I’m a trucker and as you can imagine, I lead a very sedantry lifestyle. I don’t really have any reliable access to cooking facilities it decent food so I’m seriously considering giving Huel a whirl.
I’m seriously overweight at present. My long term aim is to return to a healthy size and improve fitness. My present weight would make all but gentle exercise potentially harmful, so I need first to drop a considerable amount of weight to achieve my goals. Is Huel suitable for my needs? Will it be difficult for me to prepare / clean up afterwards considering I don’t always have ready access to running water? Are there any unexpected side effects with regards to bowel motions (sometimes away from a toilet too!)
Huel sounds like a great decision for someone in your situation - I’ve read many success stories of people with similar BMIs so I wouldn’t imagine yours would be any different. There are concern with any change in lifestyle but my advice would be to give it a go and see how you get on.
As you’re a trucker, you would probably need to stock water so that you can prepare huel and clean it. I only rinse my shaker out after each use and have never had any issues.
You will fart a lot, it will be gross, but it will pass as your body gets used to the change. I recommend started out with a small amount each day and slowly build up to a level you’re comfortable with; although I didn’t and faced the consequences but obviously sped up the whole process.
One of the things I also noticed was I stopped craving a lot of snacky things when I was hungry. I would wander through my local store at the chocolate and crisps (which I normally ate quite a lot of) and just wasn’t interested.
Best of luck on your decision, we’re all in it together!!
Also in transportation - train driver - and it suits me very well.
I second Polaris advice. Start slow, get used to it. Prepare your weighed baggies ahead of time or learn how much volume you need to scoop out ahead of time for each meal. Calories/weight and all that.
Stock a lot of water. I prefer to keep it very cool, so maybe even bring a container of ice cubes.
Upside is, as Polaris said, a decrease in cravings. Try to feel that out and really realise that you’re satiatied, and don’t really need that thing you usually snack on. A shaker should keep you satiated for hours.
One little potential downside is that with the regular caloric intake, you might find yourself going steadily above your daily needs. I don’t have much trouble these days in gaining weight, whereas before I could go shift after shift on very few calories(what with we’re sitting on our arses for hours a day). Track your calorie intake and weigh yourself regularly, and you’ll find out where you need to be to lose weight steadily.
Once I got used to it my bowel movements and panic longevity lasted longer. No more running out into the woods. Much less mass as well, so it won’t be as much… eh, going out.
Clean up is pretty simple. Bring more water, maybe a few rolls of paper. Add some, rinse and shake, and dry out the shaker. Sometimes I bring more shakers.
From most of these perspectives I’ve been nothing but satisfied. Despite my own disenchantment with Huel and subsequent exodus to other brands, I highly recommend you give it a go.
Hi Matt,
I’m also a truck driver spending 4 to 5 weeks away around Europe. I’ve been on pretty much 100% Huel for over a year. It works brilliantly for me. To be honest I didn’t need to lose much weight when I started as I had already lost 4 stone after going Vegan 4 years earlier but it did help me lose another half stone, I’m now 10 stone 5 and I do run a lot and bike. Every Sunday morning wherever I’m parked in Europe I’ll go out and run 13 miles and ride 30 ish miles. Since going on Huel I have had loads more energy and never ever feel tired, even working the long hours we can end up working. I feel so much healthier and alert and it has definitely helped with my fitness training for ultra marathons. I always carry lots of bottled water, I keep a couple of bottles in the fridge and simply make 2 shakes last thing at night and keep them in the fridge then have one for brekkie and one for lunch then wash out the 2 Huel shake bottles and make another 2 which I have one after the other at night for dinner. I normally have a couple of small peaches or strawberries with them. I find I can control exactly what calories I’m having every day. I don’t feel hungry, the only craving I can get is that of solid food so occasionally I’ll have a salad or sometimes some chips but not very often. When I go home for a long weekend I have porridge, salads, dairy free ice cream and some beans on toast for a change. It works for me and fits in great with a trucking lifestyle. If you want to lose weight while truck driving I would definitely recommend it as it’s so easy and quick to prepare and you have total control to exactly what you are eating. I find sipping them slow and having them a little thick suits me better as they taste more like a meal and chilled is best although we are all different. I would think that if you managed to achieve some weight loss which you are hoping to do with Huel you would hopefully feel healthier due to the weight loss and the goodness in Huel and then maybe able to start a little exercise so one would compliment the other if that makes sense. I am no expert but hopefully my experience and journey with Huel so far proves it has great benefits for a trucking lifestyle and hope this helps you Matt.
Good luck if you start the journey and feel free to ask me anything I’ll help if I can.
Thanks again for all the replies, I thought I’d check in with progress so far.
My first Huel was on Saturday morning just gone and I hated it. The bitter, earthy-ness hiding under the vanilla and sweetner was just not hidden well enough. Nevertheless, I pressed on.
I started off just exchanging breakfasts for Huel at the weekend, and with no I’ll effects, progressed to two per day, with an evening meal so I don’t miss normal food too badly.
Fast forward to today, Wednesday, I have grown to like Huel. Tastes like porridge! I’ve found that it’s a good idea to resist the temptation to chew the chopped ingredients as this was the cause of the bitterness.
I feel less bloated, the edema in my lower legs is much improved, and a really stubborn patch of eczema on my arm is virtually gone. My stools are also much improved and more regular than before.
I think in the long term, I will start to get bored of the flavour, so I’m going to have to start experimenting soon but on the whole I’m pleased with the benefits so far, and don’t regret trying out Huel at all.
Will keep you posted for those interested (I suspect no one!)
I’m also a truck driver and have been using Huel now for 8 weeks & have lost 2st 2lb. For flavour I use granulated coffee, I use normal coffee for my breakfast & lunch shakes & decaf for my evening meal. I’m also using protein & raw fruit bars to top up between meals.
One other thing that I would recommend is the “Under Armour, MyFitnessPal” app on my phone to track my calorie intake, this also links to the app for my step tracker so I can earn back calories burned through exercise & use them later in the day. It has a barcode scanner built in to make adding new foods even easier & haven’t yet entered a food or product it cant find & give the correct calorie count for. The free part of the app works great for me, but it does every so often pop up ads & hints to use their premium membership.
Good luck Matt and others. My husband is a HGV driver as well… he is diabetic and had a heart attack a few months ago so I am trying to get him to use Huel more to prevent further problems. He has lost a lot of weight from changing his diet and getting fit already tho…
You’ve made the hardest change, it’s all upwards (well downwards) for you now, keep going
