Looking for honesty

I’ve quit this thread, it’s on my blacklist since someone went to the mods because their feelies got a bit hurty.

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Exactly the same for me, Huel shake for breakfast, granola for lunch and I know I’ve got around 1000kcals left in my pocket when I get home (at 1800kcal I’m dropping 1lb a week).

I’m not calorie counting as such, as I have no interest in avoiding nice big meals out or annoying the wife (who often has cooked a meal ready for when I get home), but at the same time knowing I still have 1000kcals in the bank means it’s extremely unlikely that I’m going to eat more than that for my evening meal. In fact it also probably means I can have a cuppa and a biscuit in the evening and still be doing pretty well.

It’s working anyhow, just over 2st dropped since March.

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Ok. So this thread has become a bit of a mess. Going back to the original question. Can I use Huel to lose weight?

  • Yes, it can be a tool to do so.
  • Advantages: It helps you to track calories (very important), it has good nutritional balance, should be filling enough, you can be on top of your diet if you are honest.
  • Disadvantages: You might get tired if you only eat Huel, it is just a tool not what is going to make you lose weight.

The last point is the most important thing WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

  • Calories IN/OUT. Yes. You need a caloric deficit
  • However, losing weight is not just about eating less or changing your diet. It is about changing your lifestyle and habits. If you just “diet” you will end up gaining back all the weight you lose eventually. Or giving up on your diet. Here is a very good video that will help you understanding this and making a mind shift to get ready to lose weight.
    https://youtu.be/1SSKjQoutT4
    I strongly recommend it.

Now how to do it short version:
1- calculate amount of calories you need (MFP).
2- Reduce calories by 100kcal ( you can put lose 0.5kg or 1lb in MFP). This is important since you might need to gradually increase.
3- Weight yourself (take picture, trust it helps).
4- Weight yourself next week. See how you progress. You didn’t lose any weight? If it is week one be honest with yourself and think about what you did wrong. Keep going.
5- Increase deficit by another 100kcal whenever you hit a plateau)
6- Achieve your Goal.

Important remarks.
a) This is a Marathon, not a sprint. You had a bad day? You cheated? This week it wasn’t so good? IT DOES NOT MATTER, KEEP GOING. Think what a day means in one year. Don’t throw away you efforts and keep going.
b) Sports ALWAYS help. Cardio, weights, walking, cycling. Is there anything you like then do it.
c) Being active overall helps.
d) Be honest to yourself

You can do it. Belief on you. YES Huel will help you, but is all up to you. And watch the video

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This is pretty much my methodology down to a tee (including the odd “cheat” hotdog at the football match). It’s working for me - I’m down 13lbs in a month following this method. Honesty is key (and also not getting on the scales too much, I find I go up and down through the week but lose overall so best to just weigh to a regular pattern…not daily :smiley: )

Yeah, good point. A weekly weigh in (preferably AM) is probably the best way to go with it.

Seen clips of Jason Fung in regards to intermittent fasting. Wil give that a shot, have heard great stories. It makes sense that your body will react to food with insuline increase. Which is now being researched for living a longer and healthier life.

First post, hello.

I’m bypassing all the subsequent posts and arguments and addressing the (very old) original post.

My personal experience is that whilst it isn’t a weight loss product, it is very good for weight loss.

I work nights, 12 hour shifts, for my job I drive around a lot. I found I was eating garage sandwiches, fizzy sugary drinks and lots of junk food.

I’ve now gone from a free for all at every other garage I pass in the middle of the night to a 2 litre bottle of water and a 3 scoop, 600ml flask of vanilla Huel per shift. Plus one or two other regular meals during the day or very occasionally just another 3 scoop Huel if I wake up late or I’m in a rush.

I find that the Huel does fill me up enough not to want to eat crap or snacks. It’s not magic, you need to have a calorie deficit (will power required) - but I personally find it a lot easier than any other kind of diet.

I’m not hugely overweight but I do need to lose a bit and be healthier. It’s good that the Huel also has a proportion of my daily requirement of nutrients too.

I had the same results by just making sandwiches for work and counting their calories, but found I couldn’t really keep that up consistently due to time restraints and such - and also, even though they had more calories, sandwiches didn’t fill me up as much. I always have time to make Huel, it only takes 2 minutes.

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I think the key thing is to garner as much information as possible, from places like this and others. Then, use common sense by eating mostly sensibly, and exercising when possible.

Fasting works for some, not others, so you need to see what works for you. I personally do not believe that there is a silver bullet; we need to learn about our own bodies. We are a mishmash of DNA, potentially predisposed to certain conditions.

Read lots, eat well, walk/run often :slight_smile:

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Again, addressing the original post, I too need to lose some pounds. And I’ve started on Huel because it suits my work patterns and behaviours.

I work as a Plumbing Engineer, very ‘on my feet’ and also lots of driving. I leave home at 7am each day and find that Huel is great in the morning for me. 5 mins, make a shake, and get on with my day. But I also know that in order for me to lose some weight, I need to monitor my intake each day.

Watch this space, so far so good! :blush:

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I have been silent here for 3 years due to certain overly-vocal members. Read the writings of Ben Bikman, it explains exactly my scenario, the one that the posters above tried to dismiss. The simple calorie deficit model is massively flawed.

We are all different, and whilst Huel is beneficial, it is not the silver bullet.

Read more…

Late to the party - classy as usual

As there has been a lot said already, I will only input one tool you can remind yourself with each day when it comes to approaching the forbidden diet

Words of wisdom
A diet is not temporary. It is a lifestyle.

Definition (from Oxford Languages)

noun: diet; plural noun: diets

“the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats”