I’m starting my Huel journey today and I want to record it here so I damn well stick to it! I have a history of disordered eating (cycles of starving and some serious bingeing) and have been overweight for a couple of years now. I’ve managed to lose a few stone my usual way – by severely restricting my food intake – but I also keep overeating and generally feel so unhealthy. My energy levels are ridiculously low and I do no exercise, partly because I know my current diet won’t support much activity.
So Huel seems like a good option for many reasons: it means I can eat a completely balanced diet and hopefully improve my energy and fitness levels, it means I can keep track of how many calories I’m consuming and hopefully lose some weight, and I’m also hoping it forces me to remove myself from the cycle of overeating – only drinking shakes means I can’t derive the same psychological comfort from eating food and experiencing those sugar highs.
I’m going to start with an entirely Huel diet, (vanilla, blended). I understand some people’s stomachs have adverse reactions to going full Huel, but I’m hoping mine can take it – I’ve thrown worse at this poor body of mine! I tried my first shake a few weeks ago and really struggled with the taste and texture, but am going to persevere - from what I’ve read, you can grow to like it.
I’ll be upping my activity levels and trying to sleep more and drink more water. I want to experience how it feels to be properly nourished and firing on all cylinders, for the first time in my life! I’ll post here every day or so and update on weight, progress and how I’m feeling. If I get my act together I might even post some progress photos. Any advice or tips would be much appreciated!
Some info about me and my journey:
Gender: F
Age: 31
Height: 5ft 9
Current weight: 11st 10lb
Goal weight: 9st 7 lb
Planned daily Huel intake: 4 meals of 300 kcals
Just be aware of the addiction monster inside of you - I know that when I started Huel as part of a weight loss challenge a couple of years ago (5ft11 17st) I constantly had to fight the temptation to go and buy some ‘solid’ food.
It was easy to say “I won’t binge anymore”, but actually putting that into practice is impossible.
I’d recommend getting into a fitness lifestyle and change your entire life that way. I have a high affinity toward addiction, and replacing my food addiction/bad habits with a fitness addiction has made me twice the person.
1). Pre measure out your huel portions into sets of small jars each week, hence you only need to pour 1 into your beaker when needed, and chuck 4 in your bag when heading off to work (making it as easy as possible = reduce chances of eating solid food).
2). Buy 4 different coloured hair ands and put on one wrist. Each time you have one, move a band from one wrist to other.
Will act as a visual reminder to resist temptation to stray off your diet.
Hi, I started yesterday and want to lose 3 stones, struggled with taste a little so have mixed a strawberry one for tea and left in fridge as suggested on other posts. I can’t wait to feel healthier as I have been under a lot of stress lately and not looked after myself resulting in a TIA last Thursday, I’m staying positive and intend getting healthy and making positive life changes which of course includes 2 Huel per day and one healthy meal to keep cravings at bay. Happy Hueling everyone
Thank you all for your replies and advice - very much appreciated and all taken on board!
@Colly I’ll watch your journey with interest. Really sorry to hear about the TIA - good luck and take it easy.
Today was OK, but good lord that stuff tastes vile to me right now! I have loads of the vanilla powder and don’t want to buy the unsweetened until I know I can stick to this, but I do think it’d be handy to have so I can make some savoury Huel recipes.
I went for a pathetic run/shuffle this morning (I am very unfit, so am doing NHS Couch to 5k) and have had the four Huel shakes as planned today, but still felt really hungry by the time I got home from work. I “ate” at 7.30am, 12pm, 3pm and 8.30pm - perhaps I need to space it out a bit more.
That’s great that you went for a run. After reading your first post I was going to suggest going out for 2 x 30 minute walks a day, but the Couch to 5k plan sounds even better
Thanks @ElectroDan - my runs are embarrassingly bad, so your suggestion of two walks would probably be more activity in reality! @Colly I keep hearing coffee is great with Huel, but unfortunately I hate coffee! Glad you found something you like though
I managed another day on the sludge! It’s actually becoming more palatable now - I daresay I even almost enjoyed dinner tonight. Almost. Still getting hungry around 5/6pm, so not sure if my body needs to adjust a bit to not being fed huge amounts of crap all the time.
I’d lost 3lbs when I weighed myself this morning, which is great, but obviously not ‘real’ weight loss at this point. Better than a kick in the teeth, though. Not getting enough sleep, so hard to tell whether my energy levels are better. I did my pitiful run this morning and then went for a gentle swim at lunch - only for 20 mins as that’s all I had time for.
One annoying thing about the Huel is the scummy residue it leaves behind on my lips - I have to really watch it, or I start to look like I’m frothing at the mouth in the office.
Days on Huel: 2
Weight lost: 3lbs
Feeling: Tired and hungry
I started using Huel a month ago & have lost 15lb 2oz without really trying & without feeling hungry at anytime. After seeing my results my sister wanted to try Huel too, so I gave her a bag, a scoop & shaker 2 days ago, hopefully she can get good results too.
Gender: M
Age: 38
Height: 5ft 11
Start weight: 15st 11.5lb
Current weight: 14st 12.3lb
Goal weight: when ever I feel I happy
Daily Huel intake:
3 scoops for breakfast at about 7am
2 scoops for lunch between 1 & 2pm
2 scoops for a late afternoon snack
Then have dinner which normally involves a lot vegetables, but on a few days has been another 2 scoops of Huel.
I put a heaped teaspoon of coffee granules in with every shake, but on a few occasions made my breakfast shake with freshly brewed coffee, this gives me a Kickstart in the morning.
When I first ordered Huel it was to cut the cost of lunches at work as I’m a lorry driver lunch used to be petrol station sandwiches & all day breakfasts from roadside vans.
I liked the idea of being able to simply add water to use Huel, rather than other shakes which require milk sounded good.
Actually quite enjoying each dose of Huel now - it’s going down much easier and my colleagues say I’m not grimacing so much as I drink it. No run today, but a longish walk and another little swim. I get hungry before each ‘meal’ but I guess that’s normal if you’re not constantly binge-eating… I forget!
I’m definitely less bloated and feeling pretty good - I’ve seen a few people complain about bowel movements on Huel, but mine are OK. Slightly fewer and further between than normal but nothing dramatic, which I have to be grateful for after what I’ve read of others’ experiences. I’ve also managed to get making the Huel down to a T, so it only takes about 5 minutes to make my four meals each night. I think I’m on my way to being a convert!
Days on Huel: 3
Weight lost: 4lbs
Feeling: Not too shabby
No, I would say your body is adjusting to not getting the energy it needs from food at the moment. Which can be fine, just be aware of it, and consider if your diet needs to be so harsh, especially if you involve a relevant amount of regular exercise. If you are certain the calories fit your diet needs, just mentally prepare yourself for the time when you start eating for full calorie intake again, keeping the regularity and controlled size of your meals.
Good luck onward. Have fun with the natural huel once you get that, but be aware it is a good idea to have both at home. Cooking savory huel isn’t as simple as adding tomato sauce to wheat products; a mix of oats and pure protein doesn’t mix with everything, so when you have cravings for a certain taste, you will have to invest time, and if you don’t have that, you might prefer a simple sweet shake to satiate your hunger.
Today was the first day I felt like giving up, because it was the first day I weighed myself and hadn’t lost anything. Typically when I’m dieting and the weight loss slows, I’ll use it as an excuse to give up because I tell myself the diet isn’t working and then I binge excessively.
However, it was remarkably easy to stick to the plan after the initial low of the morning weigh-in - I honestly can’t remember the last time I stuck to a ‘diet’ or any kind of consistent eating pattern (even eating in moderation) for four days in a row. I think that’s due to several things:
My Huel meals for today were ready-prepared so it felt like a waste not to eat them
I’ve just joined a gym, so diverting from the plan and returning to starvation/bingeing (when I don’t feel well enough to exercise) also felt like a waste
I feel good on Huel, so there’s an incentive to stick to it
I knew I’d have to update this thread with bad news if I veered off the plan!
@Laetitian - yes I’m a bit worried I’m not consuming enough calories, but because the hunger does subside with each day and because I never feel absolutely famished, I figure I need to wait out the adjustment period and then reassess. Great tips on the savoury Huel - thanks!
Days on Huel: 4
Weight lost: 4lbs
Feeling: Satisfied
Hi Monina! Well done for sticking to it! I found day three was really awful, I was so fatigued I wanted to give up and eat allll the sugar Also there are times, 2-3 days at a time, when the scales would not budge, and I would feel deflated, but then they’d start moving again! So far I’m down 1 stone - been writing about it in ‘experiences’ with the title ‘Overweight sugar-addict’. Got about 2 or more stone to go possibly…
@CharlieMay well done for sticking to it - I hope I can do too! I’ve seen some of your posts and your journey sounds like quite the ride! It’s great to hear from someone further down the line.
Had a total cheat day today. I had three of my normal Huel meals and then went out for dinner tonight - nothing too terrible, but probably about 700 calories worth of food, plus a small glass of wine. Had a slightly longer swim than usual but have only done 7,000 steps today (I usually manage 9 or 10,000) so am going to have to up the ante a bit tomorrow to make up for it.
Weirdly, since I posted about my bowel movements being good on Huel, I’ve actually started to get a bit windy and feel quite bloated. The passing of wind isn’t at all frequent, but smells bad when it does happen (sorry for the TMI!). Nothing drastic overall, but I’m going to keep my eye on it.
Anyway, lost another pound today at least! Roll on the weekend…
Hmm, yeh, the wind thing. I’ve definitely noticed some ‘foul winds’ on occasion and early on a bit of bloating. I’ve come to associate the wind with eating my normal evening meal after a day of Hueling - in some ways I wonder if it’s my body reacting to ‘normal’ food after having a break with Huel all day!
5lb in 5 days is awesome! How are you finding being 100% Huel - I don’t think I could manage that - I really love food and looking forward to my evening meal keeps me on track during the day. Been trying to do healthier meals and explore new recipes though, which has been a nice change
@CharlieMay well today I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of ‘foul winds’ and bloating, though I’ve attributed this partly to the fact that I had a big, non-Huel dinner last night. I let one rip on the tube not knowing how bad it would smell and then I had to wrinkle my nose up and look around as if to find the culprit just so other passengers wouldn’t think it was me. I’m sure it was very convincing.
For me, it’s been helpful being Huel-only so far. It means I know exactly where I’m at and don’t have to worry about whether any of my meals are nutritious enough or too calorific. I really don’t miss ‘proper’ food as much as I thought I would. Even when I’ve gone low-carb in the past, I’ve found myself giving into unbearable cravings quite quickly – with Huel, I guess because it’s so balanced – I don’t miss food to that extent (though still do a bit). I’m also loving how little money I’ve spent on food this week - once you stop spending £30 on food every day it’s quite incredible how quickly the savings add up. Just waiting for Deliveroo to announce that they’re going under without my business now…
No loss today, but I’ll take that after the cheat day I had yesterday. I was all ready to go the gym today but I started to feel a really weird pain in my bum/thigh like I’d pulled a muscle, so I took it as a sign from above that I should sack off the gym and have an afternoon nap instead. Old habits die hard! Bum feels much better now so I’ll go tomorrow. I did manage nearly 13,000 steps today, so that’s something at least.
Majorly swerved a binge on ‘real’ food today! Got to about 3pm and I had planned to go to the gym and then have the usual Huel meals, but I walked home from a friend’s and passed about 3,000 chicken shops and they smelled SO good. I got back and sat for ages feeling sleepy and hungry, but not really wanting my Huel. Really felt like I was just teetering on the edge of a giant binge. It took everything I had not to sack off the gym and stuff my face with crap.
Instead I had a Huel and then perked myself up enough to go to the gym, where I did 20 mins on the bike, 20 mins in the pool and then had a nice little steam and sauna time. Not the biggest workout in the world, but baby steps! And could have been so much worse, the way I was feeling before. I was famished after the gym, so I treated myself to some real food in the form of a ‘healthy’ ready meal and a yoghurt - an extra 150kcals on my normal evening Huel because of the workout and because I walked a lot today (well, 14,000 steps, which is a lot for me).
Another day of no weight loss today, which is disappointing but not the end of the world since I’ve lost 5lbs this week. I’m going to take measurements and progress photos in the morning as it’ll be a week since I started, so I’m hoping to see some change there.
Days on Huel: 7
Weight lost: 5lbs
Feeling: Satiated (but not by Huel… right now)
Also there are times, 2-3 days at a time, when the scales would not budge, and I would feel deflated, but then they’d start moving again! So far I’m down 1 stone - been writing about it in ‘experiences’ with the title ‘Overweight sugar-addict’. Got about 2 or more stone to go possibly…