Fullbar Review / Rant
February 11, 2009
I’m having a hard time starting this review. I’m just not a negative person and I hate doing bad reviews. Normally I have something nice to say about most products but FullBar has me stumped for a few reasons. Before I get into them let me tell you a bit about the product. This is from their website…
Simply eat FullBar with an 8-ounce glass of water 30 minutes before your 2 biggest meals of the day. The upper part of your stomach is stretched out and tells your brain: "Stop! I’m full!" That’s because FullBar uses the same principles as weight-loss surgery. By meal time, you’ll eat less and your hunger will be completely satisfied.
Now, as a self proclaimed "eater" I get the whole ‘need to feel full’ thing. I really do. I love to eat and would routinely eat beyond a comfortable feeling or as Weight Watchers puts it "until satisfied." I know my problem with weight started from eating too much and it took me a long time grappling with portion sizes to get where I am today (maintaining a 65lbs loss for 3 years now.)
So the idea of eating something before a meal to help you feel full makes sense to me. However, why would you want to eat something unsatisfying? And I mean that on a taste front. Fullbar claims it’s bars have "just 180 calories or less, which is fewer calories than in a cup of most canned applesauce." True, but I’d rather use that 180 calories on something that tastes good AND fills me up, like 2 apples or 3 cups of carrots or an entire butternut squash made into fries? I mean really, if you like to eat don’t you want to eat food, REAL food that tastes good?
The only way I can describe how Fullbar actually tastes is a glob of stale puffed wheat cereal glued together with something sticky, like honey. Sure they have flavors like Cranberry Almond, Cocoa Chip and Peanut Butter Crunch but they all tasted the same to me because I couldn’t get past the first bite. (That’s coming from the girl who LOVES Vitalicious and Zone Bars)
Gosh, that was mean. I’m sorry Fullbar but I need to be honest here. Besides the taste I have a problem with the idea behind the product. If you are trying to lose weight and say you like the Fullbars enough to have one before each meal. I’m sure they do actually help you feel full so you start eating less. But what do you do after you drop the pounds? Are you now stuck buying Fullbars for life because you never learned how to adjust your diet and portions for long term success?
I’m here to tell you that you can control your crazy appetite without such products. I know because I did/do it. You are talking to a girl who could easily put down 5-6 slices a pizza in the blink of an eye. I never had a problem with a 12-inch sub loaded with the works and portions sizes at Italian places just don’t scare me, I welcome the pound of pasta. I could put me down some food! But I was able to lose and maintain a loss with that appetite because I learned how to bulk my meals with low calorie, feel full foods that are good for me. Zucchini, winter squash, peppers, carrots, broccoli. I learned to use these types of foods in a way to help me feel full much like the The Volumetrics Book
So if you feel like you need a product to help you feel full before a meal try drinking a glass of water with 1 and 1/4 cups puffed wheat cereal with 1 cup of skim milk and a 1/2 cup of blueberries. According to NutritionData.com that’s exactly 180 calories, has less ingredients and probably fills you up just as much (note: one of the main ingredients in FullBar is puffed wheat). Not to mention you can buy 12 bags of puffed wheat
I realize now I will never get another product to review and I’m ok with that. This had to be said. I’m tired of these diet products taking advantage of desperate dieters who will do anything to lose weight.
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On February 11th, 2009 at 6:03 pm Elaine said:
Thanks for staying true to your readers and doing a review that is actually a review and not just a commercial. Negative reviews are good too because they let us know what products are out there….the good AND the bad. Again, thanks for staying true to us! It’s much appreciated.
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm Neha said:
I agree with Elaine. Thanks for proving (again!) that your first priority is staying true to your readers.
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:18 pm Natalia Burleson said:
Thanks for being honest! :)
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:20 pm Jamie/penguinsandladybugs said:
A REAL review is what we want. How many of your readers would lose respect for you if you fibbed just to be nice and they bought the product and learned the real truth? I totally appreciate your comments and honesty. And I’ll betcha you still get products to review! Some good ones are out there :) And they’ll know it and want you to share how good they are!
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:28 pm Betty Lou said:
Thanks for a very honest review and for the reminder about the Volumetrics book!
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:40 pm Christie said:
I don’t think you will never get another product to review. Just orobbalt nothing else from full bar.
Thanks for the honest review. When I first heard about the product, I thought it sounded strange. I thought I would rather just eat a cup of soup
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:58 pm Lee said:
Thanks for being honest!!! If a company doesn’t want you to review their products because you are honest, then I don’t know that I would want to do business with them in the first place. The point of a food review, just like a restaurant mystery shopper, is to provide feedback to the company on how they are doing, what you like and what you dislike. This enables the company to make positive changes to their product or establishment.
Thanks again for being honest in all your reviews!
On February 11th, 2009 at 6:59 pm Princess Dieter said:
Thanks for the honest review. It sounds awful. And, frankly, for 180 cals, one could have a salad, fruit and a bit of yogurt, apples with a little p.b., two boiled eggs, a berry smoothie with skim milk, two Vitatops (almost), shoot, even a nice pita with low-fat cheese melted on top!
The whole point of a protein/fill-me-up bar is that it’s convenient and tasty so that you can enjoy it without guilt. Enjoy it being key. :)
Ah, well. Natural food is better than any bar, anyway.
On February 11th, 2009 at 7:21 pm Jessica said:
Why feel bad? You just saved us from a very expensive diappointment. I am becoming a “quality quantity” person. I would rather fill up on a quanitity of quality stuff ie: veggies. If I can scarf it down in under 2 min, chances are it won’t be very satisfying anyway. Thanks for saving us alot of heartache! I would rather spend my points on something tasty.
On February 11th, 2009 at 7:41 pm Jessica at Pudget: Losing Weight On A Budget said:
Thanks for the honest review.
On February 11th, 2009 at 8:15 pm Erik said:
Im on the quest for a filling granola bar like recipe that you bake in the oven, I know Alton Brown had one a while back but havn’t got around to trying it. Would be cool if you could post a recipe if you know of one that works.
On February 11th, 2009 at 8:30 pm Becci said:
I applaud you on your honesty! I totally agree with you on eating filling foods that actually taste good esp. the butternut squash!
On February 11th, 2009 at 8:58 pm Maria said:
I am so glad you reviewed this product…I know were i wont be wasting my money.
On February 11th, 2009 at 9:00 pm Michele said:
Thanks for the honest review. I have to laugh though because the ad on this page right now is for the “Smart For Life Cookie Diet” LOL! I’m sure they won’t be asking you to review their product, hehe! :)
On February 11th, 2009 at 9:06 pm Camevil said:
If these TV marketing geniuses had their way and actualized world domination, we would all be chained down on our sofas wearing the Kymaro body shaper under our Snuggies while blindly ingesting crap like overpriced cereal.
Ugh.
Thanks for fighting the good fight.
On February 11th, 2009 at 10:40 pm emi said:
thanks for the honesty - this actually gives your positive reviews (ie vitamuffins) more credibility :)
and i agree that the fullbar sounds like a load of crap
On February 11th, 2009 at 11:09 pm Jeannie said:
All I have to say is that I LOVE YOU for that review! Really… if you never get another product to review it’s well worth it to know that you’re being totally honest with us. So thanks :)
On February 11th, 2009 at 11:46 pm Maggie said:
Bravo! Great review!
On February 12th, 2009 at 3:43 am Christy said:
Oh boy….these are also in the mail for me to review…now I am worried. Oh…I did get a box of Gnu Foods Flavor & Fiber bars. They are pretty good. The chocolate and peanut butter are my favorite.
On February 12th, 2009 at 9:15 am Kaye said:
I think this review is AWESOME. Always tell the truth! You made so many good points that I can’t even begin to point them out. But I do have to say that I completely agree with you that “REAL” food is the best.
Kaye
On February 12th, 2009 at 9:19 am Brandi said:
You said exactly what I think everytime I see those commercials!
Thanks for the honesty!!
On February 12th, 2009 at 9:27 am Betsy said:
Thanks for the honest review. I have wondered about these bars.
On February 12th, 2009 at 9:29 am Jackie said:
Im very impressed by your review Roni!
On February 12th, 2009 at 9:48 am Beth said:
I saw those advertised on tv and thought about the things you pointed out. How is it any different from drinking a big glass of water to fill you up before you eat? It’s not really and it had more calories! Thanks for the review!
On February 12th, 2009 at 10:13 am Jacki said:
While fullbar might not appreciate your honesty we all respect it. I hope one day to be where you are and have adjusted my portions. I am still the girl who craves a pound of pasta and I ate a 12″ sub yesterday :( UGH
I’m working on it though. Thanks for sharing.
On February 12th, 2009 at 10:28 am Lady Downsize said:
Good for you Roni! Honesty is the best policy, and I’m glad you were truthful about your response to their product. Besides, the new Social, or Conversational Public Relations is one reason why companies contact bloggers. We have a more direct influence and trusted review in promoting their products. However, if a company is being real, they know there is a risk of a review being negative. Of course they want a positive review, but usually products are run by a test group first before going public like this. If Fullbar used a test group for their product, then that group failed them.
I am glad to read your real review instead of hearing something a company pays an actor to say, or their advertising team puts in print.
On February 12th, 2009 at 11:09 am Beverly said:
Thank you for the honest review. I often wonder if bloggers get paid to do a nice review. Also, I can have a large meal for 250-350 calories. I would not want to waste 180 calories on trying to feel full so that I will not eat as much. I agree with you. If I want to eat I will push past the full feeling. It is a mental game.
I think the company will appreciate your review. In business they say the best customers are the ones who complain because you have an opportunity to fix things, make them better, and turn that opinion around. If you don’t know what is wrong you can’t fix it. You saved that company a lot of valuable survey work!
On February 12th, 2009 at 11:15 am fitforfree said:
Thanks, Roni! I totally agree — what would you do once you lost the weight? I’m glad you advocate only a sustainable approach! it’s awesome.
On February 12th, 2009 at 11:33 am Anne (Happy Fun Pants) said:
I think you’re wrong. I think people WILL seek you out to do reviews because you’re being honest…and then when you endorse one, your readers will be more likely to purchase it.
Seriously. Thank you for giving us the reality check of eating 180 calories of nutritious food that will likely help you feel a ton better anyway.
I’m amazed at how people ask me what I’m doing these days to have lost the 45 pounds that I have. I’m all “um…eat less and move more.” And while it’s true that I’ve been doing WW, I don’t feel like every person I meet has to know that.
Anyway, my point is I’m sure it was tempting (if only for a moment) to write a good review…but we appreciate your honesty.
Always.
On February 12th, 2009 at 11:42 am Maren said:
Thank you..Thank you..Thank you!….I saw those on TV and was kind of shocked. I was asking myself “Is this real….or is this a joke?” Im glad you were honest. It really means alot to us and thats why we love you!
On February 12th, 2009 at 11:57 am Melissa said:
You go girl! There is such a need for reviews like this! I am sick of companies preying on us desparate dieters too. I applaud you Roni for being brave with this post. What good is review if it isn’t truthful?
Hey - Great idea for another blog for you! LOL just kidding - you are way to busy already! :)
Keep writing Roni - we all appreciate you so much!
On February 12th, 2009 at 11:59 am Sheila said:
Thanks Roni for keeping it real!
On February 12th, 2009 at 12:13 pm debby said:
Excellent review! The whole idea behind the product is stupid. Of course if I add 180 calories of almost any nutritious food to my meal I will be very full.
On February 12th, 2009 at 12:20 pm Claire said:
Hi, Roni.
Please don’t feel bad about this. You are sent these things to review because the companies /hope/ that you will give them a good review and therefore recommend their product to your many readers. That’s it. It does not put them out at all to send you a few samples of their products, and if you like it, they get some free advertising. They are the ones putting themselves and the quality of their product on the line when they send it to anyone to review.
I can’t imagine that companies that make products geared towards people trying to lose weight would stop sending you things to review simply because you gave an honest negative review to a sub-standard product. That would be bad marketing on their part.
So, hold your head up high and know that we always expect and depend on you to give us your honest opinion about these things. As long as that’s what you deliver, you shouldn’t give it a second thought.
–Claire
On February 12th, 2009 at 12:38 pm Dawn said:
Hon, you have no problem telling the truth, good for you for being honest! And just because you gave one product an underpar response, I’m sure you’re not the first one who’s done so. I saw a commercial for these bars, I kinda thought “Well, you’re eating BEFORE a meal, of course you’re going to be full before lunch or dinner cause there’s already food in your stomach!” I dunno about the whole ‘your upper part of your stomach is stretched out’, thing…food is going to stretch your stomach and tell your brain that it’s partially filled.
Keep up the good work, you’re not going to lose deals because of this, you may get more due to your honesty. Chin up, babydoll, and do what you do best!
On February 12th, 2009 at 2:16 pm KK (Running Through Life) said:
Thanks for being honest! And I agree with your review of the concept behind the product. It teaches the dieter NOTHING about. Plus, 180 calories before your meal just seems like a HUGE waste of calories to me.
On February 12th, 2009 at 2:59 pm Krista S. said:
And here I thought this was going to be similar to the Fiber One review. LOL Thanks for the honesty, Roni. It’s much appreciated.
On February 12th, 2009 at 4:05 pm John's Weight Loss Blog said:
Oh man, I know the feeling. I was also sent a couple of the bars and the water additive, and the first bar wasn’t that great. Not holding out hope for the second to be any better!
If it makes you feel any better, any Marketer worth their salt will actually like that you posted a negative review. Not all products you review can be good and if you only post positive reviews people tend to question how honest you are being.
Clearly, you are being honest and that should be rewarded.
On February 12th, 2009 at 5:49 pm Annette said:
I think it’s great you are honest Roni.
I think whole food should always be the way to go!
On February 12th, 2009 at 6:25 pm Ashley said:
This is why we love you and trust you. Thanks Roni!
On February 13th, 2009 at 12:00 am Becky F said:
Roni, you have this genuine-ness and authenticity that you don’t need to apologize for, and we love you for it. Keep on rocking it!
On February 13th, 2009 at 10:07 am Charlie Hills said:
Like eighty dozen other bloggers, I too got a few Fullbars to review. I’m not one to just pimp a product because it shows up in my mailbox. And while I agree with what Roni said about the price, the long-term commitment, I didn’t come to the conclusion that they were completely worthless. If anyone’s interested, you can read about it here:
http://www.backtothefridge.com/blog/fullbar/
I didn’t think they tasted horrible. Granted, they weren’t as good as big ass box of Cheez-Its, but I ate all four bars, which is a lot different from Roni’s experience.
Are they expensive? Yes. Would I personally buy an entire month’s worth of this? No. But I’m a firm believer that no two people are alike and what’s stupid for one person is awesome for another. Could you do the exact same thing with glass of water? Maybe. Maybe not. Could you make your own bowl of puffed rice? Probably not if you’re at the office or on the road. There’s something to be said for ripping open a small package and being done with it.
Will these teach you long-term healthy eating habits? No. Or maybe they will. Maybe you’ll soon figure out what’s really going on. If you’ve tried and tried and tried and failed on your own despite all the great dieting advice on every blog on the planet, then maybe one month of Fullbars is enough to kickstart you.
Anyway, that’s my point. I’m always hesitant to categorically dismiss (or promote!) any single product, food, or method for the sole reason that we’re all so different. What should work in theory doesn’t always work as expected in practice. That’s my own personal brand of “keeping it real.”
On February 13th, 2009 at 10:47 am roni said:
“Could you make your own bowl of puffed rice? Probably not if you’re at the office or on the road. There’s something to be said for ripping open a small package and being done with it.”
I hear ya BUT there really is no need to drop 175 bucks for convenience sake. This is where the who “taking advantage” part comes in. If you can throw a bar in your bag for work you can most definitely throw in an apple and/or a bag of puffed rice (still keeping it to 180 calories)
I appreciate your “realist” :) approach to the whole dismiss or promoting products and I normally subscribe to that myself but I really could not come up with one “pro” for Fullbar except concept (which I gave them props for) but Price and taste (in my opinion) made this product un-endorse-able by me.
Thanks for sharing your point. You always get me thinking. :)
On February 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm Stephanie said:
You’re exactly on target when you ask whether we are supposed to keep eating fullbars for the rest of our lives. That’s the problem with most diets! They’re not sustainable. It is about lifestyle change.
BODA weight loss
On February 13th, 2009 at 8:30 pm Project Swole said:
Roni, you said you give them props for the concept, but I don’t really get it. So basically you eat a food bar, then you eat a meal. It sounds to me like a really good way to add 180 calories to a regular meal. I haven’t tried these things, but I don’t see the point behind it. If I’m going to eat a protein bar or a meal replacement bar, I’m just going to eat the bar and to heck with eating a whole meal 30 minutes later. I don’t have the time or desire to eat a bar 30 minutes before a meal. The concept just doesn’t work for me. Anyway, thanks for the honest review.
On February 16th, 2009 at 10:50 am Charlie Hills said:
While it does look like a great way to add 180 calories to the meal you were going to eat anyway, keep in mind these were designed to replace lapband surgery. For people with serious “I can’t stop” eating problems, putting an extra 180 calories on the front is supposed to prevent you from taking in an extra 800 on the back.
If you can already eat a normal meal, then by all means SKIP THIS. That’s not what these were designed for.
On May 4th, 2009 at 7:06 pm Faye said:
I bought a box of full bars and I love them. I don’t use them to control my eating, but I eat them as a snack. They really do feel me up for a couple hours. That is something nothing else has done. Sometimes I get hungry and I want a snack, because I can’t or I’m not ready to sit down and eat a meal…this hits the spot allows me to not feel hungry and to keep on trucking for another 90-120 minutes.
I’ve tried salads (I eat them twice a day before lunch and dinner), fruit, crackers, I’m allergic to nuts so that’s a no go…..and even Fiberone cereal…NOTHING works as well as this tasty bar.
So while I appreciate your review and the honest experience you had from the full bar..I hope others don’t kick the product to the curb who have never tried it before. Honestly, we all know not to believe everything you read.
That’s why when I read a review from a trusted online friend I just went to GNC to buy 2 bars to test it out and make up my own mind…I was impressed. If I would have listened to you..I would have missed out on a good thing for myself.
Who knows I might move on and finally find something else that works for me just as well. But, for the here and now…this works perfectly. It is geared towards my problem..never feeling full on a snack and consistently having hunger pains. It solves that problem.
On May 4th, 2009 at 8:48 pm roni said:
Faye - I’m glad you liked them but I stand by my opinion as you should yours. ALWAYS try things for yourself, I’m just one person sharing an opinion. That’s all.
Lord knows I LOVE the vita muffins and I know others think I’m crazy for that. :)
On July 20th, 2009 at 9:48 pm debbie said:
Roni, I have not yet decided on what to do for weight loss. I gained a fair amount of weight due to some medications I was on, and while I have been able to lower my dose to the point where I am not gaining the weight any more, I have not been able to loose the 30+ pounds I gained while on the higher dose. I was always the lowest weight person in my family, and actually probably still am, but I really need to loose 50 pounds. While I appreciate your information, I am thinking that Charlie Hills’ review and information is more appropriate. One of my sisters had the lap band surgery and spent well over $10,000 on that surgery as it was NOT covered by her insurance. She had been struggling with weight loss for years. She has successfully lost weight with the surgery and so I understand the concept and how the fullness of the lap band works. When the information about the fullbar indicated it simulated the how the lap band works, it peaked my interest as a short term solution for myself as my weight gain was introduced with medicine. I realize that it is not a long term solution, but it will MAY give me the kick start that I need while I am still on the low dose of the medicine that increases my appetite. I do think that you may want to think about realizing that there are other situations that may exist that may find this product useful. Respectfully, Debbie.
On July 20th, 2009 at 9:54 pm roni said:
Debbie - I’m glad you found the advice and opinion you agreed with on Charlies Blog. I stand by my post and appreciate the fact that not everyone will agree. At the end of the day it is my opinion and that’s what my blog is used for sharing. Respectfully, Roni
On August 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 pm Sharon said:
Well, I have to TOTALLY I WAS STILL FULL I was full when I left work, I was full when I left the store, I am still full now and it is 11:14p! I am having a glass of diet ginger ale - just thirsty… and for the first time, in a lONG time… I do not want anything else to eat for the rest of the night. I realize now that 2 bars was a bit too much. But, my point is… it works. I am going back for a 5 days supply at the good ole GNC at $2.50 a piece. This is the FIRST gimmicky product that I have bought that I will buy again.
I feel as if I had a 5 course meal-I am not joking. Woohooo!!!!!
On August 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 pm Sharon said:
For some reason the first line of my post above was removed & scrambled. Odd since I disagree with Roni. Sensorship? Anywhoo…since 4p until now at 11:33p - I am completely full. I am going back to GNC for more. Finally something that works.
On August 4th, 2009 at 6:24 am roni said:
Sharon.. do you really think I sit up at 11:30 PM waiting to mess up people’s comments who disagree with me? Seriously!?!?
Disagree away!
I’m glad they are working for you. I’m glad you like them. I still stand by my opinion. and I can’t change the fact that I didn’t like the taste.
I FIXED your comment. Don’t use < (that’s a “less then”) or > (greater then) symbols they can garble things. I only spelled them out as I’m not sure they will show up in the email.
Good luck!
On August 7th, 2009 at 8:19 pm Karen Maggie said:
I just discovered Fullbar and I don’t think your review is that useful for the following reasons:
-You didn’t truly test the product for effectiveness. Since you didn’t like the taste, you didn’t evaluate whether it had any effect on your appetite and colorie intake.
-You seem to have a bias that the only way to lose weight is YOUR way. I congratulate you on your successful weight-loss and ability to keep it off. However, most experts agree that there are many ways to lose weight and the key is finding one that works for you as an individual.
-Meal replacements and bars are one possible weight loss strategy that has been used in many different plans to help people lose weight and keep it off. And it’s a tool that many people find useful. There are many diets that utilize meal replacements and bars not only in the weight loss phase, but also in the maintenance phase. I lost 20 pounds using meal replacements with a plan called HMR and I’ve kept it off for nearly a year now.
So for the above reasons, I’m going to look for a review from someone that actually tried the product for several weeks to see if it was a useful aid in weight loss.
On August 7th, 2009 at 8:36 pm roni said:
Karen - As I have said to previous commenters that dodn’t agree with me… I stand by my opinion. Whether or not you find my words useful or not is your decision to make. But I’m not going to not share my honest opinion on my blog for fear that someone may not agree or find it “useful.”
As i like to say… To each there own.
On August 17th, 2009 at 12:37 pm Walt said:
Thanks so much for the helpful review… I was tempeted to spend money that I could not afford! Your puffed wheat option is much better for me moneywise, and will accomplish the same “full feeling” effect I need. I am so very happy that I found your comments! THANK YOU again.
On August 17th, 2009 at 10:08 pm roni said:
Your welcome. Hope the puffed rice helps!