I’ve been using Huel for two weeks. I have found a particular way of preparing it which I love (blending it with banana and peanut butter) and have just started to see a bit of weight loss. I feel like my energy is more balanced and I’m no longer getting ‘hangry’.
However, I’ve not had guts this bad in years. The gas is bad enough but the bloating is horrific, and I keep getting debilitating gut cramps to the point where I have to go to the bathroom at work and cry. I haven’t had gut issues this bad for years. They’re so bad I end up with cold sweats and feel like I’m going to faint.
I’m so so disappointed because I really wanted to this to work for me
Has anyone else had to give up for the same reason? Is it possible that it is just not suitable for some people? I’ve given it long enough for my body to adjust and it’s just not happening and I can’t live like this.
The truth is that your discomfort is almost certainly caused by massively increasing your fibre intake (basically, you’re now eating properly) and It can take some time to get used to.
You should keep going. It will settle.
Otherwise, you may well find yourself going back to what was probably a bad, unhealthy diet, lacking in fibre. And if you decide to increase your fibre intake to where it needs to be without Huel you’ll experience the same symptoms. I went Vegan before using Huel for the first time and went through it all then, so when I started Huel I noticed no ill effects.
The gas and bloating you are experiencing is your body getting used to eating the kind of things it needs in the right amounts.
Good luck. Lots of helpful people here if you need them.
It’s also worth noting that you may additionally have something like Gastroenteritis. I know many affected where I am at the moment, so maybe it’s possible there’s a couple of things going on.
I would say stick it out and drink lots more water. Or even try some charcoal tablets.
I also don’t think 2 weeks is enough time for your body to get used to it, mine took about 2 months and now I can go 100% without any issues bar, a few smelly guffs.
I experienced heartburn and gas in my first 6 months, quite bad actually at the start. Now I get nothing. Hopefully your body will adjust if you stick at it. Maybe reduce your portion size and have one a day for a while and go from there.
I’d definitely echo what everyone is saying here. It is quite a big dietary change for most and not representative of what many in the UK eat - regarding fibre intake in this case.
How much are you using Huel? Would be interesting to see how much you’re having, perhaps if you reduced it slightly and then built up again it may help?
Yeah I have only been having one three-scoop Huel a day blended with maybe one tbsp peanut butter and half a banana. I tend to blend it with 500-600ml fluid, half oat milk and half water. I always make it the night before and refrigerate it for the following morning. I have it for breakfast and separate it into three drinks, which I sip slowly over the course of the morning. I generally then eat lunch at 2pm and have an evening meal at 7pm. Maybe a small snack in between.
For a few days, to see if it helped, I did try just having a two-scoop one to last me until lunchtime instead of the three-scoop one but it wasn’t enough to keep me satiated.
The other stuff I’m eating is healthy. It tends to be Ryvita and hummus or ricotta; veggies with hummus; bars like Pulsin (more fibre); eggs in some form; salad etc. I had also been eating healthily for a good few weeks before introducing Huel.
For what it’s worth, when I started Huel my portion size was 120g which is a tad over 3 scoops. I lowered this to 90g eventually and that helped massively with the heartburn. I actually think now that 120g was too much and 90g is the right size for me.
@thecharlotteem
Hey there - I’m relatively new to Huel as well and just finished my first bag (using two scoops and approx 400 ml almond milk cut with water). I had some pretty ridiculous gut issues the first several days, which was mainly really horrible gas. I stuck with it, took GasX as needed, upped my water intake and while I still get the occasional gas thing, it’s way, way less and not nearly as noxious!
I told you that as reassurance that it could be as simple as your body needs extra adjustment time.
In reading your post again, I have two thoughts. The first is - could you have a peanut sensitivity or to ingredients in the brand of peanut butter you’re using? The second is this - could you also have a sensitivity to bananas? Both are considered to be high in naturally occurring histamines and I’m wondering what would happen if you left those two things out and tried different additions to your Huel. Abdominal pain is a very common symptom of a food sensitivity reaction and I would be curious as to what difference, if any, you find in changing it up.
Which Huel are you using? I use the unsweetened, unflavored gluten free.
(I’m not a doctor at all, just someone who lives in and out of food elimination due to autoimmune responses and in having experienced bad belly blues myself - I wanted to offer it up as an idea)
I’m with the others in encouraging you to keep experimenting to see what works and hopefully you’ll hit on the perfect one soon!
I was also wondering about the oat milk - is that something new for you or is that a typical part of your diet? I know oats, in general, are considered gluten-free and unless someone has a celiac problem, it shouldn’t cause any issues, however the processing can be sneaky. Is that another thing to consider switching up to see how your gut feels without it? If you can tolerate it, maybe try almond, cashew or even coconut milk instead for a week or so to see how it goes?
Just random stuff to consider…or not LOL!! I just really like Huel and the fact there is a forum where we can come to help each other through experiences and ideas.
Hi, I would say to stick with it, it took me nearly 2 months to settle into it properly. I too added banana and used half oat milk and half water. I soon changed that to nothing but water, no banana, nothing. This really helped, i also changed to making it the night before and keeping it in the fridge overnight, within about 5-7 days i was quite normal with no cramps and i settled into it. I only use water now and sometimes use a flavouring with Mocha being the one i prefer. It’s absolutely worth sticking with, maybe change it up and have it as your evening meal replacement rather than breakfast / lunch. Hope that helps and hope it works out for you
I watched “In Defense of Food” last night on Netflix by Michael Pollan (I’d highly recommend it, he promotes a balanced and sensible approach to diet with no real exclusions, just moderation) and in the second half of the documentary he talks about the difference in the microbial make up of people around the world. They do a study based on fibre intake and find that increased fibre correlates with a better gut health. Could it be that Huel’s increased fibre is causing a change in microbial health which explains the difference in time it takes people to adjust?
That documentary sounds great, thanks for the recommendation. Certainly sounds relevant here but I guess no way to tell really without large scale trials.
I use the gluten free one and I was like this at first, I put it down to the sudden change in fibre, it will wear off. Maybe charcol or busconpan will help with your tummy or have less of it and build it up so your body has time to adjust?
So sorry to hear of your problems. I have IBS and Bile Acid Diahorrea, both of which are now being largely controlled with medication. You’d expect me to have problems with Huel, but some days it’s been the only thing I can safely eat. Have you tried the different variants?
I’m relatively new to Huel as well and just finished my first bag (using two scoops and approx 400 ml almond milk cut with water). I had some pretty ridiculous gut issues the first several days, which was mainly really horrible gas. I stuck with it, took GasX as needed, upped my water intake and while I still get the occasional gas thing, it’s way, way less and not nearly as noxious!