Hmm I suppose we just have different definitions: I donāt view what youāve listed as ārestrictionā, but rather, āsubstitutionā. By restriction, I mean a very particular type of restriction like extreme caloric restriction and/or over-exercising and/or purging by fasting etc. Iāve seen your replies on other threads and appreciate that you try to ground your advice in research and science, and youāve also acknowledged that you donāt quite understand eating disorders or food-related mental illnesses.
Recovering from an ED while also losing weight to get to a healthier weight (which is what Iām trying to do) is very very very tricky ground and trust me, itās frustrated me to no end too. Any slip-up can send me spiraling into destructive behaviours again. I often wish that I could lose weight like a neuro-typical person who just needs to care about being more nutritionally educated and having willpower/dedication without falling into depression and disordered eating behaviours. So what Iām primarily trying to do is to strike a balance between discipline and not having an all-or-nothing mindset, which has often doomed me.
I HAVE managed to lose weight before with the very mindset of being 100% about restriction, but it didnāt prove to be sustainable for the long run. So Iām changing my tactic and am trying to cultivate and build up small habits over the long run.
I donāt claim to understanding every detail, nor do I know if itās going to work, but I do hope so. In the short span of 2-3 weeks Iāve been doing this itās been going well, but I suppose weāll both see in the long run!
Hope it makes sense and you could have a little more insight into the very irrational ED-riddled world. Feel free to ask me anything and/or give me advice from your experience, I know it doesnāt necessarily make complete logical sense.
Itās nice to see that youāve taken a second to learn about people through their responses on here, thatās quite rare these days!
Youāre absolutely right, I have very little understanding of ED. I used to have a pretty serious food addiction but broke it around the age of 18 after a breakup. Iāve got no experience of the opposite end of things though, I.e bulimia and anorexia.
Iām glad that youāre looking into this seriously and making positive changes though, thatās a fantastic start.
Iām finding your posts so interesting. I love your thoughtfulness in all you are doing AND in how you respond to other peopleās posts.
Iām one month in to my Huel adventure and discovering that it has changed my response to other foods. I gave myself a completely Huel-free day recently thinking it would be a real treat but I really missed my Huel
I wish you all the best with your campaign and recovery. I wanted to reply on the 16:8 intermittent pattern and the freedom from calorie restriction, from my experience.
Iāve adopted the 16:8 pattern a few (5-6) years ago and find it great. It frees up time in the morning - usually a stressful time for getting ready, going to work, school or whatever - and the body seems to adapt easily to the change in pattern. It is now an āunconsciousā pattern of behaviour: I give no thought to this whatsoever. I presume itās a pattern for life; the only faint chance I see of change is based on a raw vegan healer Ray Kent who eat once a dayā¦a 23:1 pattern!
After becoming raw vegan I lost weight despite unrestricted caloriesā¦ I came down two sizes, unintentionally really and it was a bit of a nuisance as I had to buy new suits and so on. That was over 6-9 months and then my weight stabilised for a few years. I noticed some slight gain after that despite the same eating habits. What changed? Possibly my gutā¦what goes on in there is not well understood so I imagine the population of gut bacteria changes over time, or with diet, and perhaps in my case absorbs more of the nutrients. So I do count calories now and find Huel a great help on this point.
Itās the first day Iām not drinking Huel for lunch because my friends wanted to go out. Part of ED recovery is not to be so rigid with my food rules such that I isolate myself and refuse to go out for social events. Itās been a struggle to decipher which is which: is it ānot having willpowerā or is it being āflexibleā? It was a lovely lunch, and I have in no way fallen short of any of my goals: Iām still doing IF, Iām still having Huel for dinner, and Iām still drinking water.
Weight: 59.6-8kg ngl Iād have liked the number to be lower, but Iām not too fussed. Weight fluctuates, and it usually goes up a little before going down by a lot more. So long as thereās a consistent trend downwards, and Iām hitting my goals (part of me doing this is to remind myself that I AM disciplined and goal-oriented), Iām good.
Huel review: TRIED NEW VANILLA! And I really like it hehe.
Food intake:
1/2 10-inch pizza (picture on my insta @loseweightdammit ā let me warn you, it looks drool-worthy )
50g protein bar (I was getting p hungry trying to study)
112g Huel
1 chocolate cookie
88g roast chicken (I donāt think Iām buying this again, as tasty as it is, bc it has way too many calories to be worth it. Iām better off making my own chicken breasts and it doesnāt leave me with that greasy aftertaste)
Exercise: Walking to the restaurant and cafe to study ahahha
Other observations:
I donāt like having Huel for dinner/I prefer it for lunch, so itās satiating effect can be of good use.
Iāll be perfectly honest: I didnāt do well. I really did try, but I was overstuffed 3 hours after eating and purged a bitā¦ (barely anything but well gotta fess up). Iām also way too exhausted mentally for some reason, which has made me unable to think rationally food wise.
Awh thank you! I think itās pointless to be pissed by othersā responses even if itās an instinctive reaction since we all have different experiences haha
Oh? What was that like if you donāt mind me asking. Glad to hear youāve broken it and seem to be doing well, thanks for the support!
@Madeleine Thank you for the compliment, you have no idea how much it means to me! Hahaha itās good to know that even a month in the response towards other foods still can last: I think Iām partly worried that these positive effects Iām experiencing are only because itās new and novel and Iām just excited HAHA I actually really donāt want to have a Huel-free day: A day with Huel currently sounds more appealing than a day without Huel, so I totally get what you mean! Isnāt it odd ā many people equate drinking a meal-replacement shake like Huel as forcing down something unpleasant, when in reality youād just much rather eat say a fat-laden pizza ā but Huel is actually great! Yay found a lump-liking friend! (wow that sounds weird)
@Andrew_B Thanks for your encouragement Iām glad 16:8 IF has worked for you and seems to be sustainable in the long run ā thatās really what Iām going for!
After coming from ED, I no longer want to do crash diets that isolate me from social events (because thatās a big part of enjoying life!), but not eating breakfast and not eating until the moment you go to bed is not abnormal haha. But I can see how for people with different goals, it could totally work and free up the mind from constantly thinking about food. Are you thinking of trying it?
Wow, what kind of things did you eat as a raw vegan? Does Huel count as raw vegan then?
Absolutely fantastic at the time! Eating everything in sight with infinite capacity, no reason to stop. Iād just had a promotion at work and at 19, had more money than I knew what to do with. Out every lunch time for food, takeaways all the time.
Went through my break up, felt a bit down, looked at the scale, felt even more down. A competition at work opened up to lose the most weight. 15 of us threw in Ā£10, whoever lost the most in 6 months took the lot.
I completely snapped at this point - There was a mild incentive, I hated my body and I was trying to pick myself up after my breakup. It took all the willpower in the world to overcome the urges and cravings, but I cracked it. Donāt think my stomach will ever shrink though, I can still easily put away a 14 inch pizza or 6 plates at a buffet. I now focus my efforts on fitness and what is ultimately natural bodybuilding.
Whoa itās been a week since starting to use Huel! And what a wonderful week this has been Iām eagerly awaiting and have been contemplating my 100% Huel 1-week experiment. These are the flavours Iād like to try to jazz things up (although tbh I am really fine eating the same thing over and over and over. I donāt actually need variety HAHA.):
Cinnamon
PB2
Cocoa
Coffee (of course)
Huel Flavour Packs
Weight: 59.5kg
Huel review: Coffee-flavoured Huel trumps all. New Vanilla tastes quite artificial, yes, but I do like it haha. Also /sadreax\ ā that moment you shake your Huel too well you donāt have any more lumps
Food intake:
Huel 113g (New Vanilla) ā Iām going to just eat New Vanilla this week (Iāve just tried coffee with New Vanilla, so weāll see how that goes)
Exercise: Once again, did not step out of my room. Am planning to dance a bit though.
Other observations:
I drank water and wanted to pukeā¦but was also hungry. Drinking Huel now isnāt the easiest but at least itās tasty.
One of the things I like about Huel is that it slows down my eating: I too often wolf down my meal in say 15 minutes despite trying to eat slower. Huel just naturally takes me 20-30min to drink even when I gulp down the first half really quickly.
Took a nap, and was hungry around 6pm. I donāt know why I feel permanently exhausted (I woke up tiredā¦); perhaps 100% Huel would increase my energy levels?
Weight: 59.3-5kg This non-diet diet is working like a dream! I also no longer feel as much anxiety when stepping on the scale, nor the onslaught of self-hate that invariably arose.
Huel review: Coffee-flavoured New Vanilla is great too, although I may like Coffee Original a tad more.
Exercise: 6km walk (12000 steps) & a Clip&Climb date!
Other observations:
Bowel movements have been very regular
Huelās convenience: Up until now, I havenāt drunken Huel out of the privacy of my room. I was a little stressed because I was going on a date and didnāt know if Iād be able to keep to my IF schedule. He also suggested ice cream. Thankfully heās the guy who introduced me to Huel so I didnāt have to explain or feel weird about drinking it as we walked And honestly? Itās such an amazing way to get nutritious calories in! I could do this effortlessly!
Hi there - do you know what I notice the most in your posts? That Huel is helping you to feel better about yourself as well as giving you the nutrition and eating benefits. Iām so pleased for you x
Weight: 59.0-3kg (~59.2kg) I was afraid of weighing myself daily, coming from a disordered background where Iāve basically weighed myself everyday since I was 13. I still have the records, in fact. But this time, with the new tools Iāve gained (and not being so fearful of my disordered past), Iām more able to look at my daily weight purely as a tool to analyse trends and experiment and do maths with. I just have to bear in mind that itās going to fluctuate, and thatās okay. Nothing to be distressed over.
Huel review: Hmm I still love Huel of course, but I couldnāt really taste the Rhubarb & Custard? Or at least, Iām not sure what Iām supposed to taste. I smelled it and it smelled like the ordinary New Vanilla so idk.
Food intake:
Huel 112g, Rhubarb&Custard Flavour Pack
Snacks ā 1 plum + 5 mini butterfinger cups + 4 pork loin ham slices + 4 cherry tomatoes
Dinner ā 150g rotisserie chicken + carrots + 5 cherry tomatoes + some of my friendās food (mushroom & beef & a forkful of fried rice & 5 asparagus)
My thought-process-when-Iām-doing-everything-right-but-the-scale-increased, as a little reminder for myself and anyone who needs it haha
My midsection is looking a tad leaner!
It was ~3.30pm, and I didnāt feel hungry, but figured I should eat something to keep my energy up and not wait until I was ravenous to start eating and making wrong choices haha. Realised that I found a plum more appealing than butterfinger cups. (But I still ate butterfinger cups anyway and they more than easily fit into my MFP log)
I still have, albeit not to the same extent, a problem with stopping-eating. Thatās partly why IF works great for me: Iām perfectly fine if I tell myself Iām not eating for a certain period of time, but Iām always afraid that once I start, I wonāt stop. I ate the 5 butterfingers and tbh wanted to eat like 5 more, but I told myself that I donāt actually have to, and can save it for tomorrow haha.
Ugh Iām so confused I couldāve worn even overcounting my calories I barely had 1463kcal. But I was so full for so long?! Idw gain weight
For the first time in my life, I donāt actually think the lesser the better: I donāt want to get below 1400, and preferably not above 1800. Why? I need room to cut so I can continue losing weight (if I immediately drop to 1200 where tf am I gonna go from there?) I donāt want my metabolism to adapt to a lower intake. There are gonna be days where I eat more, purely socially too, and I donāt want to easily gain on that. Cost-benefit analysis: Sometimes, the benefit of losing weight not as quickly, is to have it last for the long term. To enjoy my favourite foods. To not feel restricted. To be able to stick to this. To feel like Iām still meeting my goals. To enjoy social events. If the goal were solely to drop weight as quickly as possible, sure the rest can be forfeitedā¦but is it really worth it?
2am: Nvm Iām feeling the usual slight hunger
@Madeleine Awh Madeleine, back with your kind words! Yes Huel has been such a miracle, Iām in awe. Thank you! Howās Huel going for you?
It has been great having your log here to read! I am drinking my first Huel as we speak. I used a Vitamix and did 16 oz cold water plus 3 scoops and its gritty. Iāve read the suggestions of making it the day before so I will have to try that. I have also struggled with disordered eating and the downward spiral when I couldnāt perfectly fit whatever nutritional goals in like I wanted, comparing myself to those who have had immense success. Making room for those sweet treats is key, I think, so that you arenāt restricting yourself to the point of failure. Keep up the good work
@jeffy89 my downfall has always been sweet snacks between otherwise healthy meals. Since starting Huel my favourite side effect is that Iāve noticed my urge for sweet snacks has reduced. In fact even vanilla Huel is now too sweet for me. Iām taking 50/50 or straight U/U most of the time.
I hated all the flavour additions except mocha and especially enjoyed pineapple/coconut. I sometimes flavour my Huel with a shot of Bambu (dandelion coffee) or a tablespoon of nooch for something savoury and full of nutrients. Otherwise I take it straight for 2 meals, and something like a veg broth or vegetable spaghetti for my other meal. Iām doing it mainly to reduce menopausal and arthritic symptoms and it seems to be helping.
@torena Hi there! Iām so glad youāve enjoyed reading my log, and am so excited for you as you just begin your Huel journey :ā) yup preparing it the day before definitely improves it, as well as consuming it cold. Yeah, I love feeling unrestricted about sweets, and yet not binge on them. Care to share more about your eating background? Keep me updated on how you find Huel and all, Iām eager for this to work for you!
@Madeleine Haha ikr! I actually jotted down on my food diary: if I didnāt keep snacking on sweets, my diet would be perfect. I thought Huel wouldnāt help as itād just be a meal followed by tons of sweets, but like you, my craving for sweets has gone down exponentially! Itās actually magic. HAHA yes I recall your craving for pineapple post Whyād you hate the other flavours? My flavour pack didnāt come with Mocha Also, what kind of nooch would you recommend? Iāve never tried itāis it possible to get at say sainsburys? Great to hear itās been helping with the monopausal and arthritic symptoms!! Do you know whatās the reason why it helps?
Has it only been 11 days? It feels like Huel has been part of my life for forever haha. I love having Huel as such a regular part of my daily routine so much so that I donāt want to not have Huel for lunch :ā)
Weight: 59.0-3kg (~59.1kg) Iāll soon be back to the weight I was in Christmas break! One of my biggest fears was never being able to lose weight again because itāll just backfire because of my ED: but perhaps, with this more sustainable lifestyle and healthier (both physically and mentally) habits, this timeā¦it could actually come true!
Huel review: Yum yum yum. So refreshing, starting to love both the taste and texture. I do quite like the grittiness to it, since I donāt drink it but prefer to eat it with a spoon haha.
Sweetsā3 mini kinder bueno, 1 millionaire shortbread slice, 1 coconut butterfinger, 5 PB butterfingers (324kcal altogether)
Exercise: None hahaha, may dance a bit tho
Other observations:
I realised that I set ādrinking Huelā as one of my periphery goals a while back. But then I also realised: Iām drinking Huel not because I have to, but because I want to. Now isnāt that a splendid feeling? I actually want to nourish my body properly!
The sweets: LOL I didnāt actually need to eat this but my calories were so low like below 1200 by accident since I was studying with my friends and had no time to eat extra snacks, so I figured ehh why not I eat chocolate in measured amounts before I start to crave it? Feels amazing that instead of being proud Iām eating 1100kcal, I actually try to keep to my donāt eat below 1400kcal notion.
Iāve been drop dead tired since I started using Huel, and iām Not sure if thereās a correlation. I know there have been a number of threads on it. My bad sleeping habits could also be a confounding variable but this kind of brain exhaustion is kinda new.
I find myself occasionally slipping into dangerous territory: Iām low key afraid to eat the sweet potato mash or chicken curry or roasted chicken simply because I canāt track the exact calories for it AHH what should I do??? Iām scared if I eat it Iāll gain weight, which I know is irrational but
@GTIPuG My scale is one of those travel-sized scales so shifting my weight on it changes its reading. I basically get on the scale about 10 times to see where it generally settles at. It also gives me a peace of mind not focusing on a 100g decrease/increase and seeing that as success/failure, since there are so many reasons our body weight fluctuates anyway. But since Iām weighing using the same method everyday, Iām more concerned with the trend it shows Hope that makes sense HAHA
Hahaha I thought that might be the reason. Yeah I guess, but why not just stand completely still upright with your arms by your side and let it settle? Not having a go or anything, it just cracked me up haha.
Weight: 58.9-3kg (~59.1kg) what seems to be a steady loss is lowkey making me afraid of consuming moreā¦ I need to THINK RATIONALLY and realise that ābeing able to eat more without gaining weightā is a HUGE pro. āNot having to consciously restrictā is another.
Huel review: @Madeleine I finally tried your favourite pineapple flavour!! Just personally, it tasted a bit too artificial for my liking but itās not bad My favouriteās still coffee though hehe.
Food intake:
Huel 112g, NewVanilla & Pineapple Flavour Boost
180g Roasted Chicken
2 wholemeal hotcross buns
DinnerāCarrots w sesame sauce + 100g chicken breast + green beans + sweet mashed potato
Exercise: 1.5h dance & 6km cycle
Other observations:
Iām worried about tomorrow. So many social gatherings, and drinking alcohol late tomorrow so Iāll have to break my fast at 2.30pm instead. Iād rather not party if it were up to me
11.27pm: For the first time, itās quite tempting to break my IF fast since Iām tired and Iām also unwilling to write my damn essay. Iām also starting to get stressed, and am all too used to turning to food for relief. But as Iāve gotten the perfect macros and nutrients I require, I KNOW itās a psychological hunger, not an actual one.
1am: Iām p hungry heh. How am I going to fast until 2.30pm tomorrow? Yeeep itās a struggle today for some reason. I lowkey want to extend my eating window to 10h insteadā¦but also 1. donāt want to gain weight 2. donāt want to have to write an āxā on the IF log Iāve been keeping. I mean, I literally only have one thing to stick to: an 8h window. How difficult is that?! I wish I didnāt have to go party HAHAHA ugh
LOL Iām actually relieved that partying is cancelled! /breaksfastimmediately
Weight: 59.1kg I know these things take time, but Iām just SO IMPATIENT for my weight to finally dip below 59 ā I havenāt sustained being below 59 in 2-3 years! Like idk even though I HAVE lost about 2kg (hope it doesnāt get jinxed!), I kinda feel like itās āfakeā weight loss: the real test is when I start going below 59 and maintain at 58!
Huel Review: I can barely taste the Matcha? (Edit: Itās subtle, but I quite like it!)
Food intake:
Huel 112g, NewVanilla & Matcha Flavour Boost
cs 4 granola slices, ~1
Many many snacks:
120g Greek-style Honey Yogurt (ugh I accidentally got Greek-STYLE instead of greekā¦ I feel cheated haha what is this lack of protein)
I had a very very snacky hour, but was able to not binge. I was able to stop, and was in control. And I moved straight onto doing work, which arguably is more important than stressing about my food intake since itās exam month!
Iām no longer afraid of bringing my own food in fear of being seen as ādisorderedā or weird! Ok maybe to restaurants itās weird But LOL Iām more averse to bringing Huel now because I donāt want to have to explain it and justify myselfā¦ Question: how do you guys explain Huel to people when they see you drinking it?
My calorie intake it quite a bit higher (~1800kcal) than itās been the last few days, but Iām not gonna beat myself up over it. Iām still doing 8h IF, and thatās what matters. Besides, Iāve completed yet another week that I set my mind to! Itāll also be good since 1800 should be my maintenance, and Iād prefer not having metabolic damage haha.
Itās difficult for me to stop eating chocolate once I startā¦something just tells me to keep going, piece after pieceā¦
ā let me warn you, it looks drool-worthy 
)
Hahaha itās good to know that even a month in the response towards other foods still can last: I think Iām partly worried that these positive effects Iām experiencing are only because itās new and novel and Iām just excited 
& a forkful of fried rice & 5 asparagus)
I need room to cut so I can continue losing weight (if I immediately drop to 1200 where tf am I gonna go from there?)
I donāt want my metabolism to adapt to a lower intake. There are gonna be days where I eat more, purely socially too, and I donāt want to easily gain on that.
Cost-benefit analysis: Sometimes, the benefit of losing weight not as quickly, is to have it last for the long term. To enjoy my favourite foods. To not feel restricted. To be able to stick to this. To feel like Iām still meeting my goals. To enjoy social events. If the goal were solely to drop weight as quickly as possible, sure the rest can be forfeitedā¦but is it really worth it?
(Edit: Itās subtle, but I quite like it!)