Anyone here disliking regular food?

Ive started drinking meal replacement shakes because of my problems with eating. I find most foods repulsive but need nutrients to sustain myself. Huel helps a lot but my therapist says that i should try to limit it and get more used to regular food because im feeding into my avoidance behaviour which could make my problem grow bigger and bigger over time.

Question - if anyone was in a similar situation and started to heavily rely on huel for the majority of calories intake, did your disgust towards regular food become worse?

I feel like the less i have to think and worry about eating, the more i can enjoy those times when i actually eat because i can pick something nice due to freed up time/money/tastebuds being rested. I don’t think that my problem worsened after a year of replacing 2/3 of my meals with shakes. Feels like pretty much the same level of shittiness ahah. What are yall’s thoughts?

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An interesting post to read: Longtime 100 percent Huel.

In particular some members long time experience.

Regards.

Hm thanks! Ive read some stories of people who went almost full meal replacement, but most of them don’t mention struggling with being disgusted by food. That’s why i would like to hhear if someone had a similar experience and huel didn’t make it worse over time

As a nurse working in mental health I have had 2 service users this year with this exact issue.

Meal replacements can be hugely beneficial to peoples mental health, and definitely take the stress out of everything associated with cooking and eating.

However I think any deviation from your normal diet should come from a place of positivity not negativity. It’s important to have a good relationship with food for so many reasons.

If your therapist has these concerns, they are the person who knows you best and is working with you, so I would listen to them. Maybe think about the issue and talk about it in your next session, it will probably help to voice all of it. For example do you feel like Huel is affecting you positively? Negatively? Both? Neither?

It’s good that you’ve got something nutritious to have while you’re having problems with eating, but you also don’t want to perpetuate the issue or avoid it for an easier route.

I have seen meal replacements (huel included) used successfully for recovery from food related issues, but these issues can be tricksy and it’s not always the answer. It depends how and why you’re using them, and what mindset you’re coming from. It’s all a very personal thing so please do discuss it more with your doctor/therapist, those are the people who can help you best! Wish you all the best with it.

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I am struggling with eating food (swallowing) at the moment, but I find Hot & Savoury Mac&Cheeze is going down well.

As it is more like food than the shakes and RTD you might find it a compromise your therapist might accept, while still giving you full nutrition. :clown_face:

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Thank you for your reply. As much as I don’t want to go back to regular food (i am trying it now and the struggle of having to eat something disgusting is debilitating and makes my days much harder and depressing) I think u r right. That changes have to come from a positive place. I think huel is a positive change for me tho. At least that’s how it feels - it helps. I will discuss it with my therapist more, it’s just always back n forth ahah - whenever i feel my mental health stabilising she suggests me to try n quit the very thing that helps it. I know why but this still feels frustrating. Ive tried so many things to enjoy food but it’s just such an awful chore and sometimes i struggle to understand why i can’t just drop it and make my life easier by doing huel

Sorry for my probably incoherent thoughts, it’s morning and im not feeling so well (mostly due to me having a cooked lunch in my backpack which im not looking forward to at all ahah)

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Oh i wanted to! But ive tried mushroom n chicken one and didn’t like it at all. The flavour was too strong and the powder was stuck in the pasta which made the texture really awful. Thanks for a suggestion tho :people_hugging:

I don’t have a like nor dislike for “regular food”, I just find it too bothersome to prepare it, chew it properly, not under/overeat, do cleanup, … hence I don’t eat it and instead eat Huel.

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Not at all, you worded everything well and it’s a complex topic to begin with. I personally use huel for probably 80% of my food intake on average. Some days I’m 100% huel and sometimes 2 meals per day so I can still enjoy cooking, takeaways, food with friends, fruits and veggies, and the food I enjoy.

I use huel a lot but I use it because I really like it. I like the convenience, and I like the taste. So I’d say just consider why you’re using it. If you have an issue that you think needs addressing, make sure you’re doing that. And be kind to yourself always :smile:

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Oh yes, these troubles are real. Having to do something every single day can quickly turn even most exciting thing into a chore

I use Huel RTD meals because I have esophageal dysmotility issues. So I can only eat a small amount of food before I am in discomfort. They’ve been a life saver for me. I like them also because I know my calories I’ve consumed and also there’s no prep. Food has never been an issue thinking it’s disgusting but I have zero interest in cooking anything. RTD meals all the way for me. I’m satisfied with these.

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