Can you live off JUST Huel?

Can you live off just Huel powder, if you are looking to lose weight and control your calorie intake?
Or is this to carb-based and protein based for a girl of 21 who seems to easily put on weight?

Thatā€™s the claim! And Huel prides itself on being quite well suited to the task, as well as being a very convenient way to track calorie intake. You might want to check out the Huel Guide to Fat Loss

Not sure what you mean re: carbs and protein.

The carbs in Huel are complex-carbohydrates that take longer to digest and slowly release energy. Unlike simple, fast carbs which lead to insulin spikes, provide short term energy but leave you hungry soon after (thus tending to inflate your calorie count as you attempt to maintain energy levels).

Protein is more satiating, relatively, than the other macro-nutrients, carbs and fat. So the higher relative levels of protein in Huel will feeling satisfied and fuller - again meaning youā€™ll be less inclined to eat more frequently or snack more than you need to in order to feel full. Protein also has a higher thermic effect than carbs or fat - that is, it requires more energy for your body to process protein than carbs or fats - increasing your total energy expenditure. Which can only help prevent putting on weight.

Yes you can live off just Huel.

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Why would you want to deprive yourself of the rich variety of foods which come in all different tastes and textures

To simply drink gloop

Mind boggling stuff

Huel has not been proven to be any more beneficial than simply eating food

Hi Alice. I wanted to pipe in because I think you are asking a more complex question then has been answered. Huel states it provides a complete RI of nutrition at 2000 calories per day. Which is one estimate for a typical female calorific intake per day to maintain weight (their Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR). So to lose weight that same average female might decide to eat 1500 calories. So if they did that some of the vitamins and minerals that are provided 100% at 2000 calories would be provided at 75% at 1500 calories. What about someone who has a BMR lower than 2000 or cutting back by more than 500 calories?

Should they simply top up with a multi-vitamin? What about other aspects of nutrition? I do think that is a more complex question than - ā€˜Can you just eat Huel?ā€™. It should probably be answered by someone with a good nutritional background. Those people are here and I hope they answer you.

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I swear there was a guy who lived on jam sandwiches for years onceā€¦ No Iā€™ll effects oddly eitherā€¦

But yes, given the above, you could live quite optimally live on huel Iā€™d like to believe :slight_smile:

Well, some people really like gloop. :wink:

Most people who buy Huel havenā€™t totally forsaken food.
It can be quite handy when youā€™re in between a couple of things and the default option would be something unhealthy that might even make you feel a bit crap at the time (I eat really bad stuff if I let myself get too hungry).

I love food of almost all kinds, but sometimes being able to press the ā€œpostponeā€ button on hunger is really useful. And then you can have something really nice later on.

Iā€™ve no idea what the effect of living on it indefinitely would be - probably better than some diets but I think itā€™s a case of ā€œmore research neededā€ in terms of whether all nutrients are absorbed optimally.

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I donā€™t understand polarised opinions like this - unless, of course, youā€™ve tried the product and had a bad experience that wasnā€™t resolved?

Huel IS food, but in powdered form - so of course it is no more (or less) beneficial than other food, assuming that food is nutritionally balanced. Of course, many people donā€™t eat a nutritionally-balanced mix of foods. In these cases, Huel can potentially provide a healthier diet.

I love good food, and Iā€™d prefer to be eating a varied and delicious diet of meat, fish, vegetables, pulses, pasta etc. However, for my current weight-loss needs, Huel is extremely beneficial.

Iā€™m on 99% Huel (I say 99% because I have a Friday night take-away or meal out, and I allow myself an occasional treat such as a chocolate rice cake or bag of Quavers). On the reduced calorie intake Iā€™m allowing myself, Iā€™m getting far, far more balanced nutrition by drinking Huel than I otherwise might eating small snack-size meals Iā€™ve cooked myself. Itā€™s incredibly quick to prepare, easy to control portion sizes and prevent under / over-eating, no temptation to add unhealthy ingredients, and I donā€™t get any cravings in between meals. Plus, I feel more energetic than I have in years. Thatā€™s very different to my previous dieting / weight loss experiences.

Itā€™s worth noting that in just a few weeks, Iā€™ve managed to go down two full waist sizes - all without feeling hungry.

I donā€™t intend to live on Huel alone forever, but once Iā€™m down to my target weight - probably by the end of this year - Iā€™ll continue to use Huel as part of my diet. Itā€™s a nice, convenient way to get a nutritionally-balanced and satisfying meal.

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I have been on 5 days a week huel for 3 weeks now so yeah you can live on huel alone. The only things that might stop you are:
If you can afford: itā€™s not expensive but you can definitely eat for less
Can you eat huel without missing tasty burgers and pizza? (thatā€™s why I have 2 days off although I havenā€™t had a pizza since I started)
I have lost 16 pounds so far so you can lose weight with it but you just need to not eat other things which is hard.

The good thing about huel though when comparing it with a fad diet is that huel contains everything the body needs therefore you shouldnā€™t be feeling too tired like you might on other diets and you can also do it for as long as you like healthily.

I only ate Huel from 27/11/16 - 01/03/17 and only introduced other things afterwards to increase my calorie intake and stop my weight loss. I went from 14.8 stone to 12.6 in that time.

Huel is still my primary source of calorie intake with 2000 calories coming from it each day. Since adding other foods (still vegan) Iā€™ve have no stomach complaints or anything to indicate that Huel may have caused any harm which is good!

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On my 4th day

Day 1 : For breakfast, museli with linseed, 1 Huel shaker for lunch with 2 cheese rolls afterwards, Light evening meal.
Day 2 : For breakfast, museli with linseed, 1 Huel shaker for lunch, 1 Huel shaker in evening.
Day 3 : For breakfast, museli with linseed, 1 Huel shaker for lunch, Could only drink half of Huel Shaker - stomach feeling WEIRD! LOLā€¦had fish and chips to settle things down.
Day 4 - For breakfast, museli with linseed, 1 Huel shaker for lunch, fish and chips for evening meal.

I canā€™t see myself living on Huel completly, but I can see myself getting lots out of it, then topping up with normal food.

Already I feel much more energic and healthier. I canā€™t see myself giving it up as itā€™s been the most dramatic change for the better in my diet.

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Isnā€™t it the whole point to be just like food? except at about 2 dollars a meal, and with the obesity epidemic in the 1st world, clear portion sizing is important. it is easy to loose track when eating real food.

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Dat necrobumpā€¦

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Is it me or does that happen a lot on hereā€¦?

Yes. I have for 18 Months now

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Yes, appears so. Seems to be an unknown phenomenon around here. Lots of forums will give you a firm warning. Bodybuilding.com for example, which I also frequent, arenā€™t fans of it.

Why? There are so many potential reasons which I neither have the time nor the inclination to write about right now, but to give just one example: it is not so easy (and it limits oneā€™s choices) to compose oneā€™s diet in a way that ensures the one to one ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Huel solves this problem (even for those who do not have the slightest idea the problem exists :wink: ).

Disclaimer: I have nothing against necrobumps :wink:

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