Be Full Snacks: Weight Loss Companion

While I often review diets and diet books, it is not often that I review other diet products. But I did consent to checking out the Be Full product line, as I thought it might be of interest to my readers and they are 100% natural, high in protein and fiber, and are widely available.

The Be Full products are a line developed by bariatric surgeon Michael Snyder, MD, FACS. Dr. Snyder has seen his share of obesity, and treated much of what he has seen through surgical procedures. These surgeries are for the morbidly obese, those patients that have or will have severe health problems due to their weight. Bariatric surgery (i.e lap band, gastric bypass, gastroplasty) can be an extremely useful tool in helping those who have not been able to get their weight under control and are (or will) experience chronic health issues, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

Dr. Snyder developed the Be Full product line as a meal supplement, not replacement. These products were designed to mimic the benefits of weight loss surgery by minimizing the stomach area available for meals. Directions recommend that you use a product along with 8 ounces of water thirty minutes prior to your meal. This will help to fill you up and minimize your hunger, resulting in less food at mealtimes and less calories overall.

The products are high protein, high fiber snacks/drinks that utilize soy protein. There are Fullbites, Fullbars, Truffulls, and AquaFulls (more information and reviews on these products below). It is recommended that you utilize two products per day, before both your lunch and dinner.  Part of the program is to visualize the right size portion, the sensible portion for you and to pass on any seconds. You need to start realizing your fullness, before you eat a BeFull product and water, after you eat the product, and after you have a meal.  These snacks range in calories from 20 (Aquafulls) to 150 (Fullbars and Fullbites).

One issue that arises is for those on a low calorie diet. I usually have a breakfast of about 200 calories and a lunch that averages 300-350. If I were to eat a Be Full product prior to lunch, I would be less hungry but in order to keep within my calorie count I would only have about 150-200 calories for lunch. Would a FullBar fill me up enough that I would only want 150-200 calories? Not likely. So for those who are on a calorie-restrictive diet of 1200-1500 calories, spending 170-300 calories a day on Be Full products probably isn’t wise. But for higher calories diets, low-carb diets or high-protein diets, this could be a viable option.

Fullbites

Flavors: Sour Cream & Onion, Bold Cheddar, Savory BBQ

100% natural, based on whole grain corn meal

150 calories, 5 grams fiber, 8 grams protein

This is a savory snack, kind of liking eating cheese puffs. The sour cream & onion tasted very much like your typical chip. The flavor was robust and tasty, as chip flavorings go and could definitely replace chips for the crunch and salt factor. The Bold Cheddar wasn’t really bold. While they are similar in color to Cheetos, they don’t have enough flavoring. It’s like eating a cornmeal puff. Not bad, just not real flavorful. Each packet contained about 60 puffs, which is a very generous amount. I had trouble eating a whole packet in one sitting, especially with the 8 ounces of water.

Fullbar

Flavors: Berry Bliss, Cocoa Crisp, Cranberry-Almond, Caramel Apple Crisp, and Peanut Butter

100% natural, based on puffed wheat and brown rice syrup

150 calories, low fat, 4 grams fiber, 5 grams protein

I tried both the Berry Bliss and Cocoa Crisp. The bars are really large in size, maybe twice that of a typical granola bar. They are not hard like a granola bar, but more like a rice crispy treat. I am a chocolate fanatic, so the Cocoa Crisp didn’t quite live up to my chocolate standards, but as a snack and weight loss product it was not bad and it certainly is a generous portion. The Berry Bliss had a lot of berry bits and added to the sweetness of the bar. My one concern is that brown rice syrup is listed as the first ingredient. (Honey and agave syrup are also ingredients.) Rice syrup is a more complex carbohydrate, taking longer to digest, which in this case is good. However, it has a higher glycemic index than glucose and should be avoided by diabetics.

Truffulls

Flavors: Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Caramel

100% natural

120 calories, 5 grams fiber, 8 grams protein

I taste-tested both flavors, which contained two small bars in each package. The chocolate-caramel had swirls of caramel and it tasted very much like a chocolate caramel. Not at all gritty. The chocolate mint had really good mint flavor, not as strong as a piece of mint gum, but it filled my mouth immediately. Once the mint dissipates, you taste some chocolate, but its more of a Tootsie Roll taste.

Aquafulls

Flavors: Zesty Lemon Tea, Berry Bliss and Pomegranate-Orange

20 calories, 4 grams fiber, only 1 gram of sugar

These are drink mixes that come in small packets and are mixed with water. Meant as a replacement for high-calorie sugary soda drinks and snacks, these can be consumed any time for hydration, but they also work as a filler if consumed 30 minutes before a meal. Cost is about $.80-1.25 per packet, making it a bit more expensive than soda by the case, but certainly comparable to bottled water or soda sold individually in the marketplace.