First weeks: mixed results

Experiences
1

I wanted to try Huel to replace meals that would otherwise have been quick fast foods, crappy food or just skipped. I am quite underweight, so I need to eat more but due to a very busy schedule it’s not always easy for me to make enough time and money was bleeding out of my pockets buying food out of the house.
I tried to replace one meal a day at least during these two weeks, but not more than two.

The good:

  • The vanilla is a great breakfast replacement. Especially with warm soy milk, or cold milk and a bit of coffee. Tastes good.
  • It’s a very good snack, it doesn’t make me spike and crash like most overly sweet vending machine crap
  • It gives me my hunger feeling back. I used to not feel hungry at all until suddenly I’d turn hangry as hell and HAVE TO HAVE FOOD NOW RIGHT NOW. With Huel I can feel it come up and prepare accordingly.
  • It’s made me rediscover food a bit. I like good food, and I’m a bit more motivated to make at least one decent meal a day.
  • I have a stomach ulcer and it’s actually not done worse, nor has it been difficult to digest

The bad:

  • I haven’t figured out how to use the unflavoured. On its own, it’s gross. I tried mixing with miso soup or dashi but the consistency takes getting used to in combination with the flavour. I’ll try to add it in very light soups too.
  • I can’t eat it in sufficient quality. I make a shaker with three scoops and then I stop somewhere halfway. I feel nauseous if I try to push past what my body says is “enough”. I’ll finish the 3 scoops over the day but in the end I probably eat even less calories. After a while I get bored trying to eat my Huel, give up, and start doing something else.
  • It makes me really sleepy and a bit dizzy even. I am definitely not gluten sensitive or intolerant so I wonder why that is. When going back to only solid food, I don’t have that.

The ugly:

  • Discovered a new category, above “silent and deadly” there is now “brutal and lethal”
  • I actually lost weight on it.

Conclusion:
I am going to go back to a normal food routine but with extra Huel vanilla in the morning and another one that I try to work through during the day. Having a Huel shake, if it’s enough scoops, is probably a better snack. I think my main problem is calories deficit, so I shouldn’t cut out anything, but add Huel.

2

I’m eating 100% Huel (except social dinners) and have issues with feeling sleepy as well. Not sure if it is the Huel.

I also have issues gaining weight with Huel, I’m 1,9m tall and weight 75kg.

3

I tend to feel dizzy as well, like slightly, and not in a tipsy-drunk way. This lunch I had to have a coffee despite my ulcer just to function, and I had some again this evening and it definitely is there.

If Huel doesn’t work it’ll be Ensure again I guess. I’m 1m71 but weigh just 50kgs, so yeah, it needs to go up.

4

I think I need to add something to my Huel as well. I need to eat more high energy food, if Huel doesn’t cut it.

5

Sorry that you aren’t getting what you need from Huel. The dizziness is definitely a result of calorie deficit and highly unlikely it is the Huel, as you say you are not gluten intolerant. For weight gain I would definitely use Huel in addition to whole foods, just because it is always difficult to purposely eat a lot. More variety can only help.

I am exactly the same. By not having to faff with lunch prep the night before I can dedicate some time to make an epic meal in the evening, something I really enjoy.

Thank you for the feedback!

6

Just some pointers after my first three weeks on huel.

the unsweetened and unflavoured, buy some milkshake powder and add a couple of teaspoons… I find two scoops to 300ml makes it like a thick shake, if it gets lumpy, add a bit more water.

If you make it up with skimmed milk, it gets a bit thicker still.

don’t go 100% huel for all meals just yet until you’re used to it, the slowly add another meal.

Try this.

breakfast, huel, 2 scoops. 3hrs later, 2 more scoops. lunch - normal - mid afternoon, 2 scoops - dinner - something normal.

You can do 3 scoops for breakfast, but if you’re trying to lose weight make sure you don’t cut back too much from your Metabolic `basal rate, try and aim for 500 cals deficit per day,

I like my shake a bit on the thick side, but if you try and aim for a bit thicker than milk or use soya/almond milk that will do the same.

i did this for the first two weeks, felt good- make sure you drink plenty of water still, regardless of what you’re eating as dehydration will make things a bit harder when you have to go to the bathroom.

I know this will sound like TMI, but i tried ‘herbalife’ a while ago and it make my guts go mad. - ive been pleasantly surprised with huel and i’ve already lost a modest 1lb per week on average, last week i lost 2lbs,

ive got a set of weight/fat/muscle scales and i’ve put on 4lbs of muscle mass and lost 3lb of weight since ive been on huel.