Ruffled Feathers

I literally stumbled over the Magic Chicken Diet a couple of weeks back. A web search for Kimkins led me to Getafreelancer where someone was soliciting a web designer to make a website that should look like a clone of the Kimkins website. Having heard rumors that Kimmer had a backup site prepared, I was naturally intrigued.

The website and the diet had many similarities to Kimkins but also differences. Probably the most important difference is that to the best of my knowledge, the Magic Chicken Diet is promoted by a real person (Bonnie Luper) with a real weight loss story. Therefore, the fraud component of Kimkins should not come into play and as far as I know, nobody has suggested that it would.

I and other bloggers have been criticized for discussing the Magic Chicken Diet and have been accused of crucifying the Chicken Lady and driving the site out of business. (Of course, it was later revealed that the temporary shutdown of the site was most likely due to a non-paid bill and not due to any magic powers on Kimmer’s behalf; Kimmer supposedly having found out about the clone from our blogs.)

While the site is again up and running, we are still not supposed to discuss or criticize the diet, as “it’s free enterprise and anybody has the right to promote any diet they want”. While I agree with free enterprise, I can not understand why we are not allowed to discuss it, especially in a community that argues pros and cons for all types of diets. With so little information up front, would you not want to hear what people knowledgeable in nutrition and diet have to say about it, if nothing else so that you can ask Bonnie questions before you shell out $69.95?

It is also alluded to that we will somehow interfere with the Chicken Lady’s business by talking about the Magic Chicken Diet on blogs and lowcarb diet boards. This puzzles me.

First, if this is a good diet like Bonnie says, surely, discussing it will not cause any harm. Actually, it would only help promoting it.

Secondly, what facts are there that this is a successful business? That Bonnie claims that they have reached 200 members at the old introductory price of $19.95 while the website still states “introductory price (but now $69.95) for the first 200 members?” Do they have 200 members or not?

And how are new members recruited? Similar to Kimkins, Bonnie has a Lifetime membership so only new people coming in would generate revenue. There is absolutely no marketing of this company that I have been able to find, even when trying to search for it. Nothing on Craig’s List, nothing on “Yahoo answers,” no spam on celebrity sites, no articles, no ads, no affiliate program, no presence of Bonnie on lowcarb boards where she could attract new customers. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Apart from the Getafreelancer ad, there is no confirmed connection between Bonnie and Kimkins at this time. However, does that mean that I am not allowed to have questions about the Magic Chicken Diet?

$19.95 Camp Fee

Camp Carbaway announced:

“Our plan is to go “Public” on Jan 1 2008. Starting on that day new members will be asked to pay a registration fee of $19.95.”

“There will not be any more approval process in the new system. Anyone can pay the $19.95 and join. This may cause issues, but we are ready to deal with those.”

That’s cool. Really. It’s a free country. You want to charge money for providing a member board and you can find people that are willing to pay, that’s perfectly fine.

But what does “public” mean? To me, FREE boards like LCF and ALC are public boards as they are open to read without membership. You have to register to post, but registration is FREE for anybody.

If you have to pay a membership fee to join, and the board is unaccessible to the public, it is a “private” board. Just removing the 3rd degree entrance interrogation doesn’t make it “public”.

But WHO is going to join and pay the membership fee? There has been no marketing of this website and the poorly designed front page has no information whatsoever what I would receive for my $19.95.

Clearly the Headmistress aka Pocahontas aka Tippy Toes believes that her reputation on the FREE boards will make people come running to join, just so that they can chit chat with Tippy on the board.

Think again.

And Tippy, your blog is not really helping with promoting you as a caring and loving person.

While Tippy needs this board as she is not welcome anywhere else, I can’t see that is serves any purpose for other people, except perhaps for the few people that have already joined. The indirect “marketing” has seemingly targeted Tippy’s “kimkinettes” and kimkins followers on LCF that want to escape the “haters”.

Tippy is reinforcing the “US” versus “THEM” by suggesting that former kimkins members are not welcomed on other boards. In her own words:

“don’t make them feel they have leprosy because of their dieting preference”

“I am so sorry we all have to feel the pressure of letting the public in. But here is the deal. If they are really ugly we will remove them from Camp. If they want to pay $20 to come back and be ugly again, we will repeat this process. We don’t have to put up with the badgering nor will we. Eventually they will give up and leave us in peace. Or they can go broke trying to get the last jabs in.

I know it feels like a battleground. Here we are, armed and ready and KNOWING the opposing forces are closer… We will win. Please, please don’t worry. It won’t take long at all. And I appreciate that so many of you are concerned for me. I’ll be OK. The way I see it is this: The best present LCF ever gave me was the ban button. Just look at where that has led us all! Right here to Camp where people are actually NICE, CARING and have COMPASSION for one another.”

LCF and ALC are big boards, and there are many, many threads supporting all different types of “dieting preferences.” That doesn’t mean that concerned members would not speak up if they see a newbie eating dangerously low calories. But isn’t that what Tippy is trying to do on her board as well? So what’s the difference? $19.95 will not buy me anything that the FREE boards do not give me.

Kimorexia has some really good advice on what to look for when choosing a diet forum.

Grilled Cheese…. discusses the Camp.

Kimorexia, Anorexia and Bulimia

One of the earliest blogs to take up the fight against Kimkins was Kimorexia but as other blogs started to appear, Kimorexia became idle. As of today, it is back in business.

WELCOME BACK!

And, staying with the subject of anorexia and bulimia, Medusa has a very important post today:

ANOREXIA NERVOSA & BULIMIA NERVOSA…AND THEIR LINK TO THE DEADLY KIMKINS DIET

Please go and read it and be reminded why people like Heidi Diaz and websites like Kimkins have to be removed from the internet.

You might also want to go back and read one of the earlier posts by the original Kimorexia blogger:

Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be anorexic

Just Saying………..

Nothing. Some blogs are best to ignore, especially when they will not “allow” comments.

The Chicken Diet is Magically Revived

Perhaps it was just a simple matter of paying GoDaddy’s bill after all.

So what about Kimmer having the site shut down for being a Kimkins clone? We know not to trust anything that Heidi, the Lying Liar that Lies, says but what about the son in law?

Perhaps it wasn’t the son in law. Anybody can make a blog comment using whatever name he/she chooses.

Chicken, chicken and more chicken

Kimkins Exhausted has posted the menu plan for the Magic Chicken Diet. It doesn’t look good to me, even if you like chicken.

Let’s take a look at the first day’s menu:

Breakfast: 4 chicken strips
Snack: 1 cheese stick
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad from Sonic (onion ring removed)
Snack: 5 strawberries and Diet Jello
Dinner: Grilled chicken filet and steamed broccoli
Snack: Diet Jello

In the text under the menu, it is recommended to keep calories between 800 and 1200. I can not get the above menu to even reach 800.

My total is 712 calories with 24 grams fat, 22 grams carbs and 106 grams protein. I initially had a pat of butter in there but had to take it out as I otherwise would have exceeded the 25 gram fat maximum.

Other words of wisdom from the chicken lady:

• If you want to lose a little faster just cut out a serving of veggies or the fruit for a couple of days.

• Try to drink between 80 to 100 ounces of water a day. I have not myself but it is better for you if you can. I always drink Crystal Light, Tea with Splenda and Diet Drinks.

• You can get Crystal Light Slurpees at most 7-11 or RaceTrac but also you can make your own.

• Sugar Free Jello is a great snack and only 10 calories. Try all the different flavors and get creative and come up with your own blends.

• I don’t eat any of the dressing but if you need it get the spray dressing at the store that is only like 10 calories a spray.

• Once a month I treat myself to a nonfat yogurt twist from Costco they are great but just do it once a month because it does have carbs.

• I never did through any of my weight loss exercise except for my normal route selling of candles. I do realize that I need to start now so that I can tone up, but it is not necessary.

And this is from someone who claims to never have heard about Kimkins.

Tippy – It’s All About Money

Tippy posted an undated and snipped email exchange with Kimmer on her blog. Surely, this is in reference to Kimmer telling Tippy that she will no longer be paid. (Or perhaps this was when the pay cut was made, as according to Tippy she first had a pay cut before being taken off the payroll entirely.)

It shows that money was the issue for Tippy, not any concerns about supporting a proven fraud. She had no problems promoting a fraud as long as she was paid for doing so. When the future of Kimkins became uncertain (i.e. a paycheck was no longer guaranteed) Tippy was no longer willing to put in the effort. Her “vow to the lowcarb” community meant nothing.

Kimmer to Tippy:

“Jeannie, I hope that you will understand that this is the best I can do at this time with an uncertain future for Kimkins.”

Tippy responded:

“As far as PR, my thoughts are IF Kimkins is uncertain about a future it would be wrong to promote Kimkins to new people, as a lifetime membership may not mean much. So I feel promoting may not be best for time being. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t want it this way. So, if and when we can get passed this and KNOW we are a secure site once again I will gladly do PR. Very gladly! For now admin is fine. This is the first time I have ever even considered the possibility of Kimkins not surviving. And I still hope it will not happen that way. But Kimkins has no need for a PR at present time, obviously. No need to make any announcements. It’s not a big deal.”

“as a lifetime membership may not mean much”
It didn’t mean much to all the existing members that were banned for no reason at all. Like many others, I never posted on Kimkins so Tippy can not claim any “hateful” posts. I never received any explanation to why I was banned, and did not receive any refund. How come that didn’t bother Tippy? Oh, I forgot, she was the one that banned me.

“No need to make any announcements. It’s not a big deal.”
Kimmer never made any announcement when Tippy was appointed, so why would she make one when she resigned? And, staying on supporting Kimkins as an admin? Tippy is right, it’s not a big deal.

Kkatastrophediet once asked:

WHAT THE HELL IS DRIVING YOU BESIDES UNADULTERATED STUPIDITY?

Now we know.

Read more at Medusa.

Kimmer trying to put out the Camp Fire?

Tippy Toes posted and email exchange between Kimmer and Brian, the webmaster of Tippy’s new site. You can read it on Medusa’s blog.

Based on the email from Kimmer, it certainly seems that Heidi is angry with Tippy Toes. But with Kimmer being the Lying Liar that Lies, I really don’t know what to make of it. To me, it is still not ruled out that Kimmer and Tippy Toes are still working together to re-create the cash cow at some other place.

Kimmer further claims that she had the Magic Chicken Coop shut down. However, is it possible that the Coop was the “alternative” site she mentions and the reason it didn’t work out was because we exposed it before the switch had taken place?

I have really no idea, I just know that Heidi’s words mean nothing.

While Medusa posted the emails, she did not include Tippy’s introductory piece:

“Below is a response followed by an email from Brian about he and Heather being banned from Kimkins. This email says I know of a back up site. Tomorrow I will post an email from Kimmer to me indicating otherwise… Oh Kimmer. Seems you can no longer keep up. And not to worry about copyrite infringements at Campcarbaway. We really want to be unassociated with you and Kimkins diets. Members who are already familiar may use them but we will not publish them or promote them. At one time you asked me to be a partner and I told you no, that you could not even GIVE me Kimkins and I meant that. I am showing your email so all can see we are NOT affiliated with you in any way. And why you banned such nice people is beyond me. And you also banned my friend Deb who made some friends there that she has no way of saying good bye to. You told her you were cancelling my accounts and that is why. Sweet of you. Lady, I have no accounts with you. I am starting to see who controls the ban button and I hope the rest catch on.”

For the first time, we see some anger directed towards Kimmer, orchestrated or not, I do not know.

And for Tippy’s character, it is very telling that she complains about a friend of hers that was banned and lost access to her friends on kimkins. But Tippy, what about all the people that YOU banned? Didn’t they have friends there too? How come this only bothers you when it concerns you personally?

I’m still waiting for a sincere retraction of Kimmer and Kimkins by Tippy. I’m not holding my breath.

Magic Chicken blames Kimmer for shutdown

I had a comment last night, and in order not to have it hidden in an older post, I copied it in full here. Hulon Pate said:

Here is it is for the record. My name is Hulon Pate, im 33 years old and Bonnie & David Son in law.
David and Bonnie Own a Candle buisness.Now that being said its a full time buisness like any thing when you work for your self and dont punch a time clock. When she lost her weight her freinds and family suggested they write a book or web site. They decided on a web site. This is 2007, the internet world at large, they started this web site on the basis of her own weight loss story and not in fact, trying to capitalize on kimskins road to ruin. They spent thousands of dollars, and more thousands of hours building this from the ground floor up. They are genuine people who work hard for there piece of pie in life. I have no intrest in this except that Kimkins is a fraud period. Bonnies susscess is real as is her weight loss story. People being critical of her weight loss program, well being fat is by far more of a health risk. People say Why charge well, its the same reason people charge large amounts for clothes. If they were cheap who the hell would ever want them. Nothing worth while is ever free. The same goes for Bill Gates, he has more money, than most of the richest people on earth, yet he still charges for his computers and software.
Bonnies underlieng factor in this was not to get rich over night, but to simply to afford surgery, to replace the brest she lost 18 years ago to breast cancer. Kimkins by every account is a fraud. yet her people had go daddy take down there site today as of Dec 16th 2007, with a formal complaint that they ripped off her forums and diet content for food. Now all things being equal, all diets or for that matter simular buisness will have manny of the same, concepts and products listed. How could a diet program not be simular? Atkins is simular to Kimkins as well as most any other diet that would actully result in weight loss. Eating less, healthier food choices. how can any one be so stupid and not see this. If you sold, a service online and some one elese started the same buisness, online how could it not have mirroring ideas and products and details. Bonnie and David did not steal nor borrow or in fact have any ideas about kim kins or there diet or web site period. Untill the news brought up her being a complete liar. THere both too busy with there other obligations to there, professions.
They didnt rip kimkins off, they didnt borrow any ideas. If you even knew these people you know, it took guts and courage and most important money to do this web site. This all really started this week honestly, and kim kins and her flunkies are waging a smear campaign on Bonnie Luper. A woman who has survived brest cancer. I got wedding photos to show her in 2003, that she was once a verry large woman. And now she is living life and happy. Hell its minorly snowed on Thanks Giving Day, and she was running around and playing in it. The First time I remember seeing Bonnie was in Dec 2002, she was in a parking lot crying, eating a hamburger, upset by her lack of will power. She is by far a much happier person this day. All you nuts who doubt her, will soon see, she is 100% real, and isnt out to screw any one. Kimmmers and her group are out to trow mud and keep her TRUE SToREY, offline, because as you might all know, New years Brings the most buisness for Weightloss programs such as, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig. Bonnie Luper did not create the lies of Kim kins. Shes much too busy of a person to even, have time to copy cat any one for any reason. You all must either all be unemplyed or have no lifes what so ever to be so envolved in the mud slnging that is going on, and I have a sneaky feeling that Kimmers has a certian few of you on the payrole.

This wasnt some over night get rich quick scam. I saw bonnie, Eating CHicken,back in 05& 06 most of the time out of a can from Costco, which all of out family enjoys,shopping at. There are manny Candle makers in our family.

Just like maybe some of you went the first person to cut hair for a living or sell cars, or become a florest. THis is kimmers sitting at home with her suitcases of money,that she scammed from people.
Trying to keep up her income and trying to keep a real woman who actully lost wieght from getting the spot light, that she deserves.
{you guys do know the day before her assets were frozen she, bought a house for cash money?}

YOu people are sitting there, on your computers, should you have a job or dont. Most dont realize what it takes to start a buinsess.
Most wouldnt have a clue.

Kimkins is going to cringe when, more bad press comes out that because shes a liar, shes trying to hurt a woman, who is a breast Cancer surviver. Kimkin I know your readin this, if you in fact can read or have enough money some ones reading this for you. If you would just follow, Bonnies diet you could loose weight, and wouldnt have to hide from the world at large. you know Bonnies Diet is better and shes the real deal and you cant stand it. Just know, that you cant ever remember the lie, but the truth is easy to tell. God have Mercy on your Soul Kimmers your fixxing to need it.

Bonnies Liable to come beat Kimkins ASS!

The Magic Chicken Died?