Hi everyone.
I am about to start using Huel as part of my routine to try and shift a couple of stones and thought chatting on here might make me a bit more focused after the initial kickstart.
As it’s NYE tomorrow I am going to start on Monday as this weekend we will be seeing family, probably eating and drinking a bit too much and there’s no point setting myself up to fail!
I got the current bundle offer, which includes Black. At first I thought this sounded great as it’s higher protein but I am a bit concerned that a person can eat too much protein so am planning not to have the Black every day.
I have taken into account the tips about starting with one meal (I am only going to use Huel for 1-2 meals) and how to use the fridge overnight, these seem to be the top two tips on this forum!
I chose Huel because it sounds nutritiously well worked out, might well be better than some of the food I eat (white carbs) and is easily calorie counted.
So that’s me. I will report back early next week once I have dipped my toe in.
Had a Berry RTD for breakfast. Not as strong a flavour as I was expecting. Throughout the morning my tummy gurgled a bit and I can tell I have had some fibre. I was quite hungry at lunchtime though, so maybe not as filling as I have read.
Anyway, that’s day one and have logged my food on MFP to keep track.
I think to avoid stomach issues I will alternate days when I have Huel at the beginning. So Weds I will be trying the Black!
Hi Jules
I’ve also noticed that I don’t feel as full for as long after a Huel meal, but it seems like it’s not hunger in the usual sense but more like a feeling of not being weighed down by food. I had the same thing when I was food combining (Hay diet). I think it’s not so much a feeling of not enough food, but more like not having to digest a variety of foods which might be somewhat-incompatible. I like the sense of food not needing a lot of time to digest, and feeling none of the sluggishness after eating. Though powdered Huel seems more filling than RTD. I like a few lumps in the mix, a little something to chew on. 
That makes sense, maybe it was just a different feeling. I guess it will take a week or so to work all this out!
I grabbed the RTD instead of powder today as I want my first powder to be from the fridge and I hadn’t prepped it.
Hey @JulesSK welcome to Huel 
great to have you here!
How has it been going since you started Huel? We certainly are nutritiously well worked out 
James and the nutrition team have you covered! 
Could you help us understand this more. There’s a lot of old research which has since been debunked about kidney health and high protein intake and I’m happy to point you in the right direction.
What were you eating before generally for this meal? If it was more total calories before then this would make sense. The RTD is 400kcal but depending on what you ate you may have been eating more than this for breaky. But, you may well find the powder more filling that RTD, let us know!
Hi Tim,
I know that the protein and kidney thing was apparently over exaggerated but there are a number of calculators which say for my size, sex and age I shouldn’t have more than 69g of protein a day. I was concerned that this would mean actively cutting down on other protein on the days I had the Huel black. I am looking at all the nutrients, alongside the welcome fact that Huel has a better balance than a lot of my meals, trying to reduce my carbs and saturated fat as well. So just want to make sure I don’t lean too far into protein (am not very active so don’t need to build up extra muscle).
My previous breakfast was also around 400 cals, although I would usually have some fruit mid morning. I was expecting not to need that boost on top of the Huel, that’s what I meant.
Can I say how beneficial it is that you guys are so active on the forum and social media, it really makes me feel supported and part of a wider group. Probably clever marketing but it works for me!
Thanks Jules, would you be able to send some links to this? @Dan_Huel feel free to chime in and correct me but the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) for protein is 0.75g per kilogram of body weight (kg/bw/day) but this is more like a minimum requirement. If you’re doing anything more than just sitting around you are going to need more than this.
In addition,
Studies have been conducted in recent years that have shown a high protein intake, in excess of 2.2g/kg/bw/day, does not result in kidney damage
That’s from this article under the High Protein Consumption Concerns section.
If you’re cutting down on carbs and saturated fat you aren’t left with many macronutrients to get calories from, protein is an excellent choice of calories! It’s not just about building and repairing muscle, protein is essential for a ton of other stuff too, it’s also great because it helps to keep you full!
If supporting our community with honest and scientific advice is clever marketing then I’m here for it! I’m so pleased you are finding the help you need. If there is anything else you need help with then just shout (well, type).
The protein I mentioned was based on the 0.75 per kilo of weight. I can’t find the site I used now but that sounds about right (no working back to see how heavy I am ;-)). I haven’t seen anywhere that states this is a minimum so I would be interested in that.
The Mexican Chilli is lovely. Good texture but blimey it’s spicy. Was pleasantly surprised at a chilly lunchtime!
Had a few of the bars this past fortnight and my favourite by far is raspberry and white chocolate.
So I am two full weeks into my weight loss challenge (not gonna call it a journey) and have used one Huel meal or shake a day so far, occasionally with a snack bar at some point as well. I am using My Fitness Pal but occasionally allowing myself slightly more calories a day because I have read articles by a number of nutritionists who says the levels are too low to use for long, so people give up and start cheating.
My goal is to lose 2.5 stone in weight (fat).
I know that weight tends to drop off in the first week or so but am still thrilled that on Day 9 I had lost 4 pounds and today was still showing this loss.
I will move to weighing myself once a week as I know that is recommended but I have needed to do it more often to justify the hunger.
I like Huel being nutritionally good but am still feeling hungry, which I guess is expected when working with a calorie deficit. I am used to eating quite a bit more! I might now move onto having two Huel meals daily. My system was very happy with one after two or three days.
I do find it a bit monotonous with the two choices I currently have (I bought the bestseller pack) but also have the RTD in there. I definitely find the shake tastes nicer with almond milk (my first venture into that particular arena) than water.
So that’s my update on the first fortnight. Onwards!
Thanks for the update Jules! You sound like you’re taking a really sensible approach to this and have read up on a few things to help manage your expectations and help you succeed.
Do you know approximately how many calories you are consuming daily now? And how that compares to the amount you need for maintenance? You might be eating a bit less than you think, so it’s worth checking in.
Calorie counting is great, but can be laborious. If you can, once you’ve got to grips with calorie counting and have a good idea of the foods you eat, you could stop counting which can give you more freedom and flexibility.
We have an article here about it
Anyway, keep up the hard work and look after yourself!
Thanks Tim.
MFP has me on 1350 calories a day but I let myself go up to 1500 if hungry. For my age, sex, height etc most charts would have me on 1800 for maintenance.
Oh and if anyone new is browsing, do ask me for a £10 each code 
Nice work, sounds like you’re all over this.
4 weeks in and down 6 pounds 
My thoughts: I like knowing the calorie content of two of my three meals a day. I love knowing they are nutritious to boot!
The only thing is, 800cals doesn’t leave me much leeway at dinner time when I have a calorie target. So from tomorrow I will try to do 1.5 scoops if I can. Today I did my usual 2 black scoops for breakfast and then 1 scoop of H&S for lunch but was very hungry by mid afternoon. Hence I plan to share out the reductions between these two meals.
Going forward the calories I can have on my deficit diet will reduce, so I need to do this to stay under.
So, in terms of what I would like to see, maybe a marker at halfway on the scoops and the shakers and the pots please (fervently hopes they aren’t already there and I haven’t seen them 
)
Great to hear how you’re getting along, you sure are getting a nutritious boost from your Huel!
I think you would benefit from getting a small set of digital scales, it will mean you’re a bit more accurate with your calories. I didn’t realise you weren’t using them otherwise I would have said before. Scoops are great if you don’t really mind if you have 350 or 450kcals, but not if you’re looking to accurately measure your calorie intake. I use these as they’re USB rechargeable.
OK will use scales…but it’s supposed to be quick! Didn’t realise there was such a discrepancy in scoops - or are you saying we are a bit laissez faire with our scooping? 
Scooping is definitely not an exact science. Sometimes the powder is packed a bit more tightly than others. I guestimate because I’m not that bothered. Two scoops, not quite full and loosely packed works for me.
I pack it down firmly til no more will go in, and level off with a butter knife. Never weighed it but at least it’s consistent. (and less spillage, also makes a satisfying plop when it hits the water in the shaker).