Huel Video Diary - Day 13 - Tackling Overeating

Experiences
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I’m a confirmed sugar addict - if there’s a tub of ice cream in my freezer then it won’t be there for long. My biggest challenge with Huel so far is overeating.

I discuss this issue in my latest video (3 mins).

Do you have any tips on how to stop overeating, or generally fighting cravings for junk food?

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It’s tough!

My tips would be:

  1. Go shopping when you aren’t hungry, so you don’t buy junk
  2. If you don’t have junk in your house, it’s harder to snack on it as most people won’t drive/walk to a shop just for some junk food. Well, some might!
  3. Fill yourself up on a good protein source with each meal, and lots of vegetables.
  4. Snack on vegetables or small amounts of nuts between meals if you need to. I love edamame beans, £2 for a frozen bag from Tesco. 4 minutes in the microwave, sprinkle with sea salt, lovely!
  5. I also like snacking on small pots of tuna or salmon, the John West ones that are flavoured. Hard-boiled eggs too are a nice snack, dipped in a little salt.
  6. I find that the more you cut junk food and sugar out of your diet, the less you crave it. I used to have a monster sweet tooth for all sorts of crap, but now I’m happy with a few treats a week. I do eat choc protein bars, but they are low in sugar so better than regular choc bars. I’d like to cut them out eventually but they provide my treat fix.
  7. Try and fill your stomach with water, or different teas/coffee.
  8. Chew some gum or suck a few tic-tacs.
  9. I sometimes have 90% Lindt choc as a treat too. Not to everyone’s taste but not too bad for you in small amounts.

Hope this helps!

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I would like to add the following thoughts to the ideas you have already talked about in your video:

  1. One of the intermittent fasting regimes might help you. For example, with a twenty-hour fasting window, if you set a goal for yourself to eat only between 4pm and 8pm, then it might be easier for you to avoid any cravings - you would be too full to snack because of your having to eat all your food/Huel within a relatively short period of time (e.g. one huge meal at 4pm). Works for me. Moreover, IF comes with its own set of health benefits which makes this solution even better.

  2. For those of us with a sweet tooth, I noticed that I managed to completely eliminate sweets by replacing them with vanilla Huel mixed with milk / some milk alternative (most delicious cold, ideally with ice cubes :wink: ).

  3. Staying up too long may be dangerous ;). IF with a late afternoon / evening eating window helps with this but does not make you immune

  4. Being tempted by pizza every day at work and not overeating is just heroic - I do not think I could resist :wink:

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Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress Rob!
I would agree with the above points-one of the things I have noticed since starting Huel is that my blood sugar levels are really stable or seem to be.
I’m not sure if it’s the Huel or a combination of the fact that I’m being really mindful about my food choices-have had very little sugar in the last month, I’ve exercised much more and have therefore made a really big effort with fluid intake and have been really well hydrated or if it’s a combination of these things.
I find not having poor food choices available really helps and just have loads of healthy snacks to hand…I always have bananas, strawberries, grapes, melon & pineapple ready to grab for a sweet treat & if I feel like savoury I like Kelkin 100 calorie popcorn. 2 mins in a microwave (I know but it’s gotta be better then a whacking big pizza!!). And I love a great big cuppa-i usually drink Rooibosch as it tastes a little bit sweet, is naturally decaf & I have a huge mug of that…most of the time I really am not hungry, I’m thirsty and by the time I’ve worked that out I feel better about my choices instead of snuffling through the cupboards.
Am 4kgs lighter & 8.5cm smaller-still doing 2 meals out of 3 as Huel & again, I’m on the Vanilla one which is a bit sweet anyway. I have had Huel as snacks too -50g in 500mls is a good fill up for me though some might find it a bit thin - it’s perfect before or after a run or exercise class.

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+1 for Intermittent Fasting. Get in the habit of pushing breakfast back farther and farther. If you can get to 12:00, try eating every two hours until 20:00, so 5 meals.

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Agree with all of @ElectroDan’s points. I read some interesting stuff on calorie density, which basically hits this point [quote=“ElectroDan, post:2, topic:4011”]
3) Fill yourself up on a good protein source with each meal, and lots of vegetables.
[/quote]

I also second the point about not buying unhealthy foods, if you don’t have them you can’t eat them. Stave off the cravings with hot drinks. Usually if I’m peckish in the evening I’m just bored.

Make your Huel thick and have it intermittently, don’t just smash it down in one sitting. Seems like everyone is coming up with some great tips.

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