Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Review: The FullBar Diet Plan

FullBar: What It Is

The FullBar is not a diet, but a food product developed by Denver bariatric surgeon Michael Snyder, MD, to simulate the surgical approach to appetite satisfaction and weight loss. Like weight loss surgeries that physically reduce the size of your stomach, FullBars are designed to help you feel full so you eat less at meals.

Taking the edge off your appetite with a 150-180 calorie FullBar plus an 8-ounce glass of water helps you make better food choices, Snyder says. "It gives your brain a chance to register that your belly is somewhat full, so dieters can be more mindful of gauging their hunger and eating more healthfully," he says.

FullBars are pre-meal snacks made of high-fiber grains that swell up in your belly, and are not designed to serve as meal replacements. They do not contain any chemical appetite suppressers.

FullBars are available in six flavors, like cranberry almond and cocoa chip. Each contains 1 to 4.5 grams of fat, 4 to 5 gram of fiber and 5 to 7 grams protein. They cost about $1.30 per bar.

Snyder also sells AquaFull, a liquid version of the FullBar, and has recently launched a line of FullBites, savory snacks designed to replace higher- calorie snack foods.

FullBar: What You Can Eat

The FullBar web site makes no specific recommendations about what dieters should eat at mealtimes. The only advice is to eat a FullBar 30 minutes before your two largest meals of the day, along with 8 ounces of water.

"Eat real food -- plenty of healthy lean protein, high-fiber carbs, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, drink plenty of water, and cut out sugary drinks and refined carbs," Snyder suggests in an interview with WebMD (however, this information is not easily found on the FullBar web site).

Snyder adds that he would prefer dieters eat 5-6 small meals daily instead of the traditional three squares a day.

"So many people skip meals and fast throughout the day, then gorge themselves at dinner," he says. "But if you ate smaller meals, along with two FullBars, you would have much greater control over your impulses and food choices.

"Studies have shown that people who eat smaller meals throughout the day have improved blood sugar control, and, as a result, are better able to manage hunger and calorie intake."

The premise that you will lose weight on FullBars is based on the assumption that the foods you choose to eat will be healthy ones. For example, you'd be fooling yourself if you ate a FullBar and then cut out healthy foods, like vegetables, instead of higher-calorie items, like French fries.

FullBar: How It Works

Eating a FullBar twice a day is an easy, convenient way to lose weight, Snyder says. Once you drink the glass of water, the high-fiber puffed wheat swells in your belly, and, within half an hour, sends a signal of fullness to your brain.