Winning Weight Loss

And Now, a Word from John Tiedt

2010-10-29T21:20:00.008-05:00

John Tiedt, attorney for the plaintiffs in the Kimkins case, issued a statement of findings, along with thanks, to all those whose efforts led to our victory.

To all Ducks

Today, October 29, 2010, Judge Rick Brown of the Riverside County Superior Court entered a verdict for the plaintiffs in a certified national class action lawsuit. The court entered a verdict against Heidi Diaz the owner of the diet website Kimkins.com for fraud and false advertising. The court awarded the class members restitution in the amount of $1,824,210.39. The court also awarded an additional $500,000 in punitive damages as well as attorney fees. The court then issued a temporary restraining order to freeze all of the assets of Ms. Diaz.

Most notably, the court also imposed an injunction requiring Heidi Diaz to post on all of her websites that: (1) she lied about her weight loss; (2) she lied about her after diet pictures; (3) she lied about testimonials on her website; and (4) she lied about the photographs used with the testimonials to promote the Kimkins website.

An injunction was also issued to prevent Heidi Diaz from contacting, harassing or cyberbullying the plaintiffs and the witnesses. A formal judgment will be entered before November 19, 2010.

The original complaint was filed over three years ago on October 15, 2007. I want to thank everyone who supported the class action lawsuit. The Ducks were wonderful. I met a lot of great people and made a lot of new friends fighting for a good cause. Heidi Diaz lied on her website and made the fatal mistake of lying in the courtroom. You cannot trust Heidi Diaz. I anticipate more legal (illegal) maneuvering by Heidi Diaz to evade the judgment. We will be prepared and I will be relentless. Again, I thank all you.

John E. Tiedt
TIEDT & HURD

Indeed, John, we know you WILL be relentless! You are our champion!

Note: 'Ducks' are those who worked together to find out the truth in the Kimkins matter, to pierce the "fake nice" facade and expose the many lies of Heidi Diaz, to dig up and document evidence against her, and to warn people through various online and media sources about the dangers of believing Diaz or following her dangerous advice.

The term derives from the name of an early anti-Kimkins blogger (or team of bloggers) who posted under the name "Just Ducky." As the Kimkins controversy grew, the "Just Ducky" blog became a locus to which various sources would feed undercover information for immediate and wide distribution. It also became a significant thorn in the side of Heidi Diaz, for it seemed she could scarcely whisper a lie or concoct a scheme in her most private lair which would not soon be shouted from the virtual housetops. As Diaz' animosity and paranoia about Ducky's secret identity grew, she began to suspect almost everyone of being Ducky. Before long, she was banning paid "lifetime" members on mere suspicions of being Ducky, consorting with Ducky, or being a Ducky sympathizer. Most famously, she banned a Kimkins member merely for using a stock yellow-rubber-ducky avatar supplied by the Kimkins site itself. In a show of solidarity, many people began using duck avatars and adopted the label proudly, and soon a whole culture developed around the inside joke.

The Ducks were a diverse group, not always unified and not always on the right track. Whatever else they might have been, though, one thing is certain --- the Ducks were determined! Heidi Diaz thought the Ducks would lose interest, give up, shut up, and move on. Wrong! Most Ducks quit quacking after a while, but, as Ms. Diaz has discovered, they were still busily paddling under the surface.

To all those who were manipulated and deceived, belittled and berated, used and abused, endangered and victimized, conned and defrauded by Heidi Diaz, this finding of the court and this expression of thanks from John Tiedt serve as a measure of vindication. Let honor be given where honor is due.

More Details

2010-10-29T18:23:00.002-05:00

Authorized short report from the scene by my friend Sandy:

The Court found in favor of the plaintiffs on all points.

We have a judgement based on fraud for $1.8 Million.

We have punitive damages for $500,000

We have injunctive relief, which includes she can not further lie to promote her diet. She can not use fake photos, success stories or testimonials to promote her diet.

While we won't see a court ordered 404 message we got something even better.

Heidi must put a notice on ANY website she starts for any purpose, diet or otherwise, that explains that she lied, used fake success stories and testimonials, that she mislead, that she used deceptive practices. She is going to have to post a notice that explains that low calorie diets can be dangerous, with a list of possible adverse side effects (the wording of the notice is to be worked out between the lawyers and the judge). There is NO expiration of these notices.

The Judge included a PERMANENT restraining order wherein Heidi (or any of her socks) are prohibited against contacting in ANY form with any/all class members, class plaintiffs, lawyers, their families, their staffs (which includes me, Laura) for the rest of our lives.

Oh, all of her assets have been frozen until the judgement is entered and served.

This may be appealed, of course, but today, WE WON!!!!!

Note: Sandy and Laura (also mentioned above) are two anti-Kimkins crusaders who got involved and ended up working officially with attorney John Tiedt in the preparation of this case.

ETA: Sandy has posted the statement here

VICTORY!!!!!

2010-10-29T14:25:00.002-05:00

The judge handed down the ruling in the Kimkins case class action lawsuit.

Justice prevails!

Details to follow.

Kimkins Class Action Official Legal Notice

2009-11-10T19:00:00.003-06:00

NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF CLASS ACTION

TO: EVERYONE WHO PURCHASED A MEMBERSHIP TO KIMKINS.COM THROUGH THE KIMKINS.COM WEB SITE (www.kimkins.com) FROM JANUARY 1, 2006 TO OCTOBER 15, 2007

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY. YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED BY A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT THAT IS CURRENTLY PENDING IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, IN RIVERSIDE, CALILFORNIA.

INTRODUCTION

1. On May 20, 2009, the Riverside County Superior Court, located in Riverside, California, issued an order certifying this case to proceed as a class action.

2. The plaintiffs are six individuals who bought memberships to kimkins.com through the kimkins.com Website (www.kimkins.com) from January 1, 2006 to October 15, 2007. The defendants are Heidi Diaz, an individual, and Kimkins (also known as Kimkins.com), a business entity that conducts business in Corona, California.

3. The plaintiffs contend that Diaz and Kimkins.com induced them into buying memberships for kimkins.com through false and misleading information provided on the Kimkins.com Web site. The plaintiffs contend that the defendants violated California Business & Professions Code § 17200, et seq., which authorizes courts to provide relief from unfair, unlawful, and fraudulent business practices. The plaintiffs also contend that Diaz and Kimkins.com violated common law prohibitions against fraud and negligent misrepresentation.

4. This notice provides you with information regarding the litigation, including the plaintiffs’ claims against the defendants and the current status of the litigation. This notice also provides you with information regarding the court’s class-certification order.

THE LITIGATION

The Plaintiffs’ Claims

5. This lawsuit is based on the plaintiffs’ claims that Diaz and Kimkins used unfair, unlawful, or fraudulent business practices to induce them into buying memberships to Kimkins.com. This lawsuit is also based on the plaintiffs’ claims that the false and misleading information contained on the kimkins.com Web site constituted fraud or negligent misrepresentation by Diaz and Kimkins.

6. Here’s a list of the kinds of misconduct that the plaintiffs have alleged:

• that Diaz and Kimkins concocted a false persona, “Kim Drake” or “Kimmer” to sell memberships to Kimkins.com
• that Diaz and Kimkins misled potential members into believing that “Kim Drake” was real by using photos of real women and then falsely claiming that the photos depicted “Drake”
• that Diaz and Kimkins posted lied about “Drake’s” purported weight loss
• that Diaz and Kimkins provided false or misleading information to Women’s World magazine
• that Diaz and Kimkins fabricated 41 “success stories” and published on the Kimkins.com Web
• that Diaz and Kimkins made up celebrity endorsements
• that Diaz and Kimkins misused labels and metatags to steer Internet traffic to the Kimkins.com Website, in violation of the law
• that Diaz and Kimkins misled potential members into believing that they were buying lifetime memberships, when in fact Diaz and Kimkins.com terminated memberships at their whim
• that Diaz and Kimkins intended to mislead potential members and assumed that potential members would rely on her misrepresentations.

The Defendants’ Position

7. Diaz and Kimkins have denied all allegations of wrongdoing and liability, and they continue to deny that they have done anything wrong. Diaz and Kimkins also have asserted various affirmative defenses to the plaintiffs’ claims.

THE COURT’S CLASS-CERTIFICATION ORDER

8. In an order filed May 20, 2009, the Court granted the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification. The Court certified for class treatment the plaintiffs’ claims for equitable relief, including disgorgement of the subscription fees paid to Diaz and Kimkins by the plaintiffs and the members of the class.

9. The certified class is defined as all individuals who purchased the Kimkins.com diet membership on-line from the Kimkins.com Web site from January 1, 2006 through October 15, 2007.

THE COURT HAS NOT EXPRESSED ANY OPINIONS
REGARDING THE MERITS OF THE PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIMS

10. The Court ordered that this notice be provided to advise class members that this case is pending and that the Court has certified the case to proceed as a class action. You should not consider this notice or its mailing to be a statement by the Court that the plaintiffs are right or that their claims will prevail.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CLASS MEMBERS

11. You do not need to do anything to remain a member of the class. If you bought a Kimkins.com diet membership on-line from the Kimkins.com Web site from January 1, 2006 through October 15, 2007—including either of those dates—you are automatically included in the class. Your rights will be represented by the plaintiffs and their attorneys. You will not be personally responsible for any attorney fees or for the any of the costs of this litigation.

OPT OUT OF CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

12. You have the opportunity to opt out of the class action lawsuit as detailed herein. If you incurred a personal injury as a result of using the Kimkins.com aka Kimkins Diet, you have a right to opt out. Notices to opt must be sent to jtiedt@tiedtlaw.com or mailed to Tiedt & Hurd at 980 Montecito Drive, Suite 209, Corona, California 92879.

WHERE TO GO & WHOM TO CONTACT
SHOULD YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION

13. This notice provides only a brief summary of this litigation. For further details, you should take one or both of the following steps:

• Review the documents in the Court’s file for this lawsuit. Many of these documents may be viewed or obtained on-line at the following URL: http://public-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/OpenAccess/ . You also may review the Court’s file in person by going to the Office of the Clerk of the Court for the Riverside Superior Court, during regular business hours. The Clerk’s office is located at 4050 Main Street, Riverside, California 92501.

• Write a letter to the attorneys who are representing the plaintiffs and whom the Court has appointed to represent the class. Here are their names and their contact information:

John E. Tiedt & Marc S. Hurd
Tiedt & Hurd
980 Montecito Drive, Suite 209
Corona, California 92879

Michael L. Cohen
Michael L. Cohen, a PLC
707 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 4100
Los Angeles, California 90017

Ray Moore
Moore Winter McLennan LLP
701 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 200
Glendale, California 92103-4232

If you decide to contact one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, please do so in writing. To make it easier for them or one of their staff members to respond, however, your letter should include both your e-mail address and your telephone number.

There are estimated to be as many as 40,000 members in the class. So please, DO NOT CALL THE COURT OR ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE COURT BY E-MAIL.

DATE: ___________________________, 2009

____________________________________
Hon. _________________________,
Presiding Judge

Third Time's a Charm?

2009-07-02T16:28:00.002-05:00

I am getting a little peeved that SOMEONE has tried to hack my old abandoned weight loss blog 3 times now in the past 8 days.

In most circumstances, I admire determination and persistence. For example, if someone actually intended to lose weight instead of "FAUX Dieting", then persistence would be an excellent commodity.

I guess that when it comes to scheming and conniving, some people really just don't know when (or how) to quit.

Putting Kimkins on Notice

2009-06-28T15:56:00.005-05:00

Kimkins - Proposed Notice of Pendency of Class Action

Regarding the Kimkins Class Action Lawsuit: This is NOT an official notice. This notice is proposed to the court by plaintiffs’ counsel June 26, 2009. If you choose to duplicate this notice on any blog or website, this notice MUST be included.

(Many thanks to Prudentia for originally posting this. I don't know how to make the document images bigger, so you can read the full content on Prudentia's blog here.)

Hacking Attempt?

2009-06-23T21:31:00.007-05:00

NEW UPDATE:
The hits just keep on comin', folks! That's right, someone has made ANOTHER attempt to hijack my other abandoned blog. That is the third try in a little over a week.

Desperate much?

UPDATE:
It has been a week since the previous hacking attempt. I just got notification from WordPress that a second attempt by someone else seeking to take over my blog was made today. That is a lot of interest in a 2-and-a-half year old blog with only 3 posts.

-----------------original post-----------------

OK, sometimes coincidences are just coincidences. Sometimes, they are more. Which is which?

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I started a WordPress blog to chronicle and hold me accountable for my weight loss. Pretty good idea --- except I couldn't figure out all the ins and out of WordPress at the time and eventually forgot my password. When I decided to renew blogging, it was easier to start all over here on Blogger than to retrace my steps on a barely-begun blog.

Two and a half years passed. I almost forgot I ever had another blog attempt. Then I just now got this email from WordPress (and yes, it is legit --- I checked that already).

Someone has asked to reset the password for the following site and username.

http://WordPress.com/

Username: xxxxxx (redacted)

To reset your password visit the following address, otherwise just ignore this email and nothing will happen.

What is up with that? It's not like it was ever a big deal blog. I think I had maybe 3 entries in all, and hardly ever any views. Why would someone want to hijack it?

Who would do that? Anyone have any ideas?

I do.

Quick Summary of the Kimkins Debacle

2009-06-19T12:40:00.002-05:00

A 'real life' friend found this blog via a post made elsewhere and left a comment on my previous blog post, knowing nothing of the Kimkins lawsuit. Oh, my --- where to even BEGIN to describe everything that has happened in that strange sage over the last few years?! I attempted to give her a quick rundown within the limits of the 4,096 characters that Blogger allows in a comment. In case other people ask the same in future, I decided to copy my response into its own post. This is that attempt:

As for catching up on the lawsuit: Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

An obese but clever sociopathic narcissist gained footage at a popular established low carb diet site, where she claimed to have lost 198 lbs. in a year and to have maintained for 5 years. Her drastic claims and caustic passive-aggressive personality sparked flame wars which ultimately provided excuse to stomp off and open a paid membership site with impressive success stories and before/after photos.

All seemed wonderful at first. People were happy and losing weight. In June, 2007, a magazine featured the diet, 40,000 people joined, and the owner made a million+ dollars in a month. But to validate her marketing claims of "No faster weight loss, none" she pushed lower and lower calories, fasting, and even daily laxative use. People began having problems, for which she ALWAYS had an explanation (usually with a little dig at the complainant.) The gloss began to wear off and the spell was broken.

People questioned things, including photos. When her responses were unsatisfactory, some of us left. Things blew up completely when, about a month later, she was photographed at 300+ lbs, with NO resemblance to her supposed 'after' photos. The site boiled with protest and she summarily banned any "lifetime" members who dared to speak up.

Various online sites and personalities got involved in internet battles. Her supporters wanted to cling to their addictively fast weight loss and the site that enabled it, though many switched sides as evidence emerged.
Her detractors/victims felt used and abused, crushed, betrayed, defrauded, and outraged.

A fiesty woman named Jeanessa stepped up and found a brilliant health-crusading attorney named John Tiedt, who believed in the case enough to take it on contingency.

Discoveries were made which revealed that Heidi Diaz lived in a labyrinthian world of her own making, a convoluted web of deviousness and deception. She never lost any significant amount of weight, even with gastric bypass surgery. Most of her success stories were complete fabrications, with photos stolen from Russian mail-order bride sites.

She has hidden behind false identities, claimed someone else owned the site, spitefully dissipated assets to keep them from her victims, and launched vengeful campaigns, legal and otherwise, against some of the principle witnesses in the case.

She tried to countersue us; the court threw it out. She tried to file bankruptcy to halt the suit; the court threw it out. She has tried threats and intimidation; it backfires.

Meanwhile, John Tiedt and associates have scored victory after victory. John has won unprecedented rulings from the court. The case has been granted class action status, and John has petitioned the court for summary judgment. Since the defendant already admitted under oath in deposition to everything in the suit, we hope the court sees it our way. We should know soon.

. . . I clearly need to tighten up my summaries and use fewer words. But, believe me, this barely scratches the surface.

This story really ought to be a book or movie.

I guess I can add that several televison news shows and newspapers have covered this.

Here is a fuller explanation from Laura Dolson of about.com:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/populardietplans/a/kimkinsdiet.htm
(I might quibble with a couple of minor points, such as when I actually left Kimkins vs. when 'Kimmer" admitted I had left, but this is overall a thorough, well-researched report.)

I hope this helps pull the highlights into one place.j

Some People Just Don't Learn

2009-06-16T18:46:00.007-05:00

OK, I know I have a lot of blogging to do to catch up. Let's see . . I need to post about:

- weight loss, low carbing, good food, some recent victories in that area, etc. --- the original purpose of this blog

- the Motion for Summary Judgment in the Kimkins case, filed by Tiedt and Cohen --- Go, John and Michael!

- the attempt by someone claiming to be Diaz' attorney Peabody to ask for my personal info via blog comment (as someone named Interested) so he/she/whoever could issue me a Cease and Desist order --- yeah, that's how most attorneys do it.

BUT, then, THIS just happened!

I recently joined Twitter and was trying to get that figured out and set up.
Part of that process allowed me to check my email accounts for contacts there who are already on Twitter.

Check out the first entry on that list:

In case you can't see that, it says:
mommy25boys
Leslie Spiegel
heidi.k.diaz@gmail.com

I remember getting an email from someone named mommy25boys a while back, at least several months now. It seemed to be from a former Kimkins member who had left, but needed to lose some weight and was thinking about going back. She wanted to know what was going on, what I knew about the whole deal, whether she could do the diet safely, and so on. I remember that it 'felt' a little odd, but I had known someone at the Kimkins site who, as I recall, was Momto5boys, or something like that, so it seemed plausible. (Someone help me out on this one.) I have gotten hundreds of similar emails and private messages at various sites since I left Kimkins (in fact, I got one today on Facebook), so it did not seem unusual, except that I did have a funny feeling about that one. Still, I answered it.

I guarantee I did not see a sender email address of heidi.k.diaz@gmail.com on the email, or I would not even have opened it. Nor did I see the name Leslie Spiegel. I thought Momto5boys was named Marcy.

So, I am wondering if Heidi.K.Diaz hid the correct address somehow, redirected it or something, but Twitter somehow discerned the correct account of origin.

That seems weird and maybe implausible --- but then, everything about this whole situation has been weird and implausible!

Anyway, it would seem that, during the course of this lawsuit, Heidi Diaz emailed me under a false identity to fish for ammunition to use against me.

Heidi/Kimmer/Vanessa/Nicole/Noelle/Jeri/etc./etc./etc. use a false identity? I'm shocked! I thought she swore she has turned over a new leaf and given up her evil ways!

Heidi Diaz come after me? Oh, yeah. This is not nearly the first time she has done mean and dishonest things to get to me. Hmmm . . . so she thinks I should roll over, be quiet, and pull my blog . . . while she pulls stunts like this?

I don't think so.

CPK Cobb Salad for Lunch --- and Dinner!

2009-06-01T13:09:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Donnie and I and one of the sons decided to use these scratch-up coupons from California Pizza Kitchen that had appeared at our house. I remembered having a great garlicky chicken caesar salad there, and figured I would get that, sans croutons.

I also remembered lots of delicious wood-fired pizzas there, too, but I am low-carbing, so those were out! I have learned not even to look at the menu section for things that are off-limits for me, so I contentedly checked out the salad section.

My husband LOVES Cobb salads, and was pleased to see one on the menu. For some reason, at the last minute, I ordered one, too, instead of the planned chicken caesar salad.

WOW! Is that a LOT of food?! I ordered a full salad --- should have gotten the half-salad instead. (Note to Self: When a place offers half-salads, that is a clue that their full salads are too big!)

It was big and jam-packed with plenty of rich items. The CPK menu describes it as:

Chopped lettuce with applewood smoked bacon, fresh avocado, grilled chicken, diced tomatoes, chopped egg, basil and Gorgonzola cheese with our herb ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. Fresh beets added upon request.

We both got the works, with blue cheese dressing. My DH gave me the avocado from his salad, since he is not a fan of the yummy green stuff. (Something is wrong with that!) I gave him my beets, though I AM a fan of their ruby goodness, since they are somewhat carby for me.

I didn't realize the salad would arrive with the lettuce already tossed with AMPLE dressing. By the time I mixed in all the other goodies, including double avocado, it was a pretty creamy salad, more like cold creamy soup with lettuce mixed in than like crisp fresh salad greens with a bit a dressing.

Don't get me wrong --- I liked it! It was pretty heavy though. Online sources put it at 585 calories and 10 net carbs, which is well within my daily target, but just more than I normally have for a lunch.

I would have preferred that the dressing not be mixed in already; if I order this again, I will ask for that. That way, I could still get a whole salad, which is a better bargain than a half-salad, yet the half I take home would not get soggy.

Maybe I'll just save the heavy salads for hungrier days.

Anyway, we had a pleasant meal, good conversation, and enough leftover Cobb salad for my dinner, all at 10% off.

Is Losing Weight Easier in the Summer?

2009-05-29T14:33:00.003-05:00

Here it is, another perfect day in May, and I am doing GREAT at sticking with my eating plan and exercise routine.

A few months ago, I was struggling, at best. What's the difference?

For me, I wonder if it is the sunshine that puts me in a more optimistic frame of mind. I feel like the whole world is hopeful on a pretty summer day, and anything is possible.

Maybe it is just that I'm outdoors more, and more physically active.
I work in the garden, take the dogs for longer walks, generally move a lot more.
That makes me feel more like taking care of my body.

Maybe it is that I shed chilly-weather garments, and become more conscious of what has been lurking underneath the layers.
THERE'S motivation enough for anyone!

Whatever the reason, I am glad to be "in the zone" again, and intend to make the most of the summer advantage.

So, does anyone else have the same experience?

We've Got Class!

2009-05-20T12:03:00.002-05:00

Results are in! Once again, the court quickly certified the case against Kimkins as worthy of Class Action status.

As always, John Tiedt rocks!

Apparently, Mr. Peabody's arguments didn't impress much.

Then again, how could ANYONE defend what Heidi Diaz has done? She did what she did, repeatedly, flagrantly, and has already admitted to the entire basis of the suit against her under oath during deposition testimony.

So now, officially, she is being sued not by a mere handful of individuals, as she has claimed, but by about 40,000 defrauded customers.

It's ON!

Court Hearing in Process NOW!

2009-05-20T10:37:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted here or been online much in a while after all --- long story.

But I have access to a computer this morning, and had to hop on quickly to say that the motion to certify the lawsuit against Kimkins/Diaz as a Class Action should be underway NOW.

Many people have put enormous effort for countless hours into this, wanting to see Heidi Diaz held accountable for defrauding them. Attorney John Tiedt has valiantly done some amazing work, all without recompense so far.

Here's hoping the court sees things clearly, and certifies the case for class action today (AGAIN).

The best outcome would be if Heidi Diaz is NOT allowed to prosper for her lying, cheating, and fraud, but instead her ill-gotten gain goes to recompense the people she traded on, and especially to John Tiedt for his efforts to champion her victims.

When Social Networking is Social Contagion

2009-04-11T21:54:00.008-05:00

OK. Those of us who have been part of the Kimkins saga have come to expect the unexpected. Once we got over the staggering shock of her shadiness and the depth of her duplicity, we came to see that Heidi Diaz simply knows no shame.

I think she really does believe her own stories.
I think that, in her own Etch-a-Sketch way of thinking, she has shaken the screen of her mind to erase and redraw the beginnings of Kimkins, so that all those years of painstakingly crafted and vociferously protected lies were just a tiny well-meaning marketing blunder from "just a housewife" with no business experience.

From her revisionist viewpoint, she was only trying to help poor fat people when she was viciously betrayed by a sinister cabal of jealous and greedy ingrates. Simultaneously, though, she considers herself a shrewdly superior businesswoman who will outsmart and outlast us all.

I'll say this much for her --- she's tenacious!

Most of us would have crawled away in mortification or just plain old good sense long ago. Not her! She has bluffed, blustered, barefaced lied, blogged, blamed everybody but herself, battled in court, and now she is blasting all the social media trying to trump up new business for as few bucks as possible.

She has had blogs on and off, as herself and under other identities, for some time now. She had her Kimkins newsletter, too.

She spammed Craigslist and Freecycle pretending to be a bunch of different people in a bunch of different towns.

She spammed Yahoo!Answers and Ask.com under different guises to plug Kimkins.

She plugged Kimkins at other kinds of forums under different names, too.

She wrote pro-Kimkins puff pieces under her own name for viral article sites. I guess she has been learning about branding.

Then, with action at Kimkins dropping to almost nil, she started beating the bushes by sending past and present newsletters out to what seems like everyone who had EVER been on her mailing list, including many she has already banned from her site. I get them. My husband gets them. He never even joined Kimkins. We've both unsubscribed --- it doesn't matter. We still get them.

Then she must have signed up for a course in marketing via social media or something. She has dabbled in MySpace before, but this time she seems seriously determined.

She's all over MySpace. *yawn*

Then, she invited me to add her as a friend on Facebook and join her new Kimkins group.
*Yes, me --- you know, one of the ones she tried to sue for a million dollars a few months ago? Right!*
No way! Stay outta my Facebook, lady!

Yesterday, she sent an email saying she was following me on Twitter.
*So, you know, follow her back by clicking on the button? Sure, like that is going to happen!*
Please, lady, back off! Don't follow me on Twitter, or anywhere else for that matter.

So, tonight, my HUSBAND gets a LinkedIn notice that Heidi Diaz has joined LinkedIn and is looking to make connections.

Heidi Diaz

Owner, Kimkins

Location
Greater Los Angeles Area
Industry
Health, Wellness and Fitness

Current

* Owner at Kimkins

Connections

7 connections
Websites

* My Website
* My Blog
* My Blog

Public Profile

http://www.linkedin.com/in/kimkins

Interested In

* consulting offers
* new ventures
* job inquiries
* expertise requests
* business deals
* reference requests
* getting back in touch

Somehow, that was the last straw for my husband. He reported her avatar to LinkedIn as misrepresentation, and told them to do a Google search about the Kimkins law suit.

Yep, she's tenacious!

Mooyah!

2009-04-09T20:01:00.006-05:00

As an former San Diegan, I miss In-N-Out Burger. *sigh*

Here in Texas, I've tried Sonic and Steak 'n Shake, which are probably fine establishments in their own right (or not), but nothing has come close to In-N-Out to me. Especially on a low carb diet, (or any kind of diet, for that matter), the breaded and fried fare at Sonic or the larger-than-life menu illustrations of mega-deluxe milkshakes at Steak 'n Shake are just about deal-breakers that make those difficult places to dine wisely.

This week I tried something that almost --- but not quite --- comes close. Mooyah is a small local chain that seems directly modeled after In-N-Out. Same concept of a small menu of burgers, fries, shakes, and soft drinks; same emphasis on fresh beef and hand cut fries; even the same red and white color scheme.

On the plus side, Mooyah offers a bigger list of condiments to add for free to customize your sandwich. They offer a choice of American, cheddar, or swiss cheese, and also have whole wheat buns for the asking. The atmosphere when we were there seemed calmer and friendlier than In-N-Out, and the service was speedy.

What I went for was the very aptly-named Iceburger, which is the burger of your choice nicely done up in a generous wrapping of cool crisp iceburg lettuce leaves instead of a bun. In-N-Out offers this under the prosaic label of "Protein Style" on their 'secret' menu, but I think Mooyah may do a better job with the lettuce wrapper, and the name is more clever. (In my opinion, this may be the world's only legitimate use for iceburg lettuce.)

On the negative side, Mooyah costs more than I remember paying at In-N-Out. The thing that really aggravated me, though, is that they do not list or publish any nutrition info that I could find. They do not make it easy to know exactly how many calories, carbs, fat, sodium, sugar, points, or anything people on various diets or with certain health issues might want or need to track. That seems pretty backwards to me.

Plus, well, it's just not In-N-Out.

Nice enough, though --- I'll be back.

Back At It

2009-04-02T09:53:00.005-05:00

I guess it's time for me to get back to my blog in some fashion, so this is a post just to get me back in the groove.

I started this as a weight loss blog, mostly menus and recipes, along with some observations about my discoveries along my journey. I had never quite reached the goal I had set for myself, which may have been an unrealistic one for me anyway, but I looked and felt pretty good, and just needed to shape up and rearrange things more than I needed to lose much more weight.

Then the Kimkins bubble burst, and dominated my life for a long time. Too long, really, but such is the way of the legal system.

For me, it was never about "getting Kimmer", at least not in the sense of revenge, though I am not sure I will ever "get" her in the sense of understanding her. I am still amazed by her utter gall, her callous disregard of others, and her complete disdain for the truth. It is as if pesky minor things like reality, morality, and authority are there for timid little mortals to obey and superior beings such as Herself to either ignore or twist to their advantage. I think that the part of the human soul that houses natural affection and conscious is missing or broken in her. It seems her heart is without feeling for others and full of regard for herself. Whether one calls that sociopathic or reprobate, I don't know. I just know she is not 'normal', as she herself admitted in email to some of us as well as under oath in deposition, when she said she just doesn't think like other people do. Truer words were seldom spoken --- at least not by her!

Anyway, when I began to realize she was . . . well, whatever she is, I was hurt, confused, angry, ashamed, afraid, bewildered, all of that and more, for how she had lied to all of us, including me, and used me to deceive and possibly harm others. It was a lot to sort out and process through, and it weighed heavily on me. I wanted to understand, to uncover the truth, and to reach out to those still at Kimkins with what I was finding out. I made it my mission to try to undo the harm I had done, to UNsupport Heidi Diaz and Kimkins with as much energy as I had supported it before. I had been placed in a position of responsibility, and I wanted people who had trusted me to hear from me that I was wrong, that "Kimmer" was a fraud, and that the diet had no safeguards built in and was harming people.

I knew and cared for the people at Kimkins. I respected them, understood them, shared their hopes and dreams and fears. As I spoke out in various ways, a great many heard and received what I had to say, and many left Kimkins, and some started blogging and being activists against Kimkins.

It was a crazy time with lots of strong personalities involved, and emotions ran high. I vehemently disagreed with the approach some anti-Kimkins people were taking, considering it counterproductive to getting people out of Kimkins, as well as just plain wrong, and said so, poorly. For my frustrated criticism, I was slammed, slandered, and mocked severely, like someone had declared it open hunting season on Becky. I don't suppose there is much point in rehashing all that now, though I desperately wanted to defend myself at the time. It really hurt to read so many mean and false things about myself, with mistaken timelines, miscribed motives, misdirected suspicions, and a lot of maliciousness. The whole thing created a rift in the anti-Kimkins movement, and a lot of people dropped out of posting and blogging after that. I acknowledged my error, took my medicine, kept my mouth shut, and dropped out of the public eye pretty much, in hopes that things would settle down and move forward. I felt that my reputation and credibility had been undermined too much for me to continue to speak out effectively to the people of Kimkins. Too bad --- I had lined up some good stuff for my blog before this happened. Since then, I have blogged only a few times, mostly when John Tiedt has called with important news for public distribution. I did feel regret that Heidi Diaz might think that her stupid counter-suit silenced me, when it really just made me want to say even more, but our own side had already shut me out and shut me up before that. It eventually got to the point where I felt as if every word I posted anywhere was so scrutinized that I just gave up posting online altogether.

I am an open person; I have not lived a secret life. I have been well known in real life by hundreds, actually thousands of people, many for decades, and am liked by most of them, respected by many. I am flawed, sometimes foolish, but well-intentioned, caring, and honest. I took comfort in realizing that the people who REALLY knew me didn't believe the accusations about me. I heard from many who were completely supportive of me and upset by some of the tactics of a few outspoken anti-Kimkins forces, but were afraid to speak out, lest they be the next target. I also took comfort in assurances that those most deeply in the know about the Kimkins case, including John Tiedt, knew every detail about everything, and still believed in me and trusted me.

It was rough being targeted by Heidi Diaz, having her lie about me to her members and slander me in her fakey blogs, having her admins dig up every post I ever made anywhere, having her try to sue me for a million dollars. With good reason, I believed her to be dangerous and capable of almost anything. It hung over me all day every day as I was working to undo Kimkins and helping to build the case against her, knowing I could be called to testify against her in court, and that attacking me and my credibility during cross-ex was her likeliest tactic. Having some of the anti-Kimkins people also attack me and accuse me was even rougher. It not only stung, it also curtailed my effectiveness and had the potential to undercut my credibility in court.

The odd thing I found most disconcerting is that both Heidi Diaz and those leading the attack on me (and also on some of my good friends) went out of their ways to target Christians and to mock us for our Christian faith. In fact, many of the people in the big middle of this who got slammed by both sides ARE Christians. I have to wonder --- Why? What drives that? Why all the scorn and anger? Speaking for myself, I feel like I did not go around preaching my faith to everyone everywhere, and I did not claim to be perfect; however, my beliefs shape who I am and how I think and what I say and do, and I certainly am not ashamed of and will not deny being a Christian. Why was that even made an issue?

Over the last 15 months or so since then, I have seen more than a few anti-Kimkins people attacked by other anti-Kimkins people. I have seen good people who had been valuable and effective allies completely silenced by infighting. I have seen things splinter and then splinter again into factions and eventually almost peter out. That is a pity for those driven apart or offline or underground, who have lost the comraderie they once enjoyed, and also a shame in the fight to keep anti-Kimkins info out in front of the public. Our loss --- Heidi's gain.

In the end, though I do not suppose the people involved meant it for good, I am thankful for the harsh attacks on me, because they helped me examine my heart, repent of my wrong focus, and redirect my priorities. I placed what I had been doing in the Kimkins case into more capable hands. It turned out to be a good thing for me. I have a sweet and rich life, happy and fulfilled and full of wonderful friends and family.

Like many people, I gained a little weight when I left Kimkins, mainly because I was freaked out and didn't know what to do. It bothered me a little but it wasn't too bad. I stepped up the exercise, stated drinking more water (you know, all the things Kimkins told us we didn't need) and I was doing fine. Then, due to muscle weakening, I had surgery in October, and my recovery did not go as well as expected. It's no big deal, and I am returning to full function finally, but between the starchy diet I had to follow at first, plus the meds, plus the limited mobility, I regained some more weight. I am still not nearly as big as I once was, thank God. but I have no intention of remaining this big, now that I can return to exercising.

So, I may return to blogging about life and weight loss again, as I originally intended, since I need to lose this regained flab.

I may even, from time to time, blog about the Kimkins mess, for two reasons:
1) I am in this until the end, whether I want to be or not; I cannot walk away yet.
2) The world still needs to know to Say NO to Kimkins.

Heidi Diaz Bankruptcy Dissed and Dismissed

2009-03-28T13:11:00.007-05:00

John Tiedt called with some fabulous news! Once again, Heidi Diaz has lost in court --- not just lost, but lost RESOUNDINGLY! The court not only emphatically dismissed her motion for bankruptcy, but also, acting on its own accord, the court forbade her from filing for bankruptcy again for 180 days.

That's a little like being paddled in public by the judge.

This seems to be the pattern with her legal troubles lately, doesn't it? One wonders if she is getting nervous about the way these rulings have gone against her time and time and time again. Frankly, things don't look likely to turn around for her any time soon, either, so she might as well get used to losing --- her legal battles, anyway. Ah, well, she can't say she was not warned.

In the eyes of many, Diaz' bankruptcy proceedings were the latest in a series of ploys to forestall the civil case against her. After all, she filed it mere days before the hearing to grant class action status to the suit against her. Think about it: she hid and then denied her identity; she tried to evade service of subpoena; she filed demurrers to get the case against her dismissed as being without merit (though the court obviously disagreed!); she resisted and failed to fully cooperate with the process of legal discovery; and then, her coup de gras, she filed a countersuit/SLAPP suit (malicious prosecution) to silence and punish her special foes (a group of which I am apparently a member). Each effort bought her time to work her shenanigans by diverting John Tiedt's time and effort from the primary case against her to deal with these distractions. The SLAPP suit bought her time for the bankruptcy filing, and the bankruptcy bought her time against class action.

Both of her latest tactics had the potential added benefit, had the court not quickly seen through her scams, of allowing her to line her pockets with the hard-earned money of others. From all accounts, considering her decades-long history as a con artist, her prior felony conviction, her documented instances of tax fraud (at federal, state and local levels) her admitted Social Security fraud, her several previous bankruptcies, etc., etc., etc., trying to get over on other people's money is her long-standing pattern. It's 'how she rolls'.

Both delays also had the effect of buying time for her to try to keep the Kimkins machinery cranking out money while she and her sons tried to start up other diets sites, like her ill-conceived Miracle Lemonade crashdiet/detox/fasting site or her knock-off Simple Choices diet site.

One thing is obvious ---- for someone supposedly on the brink of bankruptcy, Ms. Diaz has managed to continue spending some significant money on massive advertising! She must have resources she failed to mention in her motion for bankruptcy. In fact, in spite of all her disingenuous claims to have "corrected" her evil ways, Ms. Diaz continues to lie, even to the extent of perjuring herself in her legal filings in federal court.

Perhaps that is why Ms. Diaz and her lawyer did not fight the bankruptcy proceedings any harder than she did. After all, every time she had to make a statement under oath or produce more documentation of her financial history, she dug herself in deeper and deeper. A civil proceeding is one thing, but crimes against the government (via tax fraud and Social Security fraud, at the least) are quite different matters altogether.

High praises go to Scott Clarkson and his team, whom John Tiedt brought in to refute Diaz' bankruptcy claims. Clarkson is one of the very top-tier bankruptcy attorneys in practice, whose knowledge and expertise were invaluable in defeating Diaz' phony bankruptcy case. Scott Clarkson is a legal genius who completely outclassed the opposition. Way to go!

John Tiedt and team also benefitted from inspired and untiring aid by some behind-the-scenes legal sleuths who are amazingly gifted at ferreting out the truth behind Ms. Diaz' lies. (You know who you are. Thanks for what you do!)

John Tiedt has worked tirelessly and in a principled manner to bring this case to the best possible conclusion. He has been busy already with all the hearings, depositions, and document production these proceedings have required. Now he will be even more busy for a time, pressing his current legal advantage to move the civil suit rapidly forward now that the bankruptcy is out of the way. One expects he will press hard for immediate class action certification, quick judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, and expeditious disposition of the defendants' assets. Go, John! You rock! Have a great time celebrating this victory!

The civil matter should be resolved soon. We may shortly see criminal charges follow.

It's a bad day for Heidi Diaz, but a very good day for justice!

Insider Exclusive Features Kimkins Scandal

2008-03-29T20:24:00.021-05:00

The Insider Exclusive TV show with host Steve Murphy has aired a 30-minute feature episode exposing the Kimkins diet scandal. This news program is the longest and arguably the best coverage of this diet scam so far. This in-depth report features clips from the excellent surveillance work of private investigator Robert Charlton, as well as previously aired clips from the KTLA news reports with Chip Yost, Fox TV's The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, and ABC's Good Morning America. This exclusive report also features interviews with lead attorney and health fraud expert John Tiedt, co-counsel and class action expert Michael Cohen, cardiologist Dr. Americo Simonini of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and former Kimkins member Terry Lind, who articulately related her own negative experiences with Kimkins.

Highlights include John Tiedt explaining that having a defendant's assets frozen via Writ of Attachment in a proposed class action suit prior to certification is virtually unprecedented, simply never done. Yet due to the unusual circumstances of this case, the writ to freeze Heidi Diaz' assets was granted. (In fact, the writ was granted by one judge and even upheld by another judge.)

Michael Cohen stated that certification of class action status is expected soon, and that in addition to the return of class members' fees, the suit will be seeking injunctive relief, which, if granted, means that the site will be shut down.

John Tiedt also reported that evidence in this case has been turned over to the FTC, the District Attorney, and the Attorney General, and criminal prosecution in the near future is a very real possibility.

Click the Insider Exclusive image to watch the full report in another window:

A shorter version (the first 10 minutes or so) is also available through YouTube:

Things are not going well for Ms. Diaz of Kimkins, and they do not look to get any better any time soon.

An Obvious Comment

2008-03-13T20:09:00.006-05:00

So much more can and will be said about Heidi "The Kimmer" Diaz's prodigious use of falsehood as a "creative outlet".

For now, let's just take one recent example, from the new blog of former Kimkins member amyb.

In early November, while discussing with SingingLass some possible success stories to showcase on the upcoming Kimkins scam exposure on the Mike and Juliet Show, Heidi Diaz said of Amy:

Kimmer wrote:

Hmmm, unsure on AmyB since I’m not sure she’s an actual Kimkins supporter. She has some medical concens that may not help our case.

Amy was soon banned, and she asked to be reinstated shortly thereafter. In a response message (a saved copy of which the attorney will have, along with many similar documents)Heidi Diaz told her:

Original Message —–
From Kimmer
To answer your question, you are banned.
I am done dealing with the issues on the group. I will let you back in group but you will follow what I say.
No more talk about your hair. You have hair so stop talking about it. IT can not be falling out that much.
I do not want any talk about your Dr telling you to add foods back in. That will just make you gain weight . NO talk of vitamins .No medical issues at all.
You do not mention Jimmy Moore on my site. You need to reconsider a lunch meeting. I am very upset that you would consider this after the UTube video he made making fun of Kimkins. Just do not meet him.
Enough of the fake niceness. No one can be that nice. You pop in and out with fake nice post. Stop it. It seems you do this to make me mad.
I gave you a membership, use it wisely. Or Else.

So here it seems that Heidi Diaz was fully aware that Amy B was reporting health complications from Kimkins. Yet, instead of being concerned, Heidi was annoyed and angry. The owner of Kimkins not only failed to acknowledge the harm caused by the diet, she chose to squash all truth to the contrary, completely forbid all discussion of the matter, and even countermanded the advice of Amy's doctor.

(Your doctor says you are suffering from starvation and malnutrition and need more healthy food? No way! "That will just make you gain weight.")

For that matter, the original admins brought up health concerns being reported by some members back in late July- very early August 2007. Her response at that time, paraphrased, was something like It isn't happening, and if it is, it's not Kimkin's fault, and even if it is, they can't prove it, and even if they do, I'm too smart for them and they won't get my money.

Yet, even after all the very public discussion of health issues on the Kimkins forums and elsewhere, with copies of posts and PMs and emails to prove it, STILL, on January 23, Heidi Diaz swore under oath upon penalty of perjury that she

" . . . never received any complaints of injury from anyone who tried the Kimkins diet. She never reviewed complaints such as irregular heartbeat, hair loss or failure to have menstrual cycles. To her memory, she states that she never received an email concerning a single complaint or injury. She did not collect any adverse event reports."

As Little Red Riding Hood might say,
Why, Heidi, what very big CREATIVITY you have!

THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART TWO, concluded

2008-03-13T18:56:00.002-05:00

DECLARATION OF HEIDI DIAZ FILED WITH MOTION TO SET ASIDE WRIT OF ATTACHMENT

Before signing her declaration, she did not determine whether or not her bank accounts were attached. In paragraph 3 of her declaration, which was attached to the deposition as Exhibit 69, she explained that she had severe family hardship, which means that she could not buy the things she needed to conduct household repairs, purchase earthquake insurance and make car payments. She said her son was sleeping on the floor. However, she admitted that her son was an adult who never had a job and is the only family member currently living at her home. She testified that Brandon Diaz had a broken bed when she moved into the Calhoun home and that despite the fact that she had $1 million in the bank, she did not order a new bed for her son, as it “didn’t occur to her.” Even though she had $1 million in the bank when she purchased the home, she did not purchase earthquake insurance.

She also complained that the writ of attachment interfered with her ability to earn a living because she could not issue refunds to her members and she could not use traditional vendors. However, during the course of her deposition, she cannot confirm a single person who had been terminated as a result of the writ of attachment. She also complained that she did not have medical insurance. She could not apply to Medicare because she makes too much money. Her SSDI benefits were terminated two months prior to part two of her deposition which was taken on January 23, 2008.

FINAL COMMENTS

We have sent out an initial set of written discovery in preparation for our motion for certification. The defendant’s responses were unsatisfactory, and therefore we will send additional discovery and seek further responses. It is our expectation that we will have a Motion for Certification on file within the next 30 days. We will soon be taking the deposition of Delaney Deaver and other former administrators of Kimkins.com.

The District Attorney’s office in San Diego will be reviewing the non-confidential documents of this file. A decision by the California Attorney General’s office concerning criminal prosecution is purportedly pending.

Very truly yours

TIEDT & HURD
John E. Tiedt

THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART TWO, continued

2008-03-13T18:37:00.002-05:00

She also admitted to lying about representations that she made to members that she had to borrow to buy out her former partner. She also admitted to using the name Brad Johnson with regard to Kimkins.com business. She said that Brad Johnson is actually her little brother that died. She provided the following explanation as to why she uses false names.

Q. “Don't you foresee that by using other people's names, you're giving the false impression that your company is staffed with a number of people rather than just you?”

A. I -- I don't see it that way. I understand what you're saying, but I don't see it that way.”

Q. “When you use false names, aren't you giving the impression that the company is much bigger than it really is, as far as staff?

A. I see it as a creative outlet. I get tired of seeing my own name.

Q. You don't see that as dishonest or deceptive?

A. No.” 2

She contends she never received any complaints of injury from anyone who tried the Kimkins diet. She never reviewed complaints such as irregular heartbeat, hair loss or failure to have menstrual cycles. To her memory, she states that she never received an email concerning a single complaint or injury. She did not collect any adverse event reports.

2 California Penal Code Section 529 states: Every person who falsely personates another in either his private or official capacity, and in such assumed character either: 1. Becomes bail or surety for any party in any proceeding whatever, before any court or officer authorized to take such bail or surety; 2. Verifies, publishes, acknowledges, or proves, in the name of another person, any written instrument, with intent that the same may be recorded, delivered, or used as true; or, 3. Does any other act whereby, if done by the person falsely personated, he might, in any event, become liable to any suit or prosecution, or to pay any sum of money, or to incur any charge, forfeiture, or penalty, or whereby any benefit might accrue to the party personating, or to any other person; is punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in the state prison, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART TWO

2008-03-13T17:38:00.002-05:00

[Note: The second deposition of Heidi Diaz was taken on January 23, 2008.]

SUMMARY OF THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART TWO

Assets and Income of Heidi Diaz

Heidi Diaz stated that her sole source of income in 2007 was income generated from Kimkins.com, benefits from SDI, alimony, and income from foster care. Although she announced that Halcyon Web, LLC was the new owner in October 2007, she claimed at the time of her deposition that Halcyon did not have any cash. She claimed that her Kimkins business did not have any assets other than its computers. She claimed that Halcyon Web LLC does not own other websites. She does own a number of domain names related to Kimkins.com. She owns no other corporation, limited liability company, or interest in any partnership. Other than her corporate assets, she merely has her house and her car. She never checked to see if her assets were actually attached prior to her deposition. She does not keep track of her money and does not balance her checkbook. Since her PayPal account was frozen, she did open a CCBill account. She now accepts checks. She said that she had her Medicare benefits terminated and cannot afford medical insurance at this time. She filed a tax return in 2006, but did not pay federal taxes.

Heidi Diaz did produce financial records, which were marked as confidential and cannot be discussed in this document at this time.

Additional Acts of Fraud and Asset Concealment

Heidi Diaz was shown additional screenshots of individuals who were featured on the Kimkins.com website as success stories. She admitted that she took pictures of various women on the internet and placed said picture on the Kimkins.com website along with text on how these women purportedly lost weight as a result of the Kimkins diet. Models who were provided names such as Destiny, Raquel, Jasmine, Gretchen, and Petr were not users of the Kimkins diet and their photos had been misappropriated from other websites.

She also admitted to passing a rumor that Jessica Alba was using the Kimkins diet and she knew that was a false statement. She admitted that repeating the rumor that Jessica Alba originally used the Kimkins diet to lose weight was deceptive.

She admitted making certain false statements to administrators and members of Kimkins.com. As an example, Exhibit 57 falsely revealed that Kimmer and Heidi Diaz were best friends since high school. She also stated that in October of 2007, Kimkins.com did not have any money despite the fact that the company had $1 million in assets in the bank. Also in Exhibit 57, she misrepresented the fact that she had partners.

In an email response regarding this case, Kimmer made the following statement: “before I left, I thought I would share with you my thinking. I won’t know for sure until Monday until I talk to an attorney, but if worse comes to worse, we can close Kimkins.com and a lawyer can fight over the carcass. He probably thinks it is a large company.”

In connection with the email marked as Exhibit 57, she admitted to implying to Jeannie Baitinger that the company did not have any money despite the fact that the company had $1 million in liquid assets. In the same email, she stated that the database would be moved to a new domain name, “www.???.com and move the forums, members and everything there.”

She was aware that Jeannie Baitinger, Delaney Deaver, and Christin Sherburne were going to be on the Mike and Juliet Show on Fox TV on November 12, 2007.

Q: “Did you view this particular program as an opportunity to get new members for Kimkins?”
A: “No. actually, I thought it would have the opposite effect.”

Exhibit 65 is an email from Heidi Diaz to Jeannie Baitinger and Delaney Deaver dated November 9, 2007 that discussed the Mike and Juliet Show. Ms. Diaz said in the email: “I expect we will get many new members from the TV exposure,“...”Shhh, the lawyer is sniffing around for money $$$”

Heidi admitted that she wasn’t lying to Ms Baitinger and Ms. Deaver, but was actually giving a motivational speech in an email for their benefit. Finally, she admitted she was not telling the truth.

THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART ONE, concluded

2008-03-13T17:29:00.003-05:00

How Did Heidi Diaz Profit From her Deception?

Heidi Diaz testified that her gross income for Kimkins.com for 2006 was approximately $50,000. Her best estimate of income earned by Kimkins.com from January through November 2007 was $1.5 million. She claimed $878,000 in profit, and from that, she purchased a home for cash in the amount of $444,000. She also stated that she paid $700,000 in taxes to the federal government and $100,000 to the State of California for the Franchise Tax payment. She claims Clexus New Media, the computer programmer/web designer, received approximately $400,000.00 in income.

She planned to pay refunds through an account at Bank of America, which totaled approximately $38,000.00. She claimed that the total members who subscribed to Kimkins.com as of November 12, 2007 ranged between 37,000 and 40,000. She claimed affiliates were paid a total of $55,000.00. Up until the date of her first deposition, all payments to Kimkins.com were made by PayPal.

Were the Representations Made By Heidi Diaz On November 12, 2007 on the Kimkins Website Truthful?

Heidi Diaz admitted that she did not lose 198 pounds in 11 months, but claimed to lose 100 pounds in six months. However, when pressed on this issue, she admitted that she had no photographic evidence of said weight loss. She never used her own website to record the alleged weight loss. She made no written record of the weight loss referenced in her website. She also claimed that there are no witnesses that will testify to her alleged weight loss. Incidentally, the deposition of Brandon Diaz revealed that he did not witness his mother losing 100 pounds at any time. She last weighed herself on November 11 and at that time she weighed 294 pounds. She claimed to have lost 23 pounds in the last two weeks as of November 12, 2008.

Why Did Heidi Diaz Block Members?

She claimed that certain members were blocked from access to chat with other members because they were “troublemakers”. Troublemakers could retain access to the full website, diet, and food list, but were restricted from the community areas. She claims that the term troublemaker was defined by each administrator. Accordingly, administrators were given the power to block member’s access to the community areas. There were no written parameters for blocking members or any oral instructions by Heidi Diaz. She admitted to using moles on the website, which she defines as “somebody who operates quietly to go through the website to make sure everything is operating.”

THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART ONE, continued

2008-03-13T17:14:00.003-05:00

Asset Concealment

Heidi Diaz had a plan to conceal and dissipate her assets when she found out that a class action lawsuit was contemplated by the members of Kimkins.com. 1

On the date of the original writ of attachment hearing, October 16, 2007, Heidi Diaz had $878,252.79 in a mutual fund. A copy of the T. Rowe Price mutual fund account statement is attached to the deposition transcript of Heidi Diaz as Exhibit 39. On October 18, 2007, Heidi Diaz directed T. Rowe Price to close the account and send her a check for $878,252.79, which she placed in her Bank of America account. Heidi Diaz was then served with a deposition notice for November 4, 2007, but pursuant to her request, her deposition was rescheduled for November 12, 2007.

On Friday, November 9, 2007, the last business day before the deposition of Heidi Diaz, Heidi Diaz contacted an accountant referred to her by her lawyer. The accountant, Rahul Shaw, had not reviewed any of the financial documents of Heidi Diaz or of Kimkins.com. Nevertheless, Heidi Diaz stated that the accountant who had never examined or evaluated any financial document advised her to unilaterally write a check to the U.S. Treasury Department in the amount $700,000.

Heidi Diaz also testified at her deposition that on the afternoon of November 9, 2007, this same accountant advised her to write a check to the California Franchise Tax Board, without having reviewed a single document. Accordingly, on the afternoon of November 9, 2007, Ms. Diaz wrote check number 1501 to the U.S. Treasury for $700,000, and check number 1502 to the Franchise Tax Board for $100,000.

Heidi Diaz bragged on the internet about her efforts to conceal and dissipate assets. She prepared for the class action lawsuit and anticipated collection efforts. On August 14, 2007, Heidi Diaz and Kimkins.com member and administrator Christin Sherburne engaged in an internet conversation concerning anticipated lawsuits. Allegations of fraud and misleading advertising had been made and Heidi Diaz made the following, unsolicited statement to Mrs. Sherburne:

Heidi Diaz: Christin, have time for Law 101?

Christin: Sure

Heidi Diaz: In a nutshell, there can be no class action lawsuit or any lawsuit. ... If you had a bad car accident -- broken arm, concussion but hit a poor person with no insurance you COULD NOT get a lawyer. There is no ‘recovery’. There is no money to receive. It’s the same with Kimkins. There is no $$$. They don’t even have jurisdiction. No lawyer would touch it. do they even know who “kimmer” is. well, in a real class action suit the company is ordered to pay legal costs. but who will pay?... Anyhow, bottom line for today’s law lesson: No recovery, no lawyer.... You have to make allegations. They must be substantiated. Backed up with doctor’s reports, etc., not just that (1) prove their health before Kimkins; (2) prove that “but for” doing Kimkins there would not have been damages; (3) must have damages; (be hurt) all that takes $$$. they have to hire a doctor, get tests, deposition of doctors & whoever they can find at kimkins ;)”

Also on August 14, 2007 Ms. Diaz informed Mrs. Sherburne that “technically you can get a judgment and sue a person in court, but so what? How would you get your $$? can’t.” However, the exchange ends with an ominous statement by Heidi Diaz regarding possible future litigation. Heidi Diaz told Mrs. Sherburne, “If anything ever happened and you were involved, I am here for you $$$.”

Another attempt to evade collection was a statement publicly made by Heidi Diaz that she was no longer the owner of Kimkins.com. She now admits under oath that her statement was false. On October 4, 2007, Heidi Diaz told members that the Kimkins website was under new ownership. She claimed that she would not be the owner but would merely serve as an advisor. At her deposition, she stated that representation was false. A true and correct copy of the announcement prepared by Heidi Diaz revealing the change of ownership is attached to the deposition of Heidi Diaz as Exhibit 48.

Heidi Diaz admitted under oath to further testimony confirming her plan to dissipate assets. She admitted to making the following statement as “Kimmer” to one of her administrators:

“Unfortunately for this brilliant attorney, he is going to be disappointed to find that there is no pot of gold for recovery in the suit. Heidi collects the revenue, but does not keep it. You can imagine him telling the judge that wants to certify a class action against a housewife? Hehehe.”

Heidi Diaz has also recently formed other companies and a trust. For example, she recently paid a paralegal to form a family trust in which she intends to place assets. However, the family trust is misleading as it uses the name “Beauchamp” instead of Diaz. She formed a company known as Halcyon Web, LLC on September 24, 2007 with the specific intent of transferring all of the Kimkins assets to that company. She has also paid a paralegal to form a company known as Sharp Plumbing, LLC. She stated the company was for her son. However, upon examination she admitted that her son is not a licensed contractor and the address for the plumbing company is merely a P.O. Box. It is the same P.O. Box of Kimkins.com. She admitted that there is no physical business for Sharp Plumbing, but that company is on the internet.

1 California Penal Code Section 531 states: Every person who is a party to any fraudulent conveyance of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, goods or chattels, or any right or interest issuing out of the same, or to any bond, suit, judgment, or execution, contract or conveyance, had, made, or contrived with intent to deceive and defraud others, or to defeat, hinder, or delay creditors or others of their just debts, damages, or demands; or who, being a party as aforesaid, at any time wittingly and willingly puts in, uses, avows, maintains, justifies, or defends the same, or any of them, as true, and done, had, or made in good faith, or upon good consideration, or aliens, assigns, or sells any of the lands, tenements, hereditaments, goods, chattels, or other things before mentioned, to him or them conveyed as aforesaid, or any part thereof, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART ONE

2008-03-13T16:53:00.004-05:00

SUMMARY OF THE DEPOSITION OF HEIDI DIAZ, PART ONE

Who is Heidi Diaz?
Heidi Diaz has been known by the following names: Kimmer, Jennifer Dancer, Brad Curtis, Kimberely Stewart, and Kimberely Drake. She also testified that she was known on the Kimkins.com website as Vanessa, an affiliate manager. She had used the email Vanessa2lucky@yahoo.com. She also used Brandon Diaz name without his permission to receive an affiliate payment. She registered Brandon Diaz as the owner of the Kimkins website without his permission. She then switched the name of the owner to Renee Drake who was the mother of Ms. Diaz. Ms. Drake died in 1970. She has also used her niece’s name, Vanessa Romero.

How did Heidi Diaz Deceive Kimkins.com Members?

Heidi Diaz admitted that she has used false testimonials to promote the Kimkins.com website. Exhibit 2 to her deposition transcript revealed a picture of the alleged founder of Kimkins.com. This picture is the well-known photograph of the Russian woman in a red dress. She admitted that the woman featured in Exhibit 2 as Kimmer is not Heidi Diaz. It is a picture that she obtained from the internet. The text adjacent to the photograph was also false. “Kimmer” did not lose 198 pounds in 11 months as promoted on the website. She also admitted that the woman featured in the picture did not receive a graduate degree in public administration and was not a volunteer court appointed special advocate for abused children.

Exhibit 3 featured another screenshot from the Kimkins.com website that contained the image of the infamous woman in the red dress that was identified as Kimmer. Again, she claimed that the adjacent text was partially false and that the photo of Kimmer was in fact the same photo that she obtained off the internet. On that same page, she admitted that the featured story of Bambi, who purportedly lost 122 pounds was in fact false. She did claim that a company known as Clexus New Media employed an individual known by the name of Aliyar Firat. Mr. Firat reportedly supplied Heidi Diaz with a picture of the woman in the red dress. Mr. Firat stated that he would rather use an actual photo of Heidi Diaz, but Ms. Diaz purportedly did not want to reveal her identity.

Exhibit 4 is another screenshot from the Kimkins.com website. She admitted that the “before” picture was actually Heidi Diaz taken years before the start of Kimkins.com website. She again confirmed that the “after” photo was not her and was a picture she had taken from the internet. The text provided in Exhibit 4 was also false in that she had not gone from 318 pounds to 118 pounds in 11 months.

Exhibit 5 contained four photographs. The first photograph on the top was actually Heidi Diaz, but the subsequent photographs, used in various advertisements for Kimkins.com and designated as Kimmer, were in fact models. She had taken said photographs from other internet sites to be used on Kimkins.com.

She claimed the sole reason for not disclosing her identity prior to November 12, 2007 was to preserve her privacy. However, she admitted that at the time she made the subject misrepresentations, she did not feel her customers, who signed up for lifetime memberships, were entitled to the truth about her personal weight loss success with the Kimkins diet. In retrospect, she did put her privacy rights over that of her customer’s rights to know the truth about the weight loss results of the Kimkins diet.

She also admitted that she used numerous pictures of women from other websites and put these pictures adjacent to fictionalized Kimkins weight loss success stories. She admits that the women featured in the photos marked in Exhibit 50 were not in fact members of the Kimkins.com website and were not on the Kimkins Diet. She stated that the adjacent texts were false, but were predicated on success stories from the Low Carb Friends website that predated the Kimkins.com site. However, she has absolutely no documentation of any of the alleged success stories that were used as a basis for the fraudulent testimonials that were attached as Exhibit 50. Further, she has no witnesses to back up her explanation.

She admits that she knew that potential Kimkins.com customers would rely on her false representations. As a consequence, she claimed that she had offered a full refund for those people who relied on her past misrepresentations.

Official Update on Kimkins Case from John Tiedt

2008-03-13T16:32:00.006-05:00

[Note: I haven't blogged in a while, but when John Tiedt sent this and asked us to help get it out where potential class members might see it, I was happy to post it here. If I can learn how to post the PDF link here, I will, but for now this is the best I can do. This is a 44 page document in total, 9 pages of summary of Heidi Diaz' two depositions, plus the referenced exhibits, so I will be posting it in segments. I do not want to try to condense it or explain it, because it is best left as John Tiedt wrote it. So, stay tuned for much more.]

March 13, 2008

VIA EMAIL
To Plaintiff Class Representatives and Potential Class Members
Re: Fenderson, et al. v. Diaz, et al.

Dear Friends:

We have been quite busy with the discovery process and several law and motion issues. The purpose of this letter is to bring you up to date. We were granted authority by the court to take an early deposition of Heidi Diaz concerning limited issues relating to documents, witnesses, and assets. The first deposition was conducted on November 12, 2007 at my office in Riverside, California. The second deposition was taken on January 23, 2008. Some of the testimony and documents produced at the second deposition are subject to a protective order and cannot be revealed to the public at this time. However, it is my intent to file a motion to make certain documents public. At this time, we have no set trial date. A Case Management Conference is set for July 15, 2008. Defendant Heidi Diaz filed a Demurrer to the First Amended Complaint for Damages. A demurrer is a tactic used by defendants to challenge the validity of the complaint. We have already prepared our opposition to the demurrer and we are confident that it will be overruled by the presiding judge. The hearing on the demurrer is scheduled for April 28, 2008. On March 21, 2008, the Court will hear the defendant’s motion to set aside the writ of attachment order. As you may recall, on November 16, 2007, the court entered an order to issue a writ of attachment on certain assets held by Heidi Diaz. Accordingly, the court effectively “froze” certain assets held by Heidi Diaz, such as her home and PayPal account. Our opposition to defendant’s motion to set aside the writ of attachment was filed under seal because it contained confidential information. However, I can reveal that it is our contention that the defendants do not have statutory authority to have the court reconsider its original order to issue a writ of attachment.

Kimkins, via Admin Gary, Still Recommending Very Low Calories

2007-12-11T10:23:00.000-06:00

This was just posted at Kimkins this morning, December 11, 2007, by Admin Lasttime4me (Gary).

Note my math and comments below.

Lasttime4me (Admin)

CARBS, FAT and PROTEIN TOTALS/PERCENTAGES

Kimkins a low-carb diet and our goal is to eat 20 or less total carbs each day. The percentage of Carbs will be low compared to Fats and Proteins you eat each day. This should not alarm you in any way.

If you eat almost no carbs or low-carbs, protein and fat will naturally be a very high % of calorie intake, since that is all you are eating. If you added carbs, the protein and fat % would go down, even though the amounts didn't. So, don't worry about ratios.

As for overall totals to shoot for, no exact guidelines. Eat from the food lists, to appetite, no more, keeping carbs always below 20, and fats are low as you reasonably can. This IS NOT a fat-free diet so use fats to make your recipe work for YOU!

Now, once you are well on your way, feeling strong and confident, with good appetite suppression working for you, and just looking to make tweaks, the fastest losses seem to be around 800-1200 cals, 30 - 40 grams fat, 60 - 100 grams protein, 8-12 grams (or less) carbs. But, that is NOT an official rule, nor can everyone want to or need to do that.

Make sure you take your multi-vitamin and drink at least 8 glasses of water or MORE!

I do understand the bind Gary is in. During my time at Kimkins, Kimmer repeatedly ignored and refused requests to elaborate on the diet plans or offer more info to answer the many newbie questions for help and specifics. She repeatedly stated that the diet was simple, and she could not understand why anyone would have trouble figuring it out or need more explanation. She directed the moderators to answer the lost and confused 'newbies', for whom she showed little patience.

(I now wonder whether her refusal to elaborate was because she was too busy marketing for new 'sales' to care about the existing members, or because she deliberately wanted to put her Mods and Admins out on the line for her.)

So, I understand that Gary, Singling Lass, and the other experienced members field the same questions over and over and over, that Kimmer should have answered in her published guidelines and ebook. As they have run into those same frustrations, they have begun to do what previous Admins did, which is to compile a bank of "stickies", permanent posts at the tops of the main forum categories that fill in the gaps and answer the questions that come up all the time. It is helpful for members --- but creates a convenient buffer between Heidi Diaz and her dangerous advice. She can then try to blame the Admins for creating the poor advice she is passing along through them.

Now, let's do the math:

Gary advices 800 - 1200 calories, because that is the latest 'Admin-safe' party line, though NOWHERE in the published diet rules has Heidi/Kimkins changed the actual guidelines to say this. If Heidi REALLY believed and wanted to say that, she could write exactly that into her 'simple' bullet-point paragraph guidelines.

Then Gary goes on to give a fairly generous interpretation of the macro-nutrient levels Kimmer has advised. I (and many others) specifically recall Kimmer saying in a scheduled all-site chat one time that the ideal amount of fat for Kimkins was 20 grams a day, 30 tops, but Gary has bumped that up to 30 - 40 grams of fat.

Likewise, over time, I watched as Kimmer revised her recommended protein intake down, from the "at least 70 - 90 grams" she listed at LCF, to the 60 - 80 she first published at her own site, to no officially listed amount, but frequent posts mentioning 60 g and later 50 g. So, Gary's 100 g of protein is quite extravagant by traditional Kimkins standards.

Similarly, Kimkins states 20 or fewer carbs, but Kimmer has always promoted the idea of even lower carb levels for 'deep, real ketosis' and maximum appetite suppression, with 8 - 12 being a commonly mentioned level.

Gary even advises drinking ample water, which Kimmer herself never did.

So, how does his math add up?
Each gram of protein or carbohydrate has 4 calories. Each gram of fat has 9 calories.

Thus, on the high side, Gary's ideal recommendation has 808 calories:
40 g fat x 9 = 360 calories
100 g protein x 4 = 400 calories
12 g carb x 4 = 48 calories
TOTAL: 808 calories

On the low side, Gary's ideal recommendation has 542 calories:
30 g fat x 9 = 270
60 g protein x 4 = 240 calories
8 g carb x 4 = 32 calories
TOTAL: 542 calories

People can try to bump Kimkins up to higher levels all they want, but the actual guidelines, the math, and the culture Kimmer has created just don't support it. She always intended Kimkins to be very low calorie levels, mainly achieved through very low fat levels. She taught it that way, people learned it that way, and that is the only way to get the fast weight loss results she boasted about in her claims (along with the negative health consequences she denied). That is what Kimkins is, and what it will always be as long as it is Kimkins. That is Kimmer's way.

Frankly, that is the way MANY people at Kimkins (or doing the diet elsewhere) STILL do it, in spite of Jeannie Baitinger's recent efforts to raise the calorie levels. That is why so few post FitDay links anymore --- they do not want it known how little they actually eat.

The only way to meet Gary's stated ideal calories, which are still considered low by safe medical standards, would be to raise fat to 60 - 85 grams. After all, Kimkins cannot raise carbs too much and still be a low-carb diet that claims an extra-deep level of appetite suppression. Kimkins also cannot raise protein too much higher without triggering gluconeogenesis, the conversion of excess protein to glucose.

Adding good healthy fats is the only way to make Kimkins safe, healthy, and adequate.

It also makes it Atkins.

Jeannie Baitinger Leaves Kimkins

2007-12-04T20:20:00.000-06:00

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about Jeannie Baitinger, also known as Tippy Toes, who became the PR person for Kimkins after Christin left.

Jeannie has been the center of much controversy lately, with many people questioning her actions and her motives. She defended Kimkins on national television on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, yet freely admitted that the diet and the site had problems.

Those problems have only worsened as Heidi Diaz'/Kimkins legal and financial issues have become more widely publicized. Things are not going well for Kimkins at all, and it is not a good time for anyone associated with it.

Jeannie quietly posted a small farewell message on Kimkins on November 27, saying:

I am taking a computer break for a while. Been fighting with DH over the time I spend here. He wins and he is right (but don't tell him) . So carry on, stay safe and stay over 800 calories and you'll do just fine. I hope to be back online soon. Happy weight loss everyone!

When someone later started a thread asking where Tippy was, Kimmer posted:

Tippy is having problems with DH and computer time.

(A member later posted that it was unlikely Tippy was coming back, since she was posting elsewhere now. That post was quickly deleted.)

Jeannie has not returned to Kimkins. Her Admin status has been revoked.

Instead, on that same day, November 27, Tippy joined eatinglow.com, the forum of former Kimkins Admin Amy/curlygirl, under her name JeannieLynn. Her first post that day read:

I am new here but very familiar with low carb eating and dieting. I just wanted to say hi to everyone! I look forward to getting to know you all.

She posted more over the next couple of days, including a longer post, part of which said:

I too am very glad to find this site. Thank you Amy! I am a KK refugee too. I hated to leave but the drama was getting pretty bad. I will say I lost a lot of weight following Kimkins. She had a good plan. But the plan behind the plan... (shudders) Although lately I saw less of this. The site got a pretty good cleanup in the last couple of months and people are encouraged not to starve. That's a good thing! But I think all the clean up in the world will prove to be a day late and a dollar short for Kimkins site. Too much fraud, which is a true shame since she did have a plan that really does work well for so many. Fraud with herself, the Russian Brides, possibly the new front page pic of herself and so much more. I have to wonder why? What a great way to ruin what could have been the next diet breakthrough. But, what's done is done. There is no changing that now.

People realized JeannieLynn was Tippy, the word got out, and a firestorm ensued. Amy's quiet forum got a spike in traffic, and a spate of posts both supportive and welcoming to Jeannie, and also angry and hostile to her. Others showed ill will to the new members from LCF and elsewhere who had joined to observe or interact with Jeannie. Debate and disagreeableness spilled onto other online low-carb sites.

Jeannie responded in a lengthy post that was humble and helpful in many ways, yet failed to go nearly far enough in making things right in many other ways.

You can read the full text of Jeannie's early explanation on Medusa's blog here

Again, conflict ensued. In the end, Jeannie was banned from eatinglow.com, and her threads deleted, in order to restore peace there.

As opinions about Jeannie, mostly critical, swirled on this topic in various places, I posted this on LCF:

I have to say, as someone who has been there, that it takes some time to sort things out when a person decides to leave Kimkins. That is true for anyone, and it is worse the closer connected to Kimmer a person was.

Someone on the outside cannot know what it was like to be that closely involved.

Nor can we truly know someone else's motives. After all, half the time, we barely know our own, because few things are simple, cut-and-dried. Most of us have some mixed motives, even on our best days.

Even here, where the motive is an admirable one --- to expose Heidi Diaz as a dangerous fraud --- things slip into secondary, mixed motives, whether to express anger, have fun, make friends, make fun, get revenge, pass the time, etc.

I appreciate the efforts of many here who have confronted lies and uncovered truth, because it has borne some good fruit. Many people have done a lot of good work, and a lot of folks can be thankful for that.

I also have to say that at times the methods and attitudes have been woefully counter-productive, and have put off a lot of people who were able to write off the truth that was being said, because it got lost in the middle of off-base speculation and mean-spirited glee that sometimes erupts here.

And, yes, I totally get that and understand it! I have had my moments, too, believe me! It is probably a necessary part of the healing process, and I am not criticizing anyone. I just want everyone to see how it looks from the other 'side'.

When a person has found help and support and friendship and acceptance within Kimkins, and nothing but attack and criticism from outside, it does not make leaving any easier. (And I know, 'nothing' is an exaggeration, but that is how it can feel.)

When a person has had decent intentions and met a lot of smart, good people at Kimkins, they certainly don't want to leave and go to a site that seems to consider all Kimkins people as stupid fools and evil people. (I know that is not the attitude, really, but it can be perceived that way.)

When a person is losing weight and feeling good, really good, maybe for the first time, and opponents characterize Kimkins as a diet of death that will kill everyone, they don't believe it or want to hear it. After all, we all have felt the desperation of being overweight.

And, sadly, people are likely to transfer their good feelings about their weight loss onto the person or place that brought it to them, and ascribe to Kimmer and Kimkins much more credit than it deserves.

Kimmer's absolute specialty is stirring up "us against them" instincts, and using that to polarize and isolate and manipulate and control people. It is what she does. Falling into her web is like falling slowly into a relationship with a charming abuser.

It is NOT easy to break free!

It is harder when there is no welcoming place to go.

Yes, Jeannie should have/could have known she was walking in to support a fraud. She surely will have some explaining and apologizing to do, at the very least, and I sincerely hope she will do it before too long.

But, it does take time to process these things. it is not an instant turn-around, and I think she needs a space in time to sort things out and speak.

That she left means something. We can idly speculate that it is about money, but we do not 100% know that. She may have other reasons, instead of or in addition. Time will tell.

Whatever her motives may have been, she can be a valuable ally in the legal case at this point, and I would hate to lose that possibility because she is too afraid or too offended to be forthcoming with evidence.

In my opinion, it was a mistake for her to post in a public forum too soon, before addressing the whole issue through proper channels.

I hope she doesn't say anything else publicly until she talks to the proper legal people.

And I hope people will reserve comment on her until she does.

Too much is at stake.

There is much I did not say in that post.

For now, I can tell you that I have been in close contact with Jeannie since Sunday, December 2, as has Christin. Christin and I each independently had an inner prompting to contact Jeannie, which we both did. She has responded warmly and favorably to us both. She has told us many things that seem most encouraging and heartfelt.

It is still early in the 'processing' of it all for her, in coming to realize the extent of the situation. I expect she will be ready to say more after a while, though I hope she will not rush things. We need to realize that what she has to say may never be exactly what everyone would like her to say or exactly the way everyone would like her to say it.

What really matters, though, is that she asked me to approach John Tiedt on her behalf, which I did. She said:

I will cooperate with John and am happy to do so. . . .I have some things I know he needs and I really, really want him to have it.

John Tiedt reports that she has been fully apologetic and completely cooperative.

I do hope she is given a chance to follow through with that.

I also hope any other Admins still remaining at Kimkins could find a more open reception, should they also decide to come out.

After all, no one except Kimmer should be the one left holding the bag when it all crashes down, which it must soon.

Whatever their motives, it is much better all around for them to leave than to stay, and the sooner the better.

KTLA News, Part 4

2007-11-29T18:43:00.000-06:00

Heidi Diaz, the founder of the popular internet diet, Kimkins, admitted under oath in sworn deposition that her diet was based on a lie, KTLA investigative reporter Chip Yost reports.

Click here to watch the video of the newscast.

KTLA Update

2007-11-28T21:30:00.000-06:00

An update on the Kimkins story is airing tonight, Wednesday, November 28, with Chip Yost - KTLA Channel 5 News at 10 p.m. Pacific time.

I will post the video link once it airs and goes online.
http://ktla.trb.com/news/

The REAL Heidi Diaz

2007-11-27T23:55:00.000-06:00

(It has been a while since I posted to this blog. Frankly, it got overwhelming, and I needed a 'real world' break. I do have some things saved as drafts, which I will go back and post over the next week or so. [NOTE: Two are now posted below this.] These are eventful times, and I have a LOT to catch up on. However, this latest is too important not to publish.)

Attorney John Tiedt, representing the plaintiffs in the class action law suit against Heidi K. Diaz/Kimkins, took her sworn deposition on November 12, 2007. The depo lasted from about 10:00 am to about 5:00 pm, with a lunch break.

The entire deposition was video recorded. He has now released a screen shot of Heidi Diaz taken from that recording.

She appeared heavier in person that day than she did in the picture that she posted on her site that same day with her so-called 'confession' and 'apology'.

Ironically, she seems to have told the truth when she said red is her favorite color.

Aiding and Abetting --- Tippy Toes' Role at Kimkins

2007-10-27T18:57:00.000-05:00

With Kimmer working in the shadows, the new head of site management, Tippy Toes (Jeannie Baitinger), is working energetically to bring legitimacy to the Kimkins site. She monitors other sites to keep up on the information coming out about the problems with Kimmer/Kimkins. However, instead of distancing herself from Kimkins, she is using what she reads as a 'heads-up' of where to concentrate the damage control to cover Kimmer's crimes.

She is doing her best to rewrite history by claiming that Kimkins was never intended to drop below 800 calories, even though too much evidence exists to the contrary. However much Tippy may try to make light of the damage that Kimkins has done, or to blame the members (or former Admins) for dropping calories low, that simply doesn't match the facts in evidence. However, Tippy hasn't been on the site much until very recently, so she cannot really know how it was in her absence. Still, however much she chants the new mantra of "at least 800 calories", the plans as written are the same low calories they ever were. That Heidi is allowing Tippy to de facto 'tweak' her plans or recommend they be cycled with Atkins shows just how desperate she is.

Of course, Tippy herself did not do Kimkins at all as intended, so she may not be the best spokesperson for the plan nor the best judge of its effects. Multiple screenshots of her posts at LCF and at Kimkins make clear that she only did Kimkins (fairly generously, at that) for a week or maybe two at a time, rotating that with Atkins or another plan. In fact, Tippy mixed it up with regular Atkins, the Atkins Fat Fast, with Groves' Eat Fat, Get Thin, and others, switching whenever she would stall out on any one plan, which she did on Kimkins, too. She frequently stated that she preferred Atkins, and even as late as August, shortly before joining the payroll at Kimkins, Tippy recommended AGAINST doing straight Kimkins, saying it would cause a metabolic slowdown and doom maintenance to an extremely low calorie level.

The only time Tippy did Kimkins for a month straight was July, 2006, when she ran a fundraising challenge for 'Kimmer's Kids'. Unfortunately for Jeannie, that turns out to be illegal. Even if Heidi really did have foster kids then, which is in serious dispute, using them in any way for fundraising is against the regulations in California. I believe Tippy was unaware of any fraud or illegality in the fundraiser at the time. However, she has been made aware since then, and chose to remain in Heidi's employ anyway, first saying the money was for Kimmer to use anyway she saw fit (nope - screen shots disagree!) and then saying it would not matter because the money was for adults aged out of the system, not kids.

Baitinger's willingness to overlook inconvenient facts makes her highly compatible as Kimnmer's PR person. In fact, her eagerness to delete all pesky posts and ban all brave posters who dare tell the truth about Kimmer makes her a perfect Admin for these troubled times.

It also makes an accessory after the fact to fraud.

Kimmer broke the law, and Tippy is working hard to help her get away with it.

So, what could motivate Tippy to put herself at risk of civil suit or criminal prosecution like this?

I suppose part of it must be that she really doesn't think it will come to that. My opinion is that she saw this originally as an internet drama between feuding low-carb forums, nothing more. Perhaps she now realizes that this means real trouble in the real world for her. Perhaps it is not too late for her to get out of there.

It is hard to know another's motives, but some things can be surmised from a person's behavioral history.

Tippy was a member at Low Carb Friends weight loss forum, and really did a wonderful job in losing her weight. She worked doggedly and persistently at it, found a way to be successful, and reached her goal weight. That is an incredible accomplishment that not everyone achieves, and she is to be commended for that. As anyone who has lost considerable weight knows, it can be absolutely life-transforming. Tippy was understandably proud of her success.

Some who knew her at LCF say that she wanted to be looked up to as a role model and leader, that she wanted and tried unsuccessfully to get a position as LCF Moderator, and that she had conflicts with the the Mods there.

I don't know firsthand about all of that, but here are my observations.

In early June of 2006, after flouncing out of LCF, Heidi "the Kimmer" Diaz launched her own site, took a lot of people with her, and triggered a hornet's nest of controversy and attention.

On June 12, 2006, Tippy joined Kimkins. She soon was posting all over the place, especially in the busy main areas, welcoming members, posting encouragement, and recommending her own version of Kimkins, which involved higher calories and cycling. She wasn't receiving a lot of positive feedback for her ideas, because the site was new and everyone was excited to do it the 'right' way like Kimmer taught.

Almost right away, Tippy set up a big challenge to raise money for Kimmer's foster kids, which ran through July, 2006.

After that ill-fated debacle ran its course, she joined the Camp Kimkins challenge group in August, 2006. That had been the original Kimkins challenge that had migrated over from LCF, and was the largest and most active at that time.

Tippy also tried to pump up interest in a 'Gathering' of Kimkins folks, and pushed for it to be in Tennessee at the same time and near the same place as LCF's annual pig roast/gathering, so we could 'show them' how it was done. Once again, the other members of Kimkins brushed the idea aside, not ready for a group gathering and more interested in Las Vegas than Tennessee, anyway.

Things were not going Tippy's way, it seemed. She quit posting at Kimkins on September 24, 2006, and went back to LCF.

The next big buzz for Kimkins came when People magazine ran their New Year's edition on people who had lost half their size, with Mary Smith (Cartbabe at LCF and Kimkins) on the cover and featured inside. Mary championed Atkins, and mentioned both LCF and Kimkins. (She has since recanted her support of Kimkins, by the way.)

When the People magazine came out, Tippy suddenly reappeared at Kimkins, where she posted from 12-30-06 to 1-11-07. After the hubbub settled down, she returned to LCF.

The next enormous event at Kimkins was the Woman's World cover and feature in early June.

Sure enough, Tippy returned to Kimkins, where she posted briefly, but got lost and overlooked in the overwhelming flood of new members and new Admins/Moderators.

Meanwhile, LCF was having its own influx of new members interested in Kimkins, so Tippy returned to LCF where she became the resident expert on the new Kimkins forum at LCF for the next couple of months.

Tippy made one post to Kimkins on August 16 (when news got out that I had left) and several more on August 27 (after Christin and Deni left). By September 1st, with the original Admins gone, Tippy was second in command at Kimkins.

Her track record seems opportunistic. Apparently she saw our leaving as her big moment, and rushed into the void we left behind. Heidi's fraud and reckless disregard that drove us away did not deter Tippy. Perhaps she saw it as her chance to grab the golden ring of Admin status that she had sought. Perhaps it was her chance to be a diet guru, helping others by promoting her own version of the diet, now that Kimmer was over a barrel and desperate enough to give in. Perhaps it was her chance to 'stick it' to LCF. Maybe it was some combination of all of the above.

Tippy is a weight loss success, and I give her credit for that. She is cheerful, hard-working, and scrappy. I think she genuinely enjoys mentoring people in weight loss. Frankly, Tippy's diet is better than Heidi's. The site would be safer and more legitimate had Tippy run it from the beginning.

Nevertheless, it is Heidi's site, built on fraud, no matter how much Tippy tries to change that. Heidi's lies will bring Tippy down, too. Heidi probably could not have kept Kimkins afloat these last few months without Tippy. Heidi needed Tippy to hide behind, to cover and clean things up for her, to delete and ban 'troublemakers', to make excuses, to be nice and cheerful and positive, and to give the illusion of business as usual.

That means that, whatever her motives may have been, Tippy has become guilty of aiding and abetting a fraud.

Who's in Charge at Kimkins?

2007-10-20T00:14:00.000-05:00

As mounting evidence of continuing criminal fraud and dietary damage has escaped from internet forums and into 'real life' public notice, even Kimmer, who had claimed to be 'completely unconcerned' about it all, has finally had to realize that she is in legal and financial jeopardy. Thus, she recently adopted a new "duck and cover" strategy to try to protect herself and keep the money rolling in.

In an email to members on October 4th, Kimmer announced a 'change of ownership' at Kimkins, and now pretends to be 'gone' from Kimkins. That easily can and will be proven to be completely false.

Why should anyone believe her claim about not running the business anymore, anyway, when she has been proven to lie easily about so many things already, and has freely admitted to using multiple identities for years? After all, the only 'evidence' that she has stepped back is just her own brief emailed statement.

However much she shuffles names and titles and structure, Heidi 'the Kimmer' Diaz is still very much in charge of Kimkins, still perpetuating fraud, and still profiting from every new membership sold. In fact, good authority states that she has been actively posting on the site under 6 or 7 different identities within the last month. [NOTE: Danielle Hauck, wannabefit2, noelle88/Noelle Lawson, Admin, PimpMyDiet, Wonder Woman, and probably dwmcneill] She did take some time off of posting under any for a few days after October 15, when a lawsuit was filed against both Heidi 'the Kimmer' Diaz and the business entity of Kimkins, under any and all aliases.

She has continued to answer questions or comments from her AskKimmer gmail account. People who have emailed supportive messages to her at that address have received this message in return:

I'm still here, but behind the scenes. You can reach me anytime here -- it's just like a PM. No abandonment issues! Everyone still has "direct access". :)

(This statement seems a clever ploy to deflect any possible complaints that she defrauded on her promise of personal coaching for members.)

She also continues to manage and promote the site, by posting testimonials and blog entrees, etc. In typical Kimmer style, one of her most recent blog posts was a stolen cartoon, lifted and used without credit to the author.

Think about it realistically. Who would purchase or otherwise assume liability for a foundering business in a time of scandal and legal crisis like this?
Who, having stepped in to clear up a web of secrecy and deceit, would not then provide full disclosure, introduce themselves, open up communication, calm the members' concerns, and work overtime to correct every bit of wrongdoing?
The notion that the 'new owners' are hiding to avoid exposure by the anti-Kimkins 'haters' is preposterous! That is simply not how legitimate businesses operate.

No, the vague unsubstantiated statement, accompanied by empty assurances, and followed by the banning of anyone who questions the story is very much more of the same Kimmer treatment. Lying and hiding to protect herself while allowing the Admins to do the work, take the heat, and cover for her is very much Heidi's style.

Kimmer had previously discussed in PMs to at least 2 Admins how things might continue to function if she were forced to "leave" for a while. That is all this is ---- a pretense of 'leaving' while waiting for things to 'blow over'. (Not going to happen!)

Some of the less deeply-involved Admins did not know this was coming until the got the same email everyone else did. Just as none of them met the real Kimmer, none of them have met or know anything about the 'new' people, either. However, whether the current Admins know this is a ruse, or sincerely believe Kimmer's story, they are being used, once again, to front for a lie.

Heidi keeps lying, even to her own members, because it's what she does.

The Case Against Heidi Diaz . . .

2007-10-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

. . . . Kimkins, and all associated "Does" (meaning aliases, as in John Doe/Jane Doe)

If you would like to see for yourself the extent and nature of the complaints, and the weight of evidence so far gathered against Heidi Diaz/Kimmer/Kimkins, you can access it through a public records search by clicking here.

To log in, enter GUEST in the spot for Operator Code, and leave the password field blank.

On the next screen, enter Diaz as last name, Heidi as first name. (If you do that, it will bring up two cases, the first one being her impending December court date for being in default on student loans, and the second one being this lawsuit.)

and/or enter the Case Number: RIC483005

Scroll down to the last entry, "COMPLAINT FILED FAST TRACK - SUMMONS ISSUED" and click on the little camera icon.

You will be able to download and view 30 pages at a time.
There are 215 pages altogether.

KTLA - Part 3

2007-10-19T01:02:00.000-05:00

KTLA Exclusive!!! Internet diet Scam Exposed

In this 3rd installment of his expose' of 'the Kimmer' and the Kimkins diet scam, reporter Chip Yost of KTLA television station in Los Angeles tipped off viewers to some BIG NEWS I have known for some time and had been asked to keep quiet.

In the broadcast on Thursday, October 18, reporter Chip Yost features the fake success stories using stolen 'Russian bride' photos, including Kimmer's infamous 'red dress' fraud.

He leaked news of the rapidly escalating legal challenges facing Heidi K. Diaz (Kimmer) and Kimkins, reported that the lawsuit has already been filed, and that Heidi 'the Kimmer' Diaz will be required to appear for deposition on November 1, 2007.

This is a major milestone in the case against Heidi Diaz/Kimmer, and it is only the beginning of actions that will soon bring a halt to the Kimkins fraud.

To watch Part 3, click here.

The series will continue, as more information surfaces and new developments occur.

I repeat what I said after the last episode, with even more urgency:

Kimkins is winding down, and Kimmer is running out of time.

For any remaining Kimkins members, it is past time to be looking for a new forum to join. This cannot last much longer, and it will not end well.

Kimkins: The Perfect Storm, Part 4

2007-10-11T21:58:00.000-05:00

It is beyond belief that anyone would honestly say you abused the plan. You EPITOMIZED the plan. You were Kimmer's star pupil, her protege, her chosen cover girl. Kimmer checked and approved your FitDay more than once, and always suggested even more cuts to lower things. You were the one Kimmer asked to cover the 'Ask Kimmer' thread for her. You were the one Kimmer selected to run the Kimkins 'Loser Line' Chats. You were the one whose "FAQ: How I Did It" thread was pinned up at the top of the main forum for all to see and follow, with Kimmer's full support and blessing. You and your 300 calorie egg-white days were the example she threw in my face when I complained that the diet wasn't working as promised. You are STILL the one whose weight loss story is on the front page of the site, to sell memberships!

In fact, Kimmer's comment on Christin's FAQ thread was, "Brava, girl!"

What about the allegations of Kimmer recommending daily laxative use for weight loss?

"How about just doing a 25% dosage for a couple of days? Well, actually every day to compensate for the lack of veggie fiber . . . . I predict you'll absolutely have a "whoosh", LOL."

"If anybody is doing MoM [Note: Milk of Magnesia], it needs to be a daily thing since Kimkins is low in fiber. If you take MoM and get "action", then stop taking MoM, everything will begin backing up again and the scale will show a fake gain.

Are we going to be laxative addicts? No. Once you're close to goal and begin adding back good higher fiber carbs (not Twinkies!), things will move on their own. Or maybe not? The market is chock full of laxatives and not everyone who's buying them is doing low carb so there must be a serious constipation problem out there!

A reminder for dosage is take the maximum dose the first (and maybe second) night, then a 25% or 50% dose every night thereafter."

I could give so many more examples of Kimmer actively encouraging extremely low calories, fasting for weight loss, daily laxative use, and of her being either oblivious or accepting of eating-disordered behavior. Personally, I have come to believe that is how she once lost some weight, though that approach left her unable to reach goal and maintain it, as she claimed. I believe she herself is extreme and disordered in her eating, and that will always eventually come through in any eating plan or diet site she is part of --- and she is still in charge of Kimkins, have no doubt.

Whether recommending and supporting members in attempts to fast off 100 lbs., or to eat nothing but egg whites or nothing but fish for months at a time, she was and is the driving force of 'the plan behind the plan' that created the Kimkins culture.

When I first read these types of things, I thought I must have been misunderstanding --- that Kimmer could not possibly mean what it seemed like she was saying. I thought maybe she just lacked social or communication skills. After a while, as I began to realize how extreme her views really are, I tried to mitigate and buffer them as best I could with a more reasonable and balanced approach.

At times, though, I still felt myself being sucked into the vortex of ever-lower calories for continuing losses. Even as an intelligent middle-aged woman, I sometimes caught myself toying with the flitting idea of a few days of fasting or a dose of laxative tea, just to see the scale reach a magic number. It frightened me.

Anyone at Kimkins who has avoided 'the plan behind the plan' did so in spite of Kimmer, no thanks to her.

The 'plan behind the plan' IS the plan.
The rest was just a front.

'Professional' Practices of Kimkins, Take 3: The Infamous Red Dress Picture

2007-10-07T23:03:00.000-05:00

As if any further proof of fraudulent business practices at Kimkins by Kimmer/Heidi is needed, check this out:

This is the beautiful 'red dress' picture that Heidi/Kimmer posted on the new Kimkins site in late May, 2007, claiming it was her current 'after' picture. She even told stories of the photo shoot, of needing a few glasses of wine to loosen up, of how the photographer had her twist and turn to look her best, how the lighting and filters were 'kind' to her. She 'modestly' accepted praise for her beauty, gave credit for her youthful appearance to her supposed Retin-A routine, gave credit to 'good genes' for her firm muscle tone.

Kimmer's target market, primarily desperate, overweight women, were to believe that this was the current photo of an almost 50-year old woman who had lost almost 200 pounds in less than a year, and maintained it. In actual fact, it turns out to be the stolen photo of a 27-year old Russian mail-order bride named Lesya. See the original source here.

Here is another photo of Lesya from that same Russian agency:
(Thanks go to buzzybee of LCF for this discovery.)

This photo has recently been removed from the Kimkins website, but, at the time of this writing at it can still be seen as Kimmer's 'after' shot on various newsletters and blogs around the internet, not to mention in archived copies stored for the legal authorities.

Kimmer played upon the hopes and fears and deepest emotions of an already vulnerable group of people. She eagerly sold them the lies she knew they so fervently wanted to hear, with her full assurance that she could help them achieve their dreams, as she claimed she had done. She exploited the photos of these Russian mail-order brides, who are an already exploited group of women. Then she used these photos to exploit tens of thousands of trusting customers who were willing to risk $60 on the fond hope these wonderful results could be theirs as well.

That is not only immoral---it is illegal.
It is not just a bad business judgment --- it is fraud.

And, at this late stage of the game, those associated with Kimkins who knowingly suppress this evidence, or delete posts pointing out this evidence, may be seen as accessories after the fact to fraud, and share in the guilt.

The 'Professional' Practices of Kimkins, Revisited

2007-10-05T03:21:00.000-05:00

On 9/27, I wrote:
~ Fraudulent Marketing: In her marketing campaign, she lied to prospective members by spamming Craigslist with fake listings to plug Kimkins, by posting phony 'articles' and answers and numerous blogs for Kimkins all over the internet under various names, by promoting Kimkins with false implied celebrity endorsements specifically to target teens, and primarily by posting numerous fraudulent 'success' stories with 'lifted' and photoshopped 'before' and 'after' pictures. She also made numerous claims she had no proof of or right to make, in violation of FTC regulations.

A recent breakthrough brought irrefutable proof of this false advertising. Struck by the thought that certain 'success story' models looked vaguely Eastern European, former Kimkins member vanillasky (aka Cilantro at lowcarbdiscussion, or Caro at LCF) decided to check Russian 'mail-order bride' sites, and soon stumbled upon a photo that Kimmer had claimed was an 'after' image of a Kimkins success. As news of that discovery spread across the internet, many other people, primarily a large contingent from LCF, began searching various similar sites, finding phony 'success' after 'success' very quickly.

They also found that the names Kimmer and Kimmer2 were already taken at some of those Russian site forums.

Remember "Kim Drake' in the leopard print blouse from Woman's World?

At the time of this writing, the group's efforts have uncovered the real photos of:
'Kim Drake', the alias that Heidi/Kimmer used in Woman's World magazine
'Vanessa', imaginary Kimkins Affiliate Manager
21 false 'success stories'

and are continuing to search for more.

See them all here at Kimkins Exposed.

It is now evident that Kimkins actually has very few verifiably real success stories.
At least one prominent success story freely admits to using Kimkins less than half of the time. Another one used another low-carb plan instead of Kimkins.

Even worse, at least half of the real success stories have now renounced Kimmer and Kimkins completely, and been banned from membership. Many of those have filed cease and desist orders, to have the use of their names, images, and stories completely removed from the site.

These photos seems to be clear evidence of criminal fraud. This information has been turned over to the proper authorities.

Kimkins is collapsing.

KTLA - Part 2

2007-10-04T02:53:00.000-05:00

KTLA Exclusive!!! Internet diet Scam Exposed

Watch Part 2 here.

In this broadcast from Wednesday, October 3, reporter Chip Yost highlights the health risks associated with Kimkins as well as the looming legal problems facing Heidi K. Diaz (Kimmer) and Kimkins.

The series will continue, as more information surfaces and new developments occur.

Kimkins is winding down, and Kimmer is running out of time.

For any remaining Kimkins members, it is past time to be looking for a new forum to join. This cannot last much longer, and it will not end well.

This just in . . . . . .

2007-10-03T02:01:00.000-05:00

The KTLA website proclaims: KTLA Exclusive!!! Internet diet Scam Exposed

Part 1 of a series exposing Kimmer of the Kimkins diet aired Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 10 PM on KTLA television in Los Angeles.

Part 2 is due to air Wednesday, Oct. 3.
Chip Yost is the investigative reporter working on this story.

Watch the video of Part 1 here.

The voice heard is unmistakably that of Kimmer, heard on the phone interview podcast with Jimmy Moore. Others who have spoken to Kimmer on the phone confirm that it is definitely her voice.

Other recent information sheds even further confirmation on the fact that Kimmer of Kimkins definitely IS Heidi Diaz as seen on this video, and definitely is NOT the 'lady in the red dress' previously presented as Kimmer's 'after' photo.
Watch for further developments as this unfolds.

Robert Charlton of Alliance Investigative Services, the private investigator working on this case, describes the surveillance in more detail here.

This controversy has now spilled from internet diet sites out into the real world, and it will only spread from here. The end is near for Kimkins.

Once again, I plead with the few remaining Admins of Kimkins to walk away, far and fast, in case it is not too late.

I plead with the members remaining at the Kimkins site to really examine the evidence with an open mind and heart. Whatever you may think about the motives of those on 'the other side' and however poorly or hurtfully it may at times have been conveyed, please just be willing to examine the preponderance of evidence, and realize that there is even more that is not published here, but is in the hands of authorities even at this moment.

There is a reason this is newsworthy, and it is not a jealous business vendetta, or overly-dramatic bloggers or bored online posters, as Kimkins members have been told. It would not have gotten this far if it was just a smear campaign with no basis. This is making the news, and will continue to make bigger news, because Heidi K. Diaz is defrauding the public with reckless disregard for their health and safety.

Leave Kimkins and find an online home elsewhere now, where you can continue to lose weight in a supportive and healthy environment. Soon, you will have no choice anyway, because the Kimkins site as you knew is going, and will soon be gone.

Kimkins: The Perfect Storm, Part 3

2007-09-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

What happens when a deceitful, disordered person promotes effective but defective diet plans which then grow into a dynamic but dysfunctional business?

That confluence forms the perfect recipe for disaster.

The ingredients?
The person, Kimmer/Heidi Diaz
The professional practices of Kimkins
The plans of Kimkins
The plan behind the plans at Kimkins
The people of Kimkins

Now, a look at the diet plans of Kimkins.

Background:

Kimmer is on record as saying that she initially lost weight as a 16 year-old single welfare mom by following Dr. Stillman's Quick Weight Loss Diet. This was known as the most severe and strict ketogenic diet possible - until Kimkins came along. The Stillman QWL diet promised and delivered quick weight loss, but had some associated health risks related to rapid weight loss. Though weight loss was fast, Stillman's was not considered a good diet to follow long-term, and maintenance was often problematic

Kimmer may have proven that true, as she has reported that her weight fluctuated up and down over the years, mostly up. She has also reported early diagnosis of thyroid problems. Still, weight regain and yo-yo dieting are common enough, and many of us have been there, and can understand those struggles.

About seven years ago, she joined Low Carb Friends, where it seems she initially followed some form of Dr. Atkins 1972 diet, as her FitDay entries and the recipes she later posted at the Kimkins site would seem to indicate. During this process, she also posted about multiple, lengthy fasting experiments, citing the medically-supervised fasts of Dr, Joel Fuhrman. Before too long, she claimed amazingly fast weight loss results, 198 lbs. gone in 11 months, though she offered no proof, and her published weight statements at the time do not seem to bear out her claims. Certainly, her own FitDay menus and recipes were more generous than what the Kimkins diet was later to become, and she seemed to rely on fasting for much of her 'loss', and for her claimed 'success' in maintenance. Nevertheless, she freely promoted her expertise with great certainty, and began to be sought as a diet guru by desperate dieters there. As her audience grew, she began recommending lower and lower fat and calories, so that others could lose as quickly as she had claimed to do. She took the low-fat cheese out of Stillman's, almost all fat, fatty meats, and dairy out of Atkins, and dropped their advice about water, exercise, supplements, multiple meals a day, and stepping up to maintenance in stages, among other things. Along the way, her personal tweaks and combinations of Stillman's and Atkins was dubbed Kimkins, and a diet disaster was spawned.

The Appeal of the Plans

Let's face it - most overweight people struggle with weight loss, because it is just plain hard, and sometimes seems almost impossible. Perhaps only one who has been seriously overweight for some time can understand just how helpless and hopeless that feels. Kimmer offered herself as a shining example of 'one of us' who found the magic secret, the keys to the kingdom, the holy grail of weight loss, and would share these mysteries with those would follow 'Kimmer's way'. It seemed too good to be true, as many who followed Kimkins were elated with amazingly fast losses. Seeing pounds drop quickly is a powerful incentive, both to stick to the diet, and to defend it against any detractors. It can be tremendously appealing and empowering.

However, things that seem too good to be true, usually are. Regrettably, Kimkins has dangerous side that sometimes shows up early on, but often not until much later, after the damage has been done. Now that the diet has been popular for a while and been followed by a larger population, health problems are beginning to appear more and more, and it remains to be seen what the full impact of the diet will eventually be.

The Problems with the Plans

Kimmer began with recognized diets designed and tested by MDs, who wrote complete books full of solid information and explanations, including precautions and safeguards, documented by peer-reviewed studies and years of clinical practices with many thousands of patients. That basis was sound, had it been left at that. The problems came in when she began to twist and tweak and push the diets past responsible limits and strip them of their safety rails. Though she tried to claim the Kimkins plans were safe and medically-approved because they were 'based on' diets originally developed by doctors, her changes made that no longer true. Her claim to be the prime 'test case' for the efficacy of her own plans has turned out to be horribly false. Now that a sufficiently large population sample has paid for the 'privilege' of being Kimkins 'guinea pigs' for a sufficient period of time, the harmful flaws in the diets are starting to show up with alarming effects.

~ The original Kimkins is a stripped-down, low-fat version of Atkins.
~ Kimmer's Experiment (K/E) is a stripped-down version of Stillman's.
~ Boot Camp is Kimkins (or K/E) with even lower fat and very strict portion control, plus required exercise. It was was based on a fictitious 'success story' which has since been removed.
~ The Shake Option, added after protein shakes became favored by some of the members, was based on liquid protein-sparing modifed-fasting programs like MediFast.
~ The Vegetarian Option was simply adapted to appeal to that segment of the market.

All Kimkins plans as written are low carb, which gave them an air of legitimacy to many low-carbers. Responsible low-carb diets usually work very well for better health and well-being, reduced cravings, and good weight loss. Many who found Kimkins their entry into low-carb dieting have been thrilled with the benefits of low-carb eating. Many give Kimkins credit for results that rightly derive from Atkins.

In addition, despite recent disavowals to the contrary, all Kimkins plans are written and intended to be very low fat,which at first seems to make sense by common diet sensibilities. However, as I have heard so many reports of people having such severe side effects, I have researched more, and found that the combination of low-carb with very low-fat turns out NOT to be healthy after all. It leaves little for fuel or nourishment except lean protein, a condition long documented as "rabbit starvation", which is a "form of acute malnutrition caused by excess consumption of rabbit meat (and possibly other lean meats) coupled with a lack of other sources of nutrients. Symptoms include diarrhea, headache, lassitude, a vague discomfort and hunger that can only be satisfied by consumption of fat or carbohydrates." It can also contribute to something called hyperammonemia, with symptoms such as dehydration, lethargy and weakness, severe loss of appetite, even to the point of nausea, vomiting and anorexia. (SNATT, anyone?)

Kimmer has repeatedly stated that the plans as written are meant to be only moderate protein, thus effectively limiting even the main source of food allowed --- lean protein.

Thus, the overall inevitable effect of all Kimkins variations, as written, is that Kimkins is first and foremost a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD), with all the thoroughly well-documented harms associated with VLCDs. Though recently Kimkins staff and members have tried to downplay and even revise the very low-calorie aspects of Kimkins due to public pressure and threat of legal charges, there is absolutely no denying that the plans, as written, have always promoted and even required very low calorie consumption. Kimmer is well-documented in hundreds of places, at LCF, on the Kimkins site, in her newsletters and blog articles, PMs, and emails, recommending a calorie consumption of 500-600 calories or less daily. Even today, the Kimkins Vegetarian option has a top limit of 1000 calories, and Kimmer is on record as saying that it is the slowest of all Kimkins plans, because the calories are higher than the other options allow. For a long time, Kimmer promoted the Boot Camp menu as the ideal thing to follow, at 500 - 600 calories, and said the shake option, properly done with only 3 or 4 protein shakes would come in even faster than that.

While current studies seem to promise benefit from mild calorie restriction, many decades of ample scientific research consistently find severe consequences from VLCD programs. Read sources of VLCD research, including here for more details and documentation of effects such as: weakness, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, dry skin, severe hair loss, menstrual changes, intolerance to cold, sagging skin, gout, gallstones, osteoporosis, 22 - 25% reduction in metabolic rate, severely diminished thyroid function, and cardiac disturbances up to and including sudden death due to "ventricular arrhythmia after prolonged use (median 5 months) of very low calorie weight reduction regimens consisting entirely or largely of protein".

In addition, those on VLCD programs are much more apt to develop eating disorders, and are especially prone to binge eating. Furthermore, they do not fare well in maintenance. Research recommendations are that VLCDs should be followed for no more than 4 weeks at a time, with 2 month intervals in between, with extensive nutritional supplementation, and under close and careful medical supervision including cardiological monitoring before, during, and after the diet.

All that is a very far cry from an unqualified and unsuccessful dieter giving a brief list of vague guidelines, a food list, and a forum where untrained members give each other their opinions and advice.

Any recent attempts to scrub the site of foolish advice, to add disclaimers, to lay off the laxative and SNATT talk, to increase calories or to 'cycle' a week of Kimkins with a week of 'something else' is merely a belated attempt to protect Kimmer, not the members. Too many people have very clear proof of her hurtful insistence to cut lower and lower all the time, and to refuse to even consider changing her advice in any way, even in the face of pleading from her previous staff concerned about documented health problems of members. When it only affected others, she refused to even acknowledge the possibility she could be wrong; when she finally realized it would have repercussions for her, suddenly the plans began to change overnight. If they were so right and safe before, why change them now? Changing them now is an admission that they were unsafe and medically indefensible before. If Kimkins is how Kimmer 'lost weight', and "there is no faster diet, none", then what will be the Kimkins claim to fame when it is selling Atkins?

And what will be the fallout when those who once trusted her diet and were so thrilled to lose weight quickly later find that she used and misused us, at the expense of our health? Will we be glad we got the weight off in 6 months instead of a year or so, when our hair and skin and bones and muscle are thinning and aging rapidly, and when our thyroid function and metabolism has slowed to such a crawl that we cannot keep the weight off with any kind of reasonable diet? If we find ourselves disordered in our thinking about eating, like so many other ex-Kimkins dieters have been experiencing, swinging from binging to restricting and back again, will it matter then that Kimmer didn't know what she was talking about, and never could get it to work for herself, either? Will we realize then why she didn't provide an adequate ebook with solid science and strategies, or a maintenance plan that wasn't essentially yo-yo dieting? The VLCD-induced euphoria of rapid weight loss will be wiped out in a moment if we develop heart damage.

Bear this in mind: the very best parts of Kimkins come from Atkins or similar low-carb plans. We might not lose as fast that way, perhaps, but we can lose safely and with more satisfaction, avoiding damage and complications down the line.

Admittedly, some of us already have lower metabolic rates or thyroid issues, and do need to watch calories as well as carbs, as Dr. Atkins said. (Reminding the low-carb community of this may be Kimmer's one positive contribution.) Atkins' books, as well as others, show how to do that safely. The exact number of calories any of us needs to lose safely and successfully may vary from person to person, but still, we all do have a number, a basal metabolic rate, that we cannot drop below for long without negative consequences. We only fool ourselves if we think we have found the magic formula for weight loss that lets us circumvent the body's defenses and get away with it.

Kimmer has said repeatedly that there is nothing about adding fats that would be healthier. That is completely false! Essential fatty acids are just that --- essential --- and MUST come from the diet, not from stored body fat, or our health will certainly suffer.

Kimmer has said repeatedly that we don't need any certain level of calories if we are still overweight. That is also completely false, as literally scores of good peer-reviewed research findings prove time and again! The harmful effects of VLCD plans cited above were studied in overweight and obese patients who restricted calorie to 800 or lower, even with good nutrient sources and medical monitoring.

Kimmer has said repeatedly that eating disorders are a matter of the mind and emotions, not the body, and that eating low calories does not in any way equate to eating disorders. Once again, that is completely false! We are getting new reliable reports every day of ex-Kimkins members struggling with the effects of eating disorders. It may be that Kimkins attracts a high proportion of predisposed individuals, but many of these are people who never had eating disorders before Kimkins. These are women who trusted Kimmer, who bought a diet they thought was safe, who posted on the forums with us, and who now face a devastating struggle with a potentially deadly disorder triggered by their choice of diet.

This is what we need to realize: people with eating disorders suffer ill health, and 20% of them will die from their disorder.

They do not become ill or die from the thoughts in their head, but from their eating behaviors.

SO, even if we do not have the thoughts and emotional patterns of an actual eating disorder, IF WE EAT THE SAME WAY AS PEOPLE WITH ANOREXIA DO, OUR BODIES WILL SUFFER THE EXACT SAME DAMAGE!

This is what people with drastic hair loss and amenorrhea and muscle wasting due to malnutrition, and with thrashed thyroid function, esophageal spasms, and even heart damage are discovering. They were once happy to be losing on Kimkins, too, until their problems started. It often takes a while to show up, and we can expect to see even more of it in the months and possibly years to come.

A Better Plan

If you want to do Kimkins as Kimmer has always intended and promoted it - realize you are playing with fire, and you'll get burned, sooner or later. ALL of the Kimkins plan variations are woefully deficient nutritionally, and some worse than others. Though the rapid weight loss is exciting at the time, many are now wishing they had taken a slower and safer path, having found that after effects simply are not worth it.

If you want to lose weight safely, please follow Atkins or another reliable low-carb method, at as high a calorie and nutrient level as will allow you to lose at the standard and safe rate. Don't even bother to call it Kimkins, because it won't be; Kimmer never built those safety precautions in for you. You need a healthier diet and a healthier support system. You have many options available

I did not follow Kimkins nearly as strictly as many have done, and not nearly as strictly as Kimmer advocated. I felt actually wonderful most of the time, unless my calories and fats went too low, as I have discussed previously. Still, I must admit to having had some 'slight' side effects, the occasional fleeting moments of dizziness or heart palpitation that I chose to dismiss at the time. Near the end, my skin tone and muscle tone suffered, and my hair is coming out at an alarming rate. I hope I have avoided anything worse. It is distressing to realize that how I have eaten and what I have encouraged was just plain wrong. I hope I can help someone avoid my mistakes by speaking up, though I sincerely wish I had learned and realized all this much sooner. I was lied to, as we all have been, and I guess I just wanted so desperately to believe it was true.

Kimkins: The Perfect Storm, Part 2

2007-09-27T14:10:00.000-05:00

What happens when a deceitful, disordered person promotes effective but defective diet plans which then grow into a dynamic but dysfunctional business?

That confluence forms the perfect recipe for disaster.

The ingredients?
The person, Kimmer/Heidi Diaz
The professional practices of Kimkins
The plans of Kimkins
The plan behind the plans at Kimkins
The people of Kimkins

Now, a look at the professional practices of Kimkins.

Kimmer first gave out her brand of diet advice (as well as hair care and skin care tips) for years on Low Carb Friends, which garnered both followers and foes. I am not sure when the idea of her own site first began in her mind, whether it was all a carefully-laid plan, or just an opportunity too good to pass up when it arose. Judging from her track record of not sticking very long with any one thing (whether it be school or work or a relationship), I would guess that it was the latter. My conjecture is that she joined the diet site in all sincerity, hoping to lose weight like anyone else. She probably learned some things and had some initial success, but then, being Kimmer, she just couldn't help embellishing things a bit, highlighting her successes and ignoring her failings, amplifying it more and more, becoming more extreme over time, as it began to attract some attention. Gradually, the gap between her words and her actions widened, as she could not follow through with her knowledge and intentions, but could not allow herself to back down and admit it, either.

She may have done what many of us have done ---- promised herself to get back on track tomorrow, next week, next month, try to be extra strict to make up for it, only to give in to her old ways again. Her real life wasn't working for her at all --- but online she could be the best possible version of herself, everything she every dreamed of, until perhaps she came to believe it herself. The attention and approbation were too addicting.

At some point, it seems, delusion reigned supreme, and there was no backing down. As her claims became more grandiose and her polarizing presence began to dominate and draw heat more and more at the LCF forum, another member, Catherine, approached her with the idea of an ebook and a website to sell it. (Read more here.) I think it was the brass ring, the golden goose, and Kimmer/Heidi grabbed at the opportunity. Once that thought was there, I do believe Kimmer purposely aggravated her enemies and gathered her fans even more, setting the stage for her big exit. Soon, 'Kimmer' flounced off in a huff, and Kimkins.com was launched as a partnership between Heidi Diaz, supposed diet guru and Catherine McDonald, tech expert.

In the early days of the Kimkins website, Kimmer seemed to have it all --- a successful diet plan, satisfied customers who were easy to please, low overhead, and a competent business partner who made her ideas work. Her departure from LCF calmed down hostilities quite a bit all around, and Kimmer was left to operate her own site in her own little corner of the internet with little interference. If she had made the right moves then, Heidi/Kimmer might possibly have been able to continue on course to a legitimate business success for quite some time to come. However, because Kimmer at her core is a fraud, it was inevitable that any enterprise built on that basis would soon begin to crumble.

Kimmer was not only a fraud in her own personal claims of large, rapid weight loss, but she soon began building the business of Kimkins around fraud at virtually every level --- member service, marketing, and management.

~ Fraudulent Member Service: She lied to her members about the safety and efficacy of her diet plans, leading them to believe her plans were safely based on the recognized plans of doctors such as Dr. Atkins and Dr. Stillman, while continuing to push them ever farther away from the cautions and sensible limits of those plans. She assured members it was safe, because, after all, it had worked so well for her, or so she said. She also began to be less and less available to members, despite her promised member benefit of 'personal coaching'. She ignored or gave inadequate and misleading answers to valid member concerns. This was because she apparently preferred to spend her energies on marketing, to keep new paying customers coming in the front door while leaving the members mostly on their own to look out for one another.

~ Fraudulent Marketing: In her marketing campaign, she lied to prospective members by spamming Craigslist with fake listings to plug Kimkins, by posting phony 'articles' and answers and numerous blogs for Kimkins all over the internet under various names, by promoting Kimkins with false implied celebrity endorsements specifically to target teens, and primarily by posting numerous fraudulent 'success' stories with 'lifted' and photoshopped 'before' and 'after' pictures. She also made numerous claims she had no proof of or right to make, in violation of FTC regulations.

~ Fraudulent Management: Heidi/Kimmer entered into partnership with Catherine originally under false pretenses, and continued to lie to her about many things, including the source of the 'success stories'. It also appears that Heidi skimmed a certain part of the gross proceeds from the partnership before profits were split, by funneling income to supposed affiliate accounts which actually led back to her. It is unclear whether proper legal or tax filings were ever made, though it does not appear they were.

In matters big and small, every bit of the Kimkins enterprise was fraught with deception. It was bound to catch up to her sooner or later.

Before too long, Catherine began to have concerns about Heidi's integrity, and backed out of the partnership. At this point, Kimmer claims to have brought in 4 other partners to finance Catherine's buyout, but this is highly doubtful. For one thing, one of the partners she claims to have brought in at that time is Heidi Diaz, but photographic and written evidence clearly shows that Kimmer herself is Heidi Diaz. (For example, Kimmer has always acknowledged that Catherine was her partner in the beginning, and Catherine signed the original partnership agreement with Heidi Diaz.) Other names mentioned as possible 'partners' include Dennis Sharp (her son), Vanessa Sharp and/or Romero (Vanessa Romero is her niece), Nicki or Nikki Sharp, and Tish Diaz. It is extremely unlikely that these relatives are actually working, decision-making partners as Kimmer leads people to believe. It is possible they put up some money so Heidi could buy out Catherine; it is possible she got money from them under some other pretext; it is very possible they know little or nothing, and she is just using their names to seem like a larger and more legitimate enterprise. Nicki and later Vanessa disappeared from the "Meet Your Team' roster some time ago, so it is possible they were based on actual people who became aware of the use of their identities, and protested it.

I have seen various things supposedly 'written' by some of those names and now Brad Johnson. To me. they all have the same unmistakable writing style, and are all almost surely written by Heidi herself, who freely admits to writing frequently under various male and female names. No one has ever spoken or communicated with any of them, except through Kimmer, and she trotted out the same excuses over and over as to why they were not available. (Usually they were 'called out of town to deal with a sick father'.) Kimmer herself often spoke to me of doing all affiliate payouts and answering affiliate questions, even though she supposedly had an affiliate manager. These 'partners' were probably a construct that Kimmer used to pass blame, as when criticizing someone ('the partners don't think they are getting their money's worth') or floating unpopular ideas ('the partners are pressing to make the fees monthly vs. lifetime membership', which she brought up to me several times), as well as to provide other 'identities' under which to hide income.

In fact, there is no good reason to assume that the entity of Kimkins is anything other than Heidi Diaz sitting at her computer pumping out fraudulent marketing and picking up funds from Paypal and the mailbox, with a tech guy or two working remotely and unaware of the real situation, and paid and unpaid admins and members doing the heavy lifting on the site.

The best of businesses, with a solid business plan and an experienced team of managers would have been hard pressed to absorb the massive explosion of growth that occurred with the Woman's World magazine feature. Kimmer only had forum helpers with very little knowledge of the true nature of the business; after all, she could not afford to bring anyone into her confidence, because she had too many secrets to hide. So, Heidi was suddenly way out of her league. She was gleeful at the funds rolling in, and foolishly thought she could continue to get away with the same type of scamming indefinitely. She was even in contact with Star magazine for another feature. Who knows? Maybe she even thought she could lose the weight, go legit, and make it work. However, her newfound success soon began to cave in on her.

Once thousands of new members hit the site and began trying to understand and apply the diet, the pressure was too heavy and all the cracks in the foundation soon began to appear. Without the personal mentoring and reinterpretation of the diets that new members had received before, the flaws and gaps in Heidi's business soon became very evident. Many of those coming in with fresh eyes clearly saw the disparity between what was promised and what was delivered. Many clearly saw the dangers of the diet plans, all of them. Of the 40,000 or more who joined, most never even tried the diet once they actually saw it, and many who did try it did not stick with it long. Meanwhile, all the massive attention the diet was receiving reignited the smouldering controversy that she thought she had left behind at LCF. However, Heidi did have two things working in her favor: the misplaced support of people like me who encouraged new members to stick with it, and the absolute sheer desperation of overweight people who had almost given up hope. For my own blindness and supporting role in it, I am sick-to-my-stomach sorry, and beg forgiveness.

At this time, Heidi seemed manic with delight over the income rolling in, and eager to spin off new ventures - more magazine and media features, merchandise, and related enterprises like the nutrition business she offered me. She could hardly be bothered with member support or complaints, and brushed off all concerns as something irrelevant, hardly worthy of her attention, even as worrisome side effects and evidences of her dishonesty mounted. Thus, the round of emails I pressed on her, with the results that we admins began to leave and express our concerns and experiences.

Our exits and warnings further precipitated a rash of blockings and bannings, as other members took up the banner and began speaking out. The business of Kimkins is now woefully in breech of the terms of their agreement with their members, who paid for lifetime membership in a healthy and safe diet followed by a woman who lost 198 lbs in 11 months and maintained it, only to be booted without warning when they complained that the diet was unsafe and the owner's story was a lie. Members have had 'privileges' like private messaging and blog links in their signatures revoked, have been flamed and harangued mercilessly for any hint of breaking ranks,and have been banned without warning, redress, or refund on the vaguest pretext of 'violation of Terms of Service', which, like the diet plans and disclaimers, are an ever-moving target, conveniently changed after the fact.

Kimmer had it all --- a million dollar website, a great staff, great member loyalty, and great future prospects. And due to great greed, arrogance, and dishonesty she threw it away.

Kimmer is now behaving like a rat backed into a corner, biting and snarling, while looking for a way to escape unscathed. She is starting to meltdown, trying to cover her tracks and salvage what she can, leaving more of the running of things in the hands of unqualified admins. Perhaps she still thinks she can pull it off, or perhaps she is making her exit plans. As she continues to overestimate herself and underestimate her opponents, she will find, once again, that she has made a grave mistake in waiting too long.

Kimmer is a dangerous fraud, and the business of Kimkins is a dangerous fraud.
Both need to be stopped, and the sooner, the better.

Kimkins: The Perfect Storm, Part 1

2007-09-21T14:56:00.000-05:00

There and Back Again, Part 4

2007-09-12T22:08:00.000-05:00

We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are.
~ Anais Nin

I didn't mean to write a multi-volume book, but I guess I've been carrying a lot to say for a long time. This part chronicles my disillusionment with and dissolution of my involvement with Kimkins.

By mid-July, the first Woman's World members had been there for about 6 weeks, and things were not as frantically busy on the site. Since I was not as occupied trying to keep up with newbie questions, I had a little more time to poke around the site. I began to wander into sections I hadn't visited and notice things I had not noticed before. Yes, many people were losing amazingly fast, and feeling quite well and happy. Yes, many people had plugged in and made close friends in their groups. I wanted it to just be that way. However, I couldn't help noticing a growing minority who were NOT doing well at all. At first, I thought it was the usual few days of Induction Flu, but the more I read, the more I could see this was ongoing. For many, their moods were poorer, their energy was down, and their weight loss was stalling more and more. Some complained of weakness and dizziness, even fainting. A few reported losing wads of hair. At least one posted that she had to be hospitalized. I saw many more signs of eating disordered thinking and behaviors. I began to hear rumblings of similar cases filtering in.

At first, I didn't understand why these members were struggling in ways that earlier members had not (at least to a degree that I was aware of). Heidi tried to pass it off as individuals 'taking it to the extreme', apparently "too stupid" to notice 'pre-existing' health problems and go to a doctor.

I cannot accept that, for several reasons:
1) These people had no history of pre-existing conditions or problems before the diet.

2) Even if those were pre-existing conditions, a healthy weight loss diet should not trigger those problems to that degree. If this plan put people with previous eating disorders at risk of retriggering them, that should be clearly spelled out with huge warnings. (Not to mention, it simply should not happen.)

3) If the diet could even remotely be responsible for provoking dangerous medical problems, even in a tiny predisposed minority, then the person who took money from them to sell them the diet owed it to them to protect them.

Offering nothing but a one-page list of diet options and a food list, then expecting members and moderators to take it from there, is completely negligent and dangerously irresponsible when people are reporting potentially life-threatening symptoms as a consequence of the diet!

Even if you think people are "stupid", Heidi, if you are willing to take money from "stupid' people, you owe it to them to safeguard them. People should have to deliberately climb over all kinds of warnings and precautions to put themselves in harms' way. That is what legitimate diets and legitimate diet experts do. If coffee cups have to warn people that coffee is hot, what makes you think you can sell a potentially risky diet and then blame the purchasers for getting harmed?! How dare you!

And, how is it that once you were made aware of people being harmed, you denied it, yet put up after-the-fact disclaimers to protect yourself, but have not yet significantly protected the health of your customers?

4) Many of those with frightening medical symptoms were, in fact, not 'taking it to the extreme' but were, in fact, following the diet exactly as written.

I have come to believe that the reason we had not seen more of these problems sooner was simply because enough of the early membership had come from low-carb diet boards that understood the essence of low-carbing, and automatically interpreted the 'just enough fat to make it work' provision to a reasonably sufficient level. We as members had protected ourselves by sharing any prior knowledge, or even accidentally by simply not sticking fully to the plans as written.

But, when the big magazine rush arrived, there was no adequate framework in place to incorporate them --- no promised ebook, no studies, no safeguards, nothing but a few pages of guidelines and a member forum with lots of exuberance and far too few experienced members available. Then, when the new members were told to 'stick to the lists' and 'follow the plan as written', they trusted the diet and actually followed it pretty much as written. Unfortunately, it now appears that some of them suffered some severe consequences as a result of their misplaced trust.

Heidi, why is it that the more closely people 'stick to the lists' and follow your plans as you have written them, the more likely they are to develop these problems?

I have thought long and hard about this, and gradually realized that all the Kimkins variations, strictly taken at face value as written, are in and of themselves nutritionally inadequate. It was only ever the personal 'tweaking' and extra supplementation that we members took upon ourselves to do that ever made any of the plans viable. (I will say more about this in a subsequent post.)

So, at this point in my concerns, and for the first time in the big blur of activity since the magazine, I had occasion to take some time away from the site for a long weekend family trip, and really step back and consider what I was seeing. That same weekend, controversy over the 'Fascination' thread at LCF spilled into the Kimkins forums, from people complaining about 'haters' there. I went to LCF to look. I read what I considered many exaggerated and inflammatory speculations from some who were offended by Kimmer's former treatment of them at LCF, and from some who just seemed to want to pass the time in gossip. It was offensive and I wanted to just write it off. However, I did read some thoughtful and intelligent comments making valid points confirming some of the same worries that I was now having. I had to give credence to some of their positions, because I was already coming to many of the same conclusions.

Within a few days of my return from that weekend trip, I started the round of emails I have already written about, to give Heidi a chance to answer my concerns and address the erupting conflict that was now affecting the site. As I said, her answers not only confirmed my growing suspicions, they chilled me with the knowledge that no matter how bad I had thought it was, it was actually much worse. I knew it was over for me then.

At that time, my newborn grandson went into the hospital, and I quit posting. When he was better, I came back to the site, caught up on over 60 PMs, and posted a little bit here and there, where I felt like I could or was required to, while I tried to get my bearings and figure out what to do. I thought about deleting all my old posts, but I had over 4000 posts anyway, and I could never get through them all without Heidi catching on. I began trying to make offsite contact, by putting my email address and little hints out there, and I started contacting the other moderators, as I mentioned. I figured Heidi was onto me, watching every move. I know she was mad at me for not cheerleading for her, and for not deleting the 'trouble-maker' threads. At that point, I was trying to buy time to get the word out to a few key people.

The August 6 payday came and went with no money and with me locked out of the site. I knew then how the game would be played out. I had seen hints of this with our previous lead tech guy, who quit/got fired/quit 3 times. So, on August 9, I emailed Heidi simply,"I was wondering if I would be paid this week." I was fully prepared to be told no, because I knew I had not been doing what she hired me to do, nor was I willing to. Fair enough.

She sent back a typical response intended to intimidate me back into line. It began, "From all indications it seemed to us that you had quit?"

I sent back a response saying she was out of line, her personal statements to me were uncalled for, and ending, "I find, once again, that I cannot get on the site. I am being banned? If so, I think you are making a terrible mistake, both in how you are treating me, and in the fallout all this type of thing will have on you down the line."

She emailed back, "Before I reply, would you care to revise any part of your statement?"

I ignored her.

Five days later, on August 14, she sent me an almost-apology, offering me my position and the nutrition business back.

Obviously, I did not take it.

It was a while before any public statements were made, longer still before she removed my Admin tag and 'Meet Your Team' blurb (at my insistence), and longer still for the truth to begin to come out.

I regret any and all aid I ever gave to Kimmer/Heidi Diaz, and her business enterprise. I would revoke it all if I could.

I am glad for my weight loss, but, I did that - she didn't.
And as she said, I wasn't really doing her version of Kimkins, anyway.

The only thing I do not regret is the fact that I met some wonderful people at her site, no thanks to her. Those relationships are the silver lining in this storm.

There and Back Again, Part 3

2007-09-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are.
~ Anais Nin

As April drew to an end, I stayed on at Kimkins. I never pressed Kimmer about the banning, because I already knew I would not like anything she might say, and she never mentioned it. (In fact, our communication tended to be brief and to the point, because I already knew I did not want to be Heidi's friend.) Though I remained, I never trusted things quite like before, and it weighed heavily on me. Still, with the Kimkins issue of Woman's World magazine set to debut in early June, and the site getting revamped, I had plenty to do, so I just threw myself into the task at hand. It was a welcome diversion.

As these things tend to do, the site launched late, and the magazine came out early. The site had its good features, but was quite buggy and not as functional as the previous one. Boot Camp was revised and made even stricter (for the third time), some other plan details were changed, and two new ill-advised plans (the shake option and the vegetarian option) were sprung on us. Existing members were disgruntled at the changes, and still trying to figure out how to make profiles and avatars and signatures, when the magazine hit mailboxes. The magazine response was mind-blowingly astounding, far exceeding anybody's wildest imaginings. We jumped from less than 4000 members to around 40,000 in a matter of weeks. Literally thousands of new members were joining daily. Someone would post "New here today and looking for a buddy" and by day's end, there would be a buddy group with a hundred newbies in it. Sometimes the forums would be mobbed with 100 posts a minute, with questions filling up the pages and falling off to page 2 or page 3 before anyone could even see and answer it. New members would run from thread to thread posting a long string of frantic questions in random threads, and, not knowing how to navigate back to that thread, would go somewhere else and post them again. (Hi, I am new and need to lose 167 lbs. Could someone explain the diet. It says 20 carbs - whats a carb, and is that per meal or per day? Does that include the salads and vegetables, or are they extra? What about fruit, and can I have low-fat milk, and how do I get those pictures and other cute things by my name like you all have? I hope this works.) It felt like a stampede.

Earlier members had come in at a pace of a few a week, or a few a day at most, and usually came from other diet boards and low-carb sites. At the very least, they had been computer-savvy enough to have had looked online for a diet. These new members had seen a magazine cover in the check-out line, had been galvanized by the photos, captions, and promises, and had taken a $60 chance that this would be the answer they were seeking. The magazine claimed "Better than gastric bypass!" and many who now joined were desperate to lose 100 to 200 lbs. or more, as their last hope before surgery. Some had never dieted, and most had never done a low-carb plan before. Quite a few had never been online before, certainly not on a forum, and had no idea of the basics of low-carb dieting or of forum protocol. They were simply overwhelmed.

Kimmer wasn't posting on the board at all, most of the old members had understandably retreated to their journals and challenge groups, and I was the only moderator at the time, fitting it in around my store schedule at first. Even with me on the site 16 - 20 hr. days, it was impossible to keep up with answering posts and PMs and working on site structure and management, so we quickly recruited some more moderators and helpers, almost all volunteers as far as I know. Still there were relatively few of us who had been around a while, with thousands of new members online at any given moment in the forums and in chat, so it became the blind leading the blind. It was extremely frustrating for everyone.

I was running sleep-deprived, dozing off at the computer, until my rear end was calloused and my mouse arm hurt, trying to meet the massive needs all around me. I would sometimes put my head on my desk and cry. We just couldn't keep up in the forums, and we could only poke into chat once in a while. Soon, the mantra became 'Read the lists. Stick to the lists. If it's not on the lists, don't eat it' because there was no time for real mentoring. However, since the plans were vague and self-contradictory, they were open to a range of interpretations. As I would email Kimmer with my reports and concerns, I began to be more and more disillusioned, as I felt like we were working at cross-purposes. I was pressing for simple things that would serve the members and moderators, while she was all about sales and marketing. So, I just plowed ahead, doing the best I could with the forums, and not really stopping or stepping back to think about it.

When things got crazy, Kimmer almost immediately increased my pay to $600 a month in exchange for my reducing my store hours, plus a few 'good week' bonuses unexpectedly thrown in. It went to $1000 a month in mid-June for dropping the store altogether, and finally to $2000 a month in July, with additional projects expected now that the site had calmed down. She commissioned me to research the best way to start an online nutritional store, which I did. Heidi was to loan me $20,000 interest free, no payments for 6 months, payable over 5 years after that. I was to own and operate it, with part as Kimkins Kitchen, and part as our own venture, and Heidi would promote Kimkins Kitchen in the newsletter and website like she did Kimmerware, in exchange for a cut. My husband and I drew up a prospective product list, contacted and selected suppliers (prominent among them Netrition, incidentally), opened business accounts, and purchased domain names, business licenses, and DBAs. We were ready to pull the trigger on what might have been a good future . . . and we just couldn't. Too many things began troubling me. By August I was glad to call it a loss and walk away with $1000 severance, just to be free. Altogether, in gifts and compensation, I made $8090, plus a $50 Amazon gift certificate from my time at Kimkins.

What went wrong? Many things! Another incident in the end of June had sounded a warning in my soul, and I couldn't shake it. It may or may not be a big deal to others, but I am sure it was a terrible offense to those involved, and it was a waving red flag to me. In fact, out of everything, I am most ashamed of myself over this next part.

As I said, I was busy at first just trying to keep up, and viewing this as something I had always done for the members, and could now be paid to do so I could be home with my family more. I thought if I just got through the turbulence of the magazine spike, things could go back like they were before. Then someone posted a question in the Q & A, with two different after pictures of 'Kimmer', asking if it was the same person. I panicked and overreacted. Remembering that Kimmer had already banned two people for asking something similar, and worrying about our 'happy home' at Kimkins, and feeling a certain obligation to Kimmer now that I was taking her money, I plunged in and gave the same answer Kimmer had given to Christin and me when we had asked her about it, and I said it in a most condescending and sarcastic manner. I had an immediate sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, wanting to 'protect' Kimkins from unpleasantness, but suddenly somehow just 'knowing' that I had unwittingly lied for Kimmer, and behaved quite badly doing it. I had been mean and nasty to someone, to squelch debate. I felt heartsick, and wondered what I had gotten myself into and what I was becoming. I emailed Kimmer, told her about the thread, and told her that I had been unfair and unkind to the member in response to a fair and innocent question, and was going to humbly apologize for the mess I made of it as soon as I got back from a medical appointment. Kimmer said fine - but when I got home, I found an email saying she had gotten mad and moved their thread and told off the ladies in question. After that, everything was harder, because my heart was not in it like before.

So, katinsac, wherever you are, I ask your forgiveness for my rude response to your good question. You were right to ask, and I was wrong to answer as I did. I am sorry!

If banning Amy and Kiki had been Strike 1, this was Strike 2.

There and Back Again, Part 2

2007-09-11T18:18:00.000-05:00

We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are.
~ Anais Nin

In my last post, I described how my time at Kimkins was going well, and any problems that might have flitted around a corner of my mind quickly vanished from view, because we had good stories and successes of happy people every day. Like most members there, I never even visited the main front page, let alone any other diet sites, but simply spent time in my favorite forums. As far as I knew, all was well.

In August of last year, Kimmer unexpectedly sent me a $50 Amazon gift certificate as a 'thank you' for my presence on the site. That was a surprise, but most welcome. Then, in November, she sent me a PayPal gift of $200, as a 'thanksgiving' gift, then another $200 in December for a Christmas gift. I was pleased by her generosity, and it did come in very handy, because money was very tight and Christmas had been looking very bleak. To me, it seemed a Godsend.

Then, in January, the People magazine with Mary Smith (CartBabe) on the cover, mentioning Kimkins inside, came out. That, combined with a rash of New Year's Resolutions, spiked membership up. Kimmer preferred not to deal with all the newbies (saying, "I forget not everybody already knows low carb"), so she asked if I would like to serve officially as moderator for $300 a month, and I was glad to say yes, especially since I was working a job at WalMart that I greatly disliked, and I could cut my hours a little with that. However, she stressed that it came with no promises, so it could go away at any time, depending on how the site was doing. I was already doing so much posting on the site anyway, just like so many other members were doing, so if she wanted me to delete double posts and sticky threads while I was at it, that seemed easy. I was to be a contractor, she said, so my duties and hours were not clearly specified --- just whatever I thought the $300 monthly was worth. Well, honestly, I already put in more than that on the site, so I mostly carried on posting greetings to new members and replies to questions that came up, etc. From my viewpoint, nothing changed except I could cut my hours at the store a little now that the Christmas rush was over, and spend some extra time at home online.

Kimmer and I never spoke on the phone but rather communicated by PM or email whenever something came up, which might be three times one day, then not for a week and a half. Neither of us wanted a friendship; we both already knew we had our differences. She wanted my help, and I wanted to hang out on the site, so it worked out for both of us. I had a little 'official' moderator work to do for the $300, and other than than that, I was free to post when and where I wanted, like I had done before.

This went on until an event that marks for me 'the beginning of the end'. That event was the banning of Amy(Cutie) and Kiki in mid-April. Amy and Kiki are good people, and I have been pleased to call them my friends. They were at the site from the beginning, and were hugely valuable in setting the tone there, especially all the fun and 'sparkle'. Amy was especially helpful and supportive to Kimmer in many ways, and was closer to her than anyone there. When Amy and Kiki they told me they had been banned on the spot, without warning, for daring to wonder, in private messages, about some questionable before-and-after pics on the early success stories, I knew then Kimmer was a liar. I had known all three of them a long time by then, and I never for one moment doubted Amy and Kiki or believed Kimmer as to why they were suddenly not there. Their word was good enough for me; had it not been, they had the emails to prove it.

I didn't know at that time if the pictures were fake or not. They went up after I joined, I think, or, if not, I hadn't paid them much attention. I followed my friends over, was happy, and never poked outside to look around much. Others had, though, and talk was starting to filter in, and Amy and Kiki had heard it, and were privately wondering. When I looked closer, I wondered, too, why some of them looked 'iffy', and why some of the people had never posted on the site. Kimmer offered some semi-plausible answers, and I did know we had lots of good, REAL success stories that had come through the site, including some I met in real life. So, it was kind of, sort of, almost easy to dismiss the shaky pictures, on the grounds that it would be crazy and pointless to dilute the potency of real success stories with fakes. What I could not dismiss, however, was Kimmer's outright violation of her stated promise to all the members that she could not and would not ever read PMs. (This had been a real sore spot for a lot of us when we left LCF.) I knew I could not see member PMs then, and I had believed Kimmer when she had said she could not either. So, now I knew that she was willing and able to lie to her members with a straight face and a smile, and cut off her closest 'friends' without a backwards glance. At the time, I thought it was more personal between the immediate parties. I simply had no idea how far the deception would ultimately go.

Here is the bad part, and I am deeply ashamed of this: I did not quit the site. I was hurt, confused, bewildered, and angry. My first instinct was to stomp out with my friends, just out of loyalty. But, I didn't. I didn't quite know why I didn't then, and I still don't. I should have. But my loyalties were divided. I was torn between my care for those friends, my care for the friends I would leave behind, my family's need for the money, and my selfish desire for peace and comfort. Mostly, it just didn't feel like the right timing. Here is what I said in an email at the time:

I know I will part ways with Kimmer sooner or later.
But, I have been burned a lot, and am leery of hasty
decisions made under emotional duress. I will take it
slowly and find my way. Anyway, what I do there is not
really for HER, anyway. It is for the members, and for
me. It happens to suit her for now, but it is not
ABOUT her, if that makes sense.

You ARE my friend! I miss you terribly! [deleted personal comments]

But, in fairness, you are not my only friend there.
I've spent almost a year with my challenge buddies
now. Supporting you would mean ditching them. That is
not a happy thought, either.

And, I don't know if I am up to starting a mass exodus
again. *sigh*

It is just a lot for me to process right now, and I am
taking my time with dealing with it. Maybe that is a
cop-out, but I am not ready to cause any more partings
or separations right now. I've had enough painful
partings for a while, and will chicken out of making
any more, if I can help it.

Sorry!

I would like to think that my waiting then, and leaving when I did worked to serve some greater purpose . . . and maybe it did.

If so, it was no thanks to me.

Please forgive me, my dear friends!

There and Back Again, Part 1

2007-09-11T18:16:00.000-05:00

We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are.
~ Anais Nin

I said I would write up a brief short account of my Kimkins history, but I guess I can't write a short anything, so I will have to break this into parts. I have put this off, trying to even know where to get started. This may be more cathartic for myself than helpful to others, but I have to get it out, somehow.

In spring 2006, I was at my highest weight and lowest point in life, following a serious illness, heartbreaking family crisis, loss of a family business, unexpected cross-country move, and deep financial distress. Extended bed rest, immobility, steroids, stress and grief had taken their toll. I was morbidly obese, debilitated, and desperately depressed. I had almost reached the place of giving up and expecting to die young from obesity, and honestly I wasn't all that sad about the thought. However, life is so . . . persistent, and hope springs eternal, so I went looking for one more reason to believe and try again. That is when I came upon Low Carb Friends, and the Ask Kimmer thread that occupied center stage there.

Suddenly, it seemed people were really losing weight on Kimkins even if other things weren't working for them. I already knew cutting carbs was good for me from previous efforts at low-carb dieting, and reducing calories just made sense to me for people who were stuck or metabolically resistant to losing. I believe that, at the time, the stated guidelines for Kimkins there were less than 20 grams of carbohydrate (mostly from salads and vegetables), at least 70 - 90 grams of protein, and just enough fat to make menus work. Well, I already knew the under 20 carbs part, and that seemed like a good minimum on protein for a short, small-framed, sedentary middle-aged woman (me), and eating only reasonable amounts of fat instead of excessive amounts (which is how I had interpreted Atkins at the time) just seemed pretty fine and normal to me. So I tried it that way --- and it worked! I started losing weight, and feeling great, and having hope again. I simply cannot overstate how very good that felt! It was like getting my life back again! I was so extremely grateful.

I didn't much care for Kimmer's style, but her plan was working great for me. So, I quickly hooked up with some great people on a Camp Kimkins thread at LCF, who were pretty much doing Kimkins like I was --- 3 meals, maybe snacks, cheese in recipes but not as a snack, reasonable butter or oil in cooking, etc. To my mind, this was basically, Atkins without regular bacon for breakfast or cream cheese on pork rinds for a snack or whipped cream confections for dessert. I switched from cream to Half & Half in my coffee, gave up low-carb specialty products, and saw the scale move nicely enough. So, I did that, and hung out with my new online friends, whose support gave me encouragement to keep on going.

I hadn't been there long when suddenly Kimmer wasn't there and everything seemed weird and our posts started getting edited and deleted for mentioning her name. I got upset, and posted something like, "Hey! They're messing with our posts!" I got in trouble for that there, and my posts were moderated to smithereens, and my privileges got taken away. I found out Kimmer had her own site, joined up there, and my Camp Kimkins buddies came over soon, too, so we picked up where we had left off.

At first, it was like the golden age of Camelot. Everyone was nice and friendly and happy and losing well, and all seemed calm and bright. We had our own cozy corner, and were getting along beautifully, feeling good, having fun, and doing well. After all, we had initially come from a previous low-carb diet board, and most people knew something about low-carbing with Atkins, and brought that with them as a background and a basis. People generally did not cut things to the levels I saw later. In the various challenges and buddy groups and journals where people hung out, things were generally sane and healthy and happy. Friendships were knit, pounds were lost, and lives were regained. It could hardly have been better . . . almost.

Looking back, I can see things more clearly, but, at some level, I saw it then, too, I guess. In fact, I exchanged a few puzzled emails and PMs about this back then. In truth, it seemed like the less Kimmer posted, the happier most of the board was, and the saner the eating was. The best places were the places she never went, like the challenges and journals. She pretty much only visited the main lobby (called Q & A then, and Kimkins Cafe now) and even then, mostly the Ask Kimmer thread there, unless something else caught her attention. She was posting much less on her site than she had at LCF, often wouldn't post for days, and, honestly, that was fine with most of us, because sometimes we would just cringe when she would say things that were 'off'. So, a core group of members would just post away, have fun, and keep things going fine. The members made it a lovely place. To our minds, Kimmer was an almost non-existent non-issue. At least, that is how it was for me, and others can express their own opinions.

If there were health problems then, I didn't see it. Many people would have the usual few days of 'Induction Flu', and then move on to feel well and lose well. (I never even had that to speak of, because I started with Atkins, and slowly drew back on fat and calories, vs. jumping right in.) That is not to guarantee there were no problems like we have heard of recently, but I was not aware of anything out of the ordinary for low-carb dieters, if it was happening. After all, we were mostly still viewing Kimmer's guidelines through the lens of Atkins.

What I was sometimes aware of, though, were some women (five or so) I thought showed symptoms of eating disorders. I had seen that sort of thing at the other low-carb board, too, and though it concerned me, I did not know what I could do about it. When I would see potential warning signs, I would sometimes post, or otherwise PM the person with my concerns. I brought up situations to Kimmer several times, asking her to address things. I gradually noticed that some of the ones I was most concerned with were almost something like 'Kimmer's pets', who hung out in the Q & A, mostly in the Ask Kimmer thread, and seemed more devoted to her ideas. I didn't get it or realize all the implications, having not had anorexia or bulimia myself, but I just knew something was off, and I did not understand why Kimmer didn't see it and warn them instead of giving them gold stars.

Another nagging element to me was the SNATT thing. I never had it, thank God --- but then, I had eleven pregnancies and never a day of morning sickness, so I had no reference point for that. I was glad for the idea of diminished appetite, but mine never went completely away, which was fine with me. The people I hung out with would have at most a few days of feeling a little 'icky' like a flu bug, but then be fine. Every now and then, though, there would be someone who would get truly nauseated, and not be able to eat. One girl still haunts me a little. She was one I worried about, but she was a Kimmer fan, true blue.

My other concern was the 'moving target' nature of the plans. I also emailed Kimmer about this many times, asking her to spell things out with clear explanations, and then stick to it, but she would say it was simple enough as written. People would post to the Ask Kimmer thread, saying they were doing the plan and not cheating, but not losing as promised. They would be correct; they were within published guidelines, but were not losing as promised. Then she would tell them that if they REALLY wanted to lose, they would need to cut this and cut that - well below published allowances. I would think, "Who can eat like that?" Yet, people would often come back to her and praise her profusely for helping them, and actually take her advice.

Some of us worked hard to create a supportive, positive place, and to really address members' needs. That atmosphere spread throughout the site, and as new members gradually joined, they were mentored along by the members. Most people got connected with a group of friends, and many seldom ventured out into the other parts of the site. Most people never spoke to Kimmer, even in posts, let alone PMs or emails. In a real sense, for most people, Kimmer herself was very peripheral to the site, and apart from her input, it was a wonderful place to be.

I was an early member, instrumental in bringing people over from LCF, and in shaping the board in some ways, as were many others. I posted a lot, and was nice to people, which saved Kimmer a lot of bother. Sometime last year (and I can't find any record of when that was, but it might have been October, though I could be wrong) Kimmer asked me to be a volunteer moderator, which she said was essentially what I had been doing, except that I would now have a few extra buttons on my screen that would let me delete duplicate posts (we had a big problem with that for a while), move misplaced posts, set stickies, and lock threads. I said sure, no problem, if it will help. I was the only moderator, as the site was not too large, and we really had no squabbles or insults or anything to deal with. I literally never had to step in to intervene in anything or to delete anything considered 'offensive'. People simply weren't harsh or insulting to one another. It was a special time.

When I think of Kimkins --- well, when I thought of Kimkins --- that time, that atmosphere was what the name meant to me. I fought for it, hung on to it, thought really long and hard and agonizingly before leaving it.

But, leave I eventually did, because it is no more and never can be again anything like those 'glory days'. The magic is gone.

To those who remain, because you are still holding out hope that this will all go away and things can go back like they were, may I say, I deeply, truly do understand. It was something special at one time, and worth fighting for!

But, those times are over and gone. They are never coming back. It's over.

Kimkins is finished, whether it continues operation for a while longer or not.

I am sorry for our loss. Our loss. I lost a lot, too, maybe more than most.

I haven't done this to Kimkins. LCF hasn't done this to Kimkins. No one else has done this to Kimkins. Make no mistake. Kimmer did this to Kimkins. She has poisoned her own well. The sweetness is gone, and it is ruined.

Please, friends, leave. Leave now. It's OK. You'll be fine! There are lots of other low-carb and diet sites where you can recapture what was good, without the bitter taint.

You'll find lots of friends when you do.

NOW I get it!

2007-09-10T18:46:00.000-05:00

My deep thanks go to Stephanie, who posted a link for me to read in her comments on a recent blog post.

When I read this, I was completely blown away! It describes to a T, and much better than I could, exactly what I and the others who have gotten close enough long enough have experienced. In fact, I could think of vivid examples of every point, and i am sure others could chime in as well.

This is long, but if you are looking of insight, this is the best I've seen yet. It helps make a little possible sense of what has been a mystery to me:
http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/traits.html

Disturbing Disconnect

2007-09-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

I said I would post several more things, and I will post them. First, though, I want to take another shot at explaining a little better just how disturbing Heidi/Kimmer's remarks felt to us at the time, and why they precipitated a mass exodus of those of us on the receiving end. As I said, it is hard to describe without some context how it hit those of us in the conversation.

Bear in mind, we were people who had borne the brunt of the work load of the massive explosion of membership, working many long hours, most volunteering with no pay at all, and even the couple of paid people were voluntarily putting in many more hours than compensated for, because we truly wanted to help out and help others have success. We had gone to the mat for the members, for the diet, and, by extension, for Kimmer. We felt like we were having to address things we shouldn't have had to do, in essence doing Kimmer's work and making excuses for her, because she would not produce an ebook, would not clarify the vagueness of the diet, would not fix the site problems, would not take even the tiniest simple steps to clear up what should have been easily-solvable non-issues, like her name and appearance. (And, yes, that obviously DOES matter, both legally and ethically, if she promotes her diet business with herself as the prime example and selling point.) People who were working their hearts out for the site with little or no pay were being wearied and compromised and scrutinized and criticized, without thanks, while she deliberately hid herself behind them and let them take all the heat. We were the ones interacting with the members, answering their posts and PMs, hearing their concerns, watching their struggles, seeing things fall apart for many of them. Yes, we had success losing weight, and yes, others were, too, but we could not overlook the fact that others just as important, members who had paid money for this, were also having horrible health problems that were being completely ignored and denied with woeful disregard. And, we thought we finally had a chance to speak to her about these things.

We poured out our hearts about real issues, real problems, real people being hurt, and, instead of real solutions, we were answered back with corporate brainstorming about how to spin it. No acknowledgment that the people mattered at all. In fact, in another conversation at around this time, she went so far as to say she couldn't help it if they were 'too stupid' to go to the doctor with medical problems, because it could NOT have anything to do with the diet at all. Why not? Because she KNEW so - low carb never hurt anyone. So, I pressed back with the idea that, no, maybe not just low carb, though it does have a natural diuretic effect, but how about combined with low calories, low essential fatty acids, low sodium, low mineral intake from inadequate vegetables and supplementation, overuse of laxatives, and then exercise on top of that, which is a subject she knows nothing about. She basically answered that 200 calories a day from a piece of chicken and a cup of salad were all anyone needed, and nothing about adding fat or anything else would make that better. Period. The message to us was clear, and clearly disconnected from reality: she cannot be wrong, and she will not back down, so therefore those things must not be happening. End of subject.

We talked about how all the controversy was distressing members and causing them to drop out, and she answered back with glee about how Kimkins was financially solid and all this was good for 'sales'. (So, once you pay, she has your money, so you can leave for all she cares. After all, it saves her bandwidth, and she can just replace you with new paying customers.)

We talked about her responsibility to address these issues for the sake of the members and her business, and she just repeatedly went off on a paranoid rant about how Amy/Cutie and Catherine were out to get her and it was all their fault. That is simply not true, btw, and, even if it were, it completely denies her own personal responsibility for having banned them when they suspected her of her dishonest and illegal business practices. It became so clear that she cares nothing for us or the other members as persons, or their actual well-being, or even their weight loss, except as useful tools, a means to her ends, another selling point for her. It is, in her mind, all about her, all about her money, and all about 'us' vs. 'them'. It felt like a frightening peek into a disordered mind.

One of the admins disclosed her very deep personal concerns about the anorexia issues, and admitted that she had gone 'off plan' at a youth event, rather than let the teen girls see how little she normally ate. Kimmer answered with some bizarre non sequitur one-liners that of course all fat people having EDs, but not to worry about low calories because WLS people eat 500 calories and don't have EDs. What??? That doesn't even make sense on the face of it, let alone answer the real concerns. Kimmer just has a bank of flippant answers she tosses out like they mean something, and gets away with it because people don't call her on it. (Or, if they do, she leaves that site and starts her own where she controls the ban button.)

Oh, and about laxatives, well, one member's doctor gave her a prescription for a strong one daily, so there you go, doctors say it's fine for everyone and, anyway, it's not as if she is suggesting a FULL dose every day, just a partial dose.

When the admins pressed harder on the issue of teens on the site, Kimmer's response was classic - What! Teens here! No way! I'm shocked! Shocked! I'll refund their membership! Yet, elsewhere in the conversation, she frankly admits there are teens on the site. (And we know what happened later with a teen, and I might address that with some additional info in a later post.)

We were pushing her to address members' needs, and she answered that she was not ignoring the members' needs. Then, she launched into what is clearly her carefully-laid 'exit strategy' - how she would slap up enough of a forum so that the members could carry on helping each other without her, so she wouldn't owe them refunds if forced to cease operations (What? Forced to cease? I thought she said she was completely unconcerned and above the law?)

Oh, and if she was not ignoring member needs, then why are the plans vague, the ebook not written, the Ask Kimmer questions often going unanswered for days and days at a time, but she has time to read PMs, delete threads and ban people she doesn't like, and heap praise on those who praise her. If member needs have top priority, then why were the recipe box and other site bugs not fixed while the tech guys had time to put up all the sales and promo pieces and take the site down to scrub PMs and install tracking bots and open member PMs suddenly to all admins a few weeks ago. (Yes, multiple reliable witnesses can confirm this.) Why was there time to take the Who Is Kimmer blurb down to protect her (totally unconcerned?) but it took so long to take down Christin's blurb? Whose needs come first? Is Kimmer serving the members' needs, or are they serving hers?

How about refusing the cruise by making it Jimmy's and the bloggers fault, on the grounds that it won't be fun? She was talking to the people who were expected to make it a working holiday in exchange for free tickets (free to Kimkins as a kick-back from the cruise line) yet the one whose full-time, income-producing enterprise it is will not go because it won't be 'relaxing' for her? Anyway, she had already told me she never had the least intention of going, so no fair pretending it was suddenly a safety issue because of stalkers. She simply wouldn't let herself be seen.

Likewise, it was typical behavior to blame the bloggers for delaying the ebook, and to make excuses again about the Maintenance Plan, when she had told me before she had one ready to go up with the new site back at the end of May.

When we pressed her about our serious concerns for people's welfare, and the potential implications of that, she replied that we ought not be concerned for her sake. What the heck?! When one of the admins replied that, yeah, well, it is our real faces and our real names out there, and it wasn't just about her and her 'privacy' anymore, she proudly boasted that she was completely unconcerned for her liability. Yet, it was obvious she knew there WERE legitimate concerns. She had an elaborate plan to conceal her identity, she had structured the business to protect herself, had legal liability insurance for herself, had an exit strategy, and had published very little in her name, really, and that mostly vague and open to interpretation, while she set up her moderators to be the ones out saying things for her. She has clearly operated in such a way as to think she can brazen her way out of any charges or suits that might be brought for laws broken or harm brought to others. It is as if all that is irrelevant, as long as she makes a profit and gets away with it. And, by saying that if Kimkins is sued, it won't be her in court, she is also saying that she really doesn't care who gets burned, either as victims or fall guys, as long as it isn't her. AND, she is saying this to the very ones she had set up to take the rap for her! And, even then, she had to try to lay a weird guilt trip on US about, well, if we don't trust her word and her superior knowledge, and are unwilling to take a bullet for Kimkins, that we were on our own to hire an attorney! Hire an attorney at our own expense to protect ourselves from her misdeeds, for an unpaid or underpaid position? How bizarre and incredibly self-centered is that statement?

This was the clincher: With all the hoopla and probing, shouldn't people be coming out of the woodwork who "know" me? Nope. No one knows who Kimmer is.

It felt like she was losing it a little, like she just couldn't keep herself from bragging about how clever she feels to be putting one over on people.

To me, that is admission that she was lying in all those after photos. After all, she has put multiple photos on multiple websites, plus in a magazine. How could she claim no one knows who she is if ANY of them are true?

If any of those photos are her, she is irrational and delusional to say no one knows who she is. And, if they are not photos of her, as she strongly implies, then she has just admitted deliberate criminal fraud.

And what kind of person spends years constructing layers of false identities, anyway? Such a person would have to be either emotionally unbalanced, or extremely dishonest, or both.

Maybe you had to be there to get the full effect, but I came away believing that I was dealing with someone who is devious, manipulative, dysfunctional, disordered, smart, stubborn, selfish, greedy, and dangerous.

That is why I had to leave. And, that is why I finally felt I had to speak up.

And, from what I hear from inside the site, her behavior is only getting more desperate lately.

In Her Own Words

2007-09-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

The following are excerpts from 3 days of exchanged emails.

July 31, 2007, 7:06 pm

I'm writing quickly because today is "social worker day" for the boys and they'll be here soon. It's a lengthy process and I won't be back on for a few hours.

Address the Issues

First, let's understand who the naysayers are. Many are the old crowd at LCF who are anti-Kimmer to the core and, frankly, seem bored so this is a great "keep busy" activity.

The catalyst behind all of this is Amy (Cutie) who got banned here and 183,921 times at LCF. She sent numerous emails to be reinstated which I refused and then she contacted my former partner, Catherine. She is the only person who knew Catherine's last name or email addy which she got because she asked Catherine for a quote for a website.

Amy sent me her last angry email to be reinstated at Kimkins. I refused. Two days later we began getting website "views" from Malta, the island where Catherine lives. I check tracking pretty carefully and we never had any views from Malta prior.

Catherine didn't know about the magazine. Once Amy told her and Catherine saw the member stats -- and no longer being a 50% partner -- the anti-Kimkins campaign kicked into full gear. Didn't Catherine's husband post their estimate of Jimmy's affiliate earnings (which were way wrong BTW).

This is all about $$$.

They figured by getting Jimmy out of the way (Amy, Catherine and the LCF naysayers), we would be $$$ hurt and have to fold up. I don't want to say Jimmy's earnings were insignificant, but their absence will have no effect on the financial stability of Kimkins whatsoever.

Kimkins is financially solid. We don't depend on anyone and we don't accept advertisers for exactly the "Jimmy" reason. We do what we want to do and don't cater to the whims of letter writers.

Don't ignore the issues? I disagree. Ignoring has worked which is why the anti-Kimkins blogs now have the "Open Letter to Kimmer". Amy can't stand to be ignored and her bully tactics didn't force a response from me. I've addressed their health issues a zillion times at LCF and here. They aren't looking for answers, they want to point and say "see, see."

Blogs Popping Up Everywhere

Yes, they are. Take a closer look. They are all from the same group, head up by Catherine or her husband. Catherine runs a home medical transcription site with a monthly fee and a web design business. She missed out on Kimkins profits from the magazine, so this is her way of recouping income. Since these blogs have nothing to do with "concern" for fellow human beings, they aren't going to go away no matter what I write or explain.

Notice how many anti-Kimmer blog posts have to do with "Kimmer's getting rich," "She's making millions," "The Kimkins Marketing Machine," "Kimmer is building an empire," or "She's taking money from poor people who can't afford it," (although it would be fine if they spent their money at Weight Watchers). The way to hurt my imagined fortune is by affecting sales so they use scare tactics.

I disagree about replying to the naysayers because there is no end with those people. Amy won't be satisfied until Kimkins is offline. Did you notice she posted immediately after me on Jimmy's blog of his "dropping Kimkins" announcement? She got what she worked for and couldn't wait to congratulate Jimmy.

From a business standpoint the controversy has been good. Sales have been up 17% overall since Jimmy's blog post (BIG sales day that day) and that includes today with the plethora of "Kimkins will kill you" blogs.

This is all about money. If I were still doing this for free, nobody would blog about anything.

Aug. 1, 2007, 9:56 am

Sorry for the delay, "Social Worker Day" can be difficult for the boys. Summer is very active for summer placements in foster care. Two unrelated boys thought their parents were working hard on completing requirements for them to go home in time for school to start. One parent has done nothing and the other parent can't be found. A third boy was invited on a day trip to Tijuana but leaving the country is absolutely forbidden by courts and he's crushed. I already knew he couldn't go, but he needed to hear it from an official source. I needed time with the boys after the social workers left.

Photos & Medical

What if we ask members to post their medical results? Christin, Suzanna, and a recent member whose doctor said OK to Kimkins AND a prescription laxative come to mind. Assuming they are willing, it can be an item on the front page "Kimkins & Your Doctor" or something.

Blogs

We can ask members to blog about Kimkins, but that seems a weak position. Our affiliates with blogs provide some balance. When I blogged about the Teachers Challenge losing 907 pounds in 5 weeks, Catherine's husband couldn't bury it fast enough with his anti-Kimmer blogs.

Laxatives

Amy and Catherine's husband can spin it however they like (starving and laxatives), but all I'm suggesting is someone take a regular dose for 1-2 days and then a 25-50% dose each day after. The member who's doctor prescribed a laxative (which is stronger than what can bought over the counter) and to take full strength daily.

Teenagers

We have teenager as members, but I don't know that they are teenagers when they join. Emails I receive of "My 15 year old daughter ..." (or any age), I politely refuse. I don't mention specifics because that seems to give people more incentive. I tell them Kimkins is strict and their child would have more success with a diet that offers a wider food variety to make it easier for them around their peers, etc.

Low Calories/Pro Ana

We are low calorie after ketosis kicks in or with the shake option, but those calories are identical to post-WLS patients (500 cal a day for months), original Optifast and Medifast (450-700 cal a day for months).

I don't think we can fight the "1200 calorie a day mentality". Some people cannot understand that your body takes the calories it needs from body fat if the calories you eat are too low to sustain current weight. If you need 2500 calories (250 lb person) and eat 500 (number picked for easy math), the other 2000 are taken from body fat.

In Jimmy's interview I meant what I said about take a Weight Watcher or Jenny Craig meal and remove the starches. What's left? Kimkins. There is no health advantage to adding carbs or extra fat, so why is removing them (and having less calories) dangerous? 1200 calories a day is an arbitrary number (like 8 glasses of water).

Anorexia is a psychological disorder. Do we have people with ED on Kimkins? Of course. I weighed 318 pounds and you don't get that big without an improper relationship with food so I have an ED. But low calories aren't an ED, otherwise all of the WLS patients would be medically classified anorexic.

What if regular Kimkins changes guidelines from 0-20 carbs to 10-20 carbs and 0-3 cups to 2-3 cups List 1? Then again, I'm stuck with what to do when you're not hungry. Forced eating sounds ED to me. I'll find someone I trust to make a Recommended Supplements list.

If we make changes it will be announced with the Maintenance Plan (which will be a work in progress from member feedback). The announcement will be general and not in response to any outside pressure.

BTW, I asked Aliyar (tech support) to take the stats down from the homepage 4 days ago. Magically, no visits from Malta in the past 3 days.

August 1, 2007, 1:58 pm

A 13 year old in chat? No way! Not OK ever. Please all/any of you let me know so I can talk to the account holder and tell them "nicely" about no kids and probably refund/cancel.

I'm sure I could find a doctor. It honestly never occurred to me before the controversy. I'll make sure the doctor knows what he/they are getting themselves into.

Becky, I'm reading your email now, so I'm adding my comments here:

Thanks for your well thought out comments. Of course I don't agree with everything. You've laid out a lot of info and I won't go into all of it now, but here's a basic summary.

I cannot support a twisted version of Kimkins that turns into a mini-South Beach.

I'm not ignoring the needs of the members. Worst case scenario if we're forced to stopped operating, is a separate forum-only site will be set up for paid members todate. I'll pay the expenses for that forum, but I won't post and there won't be any frills (no chat, no PM, no ???)

SNATT - I can understand, although the symptoms of ketosis are covered fully in Dr. Atkins' books, including nausea. We are adding a few things to Kimmerwear and Christin can replace SNATT items with those. Anyone with heart palpitations, fainting or other serious conditions should see their doctor of course, not post on a forum asking for advice. There is nothing about removing carbs to cause those symptoms.

August 1, 2007, 2:55 pm

Amy/Cutie is a youth pastor. That has me scratching my head.

August 1, 2007, 4:21

Becky and all -- Chat continues to be a problem. What if we take a Chat Break for awhile? I know it desperately needs maintenance. ;)

Becky, I'm not ignoring your comments. Just asking for feedback on chat. It's a HUGE drain on resources and may eventually need it's own server.

August 1, 2007,

I disagree about WLS and Medifast. WLS patients regain for the same reasons people on all diets do. They still have psychological needs for favorite foods and stop the 500 calorie program. Even with a stomach opening of .75" diameter they can eat milkshakes, sugar cereal & milk, chips, alcoholic drinks, cheese, mashed potatoes & gravy, candy, etc. Both Al Roker and Carnie Wilson said in TV interviews that they started gaining because they went back to their old eating habits.

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 not against all fats, why do you think that? I encourage minimal use of fats. All protein is at least 25% fat, plus butter, salad dressing, olive oil, cheese and other fats that are allowed on Kimkins.

Photos - I will not add new photos or explain of current ones anymore than I have. There is not end with this. I told the publicist that a new photo wasn't a good idea (just I told Jimmy that the interview wasn't a good idea). Both insisted and I was right. I didn't want a photo at all and I'm still leaning in that direction.

Medical Boards/Dateline - I'm completely unconcerned. If Kimkins is sued, it won't be me in court. I have no legal connection to Kimkins. I'm not the blithering idiot Catherine and others think I am. There's no sinister reason for my secrecy. I'm not a felon on the lam. I am a private person because I want to be. I write articles under pen names because I want to and have for 23 years. With all the hoopla and probing, shouldn't people be coming out of the woodwork who "know" me? Nope. No one knows who Kimmer is.

Cruise - What a "relaxing" 5 days that would be. Staring, photos, whispering and full blog exposes when I return ... not to mention sitting across the table from Jimmy. And don't forget the stalkers. I never considered the cruise as a personal safety issue before.

Anti-Kimmer Blogs - I know there are more than Amy and Catherine's husband. I had quite an anti-Kimmer following at LCF.

K/E Limit - Hmmm, this is possible. What about 2-4 weeks? But then we have the people who hate veggies and won't move on but that's their choice.

E-Book - I'll be honest, in view of recent events and everyone's comments the eBook will be different than what I wanted. Some sections will be omitted including personal stories I've never talked about.

Maintenance Plan - I'm working on it. Every day seems to bring new time consuming challenges that suck hours out of the day. I'll get 'something' up. It will be simple. It will need revision.

August 2, 2007, 12:25 am

Just as I'm not a doctor, I'm not a lawyer. I would STRONGLY encourage anyone who is concerned about liability in this situation to contact a local civil attorney.

For Kimkins there could conceivably be an issue of liability in tort ... once they get through jurisdiction, causation in fact and proximate cause. As I've mentioned, please don't be concerned on our behalf.

As to whether any of you can be held liable, you cannot -- but I'm not a lawyer so ignore me. None of you are Kimkins employees or partners and that is key. Most of you are contractors or affiliates, and barring those then volunteers. None have liability and the rules of agency or indemnification don't apply. But ask a lawyer, please.

Separately, if anyone has concerns in this area I fully understand. If anyone is interested in resigning as moderator or any other position -- no hard feelings!

If I sound flip, I apologize and that's purely unintentional. It's only that if I have one more "well meaning" person email me about concers for my legal liability I'm going to scream. It is a non-issue for me, no matter what my association. If it is an issue for any of you, I understand. Please seek legal counsel.

My outlook is different because I probably grew up differently than most/all of you. I have different way of looking at things and what I hold valuable.

Again, if anyone isn't willing to take a bullet for Kimkins (and why on earth should you), no problem at all. :)

In a later email, I asked if she had an attorney check into her and our liability. I also asked if she had any sort of insurance policy against damages to protect the moderators (whom she had said were all contractors or volunteers). Her reply:
"However, contrary to popular belief we don't have unlimited funds and the site is fairly expensive on an income/expense ratio. We need to spend wisely. Our liability insurance covers employees which doesn't include contractors."

My comments -

That Kimmer would agree to discuss this at all, and to include us all at once was unprecedented. I felt that meant she was feeling the heat. I almost could not believe that she had made that misstep, in that we now had each other's contact info apart from the PM system, so we could actually communicate privately with one another.

Rereading these emails, I remembered how wary we moderators were (or at least I was) wondering what was 'safe' to say, or who could be trusted.

It may be impossible to pick up just from what I have posted here, without the surrounding context, just how deeply unnerving and horrifying this was to watch unfold. In my experience, Kimmer normally doles out information, misinformation, and false information like the proverbial carrot and stick to manipulate and co-opt, and plays one person against the other to isolate and control. In this joint session at this time, I think she felt a little cornered and panicked. She mostly maintained herself as cool, calm, and collected, but the more we went on, the less she could hide sudden swings and flashes of paranoia, gleeful gloating, and blindly callous self-centeredness. She said some things that showed her true colors and maybe accidentally let a little too much truth slip out. Though none of it rises to the level of irrefutable evidence in a court of law, it added up in my mind to an accidental acknowledgment of willful ongoing fraud.

I began cautiously emailing a few other of the moderators, testing the waters, and wondering if they saw it the same way I did. That they did you can see from their subsequent actions. In fact, they began mentioning other little things that added to the pattern of willful deceit.

Have you ever seen or heard something that seemed a little 'off', but you didn't have a category or reference point for it, so you sort of dismissed it, filed it away until something else came along to make sense of it? I began remembering things that had nagged at me in the back of my mind. I do not have a saved record of these things, but I could testify to these under oath:
- Catherine's tentative, wary remarks to me in Chat back in the very early days about how odd that Kimmer sure typed a lot for someone on disability for something like carpal tunnel, and later, asking if I had heard anything about some Kimkins spam on Craig's List, because something funny was going on.
- About six months later, Kimmer's chuckling about putting off a request from Mary Smith (Cartbabe) by saying something about having to ask her 'partners', and how Mary did not need to know that the 'partners' were just a loose term for whoever happened to be around, like her son or some other relatives.
- Much later still, when Christin and I were scrambling to enter recipes into the new software for the site move and realized we needed to include images to be able to save the recipes, Kimmer suggested we scour the internet, saying "I am not above 'lifting' images! LOL"

Again, I do not know how these words read to outside observers, out of context, but I do know that to those of us in the conversation, the message was unmistakable.

I have procrastinated pushing the 'publish' button all day, just sick to my stomach with grief. I feel I am betraying Kimmer and bringing turmoil to Kimkins members. I have no desire to do either. Kimmer was at times good to me, and I have lost weight successfully on her plan (my version of it, anyway) at her site. I was happy at that site. I cannot forget or fail to be thankful for that, and my loyalty makes me want to see everything in as kind a light as possible. However, I also cannot betray those who have suffered negative consequences from her plans, and I absolutely cannot be a party to what I now believe to be criminal misconduct.

So, here goes.

All In

2007-09-07T13:56:00.000-05:00

I am a peace-lover. In fact, I am a coward. My first instinct in times of conflict or trouble is to hunker down in a corner and hope it goes away. I just want to go back to my nice quiet life, spend time with my family, and type pretty thoughts in my harmless little low-carb blog and newsletter. Oh, how I want that!

Nevertheless, there comes a time when duty trumps fear.

After much thought, I have decided that any potential harm to others allowed by my silence outweighs any potential risk brought about by my speaking.

Therefore, before this day is over, I intend to publish 3 things:

~ Quoted replies in her own words to the issues raised by the various former admins, which others who participated in that email exchange at the time can verify or refute

~ A short version of the whys and wherefores of my personal journey in and out, including financial disclosure and an honest admission of the compromises I feel I made

~ To set the record straight, my personal layman's opinion of the physical and mental health risks of the diets, for what it is worth

Did I leave anything out?

I have been told that an apparently supportive and magnanimous statement has been publicly made about me. I do appreciate that. I also know how that works.

But, this isn't about me - or about you, Kimmer. This is about the hopes and fears and health and lives of people who trusted you and paid you based on your promises to deliver.

I fully expect that I may expect to see a flurry of my own words taken out of context and used against me.
After all, desperate times call for desperate measures.

You mistook decency for weakness.
I will take my hits. Bring it on.

Reasonable Appeal

2007-09-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

Generally, I believe there is a process to go through, if possible, to address things that need resolution. I expressed my concerns privately to the individual involved. When that was not satisfactory, I presented my concerns along with a larger, but still private, group. Since that was not satisfactory, the next step would be to take these to the members at large, but that is not possible, so I put them here, so that some may read them if they wish.

The following is one of a series of emails exchanged among the founder and the moderators of Kimkins from July 31 to August 2. It began with a PM (private message) from me to the others, and we exchanged maybe 1 or 2 more PMs before taking it to gmail. (I do not recall exactly those initial PMs, and do not have a copy of those.) We exchanged 27 more emails, and this was #9 in that series. I include it here as I wrote it in haste at the time, with minor edits to remove names and details of others. Some of it refers to statements that had been made earlier in the discussion by various people.

I am sharing this email as a step in walking out the process I mentioned, even though it puts me in a somewhat unfavorable light. This represents me as being more conciliatory and accepting of some things than I was (and am) but, in an effort to be heard and to move the discussion along, I thought it best to tread softly. My actual personal views are stronger, but this is what I presented at the time:

Well, so much to address! The thing has become a mess, and apt to get messier, so it really isn't enough that we admins agree things are not as accused --- it matters how it is perceived in many ways in larger circles. Though I do not want to be argumentative or over-reactionary, I will be quite blunt and play the devil's advocate here, for the sake of adequate discourse. No use pussyfooting around – but no desire to go off half-cocked, either.

I do not need the approval of others, and don't expect everyone ever to agree with Kimkins; I know what it has done for me. But I do care about supporting our members and fulfilling basic responsibilities to them for morale and welfare. A lot is at stake, legally, morally, and financially, and, frankly, Kimkins (and Kimmer) is a big target. Enough people are concerned or upset enough to have already contacted authorities and investigators, (State medical fraud boards, business fraud boards, diet oversight panels, Dr. Phil, Dateline, and others) This goes far beyond idle drama and gossip.

[name]/[name] may have stirred a lot of this after she was banned, but it was already out there before that, from other people. [Name] may be posting blogs, but she is not the only one. This is not just the opinion of a few, or it would never have gotten this far. Honestly, the best thing to do would be to see where their concerns are, and address what part of them have a basis in validity – and there is some.

The concerns are two-fold ---- Kimmer herself, and the diet itself. Those are related, of course, but both are in play. Obviously, Kimmer, you are who you are and don't want to change that, and I understand, and that is your right. But, you do have a LOT at stake here, more than anybody else by far. More disclosure and moderation of responses would go a long way toward helping. It won't completely put out fires, but it will keep from adding fresh fuel, and let the fires now raging start to die out eventually. Is it impossible for you to go on the cruise, post more pics, clear up the before-and-after controversies more head-on, etc.? I know, I know, I am asking a lot, but the issues raised are fair, if we can step back and not get defensive or stubborn. You are selling your story, in a sense, like it or not. Your opponents have contacted business fraud boards to have you investigated, and they see your silence as admission of guilt. They should not have the right to demand your private business, but they say you've made yourself a public figure and profited handsomely from your story, and can't prove it. So, if you prove it, that takes away a leg they are standing on. Moreover, your members feel hung out to dry that you won't remove this cloud, and end up thinking that 'where there's smoke, there's fire'. Many of them have told me so and left the site. And they don't just leave ---- they spread trouble. Eventually, you will not be able to keep enough people coming in the front door and happily posting if this continues to spread. Controversy may be good for business ---- but only to a point. Low-carb board gossip is one thing, but a national mag doing a retraction or expose would be another. Let's not kid ourselves --- big media will get a hold of this, sooner or later. So, I know this is upsetting, but they intend to see you in court (or at least on a TV expose) eventually. If you can stop that now, it would be to your great advantage. The stance that served at LCF or on a start-up board is not adequate at this level. And I disagree that ignoring it worked. Worked for sales, maybe – at least for now, if that is all that matters --- but too much is at stake now for you. Sorry to probe into painful matters, but there it is --- the elephant in the middle of the room, that cannot be ignored.

As for the diet itself, in my opinion, there is room for moderation in how it is presented. Even if you disagree, there is a responsibility and a liability that goes along with dealing with the public where money and advice are concerned. One big accusation is 'the plan behind the plan' and I can see that. The plans as published are not bad, but the culture of pushing for lower and lower to lose can be. Also, assuming everyone who isn't losing all the time quickly is cheating is both hurtful and untrue. People do have different bodies and different responses. Also, I see (or hear later of) the reports of weakness, dizziness, erratic heartbeat, almost (or actually) fainting, etc., and that even persisting a month or two or longer into the diet ---- that is serious! These are people in our midst, taking it too far, but it has happened. If anything said or done, or the culture created feeds into that, there is liability, both legally and morally.

I think we need to consider several things:
1) Really reconsider how far is safe to push things, and what number guidelines ought to be in place. Rather than 0 – 20 carbs, for instance, just say 20 or less. Don't say 0 - 3 cups List 1 veggies on the Kimkins plan – say 2 –3, etc. Add a couple of ounces more of protein to the Boot Camp dinner, like it was before, and a little more fat. Etc. Stress that Boot Camp is not for beginners (even though the name sounds like it is the place to start).
2) Do not create a 'plan behind the plan' culture. Don't always assume lowering everything is the answer. Don't assume cheating with slow losses – not always true. Don't treat all fat as unnecessary. Continue to stress that required nutrient levels (including calories, fats, etc.) vary from person to person, and that we should feel well doing this.
3) Encourage Kimkins more over K/E, for the fiber and nutrient benefits. Reconsider fiber addition, maybe. Back way off on laxative recommendations. Reconsider recommendation for how long it is safe to stay on K/E at a time.
4) Be on the lookout for ED signals, and caution individuals who are displaying unbalanced behavior in eating, exercising, binging and starving, laxative abuse, going for goal weights in the underweight category, etc. Publish a warning and disclaimer on the front end.
5) Back off on the SNATT. Nausea over food should not be a diet strategy.
6) Back off so much on the WLS, Medifast comparison. Yes, WLS patients eat little at first. But, many have health problems, and the low calories quit working after a while, and loss levels off for them. Early shake fast diets had big problems, too.
7) Drop the Fasting and Detox forum. (I know it has its place, but that is a big target. Most of us never even check there, but there really is some extreme stuff that has happened there.)
8) Get a Maintenance plan up there, with hope of ever having a decent number of calories.
9) Get the eBook done, (and run past an advisor).
10) Stronger disclaimers and more direct address are needed, as [name] said, especially with pregnancy, nursing moms, medical conditions, teens and children,, eating disorders, etc.
11) Medical support and advice would be valuable. How to get? I do think we have medical personnel as members already, so you might contact them. A published research bank would be helpful.
12) Have you gotten legal counsel on this?

So, this is more than anyone wanted to hear, and more than you want to do, I know.
I tried to bring up everything I have heard leveled against Kimkins.
I realize that some people cannot be satisfied, and what is done is done. I am hoping, though, that all of this can be humbly looked at with fresh eyes and an open mind, and addressed with honesty and compassion where change is warranted.

I will do everything I can to serve the Kimkins members well, and hope we can sort things out for the good of all. Thanks for listening to all this, Kimmer. I know it's a tough spot to be in, and I'm sorry.

Catching My Breath

2007-09-04T17:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been an eventful few days since I posted last. I do so very much appreciate the outpouring of love and support I have received. It has been literally overwhelming.

I haven't wanted to say too much, while I was laying low and waiting for some friends to finish doing what they had to do.

Actually, I still don't want to say too much. I feel like a Hobbit who has accidentally found myself thrust into an adventure I wasn't looking for, when all I really want is my cozy home, a lovely meal, and some pleasant conversation with friends and family.

Ah, well.

I will try to catch up here on answering some of the comments that have come in, while I think about how to address the bigger issue of why I left. I don't want to tell other people's stories, but I will tell a little of mine.

My Goodbye

2007-08-30T02:50:00.000-05:00

Dear Kimkins friends,

I am so sorry that the circumstances of my absence from the site have caused confusion and consternation. I have never meant to hurt anyone there in any way, and I am sorry. You have meant so much to me, and I treasure you, the wonderful relationships we had there, and the time we shared. It was so special to me --- the encouragement and support and just plain fun we often enjoyed. It is amazing how so many people, most of whom I haven't even met yet, could become so dear to me. Many of you know me better than some of my 'real life' friends do.

I loved cheering for your victories and being there in your time of need, and I truly appreciate, more than I know how to express, how you did the same for me. I know I would never have made it this far without you. Because of what we had there for a while, I not only lost the weight, I got my life back. I got hope back, when I had almost given up hope. I am healthy and strong and active again, and I wanted that for all of us. I still do. I tried to make a positive difference, in my own small way. I would have preferred for things to have turned out differently.

What led to my dawning awareness that it was time to go was more than irreconcilable differences of opinion, more than self-protective concern, and more than current controversy. What led to my regretful realization that I would have to leave is another story for another time. I assure you, though, that it has nothing at all to do with diminished affection for the members. The members of Kimkins made the site what it was, and made it better by far than it would have been otherwise. Many of you had a part in that, and I thank you for your input into my life.

I am not hiding, and I am not hard to find. I posted my email address on the site a few weeks ago, the first time my password quit working, in case I ever disappeared suddenly. If that cannot be found, I can always be reached here.

Be well, friends. You've touched my heart. Keep in touch.

Interesting Times!

2007-08-28T17:01:00.000-05:00

I suppose we have all heard the expression meant to be either/both a blessing and a curse: May you live in interesting times.

Well, lately my life has been . . . interesting.

I will probably want to talk about it someday.
Perhaps even someday soon.
But not today.

Today I just want to say that I and all my family are well and fine.

In fact, I feel more peaceful and content than I have felt in a long time.

I have so very much missed being online, and missed my many dear online friends, more than words can say. Being absent has felt at times empty and lonely. Though I have a loving family around me, you, my online friends, have become important to me, too. I hope to reconnect with many of you.

I had reasons for my absence, interesting reasons. I'm still processing information and sorting through all my thoughts and feelings in my own slow, methodical way. I am generally a careful and cautious person, gathering my own evidence and coming to my own conclusions.

Interestingly, Wikipedia has this further to say about the referenced proverb:

It is reported that it was the first of three curses of increasing severity, the other two being:

May you come to the attention of those in authority
May you find what you are looking for

Here's hoping for a less interesting life!

Monday Menus: August 6

2007-08-06T22:48:00.000-05:00

Here is this week's menu, with recipes following. I often simplify or rearrange things in the actual cooking, as events come up, but this gives me a plan for my shopping list and prep-aheads. I usually only end up making 5 or 6 of the entrees, because of going out or over to someone's house for dinner, or eating leftovers some nights when the kids are all out and it is just DH and me.

I usually have a protein shake for breakfast, or some kind of eggs. For lunch, I rotate a few basic 'lunch of the week' ideas. In that way, things stay simple and uncomplicated.

For dinner, I try to make a basic meal the whole family can eat, with variations.
I add the higher-carb, higher-calorie menu items for my non-Kimkins family [in square brackets].

Monday
B: Mocha Cappuccino Protein Shake
L: Grilled Chicken with Dijonaisse Dip
D: Taco Salad, [sliced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips]

Tuesday
B: Strawberry Protein Shake
L: Tuna Salad on Revolution 'Bread'
D: Chicken a la Queen, salad of baby mixed greens, steamed broccoli, [parsley-buttered egg noodles]

Wednesday
B: Chocolate Mint Protein Shake
L: Egg Salad on Celery Sticks
D: Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry, [rice, melon]

Thursday
B: Denver Omelet with Canadian Bacon
L: Diet Coke "Float" Protein Shake
D: Texas-Style Low-Carb Chili, [favorite fixings, tortilla chips]

Friday
B: Fuzzy Navel Protein Shake
L: Texas-Style Low-Carb Chili
D: Salmon Bundles with Rosemary, Capers, and Lemon; Romaine/Red Onion Salad; [Steamed Red Potatoes}

Saturday
B: Chocolate Peanut Caramel Protein Shake
L: Tuna Salad on 'Revolution Bread', Celery Sticks
D: Chili-Lime Chicken, Garlic Cauliflower, [Corn with Mixed Bell Pepper Bits]

Sunday
B: Strawberry Kiwi Protein Shake
L: Rosemary Pork Loin Medallions, Lemon-Pepper Green Beans, [Seasoned Potato Wedges]
D: Any leftovers of choice from week

Drinks: Water, Coffee, Iced tea/Sugar-free Lemonade, Green tea, Peach tea
Snacks and Desserts: Sugar-free gelatin, Sugar-free slushies/snowcones/popsicles (homemade)

Taco Salad

2007-08-06T22:34:00.000-05:00

This one is easy!

Taco Salad
Serves 4

(Ingredients:

1 lb. ground white turkey (or extra-lean beef)

1/2 to 1 tsp each: garlic powder (or minced garlic) salt, ground cumin, chili powder (to taste)
1/2 cup chopped onion (opt. - to cook with meat)
6 -10 cups lettuce of choice (I like romaine, sliced in thin shreds.)
1 - 2 tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green onion (or regular onion, for people to add to their own salads.)
1 cup cheese, Cheddar, or Mexican Blend, shredded
1/2 to 1 cup Salsa of choice (I use Pace Picante, or homemade)

Extras (for family, or maintenance):

1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
1 can black olives, sliced
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 to 1 cup sour cream
Tortilla Chips

Salad Dressing, as desired (I just use salsa, but Light Ranch works, too.)

Directions:

1) In large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, brown meat with seasonings (and onions, if using). Drain, if needed.

2) Place lettuce on large serving platter. (Or divide evenly among four salad plates.)

3) Sprinkle with layers of meat, cheese and tomatoes.

Serve with additional extras (salsa, green onions, olives, avocado, sour cream, beans, chips) for to add, as desired.

Chicken a la Queen

2007-08-06T22:24:00.000-05:00

I like the cute little pearl onions, but you can skip those and just use egular onions, chopped, if you need to.

Chicken a la Queen
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I just eat 4 oz., but my family eats the rest)
Salt and pepper, to taste OR Montreal Chicken Seasoning (so good!)
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup red wine (or, use another 1/3 cup chicken broth instead)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup pearl onions
1 tsp thyme

Directions:

1) Spray large skillet with non-stick spray (olive oil in sprayer works well)and heat to medium-high.

2) Season chicken, and saute 5 -6 minutes per side.

3) Add bell pepper, and saute a few more minutes until chicken is cooked through and peppers are tender-crisp.
Remove from skillet, set aside, and keep warm.

4) In the same skillet, add broth and wine; bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from pan bottom. (Deglaze.)

5) Add mushrooms, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 5 minutes.

6) Raise heat to medium, add pearl onions and thyme, and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, until sauce is reduced.

7) Spoon mushroom/onion sauce over chicken and serve.

Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry

2007-08-06T22:12:00.000-05:00

Well, this simple dish looks better than this, and tastes even yummier. (Of course, I really like cabbage!)
Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Serves 4

Ingredients:
non-stick spray
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ThickenThin not/Starch thickener (low carb, in place of cornstarch)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Spray a wok or large skillet with non-stick spray, and heat over medium-high heat

2) Saute garlic for about 5 seconds, then add ground beef. Stir-fry until beef is evenly brown. (Drain if needed, but it shouldn't be if you used extra-lean beef.)

3) Stir in cabbage and pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender, and beef is fully cooked.

4) Stir in soy sauce. Mix together cornstarch and water, and stir in. (Or, omit thickener and water if you do not have the low-carb thickener.) Season with pepper. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened.

5) Serve, with rice for family, or plain for low-carbing.

Simple and delicious!

Texas-Style Low-Carb Chili

2007-08-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

This recipe is made with no beans and no tomatoes - but you can add a can of spicy Rotel tomatoes if you like!

This recipe is made with no beans and no tomatoes - but you can add a can of spicy Rotel tomatoes if you like!

Texas-Style Low-Carb Chili
Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef (or lean white turkey)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons ThickenThin not/Starch thickener

Directions:

1) Brown meat, with onions and garlic.

2) Add seasonings, and enough water to barely cover the meat. Cook 1 hour, adding more water if necessary. (Add tomatoes, if you want.)

3) Towards the end of the cooking time, thicken with ThickenThin not/Starch thickener. Start with 1 teaspoon, stirred into a bit of liquid first, and increase amount to taste until the gravy is thick enough.

Serving Ideas : Dress with chopped tomatoes, onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc., as toppings for the family.

This tastes better the next day, and freezes well, too.

Salmon Bundles

2007-08-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

This is so easy --- under 30 minutes, and no clean-up! (If you don't like salmon, try another fish, like tilapia.)

Salmon Bundles, With Lemon, Capers,and Rosemary
4 servings

Ingredients:
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or, olive oil spray)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
8 lemon slices (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 cup wine (white or marsala wine, or vegetable broth, if you prefer)
4 teaspoons capers
4 pieces aluminum foil

Directions:

1) Spray or brush both sides of salmon fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.

2) Place each piece of seasoned salmon on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal.

3) Top the each piece of salmon with 2 lemon slices, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of wine or broth, and 1 teaspoon of capers. Wrap up salmon tightly in the foil packets, folding edges to seal well.

4) Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.)Or, heat the oven to 375 degrees.)

5) Place the foil packets on the hot grill and cook for 10 minutes for a 1-inch thick piece of salmon. Serve in the foil packets.

I like it when my husband grills this outside on the patio, because then the house doesn't smell fishy. (I skip lemon on his, because he doesn't care for them.)

Chili-Lime Chicken Strips

2007-08-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

I don't always cut the chicken into strips, if I am in a hurry. The flavor penetrates better, though, if you have the time.

Chili-Lime Chicken
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 Tbs. lime juice
1 Tbs. chili powder (or, to taste)
1 tsp. cumin (or, to taste)
1 tsp. salt, (or, to taste)
non-stick spray

Directions:

Early in day:
Combine chicken strips with lime juice, and spices.
Marinate in refrigerator, if you have time. (Can skip marinating and proceed to cooking, if desired.)

Later:
Heat generous amount of nonstick spray in heavy large skillet over medium - high heat.
Saute seasoned chicken strips until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, or until no longer pink inside.
(If chicken begins to dry out, add a few tablespoons of water or broth and continue to cook until done.)

*This makes a great grab-and-go lunch, too! Leftovers go nicely atop salads, as lettuce wraps, or in stir-fry.

Rosemary Pork Medallions

2007-08-06T21:31:00.000-05:00

Rosemary Pork Medallions
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic , pressed (or to taste)
1 tsp. rosemary (or, to taste)
1 tsp. sage (or, to taste)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt, (or, to taste)
2 pork tenderloins (8 -12 oz. each)
2 tsp. lemon juice (opt.)
2 Tbs. chicken broth (opt.)
non-stick spray

Directions:

1) Make a paste of oil and spices.
Rub this paste into pork (and let marinate for a while in refrigerator, if you have time.)

2) Slice tenderloins crosswise into chops almost 1 inch thick.

3) Heat generous amount of nonstick spray in heavy large skillet over medium heat.
Pan - grill pork medallions about 4 minutes on each side, or until nicely done, but not dried out and tough. (Add more spray if needed.)

4) Optional step, but recommended - deglaze pan by simmering lemon juice and/or broth in skillet, scraping to mix in browned bits from bottom.

5) Plate up medallions, and drizzle with broth/juice glaze.

Lost Week

2007-08-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

A week and a half ago, I had a new grandson, Gideon James, 10 lb., 9 oz. of joy.

I expected that this last week I would blog every day, and publish a full-featured newsletter on Thursday, with a week's menu and PDF files for recipes and a shopping list, together with practical pointers of tools, tips, and strategies.

Well, those of you who are my friends from Kimkins.com will know that Gideon ended up quite ill and in the hospital. I greatly appreciate all the outpouring of love and prayer and support so many of you expressed. It means so much! I am happy to report that Gideon made a complete turn-around and is home from the hospital!

Needless to say, though, the newsletter and blogging (and everything else) have slipped this week. Still, I'll put out my menu, a couple of recipes, and a few thoughts to help us through the next week of good weight loss.

Now, I sincerely hope the next week goes as planned!

Monday Menus: July 30

2007-07-30T22:29:00.000-05:00

Here is this week's menu, with recipes to follow. I often simplify or rearrange things in the actual cooking, as events come up, but this gives me a plan for my shopping list and prep-aheads. I usually only end up making 5 or 6 of the entrees, because of going out or over to someone's house for dinner, or eating leftovers some nights when the kids are all out and it is just DH and me.

I usually have a protein shake for breakfast, or some kind of eggs. For lunch, I rotate a few basic 'lunch of the week' ideas. In that way, things stay simple and uncomplicated.

For dinner, I try to make a basic meal the whole family can eat, with variations.
I add the higher-carb, higher-calorie menu items for my non-Kimkins family [in square brackets].

Monday
B: Chocolate Peanut Caramel Protein Shake
L: Instone Banana Cream Protein Pudding
D: Fabulous Chicken Fajitas, [Tortillas, Rice, Beans]

Tuesday
B: Strawberry Protein Shake
L: Ziploc Omelet
D: Sweet Mustard Tilapia (or Salmon), Bibb Lettuce Salad with Red Onion and Roasted Asparagus, [Steamed Baby Red Potatoes]

Wednesday
B: Cappuccino Protein Shake
L: Tuna Salad on 'Revolution Bread'
D: Egg Foo Yung, Fried "Cauli" Rice [Fried Rice, Seasonal Fruit Salad]

Thursday
B: Ziploc Omelet
L: Chocolate Cappuccino Protein Pudding
D: Vegetable - Beef Soup, [Dinner Rolls]

Friday
B: Hazelnut Cream Protein Shake
L: Vegetable-Beef Soup
D: Meat'za [Pizza]

Saturday
B: Cherry Lemonade Protein Shake
L: Tuna Salad on 'Revolution Bread', Celery Sticks
D: Buffalo Chicken Tenders, Broccoli Slaw, Mock Margaritas, [Seasoned Potato Wedges]

Sunday
B: Double Chocolate Protein Shake
L: Easy Brunch Frittata, Spinach-Mushroom Salad, [Potatoes O'Brien, Croissants, Seasonal Fruit]
D: Root Beer Float Protein Shake

Drinks: Water, Coffee, Iced tea/Sugar-free Lemonade, Green tea, Peach tea
Snacks and Desserts: Sugar-free gelatin, Sugar-free slushies/snowcones/popsicles (homemade)

Fabulous Fajitas

2007-07-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Fajitas

Ingredients:

4 breasts Chicken, boneless, skinless, cut into thin strips
1 Tbs Corn oil (or other, like cooking spray)
2 Tbs Lemon juice -- (or lime juice)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Seasoned salt
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne
1/2 tsp Oregano -- ground
1/2 tsp Thyme -- (opt)
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Liquid smoke flavor (Adds a nice touch!)

1- 2 lg Bell pepper , thinly sliced (mixed, red and green pref.)
1 lg Onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup Salsa (homemade or purchased is fine – check carbs)

Options For the Family
1 med Tomato -- chopped or wedged (opt)
1 med Avocado -- peeled, chopped (opt.)
1/2 cup Sour cream -- (opt)
8 fajita Tortillas -- warm

Directions:

Earlier in day or day before:
Combine chicken strips with corn oil, lemon juice, and spices.
Marinate in refrigerator 8 to 10 hours. (May marinate shorter time.)

Later:
Heat generous amount of nonstick spray in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Saute onions and bell peppers until almost tender, about 8 minutes.
Remove onions and peppers; set aside.

Spray skillet again, and heat over medium-high heat.
Saute chicken (discarding marinade) until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Combine onions and peppers with chicken, stirring to heat.

Delicious as is or over finely shredded lettuce or wrapped in lettuce leaves for Kimkins. Serve with salsa.
For family: serve with warmed tortillas, tomato, avocado, salsa, and sour cream on the side.

May use thinly sliced beefsteak instead of chicken.

Note: For QUICKER version, omit lengthy marinade. Saute onions and peppers; add marinade ingredients EXCEPT corn oil and lemon juice, cooking 1 minute; add 1/4 cup broth with the chicken, and cook all together.

Sweet Mustard Tilapia (or Salmon)

2007-07-30T21:54:00.000-05:00

Something different, and easy to make! You can vary the sweetness, spiciness, and seasonings to taste.

Sweet Mustard Tilapia

Ingredients

fish fillets, about 6 oz. per serving (tilapia, salmon, or whatever you like)

butter substitute spray (opt.)

2 Tbs. mustard per 6 oz. serving (dijon, yellow, or combination, as you like)

1 Tbs. sweetener, or equivalent per 6 oz. serving (1 Tbs. granulated splenda, or 2 packets, or 2 drops of liquid sucrolose) or to taste

1/2 - 1 tsp. other seasonings, as desired, such as parsley, dill, basil, paprika, pepper flakes, tarragon, etc. (per 6 oz. serving)

lemon slices or wedges, if desired

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet lightly with non-stick spray. Cover with foil, and then spray foil. (Makes clean-up a snap!)

2) Place fillets on foil-lined baking sheet.

3) Spray lightly with butter substitute spray, if desired.

4) Mix together mustard(s), sweetener, and any desired seasonings, to taste.

5) Brush on fish fillets.

6) Bake at 400 degrees F. for 12 minutes.

Can be pan-fried, instead.

I use a combination of mustards, for more flavor.

Egg Foo Yung

2007-07-30T21:46:00.000-05:00

These quick little Chinese egg pancakes are a great way to use up little bits of leftover meat. Try chicken, turkey bacon, pork, ham, shrimp, beef, or a combo - whatever you have will work! Just about any combination of vegetables you have on hand will work, too. Very versatile!

Egg Foo Yung
Makes 4 Servings, 2 Patties Each

Ingredients

8 eggs
1 - 2 cups cooked meat, shredded or diced
2 - 4 cups of low-carb vegetables, sliced or diced small
(examples: 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 cup mung bean sprouts, 1 cup sliced green onions. Also good with julienned green beans or snow peas or asparagus, diced bell peppers, shredded zucchini or cabbage, chopped fresh baby spinach, bamboo shoots, etc.)
salt and pepper, to taste
ginger, 1 tsp. (opt.)
soy sauce, as desired

Directions:

1) Spray a skillet with non-stick spray, heat, and stir fry vegetables just until heated through.

2) Add meat and continue to stir fry until heated through. Remove from pan; drain in colander if needed. Set aside.

3) Wipe out pan, spray and heat again.

4) Lightly beat eggs, ginger, salt, pepper and 1 - 2 Tsp. of soy sauce, if desired.

5) Combine egg mixture evenly with veggie/meat mixture, stir together and drop by large spoonfuls in medium hot non-stick skillet. Brown on both sides, like a pancake. (This should make 8 large patties.) Serve with soy sauce (or foo yung sauce for family).

Foo Yung Sauce (for family)
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 teaspoons corn starch (or ThickenThin not/Starch thickener - low-carb!)
1 teaspoon vinegar (opt.)
1 teaspoon soy sauce - or to taste

Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small sauce pan.
Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking until slightly thickened.
Serve over the egg foo yung.

Fried Cauli-Rice

2007-07-30T21:35:00.000-05:00

Grated cauliflower is a low-carb stand-in for rice in this fried 'rice' dish - at about 5 carbs per cup!

I like to keep my dinner carbs to 6 - 8 per meal. Depending on how many and which vegetables you put in the Egg Foo Yung, very much of this fried cauli-'rice' might put your carbs up too high for a meal. In that case, you can go lighter on your foo yung veggies, if you need to.

With enough added protein, this dish can also make a nice meal of its own. (Another good use for those leftovers!)

Fried Cauli-'Rice"
Makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (grates to about 7 cups)
4 - 6 green onions
1 - 2 cloves garlic, or 1 tsp. garlic powder (opt.)
1 tsp ginger (opt.)
4 Tbs. light soy sauce, or to taste
4 eggs, beaten (or 1 cup Egg Beaters)
oil spray

To make it a main dish:
cooked meat, diced (chicken, pork loin, turkey bacon, ham, beef, shrimp, etc., or a combo - leftovers work well)
any other low-carb veggies, as desired

Directions:

1) Using a food processor, process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade.

Lacking that, you can shred it with a hand-held grater, or just chop it finely with a knife (if you are very patient!).

2) Microwave it in a covered dish. Do not add water; use just the moisture in the cauliflower. Cauliflower will become mushy or gummy if too wet.

This can easily be done ahead of time.

3)Spray a wok or large skillet with non-stick spray and heat. (You can use a small amount of oil, but be sparing, because the cauliflower will soak it up and not taste good.)

4) Fry minced garlic (or garlic powder) with finely diced white part of onions for approximately 1 minute.

5) Add grated cauliflower and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

6) Add soy, ginger, diced green onion tops, and pre-cooked diced meat. Stir to mix well and brown a bit.

7) Push mixture to one side of pan. Spray with more oil as needed, and scramble eggs in empty side of pan until done but still moist.

8) Stir eggs into 'rice' remove from heat, and serve.

Stores and re-heats beautifully.

Low-Carb Vegetable - Beef Soup

2007-07-30T21:22:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have a tradition from our early days as a young Navy couple, namely Day-Before-Payday soup! It usually involved whatever meat was lurking, some onions and canned tomatoes, and any likely veggies lingering in the crisper drawer or freezer, along with Italian herbs. (He is still convinced I always forgot to take the bay leaves out on purpose, and somehow always snuck them into his bowl.) It was always a little different, but almost always wonderful.

Well, when low-carbing, we have to leave out potatoes, barley, corn, carrots, peas, and pasta, but that stills leaves us a delectable soup base to work with.

Hmmmm...good!

Low-Carb Vegetable-Beef Soup
Serves 12 (Great for freezer!)

Ingredients:

3 lbs. beef roast or steak (rump or round), cut up for soup
6 - 8 cups water (adjust as needed for thickness you like)
6 - 8 beef bouillon cubes or powdered bouillon
(or, use beef stock or packaged beef broth in place of water and bouillon)
1 large can tomatoes, diced or chopped the way you like them
1 onion, chopped
3 - 4 celery stalks, sliced (I like to use the leaves, too - good flavor)
1/2 head cabbage, chopped small (or more - I really like cabbage!)
1 bag (1 lb. or so, to suit) frozen green beans (or you could use chopped spinach or sliced zucchini, etc., or a combo)
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs. Italian Seasoning, or to taste
1 tsp.pepper
few shakes of garlic powder, to taste (opt.)
1 - 2 Tbs. of Worcestershire sauce (opt.)

Directions:

Two options here.

1) You can brown beef in small amount of oil in big non-stick sprayed pot, then add onions and celery to saute till limp, then add the rest and simmer for hours on the stovetop until meat is tender and flavors are mingled. Adjust seasonings near end of cooking.

2) Throw it all in a big crockpot, and cook on low 6 - 8 hours, until tender and good. Adjust seasonings near end of cooking.

Enjoy!

Meatza

2007-07-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

Well, honestly, there may be no tasty way to get these counts as low as I might like. Nevertheless, when the family has called for pizza delivery, and you REALLY want some pizza, it is worth it!

Instead of a dough crust with meat topping, this uses a meat crust. Hey - it works!

Meatza
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1&1/4 lb. ground meat - lean beef, or white turkey, or lean pork, or combo
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 tsp. fennel seed (opt. - gives a sausage taste)
few shakes of red pepper flakes (opt. - likewise)

1 cup sugar-free spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce (like Hunt's canned sauce - check label)
8 - 12 oz. cheese (I like a combo of low-fat part-skim shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan/Romano)
1 - 2 cups low-carb, low-fat pizza toppings such as mushrooms, green pepper, onions. (If you use canned mushrooms, be sure to drain very well.)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2) Mix the meat, salt and spices together. Spread the meat out on a baking sheet with sides to catch the grease. Pat the meat thinly and evenly, without any holes, in an oblong with rounded corners. (It does not need to cover the whole pan.)

3) Bake in a 375° F. oven for about 10 minutes. Pour off/blot off the grease.

4) Cover the meat with sugar-free pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce.

5) Cover with cheese and your choice of pizza toppings. (You may want to saute the veggies first in non-stick spray, or microwave-steam them briefly, if you like them very tender and well-cooked on your 'meatza'.)

6) Return to oven briefly to melt the cheese to desired doneness and color.

7) Let sit for a few minutes before slicing.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

2007-07-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

When it is a lazy family game night, and everyone else is digging into heaping piles of Costco's buffalo wings, it sure is nice to have an easy, pleasing low-carb. low-calorie alternative!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenders
2 tbsp. butter or butter substitute (opt. - still good without it)
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce, like Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Directions:

1) Combine butter substitute, hot sauce, and chicken (like in a ziplock bag).
Marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes. (Marinating is not necessary if you are in a hurry - just makes them a bit spicier, I think.)

2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray for easy clean-up.

3) Bake 12 - 16 minutes, until done.

4) Serve with extra hot sauce, to heat it up, and/or with celery sticks, to cool it down. (If you can spare the calories, a lighter ranch or bleu cheese dressing is customary, but not essential.)

Leftovers go well atop a salad.

Easy Brunch Frittata

2007-07-30T20:47:00.000-05:00

A frittata is a laid-back Italian version of an omelet, and can be made with almost endless variety, depending on what you like and have on hand.

This one just couldn't be much more simple. You can whip it together quickly when you walk in the door, and it will be just about ready to serve by the time you've set the table and poured the drinks!

Easy Oven-Baked Frittata
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup (or more) of diced low-carb vegetables (onions, green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, etc.)
6 eggs
dash of pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar, mozzarella or other cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1) Sauté the vegetables until soft. Alternately, you can steam the vegetables in the microwave until they are tender.

2) Beat the eggs, pepper, salt, and Parmesan cheese together. Spray a heavy, oven-proof skillet with a generous coating of non-stick spray. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and scatter the vegetables on top.

3) Bake for 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Immediately sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top and let it melt.

4) Slide your frittata onto a plate and serve.

This is so good with leftover roasted asparagus, shallots, and yellow and red bell peppers! It would be easy to include some prosciutto, Canadian bacon, lean ham, etc., too. You can vary the seasonings, also, with a smidge of parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme.

Although it can stand up well as the centerpiece of an elegant brunch, a lovely frittata really doesn't need much besides a simple salad (and maybe some bread for the non-low carbers).

Master the frittata, and you can always have a satisfying repast on the table with little fuss.

Butter Substitutes?

2007-07-26T21:04:00.000-05:00

It can be problematic to find a balance between wholesome, real ingredients and less-than-ideal ingredients that serve to help get the weight off now. The butter substitutes like Parkay spray are a good example of that compromise.

Parkay Spray claims to taste like butter (though it is more like margarine to my taste), no cholesterol, no trans fat, in fact no fat at all --- or so claims the product label.

But, what's in it? Water, Soybean Oil, Buttermilk, Salt, Soy Lecithin And Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids (Emulsifiers), Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate (To Preserve Freshness), Lactic Acid (Acidulant), Artificial Flavor, Colored With Beta Carotene (Source Of Vitamin A), Vitamin A Palmitate.

Well, despite the scary names, most of those ingredients are kinda/sorta OK. But, how can it really be zero calories and zero fat with oil and buttermilk in there?

Once again, we run afoul of labeling loopholes. Yes, in the serving size listed on the package ( 1 - 5 sprays) the product is legally zero. But, it is not actually zero in any quantity.

In fact, Parkay Spray has .8 calories in 1 spray and 4 calories in 5 sprays. Fat content is .085 grams in 1 spray, .4 grams in 5 sprays. That means that in the entire bottle there are 832 total calories from 93 grams of fat.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is similar.

So, a few sprays for cooking gives a good calorie savings over larger amounts of butter or oil, and is probably worth the 'real food' compromise during the weight loss phase. Don't be fooled into thinking it is really 'free', though!

Winning Weight Loss Newsletter to Debut

2007-07-25T17:17:00.000-05:00

First, thank you to all who have subscribed to the new Winning Weight Loss newsletter! I really appreciate the interest!

I am at work on our first edition right now, so you will get it soon!

Just a reminder --- if you did not find an email asking you to confirm your subscription, please check your 'spam' or 'bulk' folder in your email program.

Even if you clicked the button on here to subscribe, I cannot send you a newsletter unless you also click the link from the email you should have received. Otherwise, I'd be guilty of spamming, and I don't want to do that. It's a simple click, no hassle, and you can always opt out at any time.

If you can't find it, please try subscribing again. I don't want you to miss your first edition! Right now, we have 12 subscribers pending confirmation, 3 whose email addresses were somehow undeliverable, and 20 who are good to go. Not bad for a week! Thanks so much!

I used to publish a monthly print newsletter, so a weekly ezine is a new venture but not totally alien to me. It should be fun and helpful, I hope. It will help me have an outlet and focus in reaching goal and then maintaining, and I will do my very best to make it helpful to you, as well! I will probably experiment a little bit, as I learn my way, but we can enjoy the process together.

My intention is to share a menu and recipes for the week, along with a few good tips, tools, strategies, or thoughts. I will post most of these later to the website, but newsletter subscribers will get first peek, in case you want to include a few of my ideas in your planning and shopping for the week.

Hey, just a weekly reminder to stick to plan (or jump back on) might come in handy some day --- for all of us! We're all in this together!

Be watching your inbox!

My Virtual Model (Tuesday's Tips and Tools)

2007-07-24T20:05:00.000-05:00

Have you tried MyVirtualModel.com?

It lets you make and save models of yourself at different sizes.

Here is my virtual model at 222 lbs., 136 lbs., and 118 lbs.

You can even 'try on' various outfits and swimwear, and rotate them to view from different angles. Fun and motivating!

Sonic Drive-In, Low-Carb Style

2007-07-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

Though hardly fine dining, Sonic is one of those places just about anyone who lives with driving distance of one ends up at sometimes. It's just so convenient when you are out and about.

We stopped there for a quick bite this weekend, and I was glad I had prepared myself with a handy guide to what-to-order-where.

Lots of low-carbers know to order a burger or grilled chicken, and just toss the bun and any carby go-withs. I have often done that. I am often skeptical of what might be injected into or sauced onto some of the meats, though. I will usually get a salad if I can, just because I do like my veggies, and appreciate the fiber and the freshness. Many fast food salads can cost hundreds of calories and 13 - 19 carbs or more, though, so do not assume that just because it is a salad it is safe diet food. A fully dressed Caesar with croutons and cheese is not much different from a cheeseburger, by the time you add it all up.

Here is an online nutritional guide to Sonic Drive-In.

I ended up choosing the Grilled Chicken Salad, listed at 19 carbs. However, that includes the crouton packet which I tossed, the onion ring which I gave to my teen, and the grated carrots which I scooped out and left alone. I got it with a packet of Light Ranch Dressing, which I didn't bother to use, because the warm chicken had semi-melted the grated cheese, and it actually tasted quite 'dressed' enough just from that. Altogether very satisfying!

I ordered iced tea, because it is normally my stand-by when at a restuarant, but the diet limeade or diet cherry limeade would also have been decent choices.

So, if there is a Sonic near you, plan ahead!

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

2007-07-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Body image is a funny thing. I wonder how many of us truly perceive our appearance in the same way as others see us. More to the point, I wonder how many of us are content with our body image.

Some people always think they are fat, even when they are so painfully thin that they are unhealthy. Clearly, that is disordered thinking. Yet plenty of others, especially women, are just never satisfied with their appearance, and don't seem to know exactly when to quit losing weight. After focusing on losing weight for so long, their imperfections are all they see when they look in the mirror.

On the other hand, some people always seem to carry a very positive self-perception, or at least a realistic one. Statistics say this is more likely to be the case with men.

I have experienced it both ways. I have had times of perceiving myself as both smaller and larger than I actually was, and I am working to adjust my perceptions to match reality.

I remember many years and many babies ago, in an earlier post-pregnancy weight loss effort, getting down to the weight I had set as my goal, yet thinking I needed to lose more off my hips and thighs. When I look back now at pictures, I can see that I was at a good weight, maybe even too slender in my upper body, but, yes, a little bigger on the bottom. I realize now I needed more toning, not more weight loss. In fact, had I worked out more, I probably could have carried a few more pounds very successfully. But, in truth, I will probably always have more than my fair share of curves in some places, so I might as well accept and enjoy that. I gave up the quest for ideal perfection years ago!

Even now, though, as I have lost weight, I have been surprised at the sizes I end up buying. I still tend to reach for clothing a size or two too big. I have gotten used to my bigger body in baggier clothes, and just can't quite wrap my mind around being small yet. But, I'm getting there!

But, the reverse was also true as the scale was on the way up. I would bruise my hips bumping into things, because I just did not realize I was that big! The pounds piled silently on while I wasn't watching.

I guess, for me, it is not a disordered body image, as much as it is lag time. Whether I am getting bigger or smaller, it takes a while for my mind to match the mirror.

For now, I can see myself much more objectively in a photograph than I can in the mirror. I suppose that is because I can remove myself a little farther from the moment, and take a 'big picture' view.

So, my 'reality check' is to wear clothes that fit, instead of being baggy, and to take more frequent pictures of myself, which is something I studiously avoided at my higher weights. The camera will be a more objective set of eyes than the ones looking back at me in the mirror.

For those struggling with body image, here is some helpful advice from Improving Body Image © by Judy Lightstone:

Developing a Healthy Body Image

Here are some guidelines (adapted from BodyLove: Learning to Like Our Looks and Ourselves, Rita Freeman, Ph.D.) that can help you work toward a positive body image:

1. Listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Be realistic about the size you are likely to be based on your genetic and environmental history.
3. Exercise regularly in an enjoyable way, regardless of size.
4. Expect normal weekly and monthly changes in weight and shape
5. Work towards self acceptance and self forgiveness- be gentle with yourself.
6. Ask for support and encouragement from friends and family when life is stressful.
7. Decide how you wish to spend your energy -- pursuing the "perfect body image" or enjoying family, friends, school and, most importantly, life.

Think of it as the three A's....

Attention -- Refers to listening for and responding to internal cues (i.e., hunger, satiety, fatigue).

Appreciation -- Refers to appreciating the pleasures your body can provide.

Acceptance -- Refers to accepting what is -- instead of longing for what is not.

Good advice!

Coleslaw with a Kick

2007-07-20T23:43:00.000-05:00

Here is a lighter-tasting, non-mayonnaise variety, for a nice change of pace.
The calories and carbs are a little high for a salad, so it goes well with a low-calorie, low-carb entree like fish.

Coleslaw with a Kick
Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients

1 head Cabbage -- shredded
1 med Bell pepper, Red (pref.) -- cut into matchstick-thin strips
1 med Onion, Red -- thinly sliced
3/4 cup Cilantro -- chopped

1/3 cup Lime juice
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 clove Garlic -- minced
1/2 tsp Hot pepper sauce -- (Tabasco or similar)
1/2 cup Olive oil

Instructions

Up to 8 hrs. earlier:
In medium bowl, whisk lime juice with seasonings.
Gradually whisk in oil.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chill, covered.

Later:
In large bowl, combine vegetables for slaw.
Re-whisk dressing
Toss slaw with enough dressing to coat. (Lightly - not too much!)
Season with salt and pepper, etc., as desired.
Serve.

Nutrition Info
For entire recipe (all dressing used): 1307 calories, 112 g fat, 78 carbs, 17 g protein
Per serving: 131 calories, 11 g fat, 7.8 g carbs, 1.7 g protein

Notes: The olive oil is high in calories, but healthy in moderation.
The cabbage is surprisingly high in protein.
For Maintenance, add 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated, for extra color, flavor, and nutrition. (Carrots are too carby for our purposes now, though.)

Italian Beef

2007-07-19T23:41:00.000-05:00

Some foods have a memory with them. My grandfather was an Italian immigrant, and I spent a lot of my formative years in Illinois. This sandwich was the house specialty of the restaurant where I worked when I was 16. It was my first real job, and I wasn't a very good waitress, but my now-husband thought I was cute, and persuaded the boss not to fire me. A taste of this Chicago-area favorite always takes me back in time.

(This is a lazy, short-cut version. Someday, I'll post my original, old-style recipe.)

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (4 pound) boneless sirloin tip roast, halved
* 2 (.7 ounce) packages Italian salad dressing mix (like Good Seasons)
* 2 cups water (or low-sodium beef broth)
* 1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini peppers (pre-sliced into rings is nice!)
* 16 hoagie buns, split (for the family - we'll skip that part for weight loss)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the salad dressing mix and water; pour over roast. Add half (or to taste) of the pepper rings, including some juice. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.
2. Remove meat; shred with a fork and return to slow cooker. If desired, add more peppers, or adjust seasoning; heat through.
3. To serve, we will have it with or over romaine lettuce, like an Italian Beef Caesar Salad.
For the family or guests, spoon 1/2 cup or so of the meat mixture onto each bun, spooning a little juice in there, too. Serve some of the meat broth au jus as well, along with any remaining peppers.

This makes a BIG batch, 16 servings, so you may want to cut it in half. I like having some in the freezer, for an easy Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.

Nutrition Info
For entire recipe (meat and all peppers, no bun): 2424 calories, 67 g fat, 37 g carbs, 386 g protein
Per serving (meat and all peppers, no bun): 151 calories, 4.2 g fat, 2.3 g carbs, 24 g protein

Faux Fish Tacos

2007-07-19T23:40:00.002-05:00

These may sound weird, but if you've ever had and enjoyed a fish taco, Baja style, try it my way, too.
Traditional fish tacos are firm white fillets deep-fried in beer batter, served in soft corn tortillas (usually 2, because it can get messy) with shredded cabbage, crema, salsa of choice, and squeeze of lime. Salsa options generally include pico de gallo, chipotle salsa, tomatillo/ avocado salsa, etc. This is typical example:

As an ex-San Diegan, I was hankering for fish tacos lately, and tried to think of a low-carb, low-cal, Kimkins-friendly alternative. This was the best I could do, but we all liked it. The key is serving and eating it freshly made, for that interplay of contrasts between hot and cold, soft and crisp, spicy and mild.

Mix up a little white sauce, and set aside. (Recipe below.)

Mix up (or buy) a batch of salsa of choice. (Recipe below.)

Get a head of green cabbage, and wash and trim some nice big leaves. Drain and set aside. (I cut a little inverted V-shape to get out just the tough part of the ribs.)

Pan-grill or bake tilapia fillets (or any mild white fish you have) with a little lemon pepper and garlic powder.

Place hot cooked fish on cold crisp cabbage leaf, drizzle with white sauce and salsa, squeeze on a lime wedge, then wrap it up, and enjoy!

I served it with lime wedges, pico de gallo, extra cilantro, chopped onion, and radish and avocado slices (plus corm tortillas) for the family.

Here's my old recipe for the sauce. I made it this time with light mayo and Calorie Countdown dairy beverage.
(You can also make it with equal parts mayo/ yogurt or mayo/sour cream.)
I sometimes like to add a smidge of horseradish. Tabasco, or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You could add some sugar-free relish, too.

Becky's Fish Taco Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise (I used light mayo.)
1/4 cup milk (I used Hood Calorie Countdown.)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Becky's Salsa:
1 (or more) garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I like more!)
6 tomatoes, ripe, diced
1/2 onion, minced
2 Tbs cilantro leaves, chopped, stems removed
2 serrano chilies, seeded and chopped (or jalepenos)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

I might try the egg crepe 'tortillas', or the versions with a little natural whey powder for some texture.

Or, I might also just serve the fish atop finely shredded cabbage with sauce and condiments and call it close enough.