There are a ton of Hueligans who come to the forum wanting to lose weight and use Huel as a tool as part of that.
It’s a bit of a minefield and while we know that Huel isn’t some magic weight loss product, and we certainly don’t promote ourselves as such, but it can be helpful to help
Get quality nutrition in - vitamins, minerals, as well as being…
…High in protein and fibre - which is helpful in feeling satiated and to achieve weight loss goals
Track calories easier to ensure a negative energy balance
I thought it would be really useful to create a post here where you can all comment some of your best tips from your own journeys. I can then add them into the main post as we go and it will be a great wiki for newbies!
So, what is the one thing you wish people knew before starting a weight loss journey or a weight loss journey with Huel?
Tips from the community
Huel is not a weight loss product, but it can help you to lose weight by the ease in which you can accurately count calories consumed.
Consider your relationship to food and reasons for overeating, this gives perspective and focus.
Mix things up – literally. Break your routines regularly and prevent your body getting into a rhythm.
…or don’t. Stick to a routine to help you focus on your goal. Whichever works for you.
Exercise! It has some obvious benefits, but it could also distract you during the times you get most cravings.
If initially it’s too much stress to keep explaining your new routine/diet, cut down on social eating a little, just at the beginning if it helps.
Add weight lifting / resistance training. Even short (anywhere from 20-40 min) sessions a couple of times a week can be a game changer.
Mix things up – literally – not sure on the efficacy on the science of it, but the tale of constantly breaking your routine with food seems to be true in the case of weight loss. I definitely found that having the same thing at the same time day in day out worked inconsistently - almost like your body took a pause and got into its own routine. So, while I still use Huel for this, I don’t use the same thing in the same routine day after day.
Best results I have had are a IF 16-8 plan with different meals at different points throughout that 8 hour slot on a day to day basis. Everybody’s body works differently though so I guess it’s just trial and error.
I think a cognitive/behavioural approach can be useful, ie consideration of our relationship to food and reasons for overeating. It can help get things in perspective to focus on the causes and not just the effects of the problem of being overweight.
Understanding a problem is obviously a big part of finding a solution, so I find it helps to focus less on food and more on appetite. I’ve found that thinking too much about eating during a weight-loss programme can be counter-productive. Increasing physical activity is a really big help, not just for the energy expenditure but for the psychological effect.
I’m bigger on physics than I am biology, but the general concept is that by constantly moving your schedules around you are interrupting the bodies Circadian rhythms/biological clocks and so making it work harder and not settling into an energy efficient routine. In that respect, it seems to make sense and in practise, for me at least – also seems to be more productive when I am on a weight loss stretch.
Fascinating.
I find that the complete opposite works best for me: having a schedule, following it, stay on track.
I couldn’t find any reference now, but I recall reading somewhere that our brains want unknown, new things, explore, etc… while our bodies want the opposite: routines, getting used to things, and doing the same thing over and over.
So I guess it is more about relying on brain or on body sensation, to adapt our routines (or non-routines) to what works for us!
yup thats as I understand it too - the bodies like routines and rhythms as it requires less energy to function. Breaking those rhythms force it to use more energy, albeit it small amounts, to perform at the same levels.
Huel is not a weight loss product, but it can help you to lose weight by the ease in which you can accurately count calories consumed. This to me is the most important thing that newcomers need to understand.
For me it was exactly that. To know that I got the nutrients I needed really helped. As soon as I have to think about what I „should“ eat appetite-thoughts are triggered and make it hard to stay away from all the treats.
Then what I also would recommend (sadly enough) to reduce the social eating part - just in the first 2 or 3 weeks. It’s too much stress to endlessly justify and explain why and what or what not you’re eating. That part will definitely go easier after some time.
And of course doing some exercise helps not only to burn calories it also controls the hormones which regulate appetite. Most people know exactly at which time of the day they get a hunger pang. In my case it’s around 4pm. So I try to distract myself or to exercise in the afternoon. That of course only works if you have the luxury of time to do so.
I am not actively trying to loose weight, but I know that without Huel I would go back to unrestricted portions for breakfast and lunch and then start to gain weight.
Using scales to measure each evening the same 90g for breakfast 90g for lunch keeps me roughly constant.
I am happy have the same flavour every day. Knowing there is cold Huel in the fridge also helps not reach for something else.
Yeah there’s definitely something here about not buying the stuff you know you eat a bit too much of. I think it’s important not to restrict yourself to a degree where it becomes unmanageable, you should find a routine which you can maintain. But not making your life miserable I think definitely has something to do with not having to resist the temptation in your cupboards all the time, if it isn’t in there in the first place!
