Where To Start?!

Hi there!

Keen to start using Huel, seen it on a Facebook and seems far more ‘thought out’ than similar meal replacement shakes. Please don’t get me started on Herbalife :triumph:
I have an unusual issue though- I basically need to lose quite a lot of weight- like 21lbs ideally whilst remaining strong. I’m an amateur jockey and have a very disorganised diet. I bought Huel would be a great way to keep me going through the day and then have a nice healthy meal in the evening. I know everyone says they don’t have time to eat breakfast/lunch but I literally do. Not. Stop. I end up grazing all day and I’m too chubby.
So my questions are:

  1. Which one do I buy? What’s the diff between regular Huel and the Sports one?
  2. How much do I take if I want to lose weight but not feel like a complete wet lettuce. My brain needs to work.
  3. Should I eat a normal meal and what % of my overall calories should Huel take up?!

Any advice would be helpful. It’s kind of weird because I actually need to be slightly lighter than my body naturally wants to be. Which is obvs not ideal but it’s my choice!

Hello and welcome!

The sports one is certified doping-free for professional athletes, like the gluten free is certified to have less than 5 parts of gluten per million instead of 20 parts per million, for who has celiac disease. If you aren’t in those two categories, go for the normal cheaper one :slight_smile:

That depends on how much calories you spend during the day. You could use a TDEE calculator https://tdeecalculator.net/ to have a basic idea of it. Usually the guideline is going 500cal less than what you would need. But I’ll leave a better answer to someone more expert than me :slight_smile:

Depends on what you want. Huel is not a magic diet product, is normal food. So you replace solid food with Huel as much as you like, one meal or 100%. I suggest to start with only one meal, just to better adapt to the dietary change, and then see.
Huel is not designed for loosing weight, but it’s good for it because it’s super easy to calculate calories with it. For example, around 120-125 gr in 500-600 ml of water is 500cal. Easy :slight_smile:
Also, in my case it completely removed my “nervous” cravings for sweets, and that helped a lot. I’ve lost around 10 Kg in 4 months and I’m not at my ideal weight of 66-67Kg, working on getting fitter. :slight_smile:

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@danosavi gives great tips regarding. Definitely go for the normal one, you shouldn’t need the sport certified one. It is not a “sport” supplement, just has more test than the regular one.

As for diet tips I would recommnend your reading:

As for other tips:
Dano uses Tdee calculator, I like Myfitnesspal because it has a great mobile app and great database that allows you to track what you eat very easily

  1. Reduce calories by 100kcal ( you can put lose 0.5kg or 1lb in MFP). This is important since you might need to gradually increase.
  2. Weight yourself (take picture, trust it helps).
  3. 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.
  4. Increase deficit by another 100kcal whenever you hit a plateau.
  5. Achieve your Goal.

It is all about being honest with yourself and having a clear goal. Huel will just help you tracking your calories more efficiently, while ensuring a balanced nutrition.

I would replace the meals that you are most likely to “cheat” on or have an unhealthy option. It is not about what % should Huel take up, but how much will Huel help you in your daily situations and using it accordingly. Start with one meal and if you want more go for more.

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Thank you so much, some great stuff here. Will defs give that article a read. I think I might have to get he professional one though as we can be drug tested when we ride so I suppose better safe than sorry! Will try that app as well.
Thanks again, really appreciate you taking the time to get back to me!

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Thank you so much! Really helpful. I just felt really overwhelmed because it’s a really new concept to me. I plan to substitute two ‘meals’ during the day because this is my worst time. I work till I’m utterly starving and feel faint then ram in crisps and chocolate till I can carry on. Not really ideal! I’m hoping this will help me stay more stable blood sugar wise during the day. Night time is fine as I love to cook and prepare fresh meals every day.
Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to do that!

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I think you’d be wasting your money on Professional.

@Tim_Huel could probably advise better but if you’re just amateur then I wouldn’t worry. It’s just elite level that need the added piece of mind as well as the certification Professional has.

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Good and useful answers there. I agree with them all.

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George Crowley is the only one that needs Professionals.

That’s a cultural ref. for the oldies

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Thanks Phil,

Horseracing is an odd game compared to other sports in that we are classed as amateurs purely because we are not paid. Unfortunately all the same rules and regulations apply re doping, alcohol, conduct, fines, bans etc. Many jockeys choose never to turn pro as there are often more opportunities to staying amateur in terms of weight you can claim off a horses posted weight- hence my issue! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

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Hi @alexduncan40

Welcome to Huel! As you can see, the guys on the forum are all fantastically helpful with answering questions. But thought I’d clarify a few things… .

  1. The ‘sports’ Huel is the same product as normal Huel, but it has gone through independent testing by an authority names Informed-Sport. They batch test for any contaminants that are banned by WADA (world anti-doping agency). I’m not sure if at your level you would get drug screened, but I know it’s a big area for horse racing in general as it is a weight restricted sport. If you are likely to be tested, it would be prudent to opt for the Informed-Sport variety of Huel. It gives extra security that you aren’t inadvertently consuming anything banned.

  2. As @danosavi has already mentioned, how much you have depends on your daily calorie requirements. Take a look at the following article and use the calorie calculator to derive a daily calorie intake. You can then work out how much Huel you need per day/per serve to reach your requirements. A calorie deficit of 500cal per day is recommended for long term, sustainable fat loss https://uk.huel.com/pages/guide-to-fat-loss

  3. Again, this is up to you. There’s no ‘right’ way. You mention you’re always on the go, so maybe a breakfast and lunch Huel would be best, then you can keep your evening meal when you’ve finally sat down!

Do let us know how you get on with it!

Rebecca

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