2 More Weeks of Magic Chicken

Domain Name: MAGICCHICKENDIET.COM
Created on: 02-May-07
Expires on: 02-May-08

The Magic Chicken Diet that was made as a clone of Kimkins (both the web site and the diet itself) might be gone in a couple of weeks if the domain is not renewed. We have already seen a number of former pro-Kimkins sites being put up for auction. Will this one be next?

I still can not understand what purpose this site is supposed to have. Bonnie can certainly not make any money from it.

There seem to be no paying members. She can not expect to get any paying members either as she now had disabled the registration process for her forum.

Bonnie herself hasn't been on the site for more than two weeks. Her last visit was when the ducks flocked in via the open access directly into the forum. Bonnie was upset with the "freeloaders" and banned a few of them. However, she couldn't even do this right. She banned their IP but not the User. The link is still open unless you try to access it from a banned IP.

There was an attempt in early January to add another success story, and pictures were taken as is evident from Bonnie's MySpace album. But the pictures never made it up on the website. They don't seem to be able to do it themselves and apparently are not paying anybody to handle the site for them. Even existing pictures of Bonnie are now gone from the site.

Was this venture just done on a whim by a husband that was proud that his wife had lost weight and wanted to show her off to the world? And then none of them had the interest or the energy to make it into a real business?

If so, my guess it that the domain will not be renewed. In my opinion, that is a good thing. As real as Bonnie's weight loss success seems to be, we don't need another starvation diet like Kimkins sold on the internet.

Kimkins Facing Criminal Charges Next?

The Sam Redman character recently visited LCF to lecture us on why the Class Action Lawsuit against Kimmer is without merit. Among a lot of other verbiage, he said in a post:

"There must have been an intent to deceive. But, it could be well argued that she used the creative photos and testimonials... not to deceive, but to convey the truth.

If her "intent" (a very important distinction) was instead of misrepresenting the benefits of her program, but instead to provide prospective dieters with a true picture of the results that such a program can accomplish then there was no "intent to deceive.".

Here we are really talking about what was in Heidi's mind... did she believe that what she was offering was honestly a way that enabled a good weight loss program?

Her historical postings show that she really was a "believer" in what she was describing and because of that ingenuousness, then the legal concept of "scienter" comes in to play.

It's a legal distinction called "guilty knowledge," which often has to be proven convincingly before a judgement (or conviction) can be obtained. I think this is where Diaz is on very strong footing legally."

Sam Redman might be surprised. Anipomini provided a link today to a very similar case where criminal charges for fraud were filed:

Deputies raid Lakeland home

This case involved the sales of products rather than "lifetime memberships" but otherwise they are eerily similar.

Kimkins Scam on Headline News

INSIDER EXCLUSIVE

An abbreviated version is available on YouTube

Magicsmom did a fantastic job of representing the plaintiffs in the Class Action Lawsuit against Kimkins.

Magicsmom was an early member of Kimkins, did try the diet (which backfired on her like it does for many, many people) and has been banned for no reason. She was a very good representative for the complaints we have against Heidi Diaz.

Magicsmom is telling her story from the taping on Magicsmom's Musings

And as always, our wonderful Grilled Cheese with Pickles has provided a transcript for those that are unable to watch the video.

Internet Trolls

Wikipedia:
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial and usually irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, with the intention of baiting other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

Heidi Diaz, aka Kimmer of Kimkins, is causing a lot of turbulence in the online lowcarb community. Is Kimmer a troll herself? For sure she has appeared as a troll under different names on LCF on numerous occasions. Even on Kimkins, as we well remember Wonderwoman and Melt's rants.

Wikipedia:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.

The Ducks on the Fascination with Kimmer thread are repeatedly accused of being unwelcoming to newbies and labeling any not previously known person as a troll. Prudentia calls it Friendly Fire.

So why would the Ducks react this way? It is all Heidi's doing! Kimmer is to blame!

MissMerize said:
I have come across other people getting scammed on the web, but the difference was that it was just a financial scamming. When a thing affects your physical and mental health I think it is in a whole other category. Heidi came in like an odorless poisonous gas. She used pictures and words to describe herself as a breath of fresh air. It wasn't until we all inhaled it for a while that we got sick. We were lured into a false sense of security. We appeared to be getting healthier at first and that led us to inhale more and more of the noxious fumes. Fumes like these can change the brain chemistry.

Most of us that have been touched by Kimmer's scam, whether we did the Kimkins Diet or not, have gotten a rude awakening with regards to trusting internet posters on bulletin boards. It was so easy for Kimmer to convince us that she was who she pretended to be. Hardly anybody questioned her as a person, or questioned her success as a dieter during the 6 years she posted on LCF. Why would we? There didn't seem to be any reason for her to be dishonest. Now, we know better. Heidi is a Lying Liar that Lies.

Wikipedia:
A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations.


Is it strange then that the hackles come up when a new poster appears on the scene? Especially if this poster has an opposing opinion or is using confusing language? How would we know that it's not a troll? While the common advice is "do not feed the troll" I personally think this is necessary in order to find out if it's a troll or not.

And one final quote from Wikipedia:
Godwin's Law: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

Hmm. Didn't Tippy Toes refer to the Ducks as "terrorists"?

Maintaining Weight Loss

Any VLDC (Very Low Calorie Diet) such as Kimkins will cause you to lose weight. How could it not? Eating 500, or even 800, calories per day has to result in weight loss. Your body is burning calories whether they come from food or your stored fat/muscle.

If you start at a high weight, the first week's losses is probably going to be astounding; perhaps 10 pounds. But that is common for any low carb diet, Atkins for example, and is mostly water from the body depleting its glycogen stores and the water tied to them. Nevertheless, it's thrilling to see the scale go down so quickly, and seeing the big losses becomes addictive. You are not too hungry either, at least not in the beginning, due to ketosis.

The fast weight loss is very motivating for continuing the starvation diet, despite feeling tired, nauseous, dizziness, dry skin, hair loss, menstrual changes and other issues that are soon showing up. As Kimmer herself has said, you have to take a "hit" during the weight loss period as it, in her mind, is more dangerous to stay fat. (I do wonder why she never thought that was valid for herself, but that is a different post all together.)

When serious hunger start to develop, typically around week 5-6, you are already addicted to seeing a daily loss, so you forge ahead, ignoring that the body is demanding nutrition.

Many people drop out, giving in to the body's demands for FOOD, and end up feeling like a failure (see their stories at Kimkins Survivors). Others manage to "ride it out" by filling their stomach with no, or low, calorie foods such as diet soda, broth or egg whites. It will not stave off the hunger, but at least fills the stomach for a while.

A few of the Kimkins dieters manage to stay with the diet all the way to GOAL! Their body might not look exactly as they had envisioned, especially if they followed Kimmer's advice not to exercise during the weight loss period. But hey, they are SKINNY.

So what now? WHAT NOW? How and what will you eat to stay at goal, to stay slim?

Maintenance. Hmm, there is no maintenance plan. Kimmer said, when asked by Jimmy Moore:

Jimmy: One of the questions, Kimmer, that I’m getting from a lot of people is, alright Jimmy you’re doing this, and you’re doing your own little tweaks with it as everybody should (K: Mmm hmm.), what are you gonna do once you lose the weight, for long-term weight maintenance? And that’s a question they wanna hear, how do you transition from Kimkins the weight loss plan to Kimkins the maintenance plan?

K: ‘K, well in the simplest sense, you can transition to any lowcarb plan, if that’s easier for you. (J: Yeah.) My struggle with coming up with a maintenance plan is coming up with something that is super simple. What I have found from studying the website is that even the Kimkins diet, which I think is ultra-simple, that people still have problems deciphering what the rules are, and interpreting what they should do in, in different situations. I’m working with different people now, that we can come up with something, and it’s something that you could write on the back of your hand and you would know always, how to maintain your weight, without — I can’t even follow Dr. Atkins’ plan of 5-carb increments, because there’s 5 carbs in a serving of asparagus, and there’s 5 carbs in a half a cup of cream cheese. The calories are wildly different, weight maintenance will be wildly different. (J: Yeah.) So it’s, it’s in progress.

There is still no maintenance plan posted on Kimkins. Of course, we now know that Kimmer never needed one herself as she has never lost weight and didn't have to bother about maintenance.

There was a maintenance plan in the works, by Christin, before she left Kimkins. (Her thread has since been removed.) It's been almost a year since the Women's World cover girl, Christin, reached goal. So where is she today?
This is what she said yesterday on her blog post My Confession:
It is time for me to share something with you. I am coming clean about the excruciating difficulty that I have had in maintaining my weight loss that I obtained utilizing a Very Low Calorie Diet such as Kimkins. The road has been far from an easy transition. We think when we are on the road to losing weight that once we attain our goal that life will somehow magically get easier.

And the other Women's World cover girl, Deni, said this on December 19th:
I have not maintained well since Kimkins. I am up almost 20 pounds from my low and struggling daily to get some of them off. I instantly gained the 5.. and have slowly yo-yo'd the other 15 pounds ever since.
I have been open about this in my journal and in my challenge thread.

And, finally, the staunch Kimkins supporter, Tippy Toes, that went on the Mike&Juliet show to promote Kimkins said yesterday:
I don't know what I am doing anymore. My weight seems to have decided to be 153 as a new set point. 5 lbs over where it once was.
I mentioned in my journal (I think) that according to my calender I did maintain 147 for 3 months. But in taking a second look, I realized this was the 3 months I worked for Kimkins. I maintained at 147 BUT I was buckling down like crazy doing various K plans trying to reach 145 which never happened.
So, if all that did was maintain me at 147, well, that's not good as I don't want Kimkins to ever be THE maintenance plan!
Shocked.
Am wondering if this is my natural, true weight. I will continue with clean eating and see what the sunday weigh in (which I will record) will bring.
I know I could probably lose it again, either doing a short K round, Stillman's or perhaps just limiting calories to 1000 a day. But, if I cannot easily maintain it why bother? lol
I just don't know what to do, or for that matter, if I need to do anything at all. I guess it's that 5lb span that has me so worried as now I have NO SPAN left. Course I could change it. Maybe my body is OK and my head is the problem. I just don't know.

And I reported recently that another "successful" Kimkins dieter, Gary, is maintaining since 3 months on 800 calories. He is a 230lbs, 6'3" man!

When you reach your goal weight on a VLDC calorie diet, you will have problems finding a maintenance level. Eating like a "normal" person? Not a chance! Any increase of calories will inevitably end up in a weight gain. Are you prepared to continue on a starvation diet for the rest of your life, just to stay slim?

If you have fallen into the Kimkins trap, please read this thread on LCF: Repairing your metabolism.
"The good news is that any damage you did by messing around with your metabolism can be corrected with exercise and the Atkins lifestyle. How long it takes e will depend on how far down the path you have traveled, and for how long. Just know it can and has been done successfully by all of us. "

There is hope, but unfortunately it's not an easy process to get back to healthy eating, or healthy weight loss, after having followed Kimkins.

Do yourself a favor and chose a diet like Atkins. You can lose weight just as fast on Atkins as on Kimkins without deprivation and gradually ease into maintenance that you can stay on for life.

From Repairing your metabolism:
Reaching your goal weight is not—or should not be—about dieting. It's about changing your body, and your mind-set, permanently and for the better. It is—or should be—actually just the opposite of the start-and-stop process that most people consider a diet. I tell my patients that they should plan not just on losing weight, but also on restoring energy and feeling their physical best. All they have to do is exercise regularly, start an intelligent nutritional supplementation plan and eat the healthiest foods imaginable. Sound like a lot? Hardly. In fact, it sounds like a cinch.

Kimkins Food

Apparently, even Kimmer thought this Kimkins K/E meal I showed the other day looked miserable. But at least it was MY photo and cooked according to K/E rules with the suggested serving size of 4 oz (raw weight!).



This is what Kimmer said on Kimkins blog today, answering a question whether to do K/E or regular Kimkins:

I prefer original Kimkins because I love veggies and the variety that it gives for low carb cooking. Imagine a plain chicken breast that you plan to grill. OK, but how many can you eat day after day? What about this instead:

• 1 chicken breast
  

or

• chicken + peppers & onions = fajitas

And in standard Kimmer fashion, the photo is taken from a regular recipe found on the web. (Edited: The original picture is found here.)
Looks good, doesn't it? With tortillas and sauces on the side. And plenty of chicken and veggies.



Spending a few minutes in Photoshop, adapting this recipe to Kimkins Diet guidelines results in this picture:


Doesn't look that good anymore, does it? And I still have been generous as this is probably more than 4 oz of chicken and the 1 cup veggies allowed.


Fitday for this meal gives: 136 calories, 2 grams fat, 12 grams carbs, 18 grams protein

VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diets)

While all Kimkins Diet Plans are Very Low Calorie, the Shake Plan is the only one that has a given calorie limit. (The other Plans have suggested serving sizes, which automatically makes them low calorie, as shown here: Kimkins Diet Plans.)

It is based on 0 - 4 shakes, max 200 cals/4 carbs each. EAS (100 cals/ea) is the most recommended brand. While the shakes, according to the nutrition information, have added vitamins and minerals, they are clearly labeled "Not intended for meal replacements". Somehow, this fact is never mentioned on kimkins.

From Weight-control Information Network (emphasis mine):

What is a very low-calorie diet?

A very low-calorie diet (VLCD) is a doctor-supervised diet that typically uses commercially prepared formulas to promote rapid weight loss in patients who are obese. These formulas, usually liquid shakes or bars, replace all food intake for several weeks or months. VLCD formulas need to contain appropriate levels of vitamins and micronutrients to ensure that patients meet their nutritional requirements. Some physicians also prescribe very low-calorie diets made up almost entirely of lean protein foods, such as fish and chicken. People on a VLCD consume about 800 calories per day or less.

VLCD formulas are not the same as the meal replacements you can find at grocery stores or pharmacies, which are meant to subsitute for one or two meals a day. Over-the-counter meal replacements such as bars, entrees, or shakes should account for only part of one’s daily calories.

When used under proper medical supervision, VLCDs may produce significant short-term weight loss in patients who are moderately to extremely obese. VLCDs should be part of comprehensive weight-loss treatment programs that include behavioral therapy, nutrition counseling, physical activity, and/or drug treatment.

Who should use a VLCD?

VLCDs are designed to produce rapid weight loss at the start of a weight-loss program in patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 and significant comorbidities. BMI correlates significantly with total body fat content. It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplied by 703.

Use of VLCDs in patients with a BMI of 27 to 30 should be reserved for those who have medical conditions due to overweight, such as high blood pressure. These diets are not appropriate for children or adolescents, except in specialized treatment programs.

Very little information exists regarding the use of VLCDs in older people. Because people over age 50 already experience depletion of lean body mass, use of a VLCD may not be warranted. Also, people over 50 may not tolerate the side effects associated with VLCDs because of preexisting medical conditions or the need for other medicines. Doctors must evaluate on a case-by-case basis the potential risks and benefits of rapid weight loss in older adults, as well as in patients who have significant medical problems or are on medications.

Health Benefits of a VLCD

A VLCD may allow a patient who is moderately to extremely obese to lose about 3 to 5 pounds per week, for an average total weight loss of 44 pounds over 12 weeks. Such a weight loss can rapidly improve obesity-related medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

The rapid weight loss experienced by most people on a VLCD can be very motivating. Patients who participate in a VLCD program that includes lifestyle treatment typically lose about 15 to 25 percent of their initial weight during the first 3 to 6 months. They may maintain a 5-percent weight loss after 4 years if they adopt a healthy eating plan and physical activity habits.

Adverse Effects of a VLCD

Many patients on a VLCD for 4 to 16 weeks report minor side effects such as fatigue, constipation, nausea, or diarrhea. These conditions usually improve within a few weeks and rarely prevent patients from completing the program. The most common serious side effect is gallstone formation. Gallstones, which often develop in people who are obese, especially women, are even more common during rapid weight loss. Research indicates that rapid weight loss may increase cholesterol levels in the gallbladder and decrease its ability to contract and expel bile. Some medicines can prevent gallstone formation during rapid weight loss. Your health care provider can determine if these medicines are appropriate for you.

Maintaining Weight Loss

Studies show that the long-term results of VLCDs vary widely, but weight regain is common. Combining a VLCD with behavior therapy, physical activity, and active follow-up treatment may help increase weight loss and prevent weight regain.

In addition, VLCDs may be no more effective than less severe dietary restrictions in the long run. Studies have shown that following a diet of approximately 800 to 1,000 calories produces weight loss similar to that seen with VLCDs. This is probably due to participants’ better compliance with a less restrictive diet.

For most people who are obese, obesity is a long-term condition that requires a lifetime of attention even after formal weight-loss treatment ends. Therefore, health care providers should encourage patients who are obese to commit to permanent changes of healthier eating, regular physical activity, and an improved outlook about food.

Why not avoid yo-yo crash dieting and just do Atkins from the start?

The Gravy Diet

Kimkins has a new competitor on the internet: The Gravy Diet!

How the Gravy Diet works:

While mainstream medical science kept telling people to lose weight by changing their diets and exercising more often, Dr. Morgan kept working towards his dream of providing people with a quickfix diet that would allow people to lose massive amounts of weight quickly, and without exercising.

Soon the Gravy Diet was born.

But how does it work?

Think of gravy as a lubricant -it makes things stick less- and when you eat nothing but gravy, your body loses its "grip" on your stored fats and incoming calories, making them easier to burn and eliminate.

The Gravy Diet works with your body naturally, causing a state Gravy Diet researchers call "diatosis". Diatosis increases your metabolism, while at the same time reduces your absorbsion of incoming calories. Diatosis helps the body eliminate fat-building carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from your diet, causing quick and certain weight loss.

The key to the Gravy Diet is fine tuning your DVI, or Diatosis Volume Index. You'll want to keep your DVI at approximately 1 liter per 10 kilograms of body weight.

Gravy Diet Success Stories:

I've been on diets all my life, and finally I discovered that diets just don't work. Then I read Dr Morgan's book, and I'm a diet believer again! I've lost over 45 pounds!
-John Henderson, Missouri

After years of trying fad diets that promised I could eat all I wanted, not exercise, and still lose weight, I tried the Gravy Diet! Now I can eat all the gravy I want and still lose weight! This is great! I've lost over 75 pounds!
-Mary Manski, North Dakota

By following Dr. Morgan's wonderful diet, I was able to lose well over 200 pounds in just a few weeks. I'm a doctor, and I recomend Dr. Morgan's Gravy Diet to all my patients.
-Dr. Robert Morgan, Texas

I lost a grand total of 2,358 pounds on the Gravy Diet. If I can do it, anybody can.
-Li Mei Choi, Fuzhou, China

Common myths about the Gravy Diet:

Myth #1: The Gravy Diet doesn't work.

It has been conclusively proven that eating nothing but gravy causes a person to lose weight.

Myth #2: The Gravy Diet isn't healthy.

Proponents of this myth haven't been keeping up with recent scientific research which shows that the Gravy Diet is extremely healthy if health is measured by weight loss alone.

Myth #3: The Gravy Diet isn't nutritious.

Nonsense. Properly prepared, gravy contains all the nutrition a person needs. In rare cases nutritional supplements are needed to replenish those nutrients lost to diarrhea, but usually only about 80-99% of those on the Gravy Diet find this necessary.

Myth #4: Constant diarrhea (diatosis) is not good for people.

This is the most common myth. While proponents of this myth will point to numerous anecdotal hospital reports of patients "suffering" from diarrhea, there is no hard scientific link between unhealthy people, diarrhea, and the Gravy Diet.

Myth #5: The same effects can be had by taking simple laxatives.

Nothing could be further from the truth! While it's true that some people have lost weight by inducing diarrhea with laxatives, and that laxatives are sometimes a necessary part of the beginning phases of the Gravy Diet, research has shown that gravy-induced diarrhea is up to 7 times more effective than laxatives alone.

Myth #6: Gravy Dieters just blindly follow Dr. Morgan and worship him as a god.

Many people think Dr Morgan is treated more like a cult leader than a doctor giving medical advice, and many Gravy Dieters are accused of "hero worship". But is this really true? Dr Morgan says it is not, and that He had predicted that His followers would be persecuted by the non-believers.

Myth #7: The world's healthiest, longest lived, and least overweight cultures eat very little gravy.

They just think they're healthy. And what good is living a long time if you're not eating gravy?

The Gravy Train:

As the body of medical evidence supporting the Gravy Diet increases, more and more doctors and scientists "get on the gravy train" and support the gravy diet. Here is a sampling of quotes and excerpts from recent scientific studies on the Gravy Diet.

"The Gravy Diet is Gravylicious."
--Dr. Robert Morgan.

"... gravy ... can be ... an effective tool ... for ... weight loss ..."
--Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Well, yes, if you measure health by weight loss alone then a diet consisting of nothing but gravy and laxatives is 'healthy', but I..."
--US Surgeon General.

"...the patient lost a considerable amount of weight due to constant diarrhea..."
--Mayo Clinic hospital records.

"I really want the Gravy Diet to be true."
--Editor of Gravy Monthly Magazine.

"Diatosis is good."
--Gravy Science.

How does one start Dr. Morgan's Revolutionary Gravy Diet? Just follow this simple four phase plan:

Induction

Buy Dr. Morgan's book "Dr. Morgan's Gravy Diet Revolution".

If starting the Gravy Diet doesn't initiate diatosis naturally, use the proper amount of Dr. Morgan's Laxative Powder.

Weight Loss

If you haven't done so already, buy Dr. Morgan's book "Dr. Morgan's Gravy Diet Revolution".

Once you start shedding those pounds, have fun with your gravy. Try adding different spices.

Begin taking Dr Morgan's SuperGravy Multi-vitamin.

Maintenance

Buy the damn book already.

Once you've reached you target weight, it's important to stick with the diet forever. If you stray too far from a strict gravy diet, the weight will come back almost instantly. Most people have problems with this phase because they find that not being able to ever have candy, bread, rice, pasta, carrots, peanuts, apples, bananas, meats, and fish again a little depressing.

Don't cheat, the effects of the Gravy Diet are eliminated by having a biscuit with your gravy!

Avoid Dying/Spend Money

Taking Dr Morgan's SuperGravy Multi-vitamins can help avoid scurvy and death.

Buy new Gravy Diet books and products.

Remember that Dr. Morgan died for your sins, so pay us money.

Kimkins Diet Plans

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

This is the food for one entire day!

Calories: 594

Fat: 26 grams
Carbs: 16 grams
Protein: 74 grams

And split into individual meals:

KIMMER EXPERIMENT (K/E)
K/E is used to reach ketosis quickly or as a jumpstart for other Kimkins Options

As much lean protein as desired from the Kimkins Food List (but remember that serving size is 4 oz, cut to 3 if weight loss is slow!)
Minimal low-carb condiments and spices may be used sparingly
No alcohol, no cheese, no fatty meats, no fats, no veggies
Your appetite will drop naturally after 3-5 days
Take a complete multivitamin each day plus other desired supplements
You may remain on K/E as long as desired


Breakfast, lunch and dinner on one plate:

Total calories for a whole day: 376
(Breakfast is one egg, two egg whites as recommended in the food plans)

Kimkins Diet Blogs

Many wonder why we bloggers keep on writing about Kimkins, and some call us "haters" and claim that we "don't have a life". For me, the answer is easy. Read Kimkins Survivors

As long as kimkins.com is still up and running, I will keep on blogging about it. I have hope that it will not be too long before we see a "404" when clicking on kimkins.com and at that time I will happily consider in what direction to take this blog. However, my anti-kimkins posts will remain as information for new dieters that have not followed the story.

A bulletin board I came across yesterday showed me the difference blogs are making. Remember that in June 2007, when the WW magazine came out, there was no anti-Kimkins blogs on the internet but plenty of pro-Kimkins articles.

The BB posts, starting on September 12:

Subject: Kimkins anyone?
Poster: Kimkins affiliate
DH and i just signed up today. We are going to start on Sunday. I realize it is extreme but we are all or nothing people and we need to make a major change. It was only $60 for a lifetime membership with no additional fees, ever. All foods can be purchased at any local market. It's dramatic but simple (and my doctor said it would be ok).

Has anyone else heard of or tried this plan?

Moderator:
No, but I'm intrigued!!
I did atkins years ago and lost 30 pounds in about 2 months. I stopped it and gained the weight RIGHT back but it wasn't because I incorporated carbs, it was because I incorporated the junk food back in.

This is low fat and lower calorie.....hum...interesting. I'm going to have to read more about this!

You just might have a buddy!!

Moderator 1/2 an hour later:
So I was REALLY intrigued so I've been googling Kimkins for the past couple of hours. I'm not finding good things about it. Sounds like a clever marketing ploy that uses fake before and after pictures.

http://www.slamboard.com/2007/06/30/kimkinscom-part-i-the-kimkinscom-business-partnership-case-study/

I'm still looking though. If I find more I will.
Sometimes I have to realize that if it sounds too good or too easy, it probably is.

Moderator 5 minutes later:
I found more...

http://kimkinsexposed2.wordpress.com/

I'm thinking this is most definitely a scam - here is another link...
http://www.3fatchicks.com/Diets/Diet...f_a_Diet_Scam/

OMG!! If you read the above link, this is the part that scares me the most =
Dangers of the Kimkins Diet
Many Kimkins followers have been complaining of serious side effects from the plan including hair loss, heart palpitations, fainting, confusion, and more. When approached about these problems, they claim Kimmer brushed them off, saying they were not the result of the plan and the member must be cheating. Go lower in calories and you'll be fine. In the published email exchange between Kimmer and one of her staff, Kimmer stated that she couldn't help it if the members were "too stupid" to go to a doctor.

The plan promotes pro-anorexia techniques to get followers to stick with the plan, such as laxative abuse. Kimmer recommends regular use of laxatives to her members. She attempts to justify this by pointing out that one of her members was prescribed laxatives by her doctor, so that must mean it's safe. Only that member and her doctor know what kind of problem she had that required a laxative, and if that laxative was to be used more than once. Regular use of laxatives is very dangerous, and could result dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and even laxative dependence.

If your teenage daughter decided to cut calories that drastically and take laxatives, how would you react? You'd worry she had an eating disorder, and you'd seek help for her before her health suffered. You love her, you're a good mother. Why would you treat yourself any differently?

And I keep finding more!!
Please get your money back - this is awful. All the links I am finding are attached to the above in someway.

Affiliate 3 hours later:
Thanks for the info. I admit I never searched it out online because it was recommended to me by a friend who has lost weight on the plan. I ran it past my doctor and she said it was like a healthier version of Adkins.

After reading your posts I scoured the site for anything "fishy" and all I see is the basics super low cal, super low fat, super low carb plan. Members post about constipation and ask for remedies that will not "stall" their weightless but I don't see anything at all that promotes laxative abuse or anorexia.

I’m going to have to give this some serious thought. While I want to lose weight, I don’t want to risk my health.

BTW- They are clear about no refunds when you sign up because once you do all of their trade "secrets" are online.

Moderator 2, the following day:
* Permanent weight loss is not about finding a quick fix diet, but making a commitment to life style changes that include nutrition and exercise
* Any weight loss program you choose must pass the “Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?” test,
* The weight loss program you choose should ultimately teach you how to eat and be self reliant so you can make informed long term choices about your nutrition.
* The weight loss program you choose should not leave you reliant on commercial bars, shakes, supplements, or pre-made foods, for your long term success.
* The weight loss program you choose must have an effective exercise component.
* The weight loss program you choose should attempt to help with motivation, goal setting, and support, but can’t be a replacement for psychological counseling if needed.

Affiliate, one day later:
Thank you for your thoughtful response. When I signed up I had no idea what the plan was about. I was going based upon a friends recommendation. I did ask my doctor about it but she must not be as informed as I had thought/hoped. I am so grateful that you are looking out for my lazy self.

I am committed to healthy weight loss. I can't get my money back but I wont be "doing" the plan.


This story had a happy ending thanks to a moderator that did the research and thanks to the anti-Kimkins bloggers that provided the information. Just imagine if this conversation had taken place just 3 months earlier. At that time, there were no anti-kimkins blogs and most likely a large number of dieters on this bulletin board would have jumped on the Kimkins wagon and later ended up as a page on the Kimkins Survivor blog.

Kimkins still a VLCD Diet

Despite recent efforts to try to "clean up" Kimkins.com, Kimmer is still pushing very low calories.

For the pinky swear challenge that started yesterday, February 1, Kimmer had promised to share some weight loss "secrets". She announced the first "secret" yesterday; eat like a post-op WLS patient!

This is what she said:
"I'll share a secret with you: the diet that gastric bypass and lapband patients follow after surgery is very Kimkins like. lsn't it better to do the diet and skip the surgery?
We've got quite a few tummy surgery members. It's not a fix-all and some people regain the weight because they find foods that are easy to eat after surgery (milkshakes, candy, mashed potatoes/gravy, Twinkies ... )
[That would be Kimmer, talking from her own experience. We believe that she did have WLS surgery years ago, lost some weight but then regained it all.]

It's always an option if you decide to go that way and there's nothing wrong with having it done if you and your doctor agree it's the way to go. How about surprising yourself and stick to Kimkins for a month and see for yourself? The Kimkins Shake Option is nearly identical to the post surgery liquid diet. And be sure to take a good quality multivitamin. I go with generic Centrum from Wal Mart (some ladies use prenatal)."

Kimmer is suggesting that Kimkins members do shakes only for a month! And where is the recommendation to see your doctor? VLCD's (very low calorie diets) should never be attempted without medical supervision.

The most frequently recommended shake on Kimkins is EAS Advantedge, Carb Control. Each shake provides 100 cals, 4 carbs. The maximum allowable number of shakes for Kimkins Shake Option is 4, i.e. a total of 400 cals per day!

Note also that all the "over-the-counter" shakes on the market clearly state that they are not intended as meal replacements, just for protein supplementation.

For an informational post about a REAL WLS diet, please see BamaGal's post at Diary of a Mad Housewife.

On a similar note, I received a report about the Admin sock puppet Gary. He listed his menu and made the comment that if he found that the calories were less than 800 when plugging them into Fitday, he would add a handful of nuts as a snack. This is a 200+ lbs, 6'3" man that is on maintenance since several months back! 800 cals? Is that what a Kimkins dieter has to look forward to in maintenance? Obviously.

Kimkins Pinky Swear

The new Kimkins challenge starts today, February 1. Does anybody really believe that Kimmer will keep a promise of not cheating during the month of February based on a pinky swear? This morbidly obese woman that has lied a million times about her weight to thousands of people during the last 8 years? What difference is a pinky swear going to make?

Pinky swear

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To pinky swear (in some regions referred to as the pinky promise) is when two people entwine their pinky fingers—and then kiss the back of their hands most commonly of the same respective hands—to signify that a promise has been made. The kiss is not necessary in all parts of America. Traditionally, the pinky swear is considered binding and tantamount to a handshake in terms of sealing a deal. The pinky swear originally indicated that the person who breaks the promise must cut off their pinky finger.

In modern times, pinky swearing is a more informal way of sealing a promise. It is most common among school-age children and close friends. The pinky swear signifies a promise that cannot be broken or counteracted by the crossing of fingers, the "I take it back" or any other trickery.

So how much weight will you lose by cutting of your pinky finger? Surely not more than an ounce or two. That doesn't help much with your weight loss stats, Kimmer.

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 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

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!

$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.

Kimkins Diet

Looking for a new diet? There are many, many offerings online and most of them ask you for money. Some have inventive names such as Kimkins, The Magic Chicken Diet, The Genie Diet, and the WeightLoss4Idiots diet to name a few. How do you know if they offer value for your money, or if they are just out to scam you?

There are a few clues:

1) Asking for a one time payment. After you have paid, you are useless to them. They have already gotten your money and have really no interest if what they sold is working for you or not. It's not like they care about you. They just want to make money, and they did.

2) Paying for a Lifetime membership. A "Lifetime" membership will only be valid as long as the website exists, OR until the webmaster decides to lock you out by banning you for any or no reason at all.

3) No information up front. That probably means that what they sell is not worth paying for, but you will not know until you have paid.

4) No money back guarantee. Even if they claim to have one, how are you going to get your money back? This is an online business and who knows who the owner is and how to contact them. At least for kimkins, there is now a class action lawsuit. Please join if you have been scammed by Heidi Diaz aka Kimmer.

5) Exaggerated claims such as "no faster weight loss, none," "no exercise," "better than WLS,", "100 pounds in 3 months." If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

6) A large number of success stories and testimonials. Pretty girls and professional photos. How do you know they are true? Do these people exist? Did they do this particular diet? There is no way to find out. It is so easy to do what Kimkins did; scour the internet and copy pictures at random.

7) The owner/founder hides under a fictional name and refuses to show herself in public. Did she even do the diet herself? What are her credentials? Are the photos really of her? The pictures Kimmer tried to pass off as herself were all proven to be fake. They don't even look like the same person! And even less like the person they were supposed to resemble, Heidi Diaz.