Go Huel Yourself

Experiences
1

So big lad with little willpower seeks food option for busy life that avoids regular trips to junk food places and an insane intake of biscuits.

Key part of the plan is to ensure I’m getting the right macro & micro nutrients, and phase out the binge eating (have you tried peanut butter Oreos?) that occurs when your in the car 2-4 hours a day, regularly miss lunch and have a bunch of kids at home to deal with.

So last Sunday morning, whilst Mrs RBUK reminded me I should be going for a run to stave off impending heart failure, I was dozing about on the internet and found Huel. Having heard a bit about Soylent Green (that movie…) I did wonder what went into it, but hey if your going to buy rubbish on the internet whilst sat in your jammies on a Sunday morning, better this than an R2-D2 projector eh? (thats still on the cards by the way).

The box arrived yesterday, and Mrs RBUK did her usual, “what have you been wasting our money on” sweep of the items before I got home from work. So I read the booklet, checked the rather simple packaging, checked the 2XL T-shirt size and went and had 2 beers and a stir-fry for tea. (Thats healthy :grinning:)

As an aside, for those of us of a certain size and shape…why does 2XL and 3XL vary in size between clothes producers? Does my head in!! You’d think there was a meeting of the clothes wrangling association or something where they’d say “right you lot, when we call something a 2XL we mean a 50”-52" inch chest…oi Fred Perry write that down, I can tell you weren’t paying attention".

I digress, so this morning whilst the youngest was trying to strangle the cat, I decided to make up my first Huel shake. Having watched the vids and stuff I thought I’d just try it as it was, and see what happened. Followed the shaking instructions, 3 scoops, 600ml water. Give it a good shake. Had a sip…not bad a bit like cold milky porridge.

At this point the eldest came into the room and said it looked like cat vomit…he’s always been a bit too straight to the point that one.

So whilst I didn’t mind the flavour it wasn’t going to keep me coming back. I had bought the banana & pineapple/coconut flavour options (the seconds for Mrs RBUK really, she loves a Pina Colada - what is Huel like with rum?) so I threw in some of the banana flavouring and whilst it wasn’t going to set the world on fire, it’s drinkable, and it filled me up.

That was 2 and a half hours ago, sat at my desk and my head is feeling a little fuzzy…this is probably due to the lack of sugar associated with a bowl of Weetos (love 'em) or coffee, or water. So I’ll go ahead and top up in a second.

Anyhow, apparently if you ‘share’ your experiences your more likely to stick at them, and this is
probably my final option before McDonalds start to name their Breakfast Wrap after me, so my intent is to keep posting on this thread what Huel is doing to me and for me, and we’ll see how long it lasts.

At the end of here, though a little dull I’ll drop some stats from the fitbit so we can all see whats going on.

10th May 2017 - Weight:129kg (286pounds) Fat 34.2% BMI 36.7 (I carry it well…as my Gran says)

27 Likes
2

Regardless of how you get on, I hope you keep us updated…I like your style of writing…made me chuckle a few times.

9 Likes
3

Welcome to the forum, thanks so much for sharing! This made for fantastic reading. I look forward to the latest shenanigans from within the RBUK household and whether the impending purchase of the R2D2 projector was as brilliant a product as it sounds - what’s not to like?

Particularly I hope that Huel helps you reach whatever goals you intend to achieve. There are loads of great folks here with a wealth of experience and helpful tips. Look forward to hearing how everything goes.

3 Likes
4

Thanks for the kind words chaps. Tim, just for you

R2 D2 Video

2 Likes
5

Oh my goodness, somehow it is better than I imagined…

quickly logs into Amazon…

1 Like
6

Hi all,

It’s been 12 days precisely since my last Huel confession, forgive me Huelfather for I have sinned.

Since Huel first passed my lips, i have been regularly, if a little inconsistently using it. I have used it for 11 meal replacements in 12 days (sometimes twice a day and too often not at all), and you know what…it ain’t half bad.

Anyhow here’s a crash course in my experiences so far…

Coffee…MMMMMMMM…get some of that instant posh stuff (I use Nescafe Azera Americano…other coffees are available) and drop two heaped teaspoons into your breakfast Huel, and it works a treat. i like my coffee black and strong though so adjust for taste.

Also the wife brought me home a hot black coffee from sparklybucks and I thought…mmmm whats it like hot? so mixed it with my huel for lunch. Again, not half bad, a bit like porridge.

READ THE LABELS, I was using the 'nana flavour and sticking a teaspoon in and wondering why it tasted like I’d drank some shampoo, a half teaspoon of flavouring is all thats needed, and it tastes nicer for it. Speaking of which, i’ve nailed the flavour compound, anyone of a certain age remember these?

Banana Sweets

Blending…now I tried fruit juicing for all of 3 days, but can I be arsed? No I can’t. Huel works because its ‘fire and forget food’…an instant lunch if you will, even 10 seconds or so of vigorous arm action, calls into my mind…why am I bothering? (no sniggering at the back)

I have blended Huel a few times just to try it and with berries especially it tastes great with a lot of smoothness, but in fact I quite like the porridge like consistency, it makes it feel like a meal and MY GOODNESS if i wanted to blend, washup, cool, freeze, cook or any of the other things some folk suggest, I’d just use ‘proper food’. Thats what it is there for.

I have failed to persuade Mrs RBUK to try Huel so far, although the enticement of Pina Colada flavouring (sorry that would be Pineapple and Coconut…its all about salesmanship Huel guys) has almost got her to break her Huel virginity. Another update on this one soon.

Have i given up Mcdonalds…no, am i seeing the benefits of Huel…yes, am i gonna keep up with it…yes.

I am struggling with portion size, finding the 3 scoop option does fill me up but burns down fast in an afternoon. So I’m going from 3 to 4 scoops per meal…I bet you can’t wait to find out what happens.

Right, so now onto my ideas for how to make Huel from a great but niche product, into the domineering colossus and answer to all our prayers that it could be.

BACON FLAVOUR… if you did this, I would be hooked, and for all the veg-i out there, here’s the answer to your non-meat eating dreams
Bacon flavoured seaweed I am happy to be a tester should you need one.

I am currently using a baby milk powder storage pot as my means of transporting huel powder for lunch due to a lack of thought on my part as to what else could be used to carry white powder around without looking too suspicious.

I’ve also taken to calling Huel my baby food at work by the way…this has had the unfortunate side effect of a lot of folk now thinking I am an adult baby…this is not going down well (PS don’t google that if you are of a nervous disposition)

Anyhow, I think a useful addition (and a bit of side merchandising for Huel) would be some sort of storage pod to carry prepped huel in. maybe a few days worth…which leads me onto my next point.

Going away, with work, camping, staying in hotels for any reason, is not an ideal place to Huel, it involves packing the big white bag, which is BOUND to burst, knowing my luck, and getting liquid out of a bathroom tap, or a camping water pipe, or any other thing is just an exercise in futility and buggeration that I won’t stand.

SO…prepped liquid Huel in a container, ready for me to give it a good shake, open and consume thats easy to transport, and unlikely to break. I know, i know all that packaging bumpf…and thats a good point, but surely there’s balance to be struck?

Anyhow, sorry if this has been a little too factual on my part…it certainly wasn’t with intent. Congratulations to the Huel team on a product thats helping me out at least. I’ll be back to post a little more soon.

23rd May 2017 - Weight 130kg (286.5pounds) Fat 36.2% BMI 36.8 (I’m on the adjustment stage right now :slight_smile:

9 Likes
7

Brilliant blog and certainly inspiring. Starting my Huel journey tonight. :+1:t2:

1 Like
8

Thanks berni and good luck, keep tinkering with it till you find what works for you :+1::yum:

9

BWAAAAhahahahahahahaha… Nice one

2 Likes
10

28 Days since I last dived in to give you an update, so hows it going? Did the date go well, how’s your gran, have you lost weight? :slight_smile:

You know I have quite surprised myself with Huel so far. I’ve not gone ‘cold turkey’ on the rest of my diet, I have just replaced breakfast and lunch with a healthy amount of Huel and…it’s working.

Take a look at the stats below, I have lost a resounding NOTHING :blush: and I’m over the moon with it…no really…

Here’s why.

  1. I have loads of energy,
  2. My body fat %age is coming down (or more accurately, my lean body is growing)
  3. I am happier in myself
  4. I’ve not made any other drastic changes to my diet yet.

I’ve now waded through 3 bags of Huel and I actually really like it. U/U with coffee for breakfast (I must admit i do blend for flavours sake) every morning, and then a shaken U/U with a flavour pouch for lunch. I am having to snack in the late afternoon sometimes, which has led to some bad choices, including a long drive in the car with 500cals of fruit and nut, which resulted in a small sugar crash a few hours later.

I’m now getting to the point where I am ready to go onto phase 2, having balanced my diet somewhat, and move into ‘increasing movement’. This involves trying to become more active and increase the burn of calories. the theory being that by doing this i will somehow lose some weight.

I am attempting to do all this without reducing my drink intake, but I must confess, this is a challenge. How can a G&T be so many calories?

Anyhow if all else fails, i’d rather weigh 130kg with 10% fat, than 30% fat, so i can wander about like Cartman and shout BEEFCAKE!! all the time :rofl:

Peace out huelites

20th June 2017 - Weight 129kg (285lbs) Fat 31.3% BMI 36.6

3 Likes
11

Sounds like great progress.

Adding coffee to a morning Huel sounds like a good way to remove the hassle of making a brew each morning.

Might give it a shot if I ever order some unflavoured.

1 Like
12

Your stats are very similar to mine. I shall be keeping a close eye on this thread :smiley:

1 Like
13

Can I just say this is not restricted to the 2XL and 3XL sizes… It’s everywhere! My clothes that fit me vary between a 12 and an 18! That’s 4 sizes! Nowhere agrees. I like M&S because they fit on the larger size, meaning I can go for a 12 or 14 which makes me feel better.
It’s the same for both genders and all sizes, and it’s INFURIATING. I feel your pain.

How are you getting on? I want you to stick at it for purely selfish reasons- just so I can read more, you’re a funny writer (haha, not ‘he’s a bit funny’)

A slow change is the best way to stick to a healthier lifestyle, I’m also slowly easing into healthier habits.

14

My dear little Huelites, how have you been? Did your beach bod look awesome, or were you a slightly less rotund shape then earlier in the year at least?

The lovely Klaire672 recently commented on my thread, and I thought it only polite to respond and update you on the excitement of my huelling. I am aware that this thread (and many others) are very self indulgent and so whilst I may not be as earnest and dedicated as many of you, I hope you feel i make up for it in recognising that life is a bit more bearable if you have a bit of fun.

In fact, I have to say, that the weight loss/physical improvement journey that we are all on is the hardest thing I have ever done. Harder than giving up smoking, having children, walking through a public swimming pool with torn shorts (long story…not for here). I’m not doing very well at it, but I do know that Huel has been an achievable and beneficial step in the right direction.

Personally its been a summer of changes, a new business opportunity, a change of job/client, I even had a young french intern over for a month, who I think I may have damaged for the rest of his life. Not least by saying ‘BOY’ in my best Uncle Monty voice (Withnail reference anyone?), discussing the war much more than was probably appropriate (I was reading Churchill’s war diaries at the time…de Gaulle was such a k**b) and showing him that the British drinking culture is alive and well and we won’t be standing for any of this european lifestyle nonsense, thank you very much.

(remainer by the way - just love winding up the french…and I did put him up for a month as well…and he is kind of family…).

Anyway, how’ve I been doing with Huel the crowds ask?

Well I must say, that despite a month off while the intern was here (had to show him the delights of fried breakfasts, mcdonalds breakfast wraps, greasy spoons and the Little Chef) I have been doing 2 meals a day midweek. Pretty consistently.

I reduced to three scoops as well and have decided to use coffee (Nescafe Azera Americano) as my flavourer on unsweetened huel. I go tthe mixed flavour taster packs to give all the flavours a go but realised that actually Huel was substituting my coffee intake anyway, so I might as well keep them together as I enjoy the flavour. I have one at breakfast and one at lunch and tend to find my only problem is that I get home between 6 & 7 on an evening, and I am ravenous, but we don’t often eat until after 8. This has led to some poor dietary choices, including a digestive biscuit binge…the night dad ate a whole packet of dry roasted peanuts…peanut butter sandwich molestation…and childrens tea leftover scrounging.

Speaking of scrounging, we somehow acquired 2 cats since my last post and one of them will not stop eating, we’ve had him checked for worms and all sorts, but we actually think he is just a fat jabba. In fact, his name is quickly becoming Jabba the Hut!!!

Anyhow, to the stats…hang on a minute I’ll go and weigh myself.

127kg (280lbs) Fat 33% BMI 35.9 (this is just after tea…no defence)

The reason for this blog was to make me motivated, and what I have realised is that I’ve lost 2kgs since May. In all not the best start, I blame it on booze and that month off, and the summer holiday and…and…and.

Like I said, its worse then smoking, in fact…I was 17st before i gave up the fags…mmmmmm :rofl::star_struck::grimacing::nauseated_face:

3 Likes
15

Yay! Kitties!

Maybe a small snack sized huel on the way home from work would keep you from creating food related horror films?
‘Sacrificing your weight loss for cultural education’ makes the month off sound more honourable, though?

1 Like
16

Glad to hear it’s going well; inspiring stuff to those of us who have just started!

1 Like
17

Well the DANGERZONE is here (Kenny Loggins…underrated legend or abomination on your ears? you decide).

Thats right, the nights are drawing in the temperature is dropping (although this weekend is a bit unseasonal) the usual negotiations about christmas familial visits are beginning to occur. It must be Autumn…Yeay!!! Oh and leaves, and jumpers, and all that sort of stuff. Along with this the ubiquitous arrival of carb filled solutions to the dreariness of the weather presents a new found challenge to us all. (Anything pie related, and oh my…cinder toffee)

Speaking of which, since when did ‘squeezing into a Halloween costume’ become a reason for dieting? Apparently this is now ANOTHER fat person challenge in the year, along with holidays & christmas. Made worse by the fact that trying to squeeze into a cheap amazon/primark/other store outfit is unlikely to bring out the best in my physique.

Anyway, In spite of my last weigh in (I think the scales are a bit variable) it appears that I’m making progress. Here’s the stats

124kg (274lbs) Fat 36.6% BMI 35.3

So it appears that I’m losing the wrong kind of weight. I’ve decided that exercise is whats missing (see earlier posts…do you think I’m avoiding something?) so I have now invested in a Fitbit Ionic to enable me to feel guilty 24hrs a day about my avoidance of exercise. I do think that whatever endorphin release mechanism those fitness fanatics amongst you have, has been rusted closed in my head (probably by Gin), I just don’t get it at all.

With relation to Huel, I have achieved my first convert :slight_smile: a young lady at work, has decided to give it a try, without that much influence on my part. Good on her, though she’s coming to terms with the taste. I’ve also decided to go on the subscription route, I’m doing 2 meals a day, 5 days a week pretty religously now, I feel so much better from it, which I put down to getting a better balance of nutrients then from my previous diet. just a shame about the 3rd meal of the day and weekends. Well done Huel…

Anyhow, enjoy halloween, bonfire night, and any other celebrations you have coming up. See you soon.

3 Likes
18

Hey, try looking at women’s Halloween costumes! It’s all skimpy unflattering tat, except the plus sized costumes which are all ‘hide as much as possible’.

This is my current favourite Halloween costume. Too funny.

I don’t trust scales at all. I know what you mean about exercise. Not fun. Dancing like a lunatic in private can be hilarious and the silliness of it sometimes makes it almost fun!

3 Likes
19

Bioimpedance scales are not the least bit accurate. That said, if you’re not exercising, you will probably lose a bit of muscle mass.

Don’t like exercise? You’re a big boy, go to a weightlifting club and tell them you want to start powerlifting. I guarantee you will be welcomed with open arms, and you will have a TON of fun.

2 Likes
20

Much as @andeem has said - look into weights and strengthwork. I think I commented in a previous post about some of the military human optimisation programmes currently taking place, and they are very much strength focussed. I only bring it up here because if you are on the heavier end you do not want to be damaging your hips/knees/ankles by going turbo on running, so you might want to go for a combined exercise programme.

There are plenty of apps out there to support as well (I’m going running-heavy, but that’s for a specific distance/time goal), so have a shop around.

Keep the posts coming - loving the info and the humour.

@Klaire672 - where are they from!? I want one…!

1 Like