The ploy of losing weight by taking a pill, drinking a tea, or dumping a powder in your smoothie is enticing.
And it doesn't help that dozens of celebrities tout detox teas and get-thin-quick products on Instagram. The most recent weight loss product to hit my radar is much different from everything else I've seen, though.
It's called Meal Enders and it's a tiny "dessert" in the form of a lozenge that tells your body that meal time is over.
Sounds too good to be true and possibly (probably) not very healthy, right? I decided to find out.
First, the basics: A bag of 25 MealEnders lozenges is $16.55. Flavors include cinnamon, chocolate mint, citrus, and mocha. I chose citrus.
The directions on the bag just say, "Instead of another serving or snack, enjoy a MealEnder."
Cue eye roll.
Each lozenge has 15 calories and 2 grams of sugar. The ingredients are all food-based and approved by the FDA.
"There is no caffeine, ma huang, or other similar ingredients commonly found in weight loss pills and energy drinks. They are not pills or supplements," the website states.
So how do these glorified little lumps of sugar and milk solids even work?
First off, you don't eat a MealEnder — you roll it around your mouth and let it dissolve.
The "science" behind it, according to MealEnders, is that while you're tossing the MealEnder around in your mouth, your body has time to a) digest the food you've just eaten, and b) release the hormone (called "peptide yy") that tells your brain that you're full.
Basically, it gives your brain time to catch up to your stomach. Here's what it looks like, a white chocolate-type coating on the outside...
....and a sugary crystalline inside.
I took my first MealEnder at 9 pm, cravings o' clock. At first it's like melty frosting, then powder, then hard candy with an EXTREMELY sharp citrus flavor.
Granted, I did skip my late-night snack after taking the lozenge, but that's mainly because of the weird aftertaste that was on my palate.
The next day I waited for a craving and popped another MealEnder, but within an hour I was reaching for a snack.
On my third day, I really put it to the test. After having a small salad, I sucked on a lozenge and hoped it would hold me until dinner.
NOPE. The sweet lozenge actually made me hungrier. On my way home I ran into CVS and picked up a snack.
On day four, I had a MealEnder in the morning — but it was no match for the free flan at my office.
FLAN: 1
MEALENDERS: 0
I honestly don't know why I kept trying.
Verdict: FAIL.
To wrap this up, whether or not you choose to use diet products is no one's business but yours and your doctor's.
But there's no lozenge or tea that will make you put yourself and your health first — which is step 1 in loving and honoring your body, and making better decisions about diet and exercise.
I can't help but be curious about gimmicks like MealEnders, especially when the ingredients are so benign, but more often than not, they're a total waste of money.
