So I’ve now been on Huel for 3 months, replacing breakfast and lunch on weekdays, with supper remaining the same as before (eating normal meal with wife). Weekends, I’m just replacing breakfast.
Each meal is 600 to 700 ml in volume, using 3 scoops. I’m just using regular vanilla, no additional flavourings or variations.
I’ve been logging everything using Fitbit app and a Tanita bodyfat scale.
I work in an office job, BMI was overweight, moderate exercise.
I know bodyfat measured by electrical resistance is notoriously inaccurate, but I’m only using it to show general trends. Belt has been tightened by a couple of notches, and impressive enough results for 2 other people in the office to start on Huel.
Start 78.kg, 25.7% fat, 58kg lean mass, 20.1kg fat
Now 73.8kg, 22.8% fat, 57kg lean mass, 16.8kg fat.
Works out at losing 1kg of fat per month.
Compared to others, my results are not that impressive, but for me it shows that my fat loss is sustainable. I don’t think I’ve been able to stick to diet plan/health kick longer than 3 months before. I have every intention to stick to replacing 2 meals per weekday pretty much indefinitely.
Cravings/binges on “bad” foods have pretty much been eliminated. It’s hard to explain, but because I was replacing meals, and not banning foods, I was never more than 2 meals away from eating what I wanted, but my desire for junk binges had pretty much disappeared ( I was/am addicted to carbs).
The removal of “choice” for my workday lunch was a blessing. Too many times I’d just go out with no real idea of what to have for lunch, and just make the wrong choices (Greggs/Pizza/Burgers etc). Now I just drink my Huel and go for a walk.
I make my breakfast shake, the night before and shove it in the fridge, and drink before heading out. Lunch is mixed in the office. No real problems mixing with a shaker bottle. In 3 months, I’ve forgotten to attach the cap just once.
I did experience a morning of headaches 2 or 3 days in, but just increased my water intake by a couple of glasses, and they disappeared.
Downsides: occasional Huel drips to forehead, glasses and face from various shaker caps are an occupational hazard. My wife thinks Huel is a cult (I’m singing it’s praises far too much). When explaining to female friends what Huel is, they all go “so it’s like Slim fast?” and I’ve wasted too much time trying to explain the other benefits, so now I just go “yes, but better on so many levels”. Didn’t washout my office Huel shaker over a weekend once, and the remnants festering in there did make the shaker take on a bit of a funky smell that did go away, but always remember to rinse out your shaker.
In the middle of all this, we had a baby a month ago, so now having broken sleep and sleep deprivation, which normally derails most weight/fat loss programs, but no problems so far. What’s really been beneficial is that I’ve saved a lot of time, that can be spent with wife/newborn.
Saved time (probably money), and lost weight (more importantly fat), and am actually enjoying the shakes and the whole experience.
Do you all sit around a table drinking Huel or do some of you eat gasp SOLID FOOD?
