I’ve taken the first step and started using Huel for my breakfast and lunch from today. I decided to try Huel to ensure I was getting a balanced diet around work, to try and stop snacking and generally be healthier as I was often eating junk food or quick and convenient foods. I am also looking to lose some weight that has been put on over lockdown! I am really excited to make this a part of my lifestyle and be healthier in many ways.
Today is the first day… Due to a sedentary desk job I have worked out my TDEE as around 1850 calories although may be slightly more due to walking the dog, so I aiming to consume 1500-1600 calories a day. My plan is to have Huel for breakfast and lunch, each at 400Kcal, leaving around 700-800Kcal for dinner and snacks. The problem is… it is only the first day, just after lunch, and I’m still starving!!
My question is, will my body just get used to this? Or is there any way to make it more filling without adding too many calories? What have people found works?
Hey! I’ve linked two great articles that are just good to read through and offer some comforting advice
As it has been only one day, it’s best to stick with it as your body will adjust. Here’s a quick snapshot from the ‘guide to fat loss’ article - the last point in particular relates to your body adjusting.
If after 7-10 days you’re still getting cravings, you then may need to adjust where you’re placing your calories or your intake all together.
Based on what you’ve said, I’d work around a goal of 1600 (calorie deficit of 250kcal)
Of course always making sure you include a balance of veggies and fruits
For example:
Huel for breakfast (400kcals)
Place most of your calories at lunchtime (600kcals)
Have a snack mid afternoon (200kcals)
Huel for dinner (400kcals)
Total = 1600 calories
That’s just how I’d go about it and what I find works. The above example shows an even spread of calories, most of your calories at lunch and this can help you to feel satisfied throughout the day
Of course this is a guideline so it doesn’t have to be exact, as you want to still enjoy food!
If you had Huel twice a day like the above example, then half of your intake would be precise and even then, that’d still leave room for 800kcals where it doesn’t matter too much if you go below or over a little.
Spreading your intake rather than dumping them all in one go at the end of the day, should help with maintaining satiation throughout the day and reduce the chances of you to feel sluggish or even affect your sleep
I am definitely sticking with it but guess I just wanted some reassurance either it would settle after a couple of days or that I hadn’t calculated anything massively wrong! Increasing my calorie intake over lunch sounds like a great plan if it doesn’t settle - thank you!
Currently at 79kg with a target of 72kg, but no rush to get there!
Yeah I wouldn’t worry too much. See what happens over a 7-10 day period (I’ve found this is the time it takes to figure out if you need to make adjustments or not) and hopefully you will have gotten used to it
Even if you aimed to lose 0.5Ibs a week, you could likely hit your target over 7-9 months (0.5Ibs per week equates to 2lbs per month. For an aimed reduction in 7KG/14Ibs you’d technically hit 72KG in 7 months, give or take)
Here’s a chilled glass of delicious Huel to you!! cling cling
