Hi guys!
Received my first order of Huel (vanilla, v2.3) a few days ago. I decided to try it because I’d like the option of having well-balanced, nutritious meals that are easy and quick to prepare. I also got it because I want to control my calories a bit better, and think it’s easier with something like Huel than it is with “normal” food.
For context: I’m not overweight, but I’m heavier than I’d like to be. I’m 29 years old, 5’6", 10 stone 7 (about 160 pounds). I’d like to lose around a stone, improve my overall health and feel less dependent on heavy, carby meals. I’m fairly sedentary at the moment - I walk about 15 mins to and from work but I’m doing a temporary office job which involves sitting at a desk answering phones all day. I struggle to have the energy to do anything physical in the evenings.
On the first day I got Huel I had one three-scoop shake for breakfast and one three-scoop shake for lunch. I regretted that later when I got banished to sleep in the spare room by my partner because I was producing such horrific gas! I did some research, found all the posts about Huel farts (ha) and realised I’d have to go down to having Huel once a day and work my way up… so I’m just having it for breakfast at the moment.
I’ve discovered a recipe that I absolutely love drinking - 3 scoops Huel, half oat milk and half water (about 500ml in total), a few slices of banana and 1 tbsp of peanut butter.
The problem I’m having so far (apart from the very reactive guts and social anxiety of needing to fart at work when the smell is so horrific!) is controlling the calories and getting past the immense hunger I’m feeling.
I’ve calculated that to lose 1lb per week I should be aiming to consume 1,207 kcals per day. However, my breakfast Huel alone - if I have the recipe I outlined above - is around 525 kcals. Argh! That’s almost half of my daily calories right there and as it stands, I already need to eat around 2 hours after I’ve had my Huel breakfast because I’m RAVENOUS by that point. (I had already done some work on reducing my appetite and reliance on carbs before I started on Huel, so I don’t think it’s a matter of getting used to eating less).
Any suggestions? I’m scared that a) the gas is never going to improve enough for me to have more than one Huel a day; b) that the recipe I like ends up being taking up so much of my daily calorie limit and c) that I’m so so hungry after my breakfast Huel that I want to eat anything and everything…
Any advice appreciated!
Charlotte x