Newbie and just had my first Huel

Weight loss
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Hi Everyone,

I have been looking at Huel for a while and took the plunge. It’s time to loose those extra pounds.
I am a real foodie so converting to Huel was a big deal for me but the reason why I ordered Huel is the easy portion control. I want to start with maybe twice a week to replace my lunch, to ease into it. I am also doing IF for a month already and it is going well. All the other “diets” I have tried I have failed after 3/4 days for me not having a back bone.

So yesterday I had my first huel. 100 gram vanilla with 400 ml water and 1 saches of mocha. I left it in the fridge all night. When I took it I was surprised! I really like it. I was afraid after reading all these comments about flavour I would hate it. But it was soooo nice! A little bit to sweet yes but trial and error right?

But what I was afraid for, happened. After lunch I was already hungry soon! And yes I am overweight for a reason, I eat to much, I snack to much and also after having normal lunch (salad or bread or whatever) I am also hungry soon so it is a in my head hunger rather then real physical hunger. But I was really hoping after reading so many comments that Huel fills people up untill maybe 4pm or even diner time I was hoping it would fill me up to.

Does any of you have tips? I do not want to use more grams because it will be more calories. Maybe less water? To make it more consistency of porridge?

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How quickly did you drink the Huel?

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I drink it n 20/30 minutes, I tried really slow as I read here. Also I “chewed” on it. I heard that it would help.

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To be honest it sounds like you just need to give your body time to adjust to how much food you are going to eat and not how much food you have been eating. If you have been used to eating too much and eating too frequently then one portion of Huel is not going to change that. 90g of Huel keeps me going for around 3.5 hours and oats are one of the best slow release sources of energy out there.

I have lost a lot of weight (fat) over the last few years and the entire thing is a process and part of that process is relearning how much food you actually need to eat regardless what your stomach may be telling you.

You will not be able to lose weight without feeling hungry. Hunger is your body acknowledging a calorie deficit so it’s a sign what you are doing will result in weight loss.

If you’re starting from scratch you should work out your TDEE (https://tdeecalculator.net/). This will give you a guide from where to start regarding how many calories you need to be consuming. Keep a track of what you consume, something like MyFitnessPal may help, weigh yourself at least once a week and monitor it. The TDEE is just a starting point, you may need fewer calories than what it suggests but you’ll work that out over the months.

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Hi :slight_smile:

I usually last around 3 to 4 hours before wanting my next meal. If I get peckish before this I have a snack which is usually fruit for me. Be it a banana or grapes or something. Your body will adjust. I’m near the end of my first week with Huel and I’ve noticed I cant eat as much when I do have normal meals on an evening.
Plus remember to drink water if your feeling hungry… you could be thirsty if you dont drink enough :slight_smile:
How many calories are you on?

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Hi Coup,

Thank you for having the time to write!

A little backstory, I used to be obesed and got weight loss surgery. I lost 40 kg with that and exercised a lot. But when the years went bye I slowly could eat more and bad stuff. I just tricked my body, the fool that I was. Now I have been in a wonderful relationship where we both got a little bit to cozy with late night snacking watching tv or going out to restaurants. The surgery made it that I could eat less but I have never been thought mentaly how to deal with eating restriction. I will always have a weird relationship with food.

I have used MFP religiously in the past and I know counting calories is the way but I got obsessive and crazy so I decided to trow it overboard. Now I have been doing IF for a month, it is going really well. I lost 3 kg in maybe 3 weeks and I did not cut out “bad” food yet, I first wanted to get rid of my late night cravings and when I am used to that eating more mindfully. So that made me wanted to eat Huel also.

So it is time to change! And like you said learning how to deal with hunger and adjust but pfffff Its tough. With or without Huel!
Should I maybe make it with less water? I make it with 400 ml and it is really watery.
And what did you do to deal with those hunger thought?

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Hi Nattylou!

Are you eating Huel every day? I wanted to do it 1 or 2 times a week to get used to it but maybe I should eat it everyday to make my body adjust faster? I am on 1600 kcal but like I wrote above, counting calories made me really crazy! So I am not that strict with it.

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I am yes. Having it twice a day but the odd day I may only have it once a day because I miss actual food Haha. My body has adjusted to it completely fine. I’ve had no issues that other people have had with bowels and flatulence :joy: so that’s a positive Haha.

Ah see I find counting calories completely fine. It makes me more aware of how much I’m eating and how much I was over eating!

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MFP does all the counting for you if you keep a food diary. Everything you want to achieve in life needs at least a modicum of dedication in order to succeed. I lost a couple of stone on two Huel meals a day plus a third meal of veg rich foods. These days I have more 100% Huel days than not, from choice, and really enjoy it.

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Nothing. I’ve accepted it is part of losing weight and if I’m hungry at bedtime then I know I haven’t eaten too much so you can look at it as a positive. A ~500kcal per day deficit is only mild hunger. The first week will be the worst. Once you are used to it you’ll be fine. Seeing the scales go down and smaller clothes fitting you makes it worth it.

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I found that a 500kcal daily deficit worked out fine for me. I didn’t feel hungry at all because I bulked out my evening meal with plenty of low cal veg, plus worked in a few healthy low cal snacks during the day. Restructuring eating habits and re-educating taste buds is the name of the game.

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Werd to this.

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Today I started my day with 100 gram coffee and 450 ml water. I found it was nice thick. Because I always wants to eat I got some mandarins and a piece of cucumber. Also some bouillon. Tonight on the menu is falafel and bulgar salad with lots of veggies.
The weird things I do IF and don’t eat after 8pm. And I don’t have the uncontrollable cravings I had before. But during the day I want to eat all the time!!! It’s all in my head unfortunately:(

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I have always suffered from “boredom eating.”
I get bored, I eat something. I finish eating and I’m still bored? I’ll start looking for something else to eat.

I’ve never been medically obese, fortunately, but I have gotten extremely close… and it scared me.

I started using Huel way back in the beginning (4 years ago, I think it was) and came up with a few techniques to help me stick to a regimented portion rather than the “boredom eating.”

First, I make a larger portion (aim to fill the 700ml shaker bottle after you’ve done your initial shake with the 400ml water). This will make it last longer, and allow you to pace out your consumption over a longer period.
Second, sip… don’t gulp. If you’re taking a sip of Huel every few minutes, it’s going to last you a good hour. This way, you never go more than a few minutes without having consumed something, and this tricks the brain into feeling as though you’re starting a new meal even though you’re effectively only taking another bite of the same meal.

That second technique makes a massive difference to me! I start drinking my morning Huel at 9am, and I’m finishing it between 10:30 and 11am. Think about that for a moment, because that puts me one hour to my lunch break.
Because I rollerblade during my lunch hour, I don’t have time to eat at all… meaning it’s then 1pm before I’m back at my desk, and bored (yes, I have a desk job, and it bores me). So if I were to make another Huel now, that’s technically a second meal at an appropriate time. Drink that one in sips and it lasts me to around 2:30-3pm… which is about the time the delirious comedy routines start in my office (we all get bored in the afternoon, and make terrible jokes to pass the time more easily).

However, because I’ve had two Huel meals at this point, the cumulative effect makes my body feel even more full for a longer time. I don’t feel the need for anything else until at least 6:30pm, by which time it’s about right for me to have an evening meal.
Now, I haven’t been 100% Huel for about 2 years (I was for a very long time, but I began to resent living on a single food source so I diversify my third meal). I opt for a high-Protein diet (because I exercise an awful lot, and it helps muscle recovery) so I tend to go with a lean meat and veg meal, or an omelette. All low carbs, all high protein, all good for you.

My third strong recommendation (and I assure you this really does help more than you would imagine) is simple: Add a scoop of unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate Powder to your three scoop Huel.

Protein is the most satiating thing you can consume. It triggers the brain’s “full sensor” much more effectively than Carbs, and Huel (as amazing as it is) is a Carb:Pro ratio (37% carbs to 30% protein). Adding a scoop of a quality Whey Protein Isolate adds around 25g more Protein to your meals. Yes, it adds approx 75 calories, but the composition of those calories is spot on for destroying the perception of hunger.

My final suggestion is this: don’t give up!
Huel enables you to take control of your intake, and makes it easy to take control over how you consume that intake. The answer rests in balancing both.

Summary:

  1. Make a larger portion of Huel by using more water after the initial mix/shake… ideally fill a 700ml Huel shaker bottle.
  2. Drink your Huel in sips over a longer period of time (ideally no less than 1 hour from full to empty)
  3. Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate Powder… it isn’t cheap, but at just 1 scoop per meal, it lasts… and the difference is like night and day!
  4. Don’t give up! You’ve already taken the most important steps… you can and will conquer this :slight_smile:
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Hi!
Thank you for taking the time to write.:grinning:
OMG!!! what you describe is me! I see myself in that boredome eating. I have a very boring desk job and now it is summer holliday it is even more boring.

I do not really understand what you mean with making a meal with 700ml. Do you mean I still make 100gram but with 700ml? That would make it super watery. I have noticed I like to make it with less water to make it more thick so my stomach thinks is more like “real” food.

What I did yesterday is I made a larger meal. instead of 100gr I made 120gr with 450ml water. I dronk it really slow and tried to chew it. I lasted me an hour like you said.
I thought would be better because I do intermitting fasting and it is not that bad if I would break my fast with a larger meal if it leave me more satisfied and in the end I eat less during the day.

Unfortunately the boredom hunger got me. I have to fight it because I read, you all got trough it. Like @Coup said, accept! it is a part of losing weight! If i want to eat I just need to drink water or walk to the coffee machine or someting to get my mind of it!

Next week I am going to try the entire week of huel lunches. (this week I tried 2 times a week) The only thing I am afraid of is the bowel movements (those have not been great, but that is an entire other story :rofl:)

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