39 year old here who has been on and off Huel for the past year but never really committed myself. I’m 5’11" and 324 lbs. In 2016 I had suffered a heart attack and my current weight at that time was 320. I managed to drop 60 pounds using medication to help reduce my hunger but eventually my body adapted to the medication and was no longer working for me. Slowly my weight increased and here I am, back to the same weight just before my heart attack.
I’ve been in an awful mood the past couple of weeks, upset over my weight and my lack of willingness to do anything about it. I’ve been back and forth with doing Keto, IF, and just not sticking with anything long enough to give it a fair shot.
Monday I was texting with my husband and explained my unhappiness with myself, our diet, and life in general and asked for his support. I laid out my plan to him so he was aware and in full support. Yesterday I began my full diet of nothing but Huel for all three meals. I allow myself to eat fruits and vegetables as needed. I’ve feel wonderful. It’s only been 2 days down, but I am determined to see this through.
I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from those on this forum, and also on Reddit.
I was actually talking about the concept of a “mono diet” in another thread recently and how it might help certain people. A mono diet being a very simple, one food or one simple meal eaten over and over for a period of time in order to cleanse the palate, get some results under your belt (no pun intended), and ease the stress of dieting. We’ve seen success on Rice Diets, potato only diets, Soylent only diets, Huel only diets. Or someone would meal prep a bunch of rice and beans and eat that each day for that week. For most people this seems “dangerous” or perhaps boring. But in a person who has struggled with previous diets, or tried different things for short periods of time, this might be a benefit. And with Huel + random fruits and vegetables, I can’t imagine a healthier mono diet. It eliminates complex rules. No need to limit a particular macronutrient (which is a real pain, if you ask me).
Your plan sounds a like a good place to start. Does it grow in the ground or from a tree? If yes, eat it. Does it have the word Huel on the bag/bottle? If yes, eat it. Anything else, leave it behind for a period of time. You’ll worry about that other food at a later time. It’s going nowhere. You’ve already had that other food for years and it’s not helped you. But for now, you’re just doing this easy plan to get some good results and get some momentum. No need to worry about taking a supplement. No need to worry, “am I getting enough protein?” (This country’s obsession with protein is baffling. Most people will accidentally fall ass backwards into enough protein by just eating random foods.) What about your DHA intake? What about it? Who cares? All the important stuff is taken care of. Huel and mother nature’s fruit will provide everything you need. It’s amazing how simple is can be to eat a healthy diet.
Good for you starting this trend. And please stick it out for a period of time to see what kind of results you can get. Treat it like a new medication regimen for heart disease. Just like with any patient we start on a beta blocker or ACE inhibitor for heart failure, we gotta have them stick it out for a few months to see the best results. And I can guarantee you that dropping 150 lbs of excess body fat will definitely improve your outcomes and reduce the chances of a second heart attack. The dietary improvements that lead to weight loss will also lead to better lipid profiles and less atherosclerosis (which is the “heart” of coronary artery disease and heart attacks). Opening coronary blood flow and improving endothelial function starts with diet. Whole fruits and vegetables are far superior to statin drugs for this. And I’m a pharmacist.
I’ve gone from a BMI of 39 to 21 over a period of time, myself. Had type 2 diabetes at one time. But that is no longer a part of me. My insulin sensitivity is restored. It’s a great feeling being lighter and healthier. And although exercise has helped, I will say that diet is the biggest part of my change. A bad diet got me into that situation in the first place. Therefore, a significant change in diet was the most effective first treatment for it.
Could your husband stand to lose some weight as well? In my experience, having your spouse along for the ride makes things easier. Having similar goals to maintain a healthy diet allows you to both be on the same page when it comes to choosing food at the grocery store, or choosing where (or if) to go out to eat.
And even if your husband doesn’t need to lose weight, a shared commitment to a healthier diet could add some additional motivation/support/accountability when you might be having a moment of weakness.
To echo some of Deron’s sentiments, being lighter and healthier is an incredible feeling after 20 years of obesity. I feel like I’m an astronaut on the moon. Going from obese to healthy weight is like gaining super powers.
You got this!! Focus on how it makes you feel, and the rest will follow.
Have FUN with it! Have extra time because you’re not cooking? Feel bored because you aren’t going out to eat? Check out a farmers market! Or an Asian grocery store. See what kind of weird produce you can try.
There’s so much more you can do to keep a fit and active lifestyle going that goes past the usual bar/restaurant weekend routine that many of us are guilty of.
I love going to the local farmer’s market on Sundays and being outdoors/going to the beach, whenever possible.
