Cheryl weighed 183 pounds and was having knee problems when she found Kimkins. Now she's a size 4 and feeling healthy at 129 pounds! Cheryl, great work! Read what she has to say:

At the young age of 23 I lost about 38 pounds - pre-Atkins. I was at an all time high of 160 pounds after giving birth to my daughter in 1967. I received a diet from my local doctor and basically went on a zero carb regimen. The weight fell off in no time and before I knew it I was 122 pounds. At that time he told me to keep my carbs at 20 a day or else I would gain all the weight back. Boy was he right!

Fast forward to March 1, 2006 and I found myself weighing 183 pounds. At 5'7.5" tall - I was off the charts. Not only were my knees killing me - but I was showing the early signs of diabetes and had hypoglycemia. I absolutely refused to be put on pills/shots or whatever a doctor wanted me to do. Rather than follow their dietary advice it was just easier to ignore them and my problems. Eventually I realized I had better do something because the extra weight was giving me both health and self-esteem problems

Fortunately I found a weight loss website and before I knew it I was reading any and all of Kimmer's and many other helpful posts. Not only were they informative but in addition very willing to help tirelessly. In Kimmer's case, as with other board friends, I was shown wonderful examples of what determination could do for a person. Many of them had done their homework and their advice came through loud and clear. It became time for me to emulate their examples and follow the advice generously given.

Well guess what? IT WORKED! I am now a healthier 61 year old gal. I weigh 129 pounds - and wear a size 4. I followed all of her advice and it worked. I could not have done this without her guidance and care. She is one special lady who is at the top of my all time heroes' list. Not only does she talk the talk - but she walks the walk. Thank you Kimmer!

Read more Kimkins Stories at Kimkins.com

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Did you ever play with dominos when you were a kid? Maybe not by matching the dots, but standing them close together like little soldiers, one by one -- then push! With the blinding speed of a dragster they fall down, faster and faster! Well, as long as you don't interfere.

The dynamic "Domino Effect" is the most potent blessing to weight loss you'll ever know! How do you get it? Glad you asked!

As you follow the Kimkins plan the dominos begin falling. One, two, three -- then look out! They start falling at blazing speed, building on their own momentum. You'll get on the bathroom scale in the morning and not believe your eyes! How is it possible to lose so fast?

The “Domino Effect” of the Kimkins plan creates that tsunami to get rid of body fat! Weight loss is absolutely phenomenal! Way faster than the 3500 calories = 1 lb lost rule we've always heard. This is the difference between Kimkins and traditional weight loss programs like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. They're fine programs, but certainly don't deliver turbo weight loss!

What happens when you “interfere” by cheating, whether planned or on impulse? The poor dominos get smashed to smithereens and weight loss screeches to a halt and it will take 3-5 days to get back on track.

If you follow the lean low carb Kimkins plan faithfully and take advantage of fantastic member support you'll see why Kimkins leaves every other diet in the dust! Better yet, friends and family you haven't seen for awhile will tell you this Christmas!

Want proof? Check the Kimkins.com site for spectacular weight loss stories! Join today, start stacking your dominos!

I'm trying to get a handle on how much I'm eating so I'm using a food journal. Is 4 oz the same as .5 cup?

Excellent question! No, it's not. If you look at a bag of lettuce mix at the market, you'll note the weight is around 12 oz -- yet contains 10-12 cups! Clearly 12 oz for a huge bag is way more than 1.5 measuring cups. When you're tracking food, measure meat/chicken/fish/pork by weight (scale) and everything else by volume (measuring cup).

Can I do the Kimkins plan if I'm vegetarian?

Of course! Which type of vegetarian friendly protein you choose will affect how quickly you lose, but any combination of low fat protein sources like tofu, whey protein, soy, some shakes or low fat cheese will work in place of meat/chicken/fish.

Do you have a question for me? Come and ask in Questions & Advice on the Member Forum.

Quick Chicken Fajitas

Absolutely delicious, versatile and so easy! This is a special fast version for busy people!

• 4 chicken breasts, pounded slightly & sliced very thin
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded & sliced thin
• 1 onion, cut in half & sliced thin
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced (optional)
• . 5 cup chicken broth (canned OK)
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground chili pepper
• 1 tsp each black pepper & salt

Enjoy with a small green salad! For non-Kimkins family members, serve in warm flour tortillas or over rice. For even lower calories, add extra Kimkins veggies. Perfect for an easy lunch the next day! Wrap leftovers in romaine lettuce leaves & microwave for 30-60 seconds.

A 140 lb woman burns 50 calories jumping rope at high speed for 5 minutes. If she does it 5 times a week for a year, that equals 13,000 calories or about 90 large scoops of vanilla ice cream. (NYC celebrity fitness expert Michael Olajide Jr.)

Our active and enthusiastic Member Forum is the Kimkins “secret weapon” for effective weight loss. The lean, low carb Kimkins plan is very effective, but it is our members’ support of one another that really makes the difference.

In response to a new member who struggles with compulsive carb binging, our member and Newbie Support mentor Littlebit (Becky) wrote these very wise words:

Losing weight is a mental journey, as well as a physical one. Changes often happen first in our mind before they show up on our body. By coming here, joining, and posting, and making a start every morning to follow the plan, you have demonstrated that you are ready for change. Those are several big steps down the path you need to take, and you are to be commended for that!

Your body screams for carbs every afternoon in predictable fashion, because you hit the typical 4 pm blood-sugar slump and suddenly your body is afraid it will be deprived of its habitual food fest. It is well-trained over the years to expect a stream of sugar flowing in at regular intervals and goes into panic and fury when the supply runs low, demanding its ‘fix’. You are an addict. You are afraid to stand up to the demands of your addiction, to lose your drug of choice that makes everything all better, so, even though you hate what it does to you, you give in.

This will continue every day for the rest of your life — until you stop it. Then it will stop.

You have that power. It will not be easy, but it may not be as hard as you think. It will not be as simple as wishing and hoping that all the addictive desires go away, but it will not be full-blown withdrawal frenzies day after day for weeks and months, either. It will be a rough few days or a week, where your decision to stand strong and eat right is challenged several times a day for a while, in stark ‘moment-of-truth’ showdowns where you can choose to run back to carb coma or walk free. Each victory makes you stronger for the next time. The battles may never completely cease, but they can become few and far between.

Sometimes, though we hate our fat, we use it as a shield around us. We use food to stuff everything that is wrong in life, so that we can tell ourselves that everything is all right except for the fat. We deny and hide anger, fear, disappointment, and all the other negatives by comforting ourselves with food. It is part of that all-or-nothing thinking. Truth is frightening - and liberating.

When we lose the food as friend and comforter and salver of hurt feelings, when we lose the ritual of eating to fill our time and create our excuses, we confront ourselves — and we find ourselves, as we are meant to be, with courage and truth and acceptance and freedom and joy.

I hope you find the strength somehow to make it past these first few days! It IS hard, and I wish it were easier, but you will not be sorry once you succeed!! You really CAN do this!!