Having the Opposite Effect…(with Giveaway!)
December 1, 2009 by Jenn
We’re all hit with cravings from time to time. From the need for chocolate at 3 p.m. to the mental obsession with cheesy pizza while watching football, cravings can be intense and can hit for a variety of reasons—emotional, physical or just because. While I usually deny no craving that’s too intense or long-lasting (doing so triggers not-so-healthy eating behavior in me), I do have some shorter-lived cravings that I wish would disappear with less effort on my part.
And that’s what today’s post is about. Two unique products that promise to help with cravings. I tried both and—despite my best attempts—got the opposite of the promised effects. Please note that I chalk this up to me being weird and not the actual products themselves. For most people, these probably work great!
Thin Scents
ThinScents is designed around the idea that some smells curb the appetite. So, if you inhale that smell, your body thinks that you’ve actually eaten, and you’ll eventually curb cravings and suppress appetite with just a sniff or two. ThinScents mailed me a starter kit with a reed diffuser, 12-ounce scented candle, a room spray, and a travel tin to test this theory. All of the products smelled of a really pleasant herbal mint.
Smelling it seemed to make me more alert and focused. I really liked it. Did it curb cravings? Eh. I really, really love mint chocolate. So, honestly, this made me think of York Peppermint Patties. And by “think,” I mean “crave.” Cruel, right? Now ThinScents has plenty of research showing that its product works and there’s a science behind it, but for me, it just needs chocolate. For Erin though, it made her feel like she brushed her teeth, so it totally worked.
Best for: Those who can ignore all things mint chocolate.
Hyp-Yoga
Hyp-Yoga is kinda hippity-dippity, and we all know I like hippity dippity. Hyp-Yoga combines yoga and hypnosis to help you make positive life changes, such as improving sleep, losing weight, reducing stress and increasing energy. You begin with a really nice yoga session to relax and make your body open to hypnosis (and, no, there’s no one slowly waving a clock telling you that you’re getting “very, very sleepy”). Then you go through what they call a “gentle hypnosis.” Hyp-Yoga sent me the Freedom from Emotional Eating mp3, and, honestly, it felt like a guided meditation to me, which I liked. It told me over and over again that eating out of emotion just wouldn’t be desirable to me anymore.
Like ThinScents though, this one had the opposite effect on me. Instead of helping me avoid emotional eating, the next day I swear I had the most emotional eating day I’ve had in a long time. I actually uttered the words “I’d kill someone for a bagel” at work. I ate that bagel (no co-workers lost their lives, I’m happy to report), then inhaled a quarter of a bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Again, this could just be me (and the marathon training speaking).
Best for: Those not training for a marathon or other endurance event that makes your hunger primal.
Because these two product reviews were heavily influenced by my idiosyncrasies, we’re giving you the chance to try them for yourselves! ThinScents is giving one lucky reader a starter pack (shown above), and I’m giving away my copy of Hyp-Yoga 6-week weight loss DVD. All you have to do is comment below with which one you’d like to win and why. We’ll randomly select one winner for each giveaway and email them directly if choosen. Comments close next week, so start expressing yourselves. U.S. residents only please! —Jenn
Oh no! Peppermint definitely kills my appetite, especially with herbal peppermint tea. Chocolate mint however is another story!
I would love to try the yoga pack! I need some stretching in my life
I’d love to have that Hyp-Yoga pack! I’m always looking for help doing yoga at home because we can’t afford a gym membership at the moment.
As much as I love my yoga, I think I’d be going with the ThinScents.
Hyp-yoga sounds interesting. I wonder if I’m a weird one that it does or doesn’t work on?
Would love to try thin scents! I keep eos sweet mint organic lip balm at my desk and freakin’ love the tingly scent! (p.s. you should check eos out if you haven’t already! http://www.evolutionofsmooth.com/products_lip_sphere.html)
The Hyp-Yoga…I am so curious and I love yoga
I’d absolutely love to try the yoga set. i neeed some “gentle hypnosis”
I chew peppermint gum ALL the time at work. Not sure if it curbs my appetite or if it just gives me something to chew on so that I’m not hungry. Not sure just the smell of peppermint would suppress my appetite, as most of the time, I just want something to chew on!
The hyp-yoga thing sounds really interesting though. I looked into hypnosis when I was pregnant with my second child as a means of combating the labor pains. I never did use it but I wished I did. Yoga has always been a part of my life too but since my “cheap” gym now doesn’t offer classes, my choices are limited. After doing the same hour-long yoga for months now, it’s time for something new!
I’d like to win ThinScents, as I am training for an event that does make my hunger primal.
I’d love to try the ThinScents — anything to help curb cravings is a big plus for me. Re-tweeted for ya!
i would definitely love to win the yoga package! thank you
I’d love to have the yoga package. I’m a journalist looking for a job after my fellowship ends in June and my shoulders have been tense for months. I need some serious stretching and relaxation!
I would love to try the hyp-yoga. I have to have my mint chocolate too!
I’ll go for the thin scents…intriguing.
I’m definitely an emotional eater. I love reading your blog btw. I’d definitely love to try the hyp-yoga set. Good luck with your marathon. I can definitely relate to marathon training and to “need” to eat immediately with no discretion after those long runs.
Boy, you sold me on both products, but I’d choose the Hyp-Yoga because it looks very interesting! Thank you!
Would love to try the ThinScents. Sound very interesting and if it works to curb my cravings, that would be awesome!!
As a fellow mint-chocolate lover, I’d like to give ThinScents a whirl to see what effect it has on me. If I’m led to eat some thin mints as a result, well, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.
I guess it does not hurt to try…. I am afraid those scents will make me crave something but I have heard the opposite happens…..
Who wouldn’t want to feel good all the way around, the Hyp-Yoga sound perfect for my mind body and soul, I already have a small amount of Yoga in my daily routine, but this is different, I haven’t heard of it and I’m willing to try anything new!
Since I cannot say no to mint chocolate myself, I would love to try the Hyp-Yoga. Getting more into yoga, and would like to have something I can do right at home.
LOLOL about killing someone for a bagel! Boy, have I been there. No need to enter me in the contests just happy to read your post!
Would love to try Hyp-Yoga. I can use some guided meditation and soothing yoga poses in my life, which seems to grow more hectic by the day!
Id like to try the yoga!
I’d be interested in Hyp-Yoga. I’ve tried lots of yoga dvd’s, but not this one
I’ll have to go with the yoga DVDs for a couple of reasons. One because I’d kill anyone for mint chocolate (if and when I’m craving it)
and secondly because saying no to temptation is probably my number one problem. I’ve lost a lot of weight but I overeat on the weekends because I’m not busy with school. I tried going out and avoiding the fridge etc., nothing works 
Pigging out was a big mistake (one that I made several times) and now I’m going through some serious stomach problems. Those 100-calories packs aren’t so friendly or handy when you eat SEVERAL! of them just because! (I’m an emotional eater! Actually I’ll eat anything sweet whenever!) =] It is hard saying no when you’re a young lady with friends who can eat anything and not gain a pound. I’d love the DVDs because I’m actually learning about yoga and its origins, it would be awesome to unite yoga and learning how to yield my cravings! Lastly, I don’t want to go back to my previous unhealthy state, I WANT TO BE IN CONTROL! Thanks!
I’d love to win the yoga, sounds interesting!
They both sound intriguing, but I think I’d like to try to the Hyp-Yoga. I used Hypno-Birthing (which sounds similar) with my second child and it worked GREAT to make my drug-free birth an incredible experience!
I would love to try the Thin Scents package. I have been wanting to get a reed diffuser for a long time. And I definitely would like to experience the mental focus and alertness that you experienced.
I’d love to try the hyp-yoga. Sounds interesting!
I’ve actually been trying some weight-loss hypnosis (audio mp3) and while it’s become a bit of a nice windown-ritual for me that I actually look forward to, I wonder if it’s really helping me with the emotional eating (I still find myself caught in those hyper-focus obsessions- want cheese! cheese! cheese!!)
I’d be really interested in trying out the exercise WITH the meditation though- maybe with action the words seep in better
if not me, I hope that whoever gets to try it will report back to the rest of us!
I would love to win the yoga dvd. i really want to try doing yoga.
Both of these items sound great – but the yoga DVD I would LOVE! I’ve been wanting to try Yoga out, but don’t have the money to go to a studio and I’m not quite too confident to do yoga with other ppl just yet. So at home would be a better plan and this DVD sounds great. Keeping my fingers crossed on it!
I’m curious about both of these, but especially the yoga. Being hypnotized helped me quit smoking, so I’m curious as to whether it could *really* help with emotional eating. Goodness knows I can use any extra help I can get.
I would have to go for the yoga. I’m training two people (my friend and also my 16 year old son) for a series of three half marathons, so I am so sore I could use the stretching, which was never my strong point! Besides, losing a little weight would ease up on the wear and tear on my joints!:)
I’d LOVE to win the Hyp-Yoga 6-week weight loss DVD set, as I took yoga for 12 weeks & absolutely loved it, felt so much better – my stability improved and my stamina. My Yoga instructor moved across the country & I haven’t found another one.
Thanks for the contest and praying for the win!! Namaste!
thin scents sounds so neat!
I like these!!!
I don’t think I could handle the Thin Scents. I was shopping for groceries today and spent an extra hour lusting over everything chocolate. (You’ve got it bad when you start sniffing bars of chocolate in the aisle.)
I do subscribe to a meditation podcast that I love. I’d like to try the Hyp-Yoga, combining meditation with yoga. Sounds very interesting.
pick me
I’d love to try the thin scents!
awesome products!
I could sure go for the yoga product. I have lost 30 pounds this year, with an additional 20 to go and have lost focus. The yoga package looks like it would be just the thing to help refocus myself and get those last 20 pounds off.
I would like to try the Thin Scents!
I’d like to try the Thinscents, please.
Wow, I can’t believe they had the opposite effect on you! Sounds like you at least had a good time with both of the products…if I had to choose I would want to try the Hyp-Yoga. I really need to get in shape and would love to see if this could help! I can’t stay away from Mint anything
I’d love to try the hyp-yoga!!