KIMKINS NEWSLETTER
May 2008
Kimkins Success Story
"Dee"
Goodbye Lapband - Hello Kimkins!
Age: 43
Start: 348 lbs
Current: 239 lbs
Total: 109 lbs & still losing!
For as long as I can
remember, I have been overweight. I have never been "normal" size. I
think I was born a size 6x girls. I remember as a kid that the X seemed
so significant in separating me from the other kids. You didn't have a
size 2X (remember we're talking about kids sizes) or a size 8X ... but
something about the 6X has stuck out in my mind for most of my 43 years.
By middle school I had been taken to my
first Weight Watchers meeting. 1/2 cup of cottage cheese ... 1/2 cup of
tuna w/ celery sticks. Nothing that appealed to a middle schooler. By
high school I had alienated myself because of my weight. Others
accepted me. I was "okay" with everyone, but didn't belong to anyone. I
would try different things to lose weight, but never could lose more
that a couple pounds here or there. I felt worse and worse about
myself.
I was very active, skating 3 nights a
week, softball every summer since age 5, but all the activity couldn't
keep up with the calories I consumed. And while I was out and about
(not holed up in my room), I still alienated myself from close
relationships with friends which fostered a distrust in people.
I met a man who seemed to accept me at
that weight and by golly I wasn't letting him go. I married him. It was
a bad marriage that only lasted about 5 years. I married him because of
a fear that no one else would have me. I married him out of due to my
insecurities, but as I matured I realized that it was a mistake. We are
still friends, but that's how it was meant to be, FRIENDS.
Fast forward through years of failed
diets ... and a failed WLS [weight loss surgery]. I had the LAPBAND.
Kept it for several months, but in December of 2006 it had to be
removed. Let me tell you, I was low as I was at anytime in my life
because of my failed weight loss attempts. When that band was removed,
I was absolutely devastated. I went into surgery just to have it
adjusted. I woke up to a nurse making a comment on the phone that let
me know it was gone. I grieved. I cried. No one understood. Some were
thankful that I was alive. I couldn't be thankful for anything. I
couldn't even make WLS work for me. Why would nothing work? I went into
a depression that was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I
didn't care about anything.
Fast forward to June 2007 and the Women's
World article. I read about a plan that mirrored what I was told to eat
after the LAPBAND. I read and reread that article. I thought about how
I had eaten for the few months that I had the band. I wondered how I
could eat the same portions (actually larger portions) on my own,
because the LAPBAND forced those choices on me. If you overate with the
band, there were consequences ... you couldn't do it.
As I read that article there was a little
(I mean "a little") glimmer of hope. I read it again ... maybe a spark
of hope. I looked at what I could eat. Foods that I actually liked but
seldom chose.
I logged onto the website and looked at
the areas that were open to non-subscribers. The spark could be snuffed
out with anything at that point, starting with the $60 membership fee.
I looked at that and thought, "Dee, how many $$$s are you going to
spend? You've paid a gazillion dollars already on programs, books,
exercise equipment and gym memberships. This is just another $60."
Spark extinguished.
I didn't sign up the first night I logged on. But I returned. Somehow that spark was smoldering.
"Come on Dee, you spent $17,000 just a
year prior for the band ... what the heck is $60 more at this point?" I
signed up. As I read the threads, the forums, the stories, the spark
grew ... it was a flame. I started the program. It was half-hearted
at first. The Negative Nelly in me just couldn't believe that it would
work.
From June to late September or early
October, I half-heartedly did it and lost quite a bit of weight. In
October, I thought, "Good grief, this is working! Imagine what it
would do if you applied yourself? At that point, I walked into the
[Kimkins] Chat Room. Then, that flame went straight to spontaneous
combustion and I haven't looked back since.
Sure, I have struggled along the way, I
wouldn't have expected it any other way. But when I really started
participating, the energy from all the supporters, combined with a plan
that works for me when everything else failed, has "caused" me to lose
108.5 lbs so far.
I'm still a work in progress, but I think
my avatar says it all. On the right side there is a sad, lonely, old
woman. Someone who is trying to live life, but ... just can't. On the
left side, a work in progress -- smiling, taking pride in herself and
proud to be a part of a eating plan and community of support that is
like no other. I'm living life now and I LIKE IT!
Looking forward to taking the next 60
pounds off with everyone here at Kimkins. Okay, maybe 70 ... I don't
know. Remember, I have never been "normal size".
Dee
WORK OUT ZONE
Fitness tips, links and resources
Question
"I run 3 days a week but I can't seem to improve my speed. What can I do?"
Answer
"You have to train fast to be fast. Turn every day training day into an interval-speed session. By
exceeding your normal race pace for shorter runs, your muscles will
become more efficient, improving your body's elasticity and helping you
sustain a faster face with less effort.
Here's how to do it: After you warm up, run as fast as you can for 1
minute, followed by 3 minutes of rest. Do you 4 times and then walk
for 5 minutes to cool down. To improve your gains, increased to 8
repetitions during a workout. Then go back to doing 6 reps with only 2
minutes of rest, build back to 8, and then 6 reps with 1 minute of
rest. As
you run, pay attention to your arms, as they dictate leg movement. Fix
your arms at 90 degrees, relax your shoulders, and focus on driving
your elbows back as you run. This will improve your stride."
KIMKINS NEWBIE SUPPORT
Our best tips to fit Kimkins principles into your lifestyle
"Been a member of Kimkins for almost a year now but honestly haven't
started the diet until this past Sunday. No real excuse here - just
laziness, procrastination and a love of all things edible that has
really kept me from being faithful.
My goal is to get back into my "high school shape," which was still
medically considered obese, but being a football lineman, there was
some muscle underneath the fat -- I remember how much energy I had and
how I looked. Of course my weight was 250 lb and over the years I have
lost and gained my way up to 375 lb. I'm still an active person who
compensates for a corporate job (sitting in front of the computer all
day) by walking as much as I can. Living in Manhattan, this is almost
a way of life and a necessity as cars aren't that prevalent.
I had real success with the Atkins program in 2000 and lost close to 50
pounds that I had gained after high school and through college. Of
course, I returned to my old eating habits and gained it back (plus a
whole lot more).
To me, the Atkins program has started to get somewhat muddled down with
the wide array of meal and snack replacement bars on the market, low
carb protein shakes and supplements. Being someone who likes to "chew"
and actually savor the flavor of food in my mouth, these aren't really
the best thing for me. At the same time I was enjoying eating
unbattered fried chicken, steaks for days and mayonnaise on everything,
I was beginning to worry about the high caloric and high fat intake of
the foods I was eating.
Research lead me to Kimkins which answered some of my questions and
gave me some hope. I found myself not getting caught up in the bad
press surrounding the diet, but focused on the results I was seeing by
those who had tried the program and it actually worked.
So now, as mentioned above, today is day 6 of being on Kimkins and I
have lost 8.6 pounds. I was afraid of the headaches stemming from
caffeine and carb withdrawal (as I live on Diet Coke and love bread) so
about 4 days before starting I began to wean myself off both in hopes
of cutting down on the withdrawal symptoms and it worked!!! As of day
six, I have only had one headache and I believe that was more stress
related than anything.
Here are some of the tips that have helped me thus far:
1. Weaning myself off of caffeine, sugar and bread a few days before starting the diet head-on (so as to not go cold turkey).
2. Using my grocery store's on-line shopping feature which allows me to
"virtually shop" in the store then drop by and pick up Kimkins-friendly
groceries for home for the week. This helps me to avoid the pitfalls
of the fresh baked breads, desserts and middle aisles of the store
where temptation seems to lurk heavily.
3. At home I quickly boiled up around a dozen eggs to have on hand in
the frig -- allows making tuna salad, deviled eggs or snacks readily
accessible. Took large packages of fresh, boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, proportioned the sizes and put in individual Ziploc bags in
the freezer, only keeping 1 or 2 in the frig to throw on the George
Foreman grill in a pinch.
3. Multivitamin: I was already taking one so this wasn't something new. I use the "Mega Men" from GNC as a personal preference
4. Packing my lunch every day without fail! Additionally, have also
packed an afternoon snack of a couple of deviled eggs to eat right
before I drive home. Since I pass several fast-food restaurants on the
way, I've found if I'm not hungry, my SUV won't "automatically" pull-in
to the drive-thru.
5. Bought a new suit two sizes smaller than my current size and hung it
up on my closet door as a constant reminder of my first goal. Once I
meet that goal I'll buy another a size smaller and continue to do the
same thing until I've reached my goal.
6. Water: I'm not the only one who hates the taste of water. I did
come up with a compromise for myself (albeit somewhat costly) of being
different types of bottled water (a few bottles of Evian, Dasani, Fiji,
etc.) and alternating what I drink. All have a different "taste" and
it helps to "keep it interesting". I've also allowed myself a glass of
seltzer water a day to satisfy my soft drink addiction.
That's it for today. A lot I know, but hopefully it'll help some other newbies out there."
... Kimkins member, Bill R.
LEARNING RESOURCES
Education is the key
KIMMER'S RECIPE BOX
Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps
As simple or fancy as you like, egg salad is an old
favorite your mom probably packed in your school lunch. Whip out your
own recipe or try a few lower fat or higher fiber version. Add these
fillings to romaine or soft butter lettuce to make a speedy work lunch
(or after workout snack)
Ingredients (makes 8 wraps)
16 butter lettuce leaves
4 large eggs, boiled
8 large egg whites, cooked
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
2 Tbsp low fat sour cream
1 Tbsp spicy mustard
1 green onion, minced fine
1 stalk celery, minced fine
salt & black pepper to taste
chopped veggies as desired (optional)
Lay out lettuce leaves in a double layer to make 8 wraps. Chop whole
eggs and whites, add mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard. Add green
onion and celery, mix well. Adjust seasonings and divide evenly on top
of lettuce. Roll up burrito style (tucking in sides) and serve!
Nutrition Info (per wrap)
Calories: 76
Carbs: 3 gm
Protein: 7 gm
Fat: 4 gm
CHEAT FREE REWARDS
Treat (or motivate) yourself today!
   
- Shake & Take Personal Smoothie Maker
- 18 Pc Magic Bullet Blender
- Baywatch Beach Body Workout
- Hydracoach Digital Smart Water Bottle
JOIN KIMKINS TODAY
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