following benefits (thanks to Wayback Machine for this info!)

o Detailed info about the Kimkins plan, straight from the source!

o Personalized Kimkins coaching, direct from Kimmer!

o Unlimited access to Kimkins.com forums for inspiration, guidance and friendship

o Your own personal journal for posting progress photos, notes and thoughts

o A free copy of the Kimkins e-Book due out soon!

Well, let's break this down. I can't get information from the source because I've been banished from her royal highness' presence. I don't have access to personalized coaching, unlimited access to the forums, or access to a personal journal. The "e-book" I got would more appropriately be called an "e-page infomercial for Kimkins". (Remember the old "the computer ate my homework" story we got from Heidi?)

Because I committed no infraction on Kimkins.com, they banned me unjustly and breached the contract I had with Kimkins. If I had committed a legitimate infraction, Heidi would not have had to tap dance and make up a lie for the Attorney General. And I wonder how many others there are who have the same story I have. Reality is that Heidi was stalking people around the internet and banning them not for what they did at Kimkins, but for what they did and said on other websites. If Heidi thinks she will never hear from the Attorney General again, she'd better sit up and take notice. They ARE on her case, whether she acknowledges that or not.

Calories on Kimkins

Kimmer now says:

"There is no calorie limit on any Kimkins option whether you choose original Kimkins, K/E (Kimmer Experiment), Boot Camp, Cycling or quick Protein Shakes. Some members prefer specific portions and find Kimkins Boot Camp fits their needs perfectly."

To me, "calorie limit" goes both ways. Maximum calories. Minimum calories.

And it is obvious that there is no minimum calorie limit on Kimkins. "Lower is better" has always been Kimmer's mantra.

Some quotes from Kimmer herself, copied from Becky's blog:

"I don't believe in starvation mode. I cannot and will not say anything about minimum calories. A grilled chicken breast and a 1 cup USDA serving of mixed greens is 200 calories. It just is. Adding fats or starches isn't "healthier" to up the calories."

"I'm begging you, please don't eat if you're not hungry! We've all got to work on the 'I should' tapes in our head."

"Don't panic about low calories. . . . Bottom line, as long as you have sufficient body fat you don't need to eat calories -- you're carrying them with you."

"I disagree about not taking in enough calories. Water fasters take in 0 calories and their hearts are fine. So long as you have sufficient body fat, there's no problem. You're thin, but not overly so. By all means I'd snack on lean protein and be sure you're getting in the RDA of 60 grams, but it takes very little chicken/beef/eggs to do that."

"Someone can "eat clean" and still be too high in calories, even if they're low by other diet standards. Certainly no one would think 900 calories a day is "high", but it's 3 times as much as someone doing the Egg White Challenge at 300 calories a day. Weight loss will be different."

"Want more proof low calories are OK? What about people who have gastric bypass surgery and the very goal of surgery is for them to limit their daily calories to 500! They lose just fine. Any complications are a result of the surgery or pre-existing health conditions brought on by obesity."

Anybody thinks that the Plan Behind The Plan will not continue at Kimkins?

HELP us remove this pro-ana diet site from the internet!


It's also obvious that Kimmer, aka Heidi Diaz, never followed her own advice.

Kimkins Eating Disorders

From the transcript of the ABC Good morning America Interview with Kimkins poster girl Singingass:

"DELANEY DEAVER (aka SingingLass): We don’t tell people to starve, we encourage them to eat and I think there’s gonna be eating disorders that happen, you know, in any situation when somebody has an issue with food, but we try to prevent that from happening by giving people support."

Giving people support? People with eating disorders? On Kimkins? And who are "we?"

To my knowledge, the only admins left on Kimkins are:

• Kimmer, aka Heidi Diaz. An obese woman that have scammed and defrauded thousands of people over at least 10 years. A lying liar that lies.
  

• Singingass. A student, working as an online psychic and occasionally singing opera.
  

• Lasttime4me. A sock puppet, or if not, certainly does have the personality of a sock. Kimmer normally creates colorful characters. This one isn't.
  

• Tarvos{k}. Hasn't been seen there for a long time. His blog still exists but is empty. As far as I remember, he didn't do all that great on the diet either, still being over 400 lbs. And anybody reading his posts (and blog before it was scrubbed) realizes that this man has issues.
  

So who is going to help the people with eating disorders on Kimkins? Heidi Diaz? Singingass? Lasttime4me? Would you trust any of these three with anything? Especially related to diet or eating disorders?

Actually, we do know what type of "support" a dieter on Kimkins would get. Read this post by Medusa: FROM MY MOLE INSIDE THE KIMPOUND: KIMMER RESPONDS TO THE STARVING WOMAN...



Edit:
For Eating Disorder information, please go to Eating Disorders Today
Joanna Poppink, LMFT, Los Angeles psychotherapist, stopped by to comment and provide this link.

Note, this is a psychotherapist, specializing in eating disorder recovery. Who would you listen to, Joanna or Heidi? Heidi has no qualifications whatsoever to dispense diet advice or advice to a person with an eating disorder.

Kimkins just another Low Carb Diet

Kimmer just added this text to the "Thinking about Kimkins" page:

I've heard Kimkins is limited to 500 calories per day?

Totally false. There is no calorie limit on any Kimkins option whether you choose original Kimkins, K/E (Kimmer Experiment), Boot Camp, Cycling or quick Protein Shakes. Some members prefer specific portions and find Kimkins Boot Camp fits their needs perfectly.

No doubt it this a result of the ABC Good Morning America coverage that used 500 calories as the typical limit on Kimkins.


So the "new" Kimkins diet seems to be:

• Unlimited lean protein (no gram limit)
• Enough fat to make it work (no gram limit)
• Maximum 20 grams carbs

So what makes this different than Atkins induction? Why would anybody pay $79.95 to join a website to get access to an obese diet "guru" that obviously knows very little about how to lose weight? What does kimkins.com offer that the FREE sites do not?

And do not forget that your $79.95 "Lifetime" membership is no guarantee that you will actually have access to the site, or Kimmer. She, or one of her admins, can ban you on a whim. For asking legitimate questions Kimmer does not want to answer, or for no reason at all.

Join the Class Action Lawsuit.

Help remove kimkins.com from the internet!

Kimmer's After Photo

The photo in the blue sweater is what Kimmer used as her "before" picture on Low Carb Friends. She claimed to be 318 lbs in it, and when people commented that she looked smaller, she just said that "she carried her weight well."

I believe that this is actually her "after" picture and shows her at her lowest weight. While we can not believe anything this Lying Liar that Lies says, there sometimes seems to be a grain of truth in there. She now claims that she at one time lost 100 lbs in 6 months, and couldn't this photo be at her lowest, which would have been 218 lbs?


The time frame seems to be right. The "blue sweater" photo is obviously the same as the one on Plentyoffish, with her son, Brandon. Kimmer joined LCF around 2000 which means that Brandon would then have been 10 years old. Possibly, Kimmer did once lose weight on low carb but never was even close to the 118 lbs she claimed to have maintained for 5 - 6 years.

What happened at 218 lbs? Kimkins was too tough to stick to? Not strong enough?

Wouldn't this experience have proved to Kimmer that Kimkins is not a sustainable diet? Why did she keep on promoting it, long after failing on it herself?

Blaming Kimkins Dieters instead of Kimmer

I have started this post half a dozen times, and can't seem to get a grip to make it organized and coherent. It's because I'm angry.

• I'm angry at Kimmer and her sock puppets blaming the victims in order to divert the blame from the one that deserves it, Heidi Diaz.

• I'm angry at Kimmer and her sock puppets lies, saying that they never suggested calories below 500 and never recommended daily laxative use.

• I'm angry at the sock puppet progress stories and journals written by Kimmer that showed "people" that lost 1 - 2 pounds per day without effort that convinced others that they were just weak if they didn't have the same success.

• I'm angry at Kimmer creating a "cult" environment with people encouraging each other to eat less and applauding Fitdays showing 300-400 cals per day.
  

• I'm angry at Kimmer and her sock puppets now claiming that people abused the diet and knowingly ignored the health risks when they were just doing as instructed by Kimmer.

• I'm angry at Kimmer and her minions banning paid members on a whim. Sometimes for asking legitimate questions Kimmer did not want to answer. Sometimes for no reason at all.
  

Kimmer and her sock puppets say that the former Kimkins dieters "should have known better" than to drop calories below 500. No. Kimmer should have known better than to promote a diet that provides less than 500 calories and to suggest laxative abuse. Kimmer claims to be an expert in dieting and the members paid to get access to her expert advice. Shouldn't she know that a VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) would result in health problems? She, that researched for 10 years? Kimmer is to blame, not the people that took her advice.

Kimmer and her sock puppets say that it's our individual responsibility to do our research before we start a diet. Surely, Kimmer never wanted us to do any research, as then there wouldn't be a Kimkins.com today. The original plan is available for FREE on FREE sites with better support. And on the FREE sites, you would not be subjected to the "Plan Behind The Plan" which was to lower calories below starvation levels.

Kimmer and her sock puppets say that we should have shown the diet plan to our doctor for his/her approval. Showing the original Kimkins Diet that allows "unlimited lean protein and enough fat to make it work" to a doctor would probably not result in any objection. However, showing the typical Fitday of a Kimkins dieter that followed the Plan Behind The Plan would surely lead to alarm. I can't see any doctor wanting to keep his/her license approve of 500 cals or less per day.

And what Kimmer and her sock puppets do not address at all is the fraud and the scam. Are the victims to blame for that also? That a normal person could not even envision the type of lying that Kimmer has done? That someone would actually steal photos from Russian Bride sites and post them as success stories? Is that the victims fault? No. Kimmer is to blame. Kimmer committed fraud. Kimmer lied. Kimmer scammed members out of money.


Read the stories on Kimkins Survivors. Are these people to blame? Did any of them do anything wrong? Was it wrong to want to lose weight and believe what Kimmer told them? To not recognize Kimmer as a scam artist? I think not. Kimmer is to blame.

Kimkins Diet on ABC

Video:

ABC Good Morning America Kimkins Diet

Featuring the new Kimkins Poster Girl Singingass



Transcript by Grilled Cheese with Pickles:

ABC Segment Transcript: Kimkins

Kimkins Diet Refunds

When Kimmer, aka Heidi Diaz, had to come "clean" at the time the Class Action Lawsuit was filed, she promised a time limited refund on the "Kimkins Controversy" section on the Kimkins website. While Heidi has claimed that she no longer has the ability to provide refunds due to her PayPal account being frozen, she is now giving refunds without any time limit. Surely, this is based on advice from her attorney that is trying to have the Class Action Lawsuit thrown out.

Q: What about the people who joined Kimkins because of your weight loss or the success story re-enactments?

A: I offer my sincere apology to anyone who felt misled or joined purely on that basis. That was never my intent. Bottom line is that Kimkins is a rapid weight loss plan that works without surgery, special food or pills.

We'll offer a refund and membership cancellation to anyone who joined prior to 11/1/07 and isn't currently using the website. Simply send an email to support@kimkins.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your full name, user name, PayPal transaction ID number and mailing address. Do not log into your account.

While any Kimkins member (former or current) should be encouraged to join the Class Action Lawsuit, it is certainly better if people reluctant to join ask for refunds instead of doing nothing at all. At least it will hurt Heidi's cash flow. If 40,000 members ask for a refund, Heidi would not be able to keep Kimkins.com running.

If you know any Kimkins member that does not want to take part in the Class Action Lawsuit, please encourage them to request a refund.

If you did join the lawsuit, do not request a refund, and reject it in case you receive one.

Kimkins Diet Math Scam

In an effort to "clean up" the Kimkins diet disaster, Kimmer recently declared:

“It’s best not exceed the 1000 cals, 20 carbs, 20-30 fat grams, and keep the Protein at 60-90 grams per day. These are the limits for newbies, but you will find that as you stick with the plan you will see lower numbers in all the above categories. If you have any other questions or need help PM me anytime, I love to help.”

I had to LOL at the "I love to help." Who would want help from an obese Kimmer that never lost weight and now is struggling to lose even a pound per week on her own diet? What about the "MORE" weight loss that the Kimkins front page announces? But, I digress.

While the limits now stated by Kimmer is much higher than earlier promoted, they still do not add up to 1000 cals, and it is clear that Kimmer intends people to eat less as she says: "as you stick with the plan you will see lower numbers in all the above categories."

But lets look at the "start" numbers: 20 carbs, 30 grams fat, 90 grams protein. This adds up to:

20 x 4 + 30 x 9 + 90 x 4 = 710 calories as the upper limit. Huh? What about the 1000 cals? Surely Kimmer has done enough Fitday entries to be able to do the math.

The lower limit: 20 carbs, 20 grams fat, 60 gram protein adds up to 500 cals, and this is only for newbies and you would be expected to go lower?

Even with the "new guidelines, Kimkins remain a VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) and while such a diet is approved for some patients under doctor supervision, it's nothing you should try at home on your own.

The Magic Chicken Diet, that we bloggers are not supposed to criticize as the founder "may" be a "real" success story, does not look any better. I used a sample menu and came up with a total of 468 calories; 16 grams fat, 26 grams carbs, 54 grams protein. Another VLCD.

A Pinch of... explains the dangers with VLCD:

Research on Very Low Calorie Diet (VLDC) Risks

Kimkins Diet Scam on ABC Good Morning America

Local listings are here: ABC Good Morning America

Sunday, January 20, 2008?
....to be confirmed....


From the TV Guide searchable list: TV listings

8 AM EST

Check you local listing

Extreme Diets like Kimkins Do Not Work

Duke Health Brief: Extreme Weight-Loss Methods Backfire

A recent study found that teenage girls who used severe methods to lose weight were more likely to become obese than girls who ate a high-fat diet. A Duke expert says radical weight-loss measures change the body's metabolism and actually promote weight gain.

Adolescent girls who try to lose weight by extreme measures such as vomiting, laxative abuse and skipping meals are actually more likely to become obese than girls who eat a high-fat diet.

The finding, part of a four-year study of almost 500 teenage girls in Austin, Texas, was published in the April 2005 issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Dr. Terrill Bravender, medical director of the Duke Eating Disorders Program, says the study results shouldn't come as a surprise.

"Although this seems counter-intuitive, it actually makes quite a bit of sense," he explains. "We know from other research that skipping meals sets you up for eating more food throughout the rest of the day. Appetite increases dramatically and satiety control decreases. It's almost like the body goes into starvation mode in those instances and actually over-compensates for the lost energy that it's experiencing.

"Adolescents or even adults who fast for prolonged periods of time or severely restrict their caloric intake are more likely to binge-eat to compensate for that lack of food intake, either earlier in the day or in days prior."

In effect, says Bravender, employing severe methods to lose weight is likely to have the opposite result. "As with any attempt at controlling weight and managing health, moderation is the key. Episodes of starvation or extreme weight loss-control most likely lead to subsequent binge eating, which negates all the work you've done with those extreme weight-loss measures. The best approach is moderation in eating, eating a well-balanced, healthy diet, limiting snacking and getting a modest amount of daily physical activity."

Bravender, director of adolescent medicine at Duke, notes that there are many other factors that contribute to an increased risk for obesity in children and teens. One of these factors is parental obesity; another is parental attitudes toward food.

"I think this an example where parental modeling of good behavior is incredibly important. We know that obesity tends to run in families for a variety of reasons. Genetics is one reason, but even in adoptive families we see a higher likelihood of children being obese if their adoptive parents are also obese. I think that has a lot to do with modeling around food.

"This includes not just the types of foods that are available in the home, but also eating styles, for example decreasing snacking and making sure to eat at proper mealtimes. Parental attitudes toward food also have a huge influence on children. If parents see some foods as a reward, or see some foods as 'good' and others as 'bad,' children will internalize that message and develop those same attitudes about food.

"There's a study from a number of years ago looking at 9- and 10-year-old girls. Over 40 percent of those girls said that they either were on or had been on a diet to lose weight. Those 9- and 10-year-olds didn't come up with that on their own. I'm sure they're imitating their parents."

Angry at Kimkins

Heidi Diaz' lawyer is trying to get the class action lawsuit thrown out by claiming that "Plaintiffs consist of a small group of fame seekers, disgruntled prior associate, and other prior members of KlMKINS whom have been led to believe that there is a pot of gold at the end of the litigation rainbow."

I'm a plaintiff and a "prior member."

Am I disgruntled? You bet! Some of my reasons are:

• I paid $14.95 to Kimkins to support Kimmer's new board after being made to believe that she was unfairly treated on the low carb board I frequented. Little did I know that she was a lying liar that lies and does not deserve support in any shape or form.
  

• I paid $14.95 to Kimkins to help a scam artist build a business by starving people and causing them serious health problems.

• I paid $14.95 to Kimkins to find out that you really can not trust anybody on the internet, regardless of how long you have “known” them.
  

• I paid $14.95 to Kimkins just to be banned without any reason, no explanation, and no refund.

Am I looking for a “pot of gold?” Absolutely not! I don’t expect to see a dime after the lawyer has received his share. But, I will do anything in my power to make sure that no money fraudulently obtained from the Kimkins scam remains with Heidi Diaz.

So why I am doing this? Blogging? Being critical of Kimmer and Kimkins? My health was not affected as I never followed the Kimkins Diet and the only thing that was hurt were my feelings from being lied to. However, I feel responsible for contributing to create this monster in the low carb world. If I and others had not enthusiastically signed up for her board in the beginning, many people might have been spared the cost of membership, costs for ER, and suffering irreversible health consequences. I can not change the fact that I did, but I will do what I can to prevent further victims to this scam.

If you are or were a member of Kimkins, join the lawsuit. Working together, we can remove this menace from the internet!

Kimkins and Kimmer's Hardship

In the latest court documents filed on behalf of Heidi Diaz the class action lawsuit against her, Kimmer is trying to claim hardship to get her frozen assets released. She states:

• That the writ of attachment issued against my personal and business bank accounts plus have caused severe hardship for my family, my ability to earn a living and to service the customers of Kimkins. Does this mean that she no longer receives disability? And what is this "service the customers of Kimkins?" Service them by banning as she did in the past? I think she could not care less about the existing customers that do not bring in any new money. Only new sign ups are of interest.

• That the income and other funds which my family and I depended on to pay for food, heating and utility bills, car and insurance payments and the other necessities of day-to-day life 14 have all been frozen by the courts without warning or prior notice. She should have thought about that before paying CASH for a house and two brand new cars.

• That I recently purchased a home "AS-IS" and it is in need of substantial repairs to fix leaky plumbing, a faulty water heater, holes in the ceiling/walls, and an old stove that doesn't work. I am not able to afford these repairs as a direct result of the writ of attachment issued against my personal accounts. Oh, I thought the son was a plumber. Not licensed, but can't he practice on the house? And canned chicken doesn't need to be heated.

• That I am unable to pay my medical insurance or buy prescription medications. Once my current medication supply runs out, I will not be able to pay for the refills. I seem to remember an old post where Kimmer was bragging that she lost all her weight when NOT taking her thyroid medication.

• That it is critical that I be able to pay for doctor's office visits and laboratory tests since my diabetes is newly diagnosed and not stabilized. My doctor indicate that I likely will be required to start insulin therapy as well. Isn't Kimkins perfect for diabetics, and they can go off medications? Or, was that false advertisement too?

• That the cash deposits in the Kimkins PayPal account utilized to operate the Kimkins business and services were frozen without warning or notice. This has seriously interfered with our daily business operations and forced substantial staff downsizing which has further impacted our level of service to customers. I seriously doubt that anyone is missing Tippy Toes and "Dr" Mark.
  

• That the current Kimkins credit card processing company charges a 14.5% fee which is 500% higher than the previous 2.9% PayPal fee. This has required a price increase which is a hardship for lower income prospective members. Hardship for prospective members? Shouldn't it say loss of revenue for kimkins and Heidi Diaz?
  

• That certain funds were either held or transferred into the Kimkins PayPal account and specifically earmarked for member refunds. Those funds have been frozen and as a result, have seriously impacted the ability of Kimkins to provide prompt refunds when requested. Our usual business practice has allowed for instant refunds via PayPal in the past.Refunds? What refunds? I requested one and was promptly ignored. Not even denied, just ignored.
  

• That planned advertising for the important January weight loss season could not go forward due to the lack of available funds and this missed earning opportunity cannot be recovered. What were they supposed to advertise? Kimmer's lack of weight loss? I think that they were no longer able to use fake success stories to advertise Kimkins was really what made a new advertisement campaign useless.

Kimorexia has more on what Heidi Diaz did with the money she received from defrauding unsuspecting people wanting to lose weight: Boo Hoo.

Kimkins Diet Dangers

Recent posts by fellow blogger Medusa report on alarming starvation by dieters at Kimkins, cheered on by the obese diet founder herself, Kimmer.

Kimkins advertises

"Want to lose 100 pounds? How about in 5 months? Yes, it’s possible, and it doesn’t involve surgery, diet pills or throwing up after every meal. It’s called Kimkins.

The Kimkins diet was developed by a woman who goes by the online handle, Kimmer. She lost 198 pounds in less than a year, cutting down her weight from 318 pounds by around 200%."

We now know that the last statement is a LIE. Kimmer never lost weight and while she recently has started to diet, she does not have by far the fast weight loss promised by the advertisement so that is a LIE also, at least when it comes to herself.

Even if it were possible to lose 100 pounds in 5 months, is it wise to even attempt it? I came across this article that makes a lot of sense to me:

The Myth of Fast Weight Loss by Arina Nikitina

You will be surprised to find out how many people are actually looking for a fast weight loss program. Why fast? Well, first of all, most of us are impatient. We live hectic lives. We want results now, we want to notice the change right away, and we don't want to work hard to achieve those results.

Most people eat what they want all year round, prefer TV over exercising and dream about how next week (or month/year) they are going to start a healthy lifestyle. Suddenly one day they realize that it is just 2 weeks left before they have to go to a Christmas party or that summer is coming up and they want to look good in the new bikini. Usually around this time I get hundreds of emails - all of them pretty much the same "I have this event coming up in two weeks. I need to lose about 10-15 pounds. What is the fastest way to do it?"

Of course TV and Internet is full of commercials that promise you to lose 20 pounds in two weeks. They even show you tons of pictures of fit, smiling people with perfect bodies. Just pop a magic pill 3 times a day and you will turn into a supermodel right away. Sounds good, right?

I hate to disappoint you but this is just another scam created to get your money. There is no such thing as fast weight loss. I'm sure I'll get some infuriated replies like "That can't be true! My friend Maggie lost 16 pounds in two weeks doing Low carb diet!" Well you are in for another disappointment. Your friend didn't lose any fat. She lost water and muscle.

Human body is a well coordinated working mechanism. It has no idea that you've decided to fit in a size 8 dress and doing some new fad diet. It thinks you are starving. It’s too concerned about survival to allow us losing weight fast. Instead your metabolism slows down to conserve the energy. As soon as you'll start eating normal food you'll gain all of your weight back and some extra pounds in addition to that.

To make it simple fast weight loss is always followed by fast weight gain. No exceptions. In addition to that when you lose weight too fast, your skin does not have enough time to shrink, it will become loose.

The right amount of weight that the average person can lose in one week by eating correctly and doing exercises is around 2-3 pounds. That is a healthy, safe, effective amount to lose. Only that way you can get long lasting results. I know it is not as fast as many people would like to lose weight, but think about it how long did it take you to gain weight? I bet you $1000 dollars you didn't gain 20 pounds in two weeks. It is only logical, that your body will not allow you to lose 20 pounds in two weeks. Sorry!

I'm trying to save your money here, so repeat after me "There is no machine, no special diet, no special workout program, no special pill or special patch that will help me to lose weight fast and healthy at the same time". Repeat it to yourself every time you have an urge to buy some "quick fix" no matter how appealing it sounds.

Remember people who have created these commercials are professionals who know what you would like to hear. Don't let them fool you. Just try to eat right and work out. Be consistent. Make one little step at a time and you'll be surprised how far you can actually go.

Copyright 2005 Arina Nikitina

(Bolding mine.)

Kimkins Diet Scam

Contact the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission - Offices and Bureaus
The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel®, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies worldwide

Internet Crime Complaint Center
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
The IC3 is co-sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C)

IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international level, IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes.

Contact your states Attorney General
FindLaw: State Resources: Attorneys General

National Association of Attorney General's Computer Crime Point of Contact List
(all state-related cyber questions)


National Consumers League’s Fraud Center
Use this form to report suspected telemarketing or Internet fraud.
Online Fraud Report Form

Epinions.com
People search here for opinions on various things. So leave yours relating to Kimkins.
Become an Epinions member and publish your review.

Complaints.com Consumers in Control
Online compliant form

Complaints Board.com
Submit a Complaint

Troubleshooter.com
The Internet home of consumer advocate Tom Martino
Submit a compliant
Call the HelpCenter
1-866-966-HELP (4357)

ConsumerAffairs.com
To report any type of consumer fraud or scams
Complaint Form

Flippy Tippy Changes Diets - Again

While still giving credit to Kimkins for her weight loss, Tippy is presently following Eat Fat Get Thin (EFGT). Tippy has tried this plan before in her weight loss journey but quickly gave up on it that time. Other plans Tippy has tried include Atkins, fat fast, a rotation diet, South Beach, CTF (cut the fat), cycling and possibly a few more. She also had a Magic Chicken soup. Could this be part of the Magic Chicken Diet?

The only constant about Tippy seems that she is constantly changing diets. Now, being at or close to goal, you would think she would have developed a WOE (way of eating) that is sustainable long term instead of jumping on one diet after another. What type of message is this giving to the girls that are following her advice on Tippy's new board? Is she recommending that they switch diets on a weekly basis also?

Supposedly, the switch from the Kimkins-like CTF (Cut the Fat) diet Tippy has been following came after a guest post by Barry Groves (the author of Eat Fat Get Thin) and a subsequent lecturing by Jimmy Moore. Jimmy, and some other posters at the Camp, pointed out the need for fat in a low diet and suggested that CTF should not be promoted. Tippy apparently took the advice to heart and quickly declared that she is now following EFGT and that the CTF diet has been moved to a subsection under "Stillmans."

Why pay when there are FREE diet support sites

I have been thinking about how a site that requires a "registration fee" or a "lifetime membership fee" would get people signing up for their "service." Obviously they need to offer something that the FREE sites do not have. As they don't, I have to assume that the only customers they get are people that do not know about the FREE sites.

Looking at Kimkins, the Magic Chicken Diet, and now lately The Camp Fire, the website recently launched by the latest Kimkins defector, Tippy Toes, I have not found anything there that is not provided by FREE sites such as LCF and ALC.

Kimkins and the Magic Chicken Diet sites seem similar and claim to offer:

Kimkins ($79.95):

• Kimkins Diet
• Food Lists
• Sample Menus
• Recipe Library
• Online Personal Journal

Magic Chicken Diet ($69.95)

• Lifetime Membership
• Magic Chicken Diet Plan
• Support from Bonnie & Members
• Forums Q & A
• Personal Diet Blogger
• Sample Menus / Recipes
• Grocery Shopping List
• Access to Clothes Swap
• No Monthly Fees

The latest of the three, Camp Carbaway or the Camp Fire ($19.95) offers:
"What makes Camp Carbaway special? For one, it is owned and operated by people who are successfully losing or maintaining their weight. We are not one of the free larger low-carb boards which means you get more personal attention. We will not sell you any food products because we know some will cause you to stall out and NOT lose your weight. We do not allow our members to be harassed or belittled in any way, even if they stumble a bit while learning. We support the BEST low-carb plans available such as Atkins, Southbeach, Stillman's and more. You are not asked to stick with only one diet plan though -- you have options! We also have recipes for meal planning."

What of these things are not found on the FREE sites, ALC and LCF? I can not see ONE thing!

The Kimkins diet is outlined in detail on LCF and there are knowledgeable members there that can help you to modify it or transition into a sensible diet that will not risk you health.

The Magic Chicken Diet is found at Kimkins Exhausted, in case someone would be interested in eating chicken strips for breakfast, canned chicken for lunch and some more chicken for dinner.

The guidelines for low carb plans listed by The Camp Fire are all covered extensively on both LCF and ALC, plus there are many challenge groups and advice from people that are using the plans, all provided FREE. And the FREE sites offer FREE lifetime membership and registration as long as you refrain from harassing other members.

Save your money, join one of the FREE sites and enjoy your weight loss journey with FREE advice and FREE support from the many knowledgeable members on these sites.

$79.95 to starve at Kimkins in 2008

The membership fee just increased. Making up for less people signing up? Copying the Magic Chicken Diet price? One starvation diet is just as good as another, right?

Remember, there are many, many FREE sites that offer better support and better diets than Kimkins!

Try Active Lowcarber Forum (ALC) or Low Carb Friends (LCF). Both offer FREE support for any low carb (and many non-low carb) diets.

Tippy denies supporting Kimmer, but still thinks Kimkins is great

In a post on her Camp Site today (copied to LCF) Pocahontas aka Tippy Toes aka Jeannie Baitinger denied that she was still supporting Kimmer, stating that she left Kimkins to avoid being dragged into a law suit. Obviously, Kimmer's fraudulent marketing and unethical business methods with bannings were of no concern to Tippy.

She also goes on to endorse the Kimkins Diet in her post, and that she believes that Kimmer did not write that comment.

Tippy also says "I do believe in freedom of plan choice and I will never bully or harass anyone for their plan of choice." The comment she left on my blog a few weeks ago suggests differently. I do hope, for her sake, that she treats her new Camp members in a less "bullying" fashion.


Medusa has an insightful post with both Kimmers comment and Tippys response:

THE TURN OF THE SCREW...

Tippy still supporting Kimkins

Diets in Review said:

I wanted to share this Kimkins follow-up with what looks like Kimmer herself. Back in October, Diets In Review shared with you the disappointing news that many Kimkins customers feel that the Kimkins program is fraudulent. Their PR manager, Jeannie Baitinger, responded to Diets In Review and we shared that post with you here.

It appears that in early December, Jeannie left Kimkins. This morning we received a response from Kimmer explaining the departure.

Please be advised that Jeannie continues to follow and support the Kimkins Plan today.

She simply left Kimkins in order to help spread the word via her own Kimkins-based website. She has my blessing and full support for her Kimkins CTF Diet.

Jeannie is still a very strong Kimkins supporter, and she remains my right hand here at Kimkins. Kimkins would not be the success it is today without all the hard work and support that Jeannie has given me and continues to give me on a daily basis.

If your life has been benefitted by the Kimkins Diet, you owe a great debt to Jeannie and all her hard work.

I couldn’t have achieved all that I have achieved without the monumental contributions made by Jeannie.

She is a fine testament of the proof that the Kimkins Diet is working miracles for thousand of obese men and woman every day. - Kimmer Jan 1st, 2008 at 6:21 pm