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Crossposted from the general Diet Community forum, because no one has answered it.
Has anyone here tried the MealEnders product (www.mealenders.com)? They claim to help you not overeat by suppressing your desire to continue eating at the end of a meal. Not by making you feel full, but by providing a flavor and sensory stimulus that pursuades your brain to stop. I'm not sure if it does anything more than having a strong breathmint, or chewing some gum. Is it worth the price?
I had never heard of them before your post, so I checked out the info from their website.
You are supposed to eat a MealEnders candy after you reach 80% fullness. The candy claims to contain a flavor combination that signals the brain that you are finished with your meal. The ingredients are common, and it comes down to a chocolate mint or a mocha candy, cinnamon or citrus. They also claim to have a secret combination of flavors. These are flavors that once you put them in your mouth, you can tell yourself that you are done. There's nothing special in the candy, it's just a mind trick. Mind tricks are good They can really help many people build new habits, so I'm not knocking it. However, the same result can be achieved with Altoid mints or lemon drop candies or anything else that you can put in your mouth for just a few calories that packs a flavor punch.
Note that the company does not appear to offer any published studies showing their product works or is any better than a common mint candy.
Stopping eating when you reach 80% fullness is a long known weight loss tip, but it usually comes down to recognizing that point - and having the willpower to stop. Most people don't overeat because they are hungry. They overeat out of boredom, stress, social pressure, etc.
Here is what Men's Health said about this product:
Quote:
Great idea, but it’s only going to work if you know when to use it. “The MealEnder, or any other product won’t serve any purpose if you had a huge meal already,” says Gans. “So, no matter what you use to hold yourself accountable to not overeat, you have to know what 80 percent full is and to stop there.”
So if you recognize when you are 80% full, push your plate away. If you want a flavor incentive, try mints. A serving of Altoids is 3 pieces and it contain 10 calories. A tin of 25 servings costs about $2.00. A 25 serving container of MealEnders costs $14.95.
In addition to Suzanne's suggestion of Altoids, you might want to try mouthwash. If I eat something after I've brushed and rinsed with mouthwash, I find the food tastes really bad.
Eat your meals at the table, one plate, with proper servings, (not portions).
There is a a difference.
Use your elbows, to push yourself away FROM the table, instead of using it to continue to put food in your mouth.
Clean up the kitchen, and DONE!
I'm not trying to be harsh, here. But a long time ago, my Dad said, the best thing that you can do with your elbows at the table, is to use them to push yourself out of your chair, and QUIT EATING!
We eat at the table. Not in front of the tv, in a chair, whatever, when we are at home. When we are done, dishes and food, cleaned up, kitchen closed, unless, you can eat it without dirtying dishes, or making any kind of mess.
Work, I get that, that is different. But you can set parameters there as well.
Another saying I like is this. "When you find yourself in a hole, QUIT DIGGING!"
There is always an alternative, we just need to figure out, what alternative works for us.
Eat your meals at the table, one plate, with proper servings, (not portions).
There is a a difference.
snipsnipsnip...
We eat at the table. Not in front of the tv, in a chair, whatever, when we are at home. When we are done, dishes and food, cleaned up, kitchen closed, unless, you can eat it without dirtying dishes, or making any kind of mess.
Work, I get that, that is different. But you can set parameters there as well.
YES!
I find it really helps too to serve the meal and carry the plate away to a different location. Havving a big bowl (plate or casserole) of whatever in front of you while you're eating to me just invites me to eat more.
My personal POV is that I can have more of whatever I want. However, if I've eaten slowly and with good variety, I rarely want additional servings of anything.
Shcirerf - your advice is sound, but if it were that easy to "push away from the table" (and not snack between meals, and not graze after dinner), no one would be overweight. It is unpleasant to leave the table incompletely satisfied (80% full), and the chances of my snacking/grazing/binging later in the evening correlates with whether I feel sorry for myself for not having had enough to eat at dinner. That's also what makes the mouthwash approach after dinner fail for me- it feels punitive rather than rewarding, and I find myself rebelling against what feels like a constraint.
Suzanne, yes, I've been using coffee + breathmints (Mentos actually) as an alternative to dessert for years now, and it is often an effective strategy. I guess I was hoping the MealEnders would provide an alternative to that approach, to give me some variety. And I think I was hoping they had some magical chemical ingredient that would decrease cravings.
Vickie, I may have to try leaving the serving dishes on the stove or counter to cut down on second helpings. I have a family of 5, and I hate having someone jump up from the table every 2 minutes to get more of something though. Maybe I'll put the veggies on the table and leave the starch and protein out of my line of sight?
Anyway, thanks to all who responded. Guess the product can't be all that popular if no one reading this on 3FC has tried it. If I decide to buy some, I'll post here on my experience.
Andrea, not having the food on the table has been major for me. I've spent a lot of my life over-eating and mindlessly eating a lot of the "wrong" foods simply because they were in front of me. I'd eat a lot of whatever was on my plate, think it tasted really good and take another helping because it was right there. I kept eating and my stomach didn't have enough time to tell my brain that it was full.
I spoil myself perhaps. If a "diet" involves being miserable or uncomfortable, I won't do it. I've got 50 years of proof for that. Being hungry makes me cranky. I'm trying to adjust my eating so that I eat when I'm hungry and I enjoy what I eat. It's working for me, albeit slowly. You're a lot closer to your goal than I am so who knows - I may have to revisit my plan later down the road.
Come on people! The question was "has anyone tried Meal Enders?" I myself am also curious to know if anyone here tried them.
I'm pretty sure that all of us Fat Chicks over 30 yrs+ already know all these suggestions and tricks and common sense rules you are trying to give.
She wasn't asking for suggestions, so although I am sure you are trying to be helpful, if you haven't tried Meal Enders, no real reason for you to reply.
I bought the 9 package deal which got price down to $8.50 a bag and free shipping. Purchased chocolate mint, citrus, and cinnamon (written in order as I like the flavor). The "candy" layer is very good. The core reminds me of several things - spicy food, listerine, and pop rocks! Sounds like a mess but works ok for me.
The concept is also working for me. I love the chocolate as a reward and then after the core is melted and all gone, there's a strange taste, but not necessarily bad left and I don't want anything more. Without this, I would eat a full bag of candy or 1/4 of a cake, etc for dessert. I have a serious sugar addiction. I am also a boredom eater at work in the afternoon and these are keeping me away from the vending machine. So--!I recommend spending the $15 for 1 bag and try it.
MealEnders?
They can really help many people build new habits, so I'm not knocking it. However, the same result can be achieved with Altoid mints or lemon drop candies or anything else that you can put in your mouth for just a few calories that packs a flavor punch.
