Prayer Chain for AmyB

My friends. My heart is heavy right now. My dear friend AmyB is in need. She is a fellow blogger and activist. She is one of the bravest women I have the honor and privilege of calling friend. Right now, she and her son Phillip are undergoing some major health issues. Please take a moment to visit her blog: Our Daily Blessing - Life, and giver her a word of encouragement. She needs prayer and support.

Amy, you know that I am here for you. I am passing this prayer chain along, raising my voice in agreement to the Lord with so many others... I pray for peace and comfort for your family. I pray for wisdom and skill for the doctors who are treating both you and Phillip. I pray for comfort and strength for Jim, and the rest of your precious family. I am with you my friend. And I love you.

Important Lawsuit Information

This request was penned by my good friend Prudentia.. Please take a few moments to review this and feel free to contact either myself, Prudentia, or the Kimkins Case email if you would like more information about how you can help.

John is working diligently on the Certification Brief for the class action lawsuit against Heidi Diaz and Kimkins. The following is the information we are pulling together for him as he is finalizing the brief. If you can provide any of this information, please forward it either to PrudentiaBlog@aol.com, or to KimkinsCase@gmail.com. If you are concerned about becoming involved, please contact me and I will be able to discuss this further with you.


1. We are compiling a list of people who saw the person known as Kimmer, including the avatar of herself, on the Low Carb Friends board during the actual period of time she was there – during 2002 through mid 2006. You can simply send an email stating that you saw her and your name will be added to that list.

2. We are looking for more persons who dealt with Heidi while she was impersonating a consumer simply promoting the diet. For example, people who became involved in her free clothing give away. Particularly people who dealt with her as Vanessa2Lucky@yahoo.com.

3. We are looking for advertisements clearly stating that she was offering a life-time membership. These can be from between the dates of February 2006 and October 2007.

4. Heidi stated in advertisements that her diet is good for persons with Type II Diabetes. We are looking for people who read that advertisement and joined Kimkins based upon that claim.

5. We are compiling a list of those who have been banned from the Kimkins site. Please include whether or not you are “super banned” or if you can still access the front page but not the boards and membership only areas.


Again, please forward these items to PrudentiaBlog@aol.com or KimkinsCase@gmail.com so that we can compile the replies and sort out duplicates. Thank you very much for your assistance in these matters.

The SLAPP heard round the world...

I’m typically a very mild mannered person. I hate confrontation. In my personal life, I usually take too much on myself before I meet someone else head-on. That being said, in my online turned real life, I have recently been “called out.” My blogging life as of late has been an attempt to focus on sharing from my own life how I feel a healthful weight loss lifestyle should be incorporated. Part of that information sharing has been a warning and caution about succumbing to weight loss scams such as the “Kimkins” diet.

As most of my readers know, I lost my weight by (and developed an eating disorder from) utilizing the Kimkins program. I have spent the last year in an attempt to recover from that experience. This year has also seen a multitude of other changes and involvements. These changes include a class-action lawsuit against the perpetrator of the Kimkins scam, as well as my own enrollment back in college to obtain a degree in nutrition so that I can share a VALID way of eating with those around me who are struggling. The lawsuit I believe is going very well… well… that is, until Heidi Diaz decided that it would be in her best interest to try to squelch me and my fellow outspoken advocates by filing a SLAPP lawsuit against us. For more information on exactly what a SLAPP lawsuit is, please visit my good friend, Prudentia, as she eloquently explains here: Understanding SLAPP.

The purpose of this counter-suit is clear, to intimidate us into silence. Well… as far as I can see, the opposite has happened. Instead of a muffler, we have been given a megaphone. All I can say at this point is thank you. Thank you Prudentia for explaining so fluently and your undying support; thank you “ducks” for your amazing efforts in spreading the word to help others; thank you to my fellow counter-suit defendants, you all are an inspiration to me; THANK YOU John Teidt for your tireless work and outstanding bravado, and yes… thank you Heidi, for showing me just why I cannot be silenced. I have done nothing but tell the truth about my experience with the Kimkins program. Such is my first amendment right. And now, my fellow defendants, ducks, and readers I have a message:

Reflections

OK So I know to most people, I'm still a baby. But, my 30th birthday is now looming on me; it will take place at the end of this month. I've been working on my emotional response and preparing myself for this milestone all year. Something happened today, however, that made me realize that age.... is just a number. And, it really doesn't matter cause in the broad scheme of things, I have friends from age 14 to grandmothers (no ages given out of respect;) LOL).

So today, I received an AARP card. Now... I know that you are not supposed to receive these things till you are approaching your 50's. So the mere fluke that I got it as I approach 30 was simply hilarious to me.

It did get me thinking though. Here I am.. 30 years old (and yes... I keep saying it to bring the reality of it to myself), and I am amazed at how much I've learned over my short lifetime... especially the last 2 years. I am approaching my 2 year anniversary of going low carb (Oct 2) and I am AMAZED at how my life has changed. I am thinner... yes. I am, for the first time in my life, what one would consider "normal." But how did I get here? I was scammed. I threatened my own life by low carb starvation. But out of the ashes of such tragedy... comes an incredible beauty.

I have re-entered college. Something I NEVER in a million years would have thought probable or even possible. I am studying NUTRITION of all things!

I have met some of the most incredible people in the world. I have "met" the most incredulous liar, and the kindest saints. So many opposites... it would make even the sanest person's head spin. But... in spite of everything, I am grateful. I am grateful that I have learned an awareness of myself. I am grateful that I have discovered a new purpose in life. I would not wish being deceived and scammed like I have been on my worst enemy. NO-one deserves that. So, I am now an activist. I can embrace my role as wife, mother, helper, and encourager with joy and hope for a brighter lifetime of good health, and showing others that they have that potential too.

Was it a fluke that I got an AARP card this morning... maybe. But just maybe... it was more than that. Thanks AARP...

Past, Present and Future

I will resume blogging about the Mediterranean Diet very soon, however it has been brought to my attention that there are those who are members of the dangerous Kimkins diet program who are STILL unaware of the scam, and even if they are aware of a "scandal," still think it's none of their business and see no point or reason to joining the Kimkins lawsuit. If you are one who is just becoming aware of these issues, I'd like to speak to you for a moment.

Let's go back about a year and a half ago. You’ve reached the point that so many of us who have dealt with weight issues have come too. You’re tired, and in a word, desperate. You hear of a program that gives the glorious promise that it, in and of itself, is even BETTER than Gastric Bypass surgery. Maybe that is something that you’ve considered in the past, and are at the point of seriously trying. But you want to give a weight loss regime one last try. It looked easy enough... price was less than what you've spent before, and the stories sounded too good to be true! So you joined Kimkins.

You try it for a week, maybe even a month and while it works, you decide that just like all the other programs you’ve tried.. you just can’t stick to it. So you quit and go on with your life. You don't think about it again, till you reach yet another point of desperation... and so you go back. Something has changed. The forums are dead. All the familiar faces that you spoke to and maybe even looked up to for inspiration are gone. There is a reason, so you begin looking around on the internet for answers.

You discover that this program is different. Unlike other legitimate weight loss programs, this particular program was not only begun as a blatant scam, those who have followed it for any extended period of time have become sick.

These are not people who were prone to eating disorders. These are normal individuals who have developed serious psychological issues thinking that they just were not strong enough to follow a diet program.

Those who did follow it, EXACTLY AS WRITTEN, have severely damaged their metabolisms, suffered thyroid damage, gall bladder damage, intestinal issues, severe hair loss, electrolyte and potassium deficiencies, major muscle loss (including heart damage) all of which have seen many in emergency rooms, facing surgeries and extended and lengthy recovery times. These issues are not exaggerations. They are life threatening realities.

The owner of Kimkins dot com not only admitted under oath that she lied about her own weight loss, but she has shown no concern or care towards those who have been damaged by the diet that she published and voraciously broadcast around the world.

Heidi K Diaz, founder of Kimkins, not only scammed you and me out of our money, but has risked thousands of people’s lives with her carelessness.

In October of 2007 a lawsuit was launched because of Heidi’s refusal to refund unsatisfied customers their money. This lawsuit has become even more than a quest to “get money back.” Heidi has since proven that not only did she intentionally perpetrate this particular scam, but she fully intends to continue dishonestly swindle unknowing and unsuspecting consumers unless she is brought to justice.

Many people have used the rationalization that “I have spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars on other weight loss remedies, and this is just one more, so I have no reason to get involved in a “petty” lawsuit just to get my $59.99 back.” Maybe that is where you are.Consider this, over the course of the last year, Heidi Diaz has deceitfully obtained almost 2 Million dollars. In the month that the Woman’s World magazine article came out, Heidi accumulated 1.3 million. All these funds were obtained on the basis of a fraud. While one payment of $59.99 might seem minuscule to some, in accumulation, they were an incredible sum. So far in the lawsuit there have been multiple depositions, not only of Heidi, but those who have aided her in her deception. Heidi has had 3 depositions, both her sons have been deposed, as has an aid for her lawyer.

The lawsuit is not certified yet, so it is NOT too late for you to participate!

Please go to The Kimkins Lawsuit Webpage for information on how to join the lawsuit. For step by step instructions you can see the “How To Join a Lawsuit” instructional video on YouTube, as well as multiple other reports regarding developments over the last year within this case.If you are still not convinced that you should step in and help by joining the lawsuit, then think of this: Suppose it was your sister, or mother who had been damaged such as many of the testimonies on Kimkins Survivors. What if one of them suffered a painful and extended stay in the hospital due to malnutrition and possibly even heart failure due to their body being so deprived of nutrients it began to shut down? Even if you have not experienced any of these things, there are those who have. Please take 5 minutes to review the information on joining the lawsuit so that together we can stop Heidi Diaz from continuing to hurt people in this manner.



Our desire is that Heidi Diaz would realize the err of her ways and shut down Kimkins dot com. This however, is unlikely to happen. Our hope and course of action now will be to demonstrate to the judicial system the danger that she poses as a con-artist to the general public. We will civilly remove her funds through this Class Action Lawsuit, and criminally, prove that she committed a dangerous consumer fraud to whatever entities may be pursuing this case. The more participants within the lawsuit, the greater our chances of both of these objectives happening.

Heidi has fully demonstrated that she will continue to find new ways to con unless we are successful. She has refused to be honest in ALL of her depositions, has destroyed evidence, hidden her income, and manipulated the justice system through delay tactics that will only continue to drain money away from those who deserve to get their money back. Please think about those who have been hurt. You will not be required to testify or face Heidi. You will only be lending a voice to many.


This post was originally put together for MissMerize AKA Avenue girl who is putting together an informational video to share with those who are still not aware of the atrocity that is Kimkins.

For Grammy

I was only 6 years old, but I remember visiting my grandmother in the hospital during her first stint with the deadly disease of breast cancer. I was too little to know anything other than my Grammy was sick. She was only 53 years old. After a double mastectomy and months of chemotherapy, things seemed to be looking up. The cancer went into remission and we believed that she had beaten the disease.

In 1999, our family was to receive another blow when we received word that my mother, then only 42, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. My brothers, sisters and I gathered around my parents and wept as my father shaved my mother’s head as she began dealing with the effects of the chemotherapy. She too underwent a double mastectomy and we began the healing process. Breast cancer awareness and prevention became forefront in our lives.

In 2001 my grandmother’s cancer returned my sister ran in the Komen Foundation Race for the Cure. This began an annual event for my family attending as she ran. Every year, I sat on the sidelines and watched with pride; however, I was always too overweight to participate. Grammy’s cancer has never gone fully into remission. Since then, she has battled the disease culminating with this year growths have spread to her spine and recurred again in the scar tissue from her mastectomy in this her 6th occurrence.

It was a sudden realization that fat FEEDS cancer and seeing my sister cross that finish line in the fall of 2006 that began my weight loss journey. And so, after losing the weight, last year, in honor of Grammy, for the first time, my brothers, sisters and I (with the exception of 1 brother who was out of state) and my wonderful mother, ran TOGETHER in the Race For The Cure.

My weight loss journey began with a desire to lose to help make my body healthier to attempt to stave off this dangerous disease. I am the oldest of 6 children. I have 2 sisters. Statistically speaking, research shows that one of us girls will contract this disease. The odds for women who have a maternal history of breast cancer in their families are 2:1, or one out of three. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to us to not only find a cure, but to do all we can to learn how to prevent cancer.

I have discovered through my research that even in my weight loss journey, I was not eating preventatively. Losing fat is not enough, and unfortunately, the malnutrition that I suffered utilizing the Kimkins program did not help either. A healthy cancer prevention diet is actually not surprisingly a fairly popular Low Carb/Low Glycemic Index diet. The Mediterranean Diet is one of the highest recommended diets for breast cancer prevention. This diet is very low carb friendly too, emphasizing healthy Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids, fresh low GI antioxidant filled fruits and veggies, and healthy proteins.

Over the next few weeks I will be highlighting various healthy low carb aspects of this dietary approach as I learn about them and their benefit towards thwarting the deadly disease of breast cancer.

Grammy currently is not well. While it hurts me immensely to see her in such pain, it also gives me new resolve to do whatever is in my power to educate others in a healthy lifestyle. A lifestyle that will not only assist them in achieving their weight loss goals, but also provides the nutrients and health benefits that can help extend their lives in other areas as well.

Grammy… I love you.

WE WILL FIND A CURE.

Turkish Delight

I have never thought about or realized the draw that finding a weight loss method that “works” has. Of course anyone would follow a plan that was guaranteed to work. They’d be crazy not to. But… what if that plan was unknowingly dangerous, or even life threatening? What if following that plan led to an addiction? What if following the plan brought on a whole new set of problems?

This is my reality. In the aftermath of my accident and all that has occurred since that time… and after a year of maintaining my weight loss with Kimkins, my reality is harsh (for me). I know that maintaining after losing a great deal of weight is not easy by any means. However, after following a Very Low Calorie program like Kimkins, having a “normal” maintenance life is exponentially more difficult.

After Kimkins, I made it my goal to learn how to eat and be healthy. I enrolled in school and have begun my newest journey towards obtaining a degree in Nutrition and Kinesiology. But, even in all I’m learning, why does Kimkins still have an allure to me? Simple… it worked to get the weight off. It was a fix. There was an uncanny high that came from feeling that sense of control and seeing the scale drop every day. Even within the forums of Kimkins there was a glossy magnetism about it. It was a happy place where everything was encouraging and everyone was your friend. But, that addicting appeal was seductive, it was a Turkish Delight. In the sweet comfort lay something far more sinister than the appearance it put off.

Within the confines of my little weight loss world, and my adherence to the Kimkins plan, something grew. I developed a full blown eating disorder. Coming out of that program, I was even more shocked to learn that I was not the only one either. Had this “solution” to my weight problems actually given me a whole new predicament to deal with?

I’ve kept most of my weight off for over a year now, true…. However, with time, as with most things, some has begun to creep back on. For this reason, I now am facing the reality of a) get this under control, or b) go back to the way I was. Option B is not an option.
I have often thought about the draw to that way of eating in similarity to recovering from a drug addiction. If you go back to it, the first hits give instant relief and “comfort.” You think… I control this, it doesn’t control me. However, the longer it continues; the reality is… that it does control you. You are trapped in a never-ending carrousel of recovery/getting a fix.

I would be kidding myself if I did not admit that the appeal and draw to go back to a Kimkins method of eating was not strong. But why would I do that to myself? The rational in my head says… it’s only 15 pounds… you’ll get that off real quick and then you can go back to eating right. But my heart knows better. I know that if I returned to that method of eating I would be caught in a vicious cycle of ALWAYS having to return to that in order to keep my weight under control. That is no way to live. I would much rather have one fixed way of healthfully eating that, combined with a regular exercise program, I know is good for me and will allow me to not only get my weight back under control, but provide me with a pure and simple strategy for lifelong fitness.

So what is my reality? My reality is that here I sit, facing the dreaded re-gain. However, I am also a VICTORIOUS recovering eating disorder addict. I WILL do what is best for my body…. And that is NOT Kimkins.