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Kimkins

Kimkins

Kimkins PR Director rebuts fraudulent claims.

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BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND Start the Diet Now Advertisement

Please note, DietsInReview.com does not recommend the Kimkins diet program. Kimkins has completely misrepresented itself and the information it presents to customers, and in doing so, has endangered the lives of many of those people.

UPDATE 10/10 Kimkins Diets Founder Heidi Diaz is found guilty of fraud and false advertising

UPDATE 11/09: Kimkins Class Action Lawsuit Filed

Kimkins broke into the diet scene in 2000 selling itself as the one sure thing to end your dieting chaos. She said she had been an obese 300 pounds and like so many others, struggled to find a diet that worked for her. So she created her own solution- a low-carb/low-calorie diet that she says works incredibly fast. Not only would Kimkins help you lose weight quickly (198 pounds in one year in her case), but the plan would set you up for success for life. Kimkins also excitedly promotes that you won't have to do a single stretch, sprint or sit-up as exercise isn't necessary to achieve these amazing results.

Unfortunately, none of it is true. Kimkins is being investigated for fraud after many customers became seriously ill. Kimkins is an excruciatingly low-calorie diet and none of the information presented as fact as any medical or scientific support. Kimmer herself does not have a nutritional background and her advice is strictly from what appears to be fake experiences.

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PROPRO
  • None to speak of
CONCON

There is a laundry list of reasons why you should not follow the Kimkins diet. Currently the creator, Heidi Diaz, who operates under the alias Kimmer, is the possible subject of a potential class-action lawsuit and under investigation for fraud. Many of the Kimkins customers are becoming dangerously sick from following the Kimkins program. While Kimmer markets the diet as being a quick solution that will last for life, and losing 200 pounds in one year herself, she currently is morbidly obese- not at all what her ads claim.

  • No research or healthcare endoresements
  • Plan contradicts sound medical research
  • Dangerously low caloric intake
  • No exercise
  • Suggested to take laxatives regularly
  • Creator under investigation for fraud
  • Creator does not have any nutrition or medical experience

Additionally, many followers of Kimkins have reported frightening side effects, including:

  • Constant nausea
  • Hair loss
  • Fainting
  • Heart palpitations
  • Fatigue
  • Bone and/or joint pain
  • Constipation
DIET and NUTRITIONDIET and NUTRITION

The proposed Kimkins diet is made up mainly of lean protein, very little fat or carbs and no fiber. The diet is said to be based on Atkins, but with Kimmer's personal twist. The average user consumes about 1200 calories a day; many users admit to only about 500 calories a day.

EXERCISEEXERCISE

Kimkins advertises that you will not need any exercise to achieve your desired goals.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

Mom always said "If it's too good to be true, it probably is". And in the case of Kimkins, it sounded so much better than it actually turned out to be. This is one rapid weight loss fad that turned out to be a rapid weight loss scam. Consumers have been raising flags of concern about both the legitimacy of Kimkins and the health risks linked with the program. Heidi Diaz "Kimmer" is currently under investigation for fraud. It's unfortunate that so many men and women were duped by this convincing and charming sales woman. But it appears that this scam produced nothing more than a very lucrative eating disorder that has left a lot of people hurting.

Common misspellings: Kimmer, KimKens, Kemkins, Kemkind, Kimkins deit review

UPDATEUPDATE

In October 2007 Diets in review received a rebuttal to our review (below letter) from Jeannie Baitinger - Kimkins PR Director. In January 2008, Kimmer sent a rebuttal and Jeannie responded letting us know that she had left Kimkins and severed all ties with the lawsuit-ridden program.

Dear Jim,

Thank you for giving Kimkins.com the opportunity to present our side of the story.

First please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jeannie Baitinger and on the website I am known as Tippy Toes. I am employed by Kimkins.com as PR Director and as management.

We know we are under attack from various sources. But many of these sources are coming from people who have only heard about our diets and have not actually tried them. The effect has been much like a snowball effect of people who genuinely mean well but are not actual members. Much is based on hear say and negative publicity.

Moreover, we offer no calorie limits on any plan. There are no 500 calorie per day plans. No plan is 100% fat free. We do allow the individual to use common sense when adding healthy fats and we term this as "just enough fat to make it work". We do not promote starvation of any kind and we never will. We encourage members to stick within the plan guidelines and further, we encourage them to add extra protein and possibly extra salads if they are still hungry or not feeling well.

We do not encourage or promote laxative abuse. However, it is not at all uncommon for a low carb diet plan to cause constipation. When a member complains we have recommended gentle stimulants such as M.O.M. or 100% physillium husks. There is also a tea which is helpful in relieving symptoms. We will never recommend laxatives as part of weight loss plans. Never!

Additionally we do encourage our members to have their Doctor's review the plans and monitor their progress. Many, many members report excellent lab reviews and Doctor's blessings. On our website I have never seen anything but positive reviews. On other websites I read the negatives but without offered proof. What I do read are stories of hair loss. This seems common on a lot of diets. Even the Atkins diet can cause this. When I did Atkins it happened to me. Oddly, I never lost hair doing Kimkins though. But again, hair loss is easily corrected and people who have their Doctor's monitoring progress can address the issue and get help. I would find it rather bizarre to lose huge chunks of my hair and still continue with any diet WITHOUT seeing my Doctor immediately. So I must question why there are no medical claims based on proof...

I am personally a Kimkins success story. I began my weight loss journey at 263 lbs. I am a female of 5' 7". I began losing weight with the Atkins diet (also quite con-traversal) and did well on it for about a year. I lost approximately 50 lbs on Atkins and then it stopped working. For the next 6 months I lost no further weight or inches. A dear friend told me about the Kimkins diet and I decided to give it a try. The weight came off just as promised! EXACTLY as promised! I made a personal choice to begin alternating Kimkins diet with Atkins. On Kimkins I could lose the weight and on Atkins breaks I could easily maintain it. Today my current weight is 152. Maintaining my weight has never been so easy thanks to a low carb lifestyle.

Our website is full of happy success stories much like mine. Many people have no trouble doing only Kimkins straight to goal. I have seen amazing losses--as much as 100lbs in 5 months. These big losses are quite common at Kimkins. Side effects appear minimal and as stated previously we do encourage everyone to have their Doctor's monitor them every step of the way.

Our members are not uneducated people being mislead. We just completed a Teacher's Challenge and the entire group lost an unbelievable amount of weight. The teacher's group had planned to make a public donation to fund teachers but with all the negative publicity they have opted for private donations instead. It is not at all uncommon for Internet users to wish to remain private. That is why many choose a nickname rather than using a real name.

As far as the founder of Kimkins.com is concerned and with all due respect, most members really don't care who she really is or is not. We believe the founder has every right to privacy and further we believe she is entitled to such. Her real name and weight is not an issue to people who are serious about weight loss and finally are able to make it happen. People buy a membership for their own weight loss and that is what they get. Weight loss. Our claim "there is no faster weight loss plan" is very accurate.

I will be more than happy to issue you a temporary site pass if you would like to come in and see what is really happening for yourself. Just let me know if you are interested in the real truth. It's pretty amazing!

Sincerely,
Jeannie Baitinger, PR
Kimkins.com

end of Kimkins rebuttal

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(Page 3 of 7, 124 total comments)

Tammy Caldwell

I have studied and tried many many diets. Low Carb, Low Fat, pills, potions and shakes. Bottom line. Maybe Kimkin suggested eating below 500 cal and eating exlax but I don't understand why everyone is blaming her are we not responsible for our own choices. I have compared her plan to the atkins plan and it isn't entirely different. It is mostly a low fat version. What is wrong with using our bodies natural hunger supressant. Ketosis has been proven over and over to be safe and natural. If you compare Kimkins or even atkins to a diet for a person that has lets say a ren-Y surgery the person on Kimkins is eating more natural food. I say with any eating plan you educate yourself, eat when hungry, thats why we were given hunger pains by the way. It is what signals our body to eat. Like dry mouth signals our body for the need of water. Our bodies are not all the same. We just need to do what is healthiest for our personal body. If I ate 500 calories a day and ate exlax like candy and then started losing my hair, it wouldn't be kimkins that I would blame. Lord knows we have as many diet plans as we have religeons. Educate Educate Educate yourself no matter what plan you choose.


Anonymous

Where to start??? Check the Better Business Bureau?s website for their assessment of Kimkins! I hope this site will investigate the IP addresses of all the success stories posted. You will very likely find that the same few people are posting made up stories. It?s been proven that Kimmer and company do this regularly (sockpuppets). Most of the success stories on the site are phony, or they show Kimkins credit for weight loss elsewhere. Very few of the website success stories are even members of the site. For example, Brian on the home page lost 60 pounds on Atkins, and only a few on Kimkins, yet his story appears to credit Kimkins. Beyond the made up success stories, there are dozens of photos lifted from Russian bride websites. Kimmer?s own success photo was lifted. Do you really want to hand over $60 to a woman who can?t lose weight on her own plan, and who is a chronic liar? Kimmer claims to be private. In reality, she is private because she has a lot to hide. Please do not let Jeannie Baitinger?s UNQUALIFIED trivialization of the health hazards of this plan fool you into risking your health. Kimkins is so dangerous that no medical professional will endorse it. The lawyers have volumes of evidence of the dangerous advice, lies, and abuse heaped on members. Much of that evidence has been deleted in preparation for the lawsuits. (If you have nothing to hide, why hide it???) Sorry to ramble on. There is just so much fraud that it?s very difficult to know where to start to adequately warn people about this person and this diet!


HoneyBee

Kimmer/Heidi Diaz has taken the Atkins diet and "tweaked" it until it is nutritionally deficient and not a healthy way of eating. Members state you lose weight on this diet, but why pay $60.00 to starve? Kimmer has turned Atkins into Anorexia in a nutshell! Many members do not even realize the damage done psychologically and physiologically until following the diet for a few months. Yes, the weight loss may be fast but what are you losing? Weight is a number on the scale and it doesn't tell you what makes up that mass lost. Muscle and water are the biggest losses on Kimkins- Not body Fat! Do you really care what the number on the scale is if you look horrible with sagging skin due to fast weight/muscle loss and no muscle tone? If you have never tried Kimkins- Don't! If you did become a member then join the lawsuit to stop Heidi Diaz from harming others!


lowcarbfriend

Kimkins has always been fraudulent and always will be. Heidi K Diaz is a convicted felon who is morbidly obese and evil. The diet site has been scrubbed clean because of the pending litigation so don't be fooled. Most of the glowing praises have been written by her. Jeannie Baitinger is just as bad and lies for Heidi. The idea of rapid weight loss is attractive but you can find everything you do at kimkins and more without the lies and the price tag on other free support sites like low carb friends. The reason so many people are trying to stop this evil woman is she is a total fraud and the diet is a scam. Don't join her cult!


Sue

And this is what Jeannie posted the other day when she joined a low-carb site but didn't reveal her true identity: "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. Like many of you Atkins failed me. But looking back (and forward) I am a food abuser. Food is my crack. I over eat. So maybe I can't blame Atkins. Kimkins did help me get my eating under control to lose the rest of the weight. Still, I am an over eater to this day but have found low carb foods with less fat won't hurt me one bit. It's like having your cake and eating it too. But now it's not cake. It is steak! haha I think many of us learned a lot at KK. Not only did we learn how to lose weight but we also learned that forums are public and we should be careful giving out information about ourselves. You never know where it will end up. Ducks taught us that. Speaking of ducks, yes they made me want to duck hunt too. Anyways, I am looking forward to getting to know you all! I am currently on maintanence, using a balance of Kimkins and Atkins to stay there. Seems to be working just fine. But I need support too. Amy, again, thank you for providing us with a safe place to go. Right now I would be very lost without your site." So, Jeannie is a KK reguge - funny that she is still acting as PR of Kimkins with the update above - 1 day later.


Laura

FYI, even the lady who sent in the Kimkins rebuttal has left the Kimtanic. http://2big4mysize.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/has-tippy-toes-flipped/ http://2medusa.blogspot.com/2007/12/tippytoes-spills-beans.html See the latest from the KTLA Investigation here: http://tinyurl.com/2voac6 If you have been banned or are have been a member of kimkins.com, please consider joining the Kimkins Class Action Lawsuit http://kimkinslawsuit.wordpress.com/


Tammy Caldwell

I have studied and tried many many diets. Low Carb, Low Fat, pills, potions and shakes. Bottom line. Maybe Kimkin suggested eating below 500 cal and eating exlax but I don't understand why everyone is blaming her are we not responsible for our own choices. I have compared her plan to the atkins plan and it isn't entirely different. It is mostly a low fat version. What is wrong with using our bodies natural hunger supressant. Ketosis has been proven over and over to be safe and natural. If you compare Kimkins or even atkins to a diet for a person that has lets say a ren-Y surgery the person on Kimkins is eating more natural food. I say with any eating plan you educate yourself, eat when hungry, thats why we were given hunger pains by the way. It is what signals our body to eat. Like dry mouth signals our body for the need of water. Our bodies are not all the same. We just need to do what is healthiest for our personal body. If I ate 500 calories a day and ate exlax like candy and then started losing my hair, it wouldn't be kimkins that I would blame. Lord knows we have as many diet plans as we have religeons. Educate Educate Educate yourself no matter what plan you choose.


Chip

Hi all, here's a follow-up report from KTLA - some of Diaz's testimony in court: http://ktla.trb.com/news/local/video/ktla-video-kimkinsdiet,0,6723025.htmlstory?coll=ktla-video-1 And yes, to repeat what other folks have said - you can lose weight a lot of different ways, but starving yourself is NOT a good one. She admitted she decieved people. She's a sociopath IMO.


Anonymous

You ladies are quacks!!!!! Don't you have a life? How about complaining to the GOVENRMENT about their Pyramid.....eating 12 carbs a day......that is why you got FAT!


Susan

Im convinced many of the positive comments were posted by the founder of Kimkins, such glowing comments! I was on Kimkins 4 months, lost weight like crazy and ended up in the hospital! Potassium so low they were horrified, so dizzy I couldnt walk for 4 days, liver enzymes out of whack! Now that Kimkins is being investigated Ms. Diaz has "cleaned" the site of the original diet rules. Go to WAYBACK.com to see it before they scrubbed the site! The calories used to be SO low, that is how she could tout it being "the fastest diet ever!" Starvation works...but it also make you sick!


Anonymous

I too have the lifetime membership, but when Heidi publicly "came clean" I questioned her credibility to continue to give advice and there is no real maintenance plan. No REAL LONGTERM successes....I was banned. So as long as you "play nice" and are "positive" and never ever question Heidi, then yeah you may have a lifetime membership (or as in the current TOS for the life of the KimKins site) To all those who have lost the weight best of luck...it will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the months and years to come.


OMG

THE DIET THEY ARE TRYING TO SELL FOR $60 WAS CHANGED TO COVER THEIR DIET SCAM. TIPPY TOES THE PR PERSON TOOK THIS JOB BECAUSE SHE WAS UPSET WITH MEMBERS OF ANOTHER SITE,WHERE SHE EVEN RECEIVED THE NAME MEME , EVERYTHING WAS ABOUT HER. SHE LOST THE WEIGHT MOSTLY ON THE ATKINS DIET AND WOULD SWITCH TO KIMKIMS ON AND OFF. (HER ADMISSION) SHE ALSO SOLICITED DONATION FOR HER BOSS ,FOR FOSTER KIDS WHO DO NOT EXSIST. HEIDI DIAZ POSTED HER BEFORE AND AFTER PICS TO ENTICE NEW MEMBERS AND IT WAS FOUND TO BE AN AFTER PIC FROM A RUSSIAN BRIDE SITE. SHE ALSO HAS PHOTO SHOPPED HER NEW PIC WHICH SHE PUT ON HER SITE AFTER GOING TO COURT. IT WAS ALSO EXSPOSED THAT MOST SUCCESS STORIES WERE MADE UP WITH PICS FROM THE RUSSIAN BRIDE SITE. EVEN AFTER ALL THIS EXSPOSURE HER NEW PR PERSON IS TRYING TO HIDE ALL THE PAST EVIDENCE THAT SHOWED THAT THEY PROMOTED A DIET WITH 500 AND UNDER CALS AND LAXITIVES. THE NEW DIET IS JUST ANOTHER LC DIET WHICH YOU CAN GET FOR FREE ON OTHER SITES.......


Anonymous

Nobody disputes that you can lose weight on this plan. So do people in concentration camps. The most telling fact about this website is that they sanitized the website after criticism started coming out. You will not find references to taking MOM to relieve the constipation it causes. You will not find posts from Heidi Diaz telling people to cut their calories, and cut their calories, and then cut them again. Keep in mind, this website promotes the use of Fitday.com, a website where users log every morsel that goes in their mouths. It keeps track of their carb and calorie levels. Each time someone posted they were not losing weight, Heidi reviewed their Fitday record and her pat answer was to cut calories more. Heidi wants people for forget they saw this advice over and over, but they did, and they remember it. People, you can starve yourself for FREE! Save your $60, and if it's too late and Heidi already has your money, join the lawsuit! She is a fraud, a liar, and a cheat!


Kimkins member early 2007

My initial success with this program prompted me to go as far as promoting the diet. In light of recent events, I can no longer recommend this program. There were many references to the extremely low calorie intake that were recently removed from the site. Members were banned from their lifetime membership simply for voicing some concerns. Kimmer who claimed to lose 198 lbs in 11 months has recanted her story to say she had lost only 100 lbs in 6 months, only to gain it back. She now claims to be back on the plan herself to lose this 100 lbs for the fifth time (does this sound like a diet that works?). The site has claimed a change in ownership, but the new ownership remains anonymous. This leads to many questions: is it really under new ownership? And, if it is what makes them an authority on successful weight loss? This diet appears to work, but in all it is still one giant science experiment. The new rules which have been applied have not been there for long and are not proven in their effectiveness. The old rules, which encouraged extremely low calories bordering on starvation would cause anyone to lose weight, who could stick with it. I myself lost weight, and by the end of my journey proceeded to lose a lot of hair. I took the recommended daily vitamin, but that is obviously not enough. The short term effects of weight loss are valid, but as for the long term effects on ones health, there is just no way to know at this time. If you like the circus and snake oil remedies then this is for you. If you respect your body and wish to live a long healthy life, then I recommend you do your homework on this one. You only get 1 body. Treat it wisely.


fatchickonadiet

Hi, I have been on kimkins since August of 2007. I "cheat" and still lose weight. I have lost 34 lbs since August, and my husband has lost 47. We both feel great, and look better than we have in years. I not only believe in the diet, but recommend it to anyone wanting to lose a significant amount of weight in a quick time. I slowed the diet down myself because I want to not only lose it, but I want to keep it off. I take a LIQUID vitamins daily to help keep my body healthy. I have never read anything about a 500 calorie diet on the kimkins site. Like I said I am a member. I wouldn't trade the information I have received from the site for the $60 lifetime member price refunded for anything. I have learned how to lose weight, and how to maintain the loss I have already experienced. I love the Kimkins diet. Or as we call it The Way Of Life.


Anonymous

I don't care what you say about the scam...the diet does work, and it works better and faster than any other diet out there. I lost 40 pounds in 2 months, have gone off of the diet completely for 2 months, and have gained back only one pound. If you need motivation, and a jumpstart out of what seems like a hopeless situation, try this diet...it will work 10 times better than any other. It is easier, too, because your appetite decreases so dramatically.


Kenni

There is no medical studies on this web site, there is not one "client" that has lost and kept it off for any great amount of time. There is no study of the long term helath risks to this diet. I joined the diet when the web site first started. All of the members that did the diet with sucess are still reporting side effects. Kimmer has no medical background, she herself didn't even follow the plan. She is obese. She says she "gained the weight back" after the WW story because she was glued to her computer. That would mean she gained something close to 200 pounds in 4 months time. How can anyone take her word for anything? No proof of health issues from this diet? I have proof. I had a complete physical and lab works done before I started this plan. When I started having health issues, I went to my doctor. Once he saw the diet details, he almost fainted. I feel like a fool for taing this woman at her word that she lost weight and could help others do it too. She is a fake and a Fraud and needs to be shut down.


Anonymous

I was one of the first posters in here. And I just want to add a follow up, it is now 11/20/2007 and I have reached goal and have maintained my current wt loss of 60 lbs since 10/3/2007. I feel great, no health problems, and my self confidence has multiplied. Thank you Kimkins for giving me my life back, for helping me to lose the wt that so many people struggle for daily. WTG


Anonymous

Oh My, what can I say, PLEASE! PLEASE! Dont listen to Tippytoes(liar) She isnt interested in any one or their health. All she is interested in is the money and the Power. She is in my opinion as bad as kimmer if not worse. I hope that all of you who arte considering trying this diet will do research to see what a scam it is. I know people are saying SO WHAT IF SHE IS FAT, SO WHAT< SHE GAINED, WE ALL HAVE> Well, for one thing, do you want to trust a liar who has NEVER lost weight on her on plan? Do you really want to risk your health to become Skinny? DO you want to be a thin BALD person? IF you answered yes to any of these questions, then there is nothing any of us can do to convince you NOT TO DO THIS! You will just have to learn for your self what will down the road happen to your health. Dont you want to take the word of people who have been on this diet(and lost weight) and now have severe health problems. Dot you want to question why a woman named kimmer is getting rich promoting a diet that she her self cant follow? Dont you want to do your research and see what a LIAR Tippytoes is when she says she lost her weight on kimkins? IF you answered yes to any of these questions, GOOD for you. We are all proud that you will research and discuss this diet with your doctor. Think about your health and your hair, and DONT DO THIS or follow this SCAM ARTIST. I sure hope that tippytyoes can lay down and go to sleep at night knowing what she has done in aiding and supporting this LIE. I hope she knows that this will be on her hands(if not on this side on the other side) SHAME SHAME what a few dollars can lead a person to do.


Anonymous

I tried Kimkins for 1 week, it only took a few days to realize I was endangering my life. I was so sick. I hope all of those who did this plan recover and do not have long term issues from this



 

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