I’m starting my huel journey, it’s been 3 days and I’m happy how things are going.
I’ve done a lot of reading on the forum, but be grateful to hear any feedbacks in case I’ve missed something or got something wrong
I’m 1m70/73kg/38yo/male looking to address my bad health habits while loosing some weight. Ideal weight would be 65kg but with more muscle (less body fat%)
I have bought the starter pack to test a few of the products, and I have settled to the following routine:
7h-8h30 1h of sport (Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 20’ HIIT elliptical, 20’ HIIT stair-master, 20’ HIIT rowing) (Tuesday & Thursday: 40’ of Swimming laps freestyle)
9h 1 Huel Black (400kcal) 9h-13h Work at an office 13h-14h A healthy meal of 800 kcal 14h-17h Work at the office 17h 1 Huel Black or HS (400kcal)
Doing Intermittent fasting (16/8) from 9h to 17h
As you see, I’m looking to be in caloric deficit and wonder if you have observations to share out of your personal experiences
And/or suggestions for the 800 kcal meal since I’m terrible at cooking healthy meals. So I’d appreciate any advice on meals that would fit the bill (calorically but also hitting the rest of the needs)
That looks impressive/ambitious. What’s your maintenance calorie req. with that amount of exercise? 1600kc seems like a big deficit.
Also, isn’t it easier to prepare a 800kc balanced meal in the evenings rather than during the working day? But if lunchtimes is best I’d try a homemade meusli-mix: oats, nuts, seeds, berries, plant milk. Or if you can afford it, a really good health food restaurant.
This is where I’d need to gain some clarity. From the Macro Calculator, I’d need 1600 kcal to be in the right balance with my weight goals. But I am unsure if i need to add, on top of that, the calories that I would be spending during my hour of exercice or not.
Is it ‘active’ or ‘very active’ to do 60" of HIIT and/or 40" swimming 5 days a week? These days I’d call it extreme. But your bathroom scales will be the best indicator.
Hi Sergi! Delighted to hear you’ve joined us as a Hueligan
It’s great to see you’ve drafted a plan to achieve your weight and fitness goals - super organised!
To echo epicure’s comments, your calorie deficit does seem a little steep considering the exercise you plan on doing (which sounds great, by the way!). Based on exercise definitions, this would count as ‘intense exercise’, indicating your daily calorie intake should be sitting somewhere around the 1900 mark to see a safe, sustainable rate of loss. Of course, on days where you don’t exercise, your calorie intake would sit somewhere slightly lower, perhaps more like your current plan.
Perhaps you could add in an extra snack or two at your desk to top your intake up a little? Maybe enjoy three scoops of Black Edition instead of two? Or perhaps tag on some extra calories to your lunchtime meal? Any of these should give you the little boost you need to adequately refuel after your exercise while still being in a calorie deficit.
I must note that those calorie estimates are just estimates, and you may need to adjust your intake as you go based on your progress to find out what works for you
In terms of those meals, there are so many tasty recipes out there that would fit the bill. While I can’t make any personal suggestions for you as I’m not aware of your dietary requirements, personal preferences, or what’s available to you, my top tips would be to ensure you have a complete protein source, at least one fibre source, a source of unsaturated fats, and to choose meals and flavours you enjoy!
But your bathroom scales will be the best indicator.
