New Blog Updated: Today I sent off my swabs for that genetic test for weight loss compatibility...and some links to others who've done the test!

read it at the new blog:

Today I sent off my swabs for that genetic test for weight loss compatibility...and some links to others who've done the test!

5 Diets, 5 Dieters: Diet Face Off

If you're curious about some of the most popular diets around, five dieters are trying them out at LiveStron.com's DIET FACE OFF. Here are the diets/eating plans being used:

Weight Waters
South Beach Supercharged
Flat Belly diet
Mediterranean Diet
Jillian Michaels' Making the Cut

The dieters have posted their starting stats and have been blogging about their experience using these plans. If your eating plan is not working for you, here's your chance to see what results other plans provide for fellow fatfighters.
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Weil, Taubes, Oz: The Diet Discussion and The Princess' Philosophy on Food

I probably agree most with Dr. Weil on this one. Gary Taubes ideas about fat, though, are intriguing. It's interesting that even Dr. Oz admits he eats mostly low-carb in this clip.

My mom and dad had no heart disease, had very different body types, different food preferences, and both lived to their 80's. My mother was not much of a meat-eater. She ate small servings of meat, and larger servings of starchy veggies (plantains, cassava, boniato, malanga, potato.) She loved her dairy: especially milk (whole fat) and ice cream. She loved fruits and fruit juices. And soups (usually some sort of legume.) My father loved his rice and meat and eggs and whole milk. Every day, we had whole milk with breakfast, and often with a snack late in the afternoon or at night. Butter and olive oil were our main fats, although mom used lard when I was a kid to fry stuff. Lard was later exchanged for corn oil. Our only salad dressing was olive oil and vinegar. White cheese was often consumed (Cuban thing).

But mom and dad were cod liver oil afficionados. All of us got it. It was mom's cure-all. Cod liver oil. My dad consumed huge quantities of the stuff.

With all the hoopla about fish oils now, well, makes one wonder if that was mighty helpful in keeping their hearts normal.

I wish I could still take fish oils, but my allergy to seafood makes me leery. I'm really afraid I'll end up in the E.R.

As far as my food philosophy, here it is, and I hope I do not offend any of you. This is just how I see it, and I respect your right to disagree and hold a totally different philosophy:

I believe we are meant to eat the wide spectrum. I believe this for religious reasons, first and foremost--ie, I'm a Christian, and I believe humans are created, not genetic accidents--but also because of my reading on the subject. And because I tend to shy away from food extremism. Whether it's the raw food recruiters or the no-carbs proselytizers or the no fat fanatics or the vegan venerators.

I believe we were created to consume fruits/veggies/herbs/nuts in abundance, yes, as depicted in Genesis.

I have given you every plant with seeds on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds. This will
be your food. Genesis 1:29

But whatever and wherever Eden was, it's not here and now. Our foreparents were driven forth, barred from the ease and healthfulness and abundance of Paradise, and our diet was altered by God to suit a changed world and our changed beings:

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field Genesis 3:18

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Genesis 9:3

And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Genesis 45:18

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Genesis 18:8

There's even a warning that, well, may apply to our age:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils ... commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. -- 1 Timothy 4:1-3

I'll let the theologians wrangle that out. But it's worth keeping in mind when extremist diets are touted.

Still, back to my general philosophy: What is good and wholesome out there, given to us from the earth and its creatures, by sanction of God, is okay to eat AS LONG AS IT AGREES WITH OUR BODIES. Some of us have special chronic conditions that disallow an all-inclusive diet (say, diabetics or people with celiac disease or allergies).

Wholesome being the key word.

Yet, the way we tend to purchase it in the grocery store or restaurants can be mighty different from how it comes from nature, nutritionally sound. Whole foods, I believe, give us what our bodies need. Over-processed foods with additives can give us things we really don't want. We weren't created to consume mass quantities of salt, sugar, corn syrup, preservatives, etc. (I consume processed products for convenience's sake, but I do try to make sure what I eat includes MOSTLY wholesome, whole grain, organic, minimally processed foods. I do have special, chronic conditions, and I have to adapt, but I try to make sure I eat something raw with every meal and I've mostly--though not altogether--eliminated sugar and white flour and trans fats and minimized the consumption of foods with a gazillion chemicals with freaky names. Although, sorry, I do use sucralose in place of sugar. It's fakey, but we insulin resistant folks have to make concessions.)

Healthy animal flesh is also given to us to eat by the Creator, and by healthy or wholesome I mean creatures allowed to grow and move in a mostly normal animal manner (not penned up and unable to move more than mere inches), and who eat in a natural way (as opposed to being fed a lot of garbage), breathe fresh air, drink clean water, breed, nurture young, etc. I believe this is also wholesome to the human body. Animals stressed by overcrowding, abusive conditions, poor feed, excessive hormones and chemicals and such, I do not believe are wholesome to the human body.

(BTW, I'm not a vegetarian, but often eat vegetarian days. I just don't believe it's a moral issue, certainly not for me. If God says I can eat meat, hey, sorry, but you won't convince me otherwise. But if I choose not to eat meat--for whatever reason, health or political or conscience--then God's cool with that, too. We don't have to eat just one way any more than we have to pray just one way or sing the same song in worship or wear the same outfits everyone else does in church. I prefer beans and cheese to, say, steak and ribs. And I wish I could eat seafood, but, hey, allergic. )

In any case, the discussions provoked by Taubes in the past few years have been beneficial, I believe, to the whole diet world. And I have started to read his book,which is dense reading, I can tell you.

I hope the discussion continues, with input from scientists and dietitians and other persons, because folks like me and you really want good information, not bad science or bad anecdotal evidence or crazy theories. We just eant to eat well.

And sometimes, it's about experimenting. Seeing what works for each of us, since we're not all the same.

Upping the Agua

Teale is trying hard to get the water intake she needs. We all know how important it is to drink plenty of fluids while on this journey.

Why?

1. to remain properly hydrated, so we don't confuse thirst with hunger.
2. to give our tummies that sense of fullness when we're eating less than we were used to or still want to
3. to keep you from becoming constipated (which shows on the scale and is just plain painful)
4. to minimize bloat from sodium intake from convenience foods like frozen dinners and canned soups

There are, I'm sure, other reasons, but these are the ones that come to mind for me.

I never was a water drinker. I've ALWAYS had trouble getting in more than a cup or a couple a day. Those "drink 8 glasses a day" rules used to just frustrate me.

This time, it's been easy. I just made a system of it: I can't eat until I have 3 to 4 glasses of water.

That's it. That's the only change I made. Told myself: I will drink water BEFORE I eat. That way, I can journal my water easily when I journal my food. Right there, how many cups.

I find that it takes about 3.5 cups for me to start feeling the tummy distention thing. One to 3 cups alone doesn't do it. Only after 3 cups does my apparently enormous stomach pouch get the "stretchy" sense that something is in there.

If I drink 3 cups before each of my three meals, that's NINE CUPS OF WATER at least for the day. If I drink a couple more with snacks, I make it past ten cups. So, this ONE strategy--link drinking water to "before meals"-- has simplified intake for me. Rather than chugging all day long (which annoys me, though it works for some), I just guzzle it fast while I'm heating or preparing meals, so that it's done and out of the way before I sit down to the yummies. (I'm not much for drinking a lot WHILE I eat, so this fits with my modus operandi.)

What's your tip for getting in adequate or substantial amounts of water?

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Seeing is Believing

Christin, the "face" of the Kimkins diet, as it were, because of her cover model status back in June when Woman's World featured the controversial ultra-low carb VLCD, has a message for those still doing Kimkins (or similar diets) and those thinking of joining even with all the scandal.

It's a moving testimony.

A woman of religious conviction and strong conscience, Christin has posted a 17-minute video on her blog describing the side effects she has suffered from doing Kimkins, and she apologizes to those who were sucked into the plan due to her success story in the magazine.

If there is one thing you sense seeing the video is how genuine this woman is, how you get the vibe of honesty. She honestly thought she was helping people back then by being the poster gal for Kimkins, and she genuinely is convinced now that she was mistaken and that the diet is dangerous. She is warning folks away from Kimkins. She is baring her errors to the world. SHE IS APOLOGIZING.

Notice the enormous difference between Heidi Diaz/Kimmer and Christin.

One woman (Heidi Diaz/Kimmer) went into this--as it alleged by those who knew her and followed her history of posting on low-carb forums and her words and actions on the Kimkins site--to satisfy her ego and cash in on the desperation of the overweight. Cash in big-time. We're talking more than a million dollars since June. Once the truth about her misrepresentations (ie, lies) started leaking out, Heidi/Kimmer has escalated her vicious and manipulative behavior at her site, and this reaction from her has resulted in numerous complaints at the Better Business Bureau. One former member has organized a class action suit. A former partner is prepared to cooperate with authorities with all the records at their disposal.

Kimmer/Heidi has not apologized for lying and berating and censoring and summarily banning members who did nothing more than ask questions about the safety of the Kimkins eating plans or about the veracity of Kimmer/Heidi's weight loss claims--which were brought into huge disarray by the photos of the P.I. hired by former partners-- or of the testimony of those making allegations against Kimmer/Heidi. No, Heidi/Kimmer has gripped more tightly to the reins of her power. She's read private messages, hired administrators without the least tact or concern for members, and has begun an avid campaign of intimidation to keep folks in line and very, very quiet. If you doubt this, visit the links on my sidebar (way down at the left) and read and learn.

Contrasting the Kimmer/Heidi behavior, Christin has done the honorable thing: Admitted she erred. And now she is seeking to keep others from taking the dangerous road she traveled through the medium of her blog.

I--an obese woman who did go to the Kimkins site after the WW article, but who refrained from joining due to what seemed the extreme low-carb nature of the diet (not my thing, I like my whole grain bread and pasta, plus I didn't feel like spending the moolah for that sort of diet)--yes, I appreciate the importance and generosity of what Christin has done with this video and is doing with her continued speaking out.

She is caring about people who might get hurt and is not making money off her revelation.

Heidi/Kimmer only cares about Kimmer/Heidi, and she wants to keep members piling into the oppressively censored atmosphere of Kimkins, bringing $60 bucks a pop for the Diaz coffers. That's why you see so much advertising for the Kimkins diet site despite the turmoil, questions, accusations, photos, testimonies, and appeals. Heidi/Kimmer wants the money train to roll on, cause, I guess, duping 40 thousand plus people into a malnutrition way of life is not sufficient, and a million plus (as estimated by those who worked there) is not sufficent.

One is trying to do the right thing. One is trying to protect an ego and bank account boosting empire.

One puts her own face and own frailties on display as a mercy.

One hides away to protect the truth about her lies.

Who are YOU going to listen to?

I know which woman I believe. I believe the one who shows herself, displays her pain, offers her mea culpas, and wishes us well. The one that so many former Kimkinites say made the boards a place of support and encouragement and affection. You can see that winning femininity and soft-spokenness in the video.

Contrast the reports people make about their contact and relationships with Christian (positive) and the reports of the relationship and contact people have had with Heidi/Kimmer (negative).

Go watch Christin's video, especially if you have been doing a dangerous or starvation type diet (like Kimkins).

And Kimmer: You could learn something from the graciousness and repentance of those who used to work for you.

Contact This Attorney if You've Been Defrauded by Kimkins

I am investigating a potential class action lawsuit regarding the alleged Kimkins fraud. I am an attorney and a member of the California Health Fraud task Force. My name is John Tiedt and you can reach me at 951 343 3320 if you have any specific information about the alleged fraud against Kimkins.

The above was posted today at KimKins Exposed.

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BANSHEE WAILS...at KimKins

The Blog Banshee is Wailing a Warning.

It's all over the web. But I'd like to add my own little caveat. Allow me to let the Banshee have her way. She's howling this:

DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR ANY KIMKINS SITE OR FORUM OR PLAN OR PRODUCT.

I recognized the name when I read the 3 Fat Chicks article yesterday. I'd seen a link to it many months ago, round when I started this blog in May. I clicked on the link. I scoped it out. I quickly decided to leave. It was just too extreme a plan for me. It sounded a bit nuts, frankly.

Let me say, with all honesty, that I understand the lure of such hardcore dieting.I can understand, totally, why some folks, feeling desperate, paid money to join this ridiculous diet that, basically, starves you with insufficient nutrition. Desperation makes sense go right out the window. I've felt desperation.

Please. Don't support KimKins. Every report out there rings the "shady" bell. Don't sign up for KimKins. Don't link to the site. If you have links or ads, please take them down.

If you wanna know why, start with "KimKins: Anatomy of a Diet Scam"

There are plenty of links there. A simple google with "Kimkins" and "scam" or "fraud" or similar words will get you other links, many from former KimKins members and some administrators, such as:

Becky and her insider story at KimKins
KimKins Exposed
Kimorexia
KimKins Sucks
KimKins Survivors
Slamboard on the KimKins Diet

Here's a quote from a former KimKins member, who discontinued her KimKins blog and started a new one called "Healthy Low-Carb Living" (emphasis mine):

A few days ago I was reading some comments from others who were once on Kimkins. They were experiencing the same thoughts I was. They had the same feelings I did. Some were afraid to eat anything! Those similar experiences caused something to click in my mind. I realized I could have easily developed an eating disorder. I was on the verge. I was so obsessed with losing weight quickly, that only having 3 protein shakes a day, which totaled 330 calories, actually seemed acceptable. I would have laughed in the past had you EVER told me I'd feel that way.

Yes, eating disorders of the anorexic sort can begin just like this: super-deprivation becoming the norm in the dieter's mind. Rapid weight loss becoming "God"--the end-all and be-all.

Do not support alleged scammers. Do not support diet extremists. Rather:

~Be careful at all times not to be seduced by crazy plans.
~Be sensible. Be alert.
~Eschew the desperation that blinds.
~Think of health and lifestyle, not just "I want it gone now."
~Read and be informed.
~Never listen to anyone who recommends laxatives for weight loss. Ever. (Remember Karen Carpenter?)
~Be doubly-careful as you choose to whom your money will go and which organizations you will join. There are sharks out in the waters, smelling the blood of angst-ridden, heart-shattered, will-try-anything dieters.

It's seductive, claims of such radical weight loss. We all want to LOSE THE POUNDS FAST AND NOW AND RIGHT NOW! But think about it. Eating 300 or 500 or any other extreme diet is almost always detrimental. (Never do it without close medical supervision and with a darn good diagnostic justification. Make sure you get proper supplementation. Unless you're gonna drop dead from co-morbidities without that kind of starvation diet, just don't do it.)

You didn't put on 50 pounds in one month. Or 100 in two. Why expect you're gonna lose it safely in one month...or two?

Be kind to your body and soul today. And be patient.

And nix KimKins.

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