Hey! I started drinking Huel for weight loss too. There are a lot of alternative ways to diet, but the best (and most effective) weight loss is a calorie deficit.
I’m assuming you already calculated the amount of calories you need to consume for weight loss. With a 500 calorie deficit you’ll lose about a pound a week. Some people prefer eating through a specific time window, but if you want to have the closest semblance you can to a “normal” schedule, you can do what I do.
I’m on a 1,300 calorie diet which is also a 1,300 calorie deficit, which means I really don’t get to eat a lot - so I have to make sure the foods I do eat keep me full.
It’s recommendable you start on one Huel shake a day which would cover 400 calories, leaving you with 1,320 calories - around the same amount of calories I consume.
A normal diet for you could be the following:
400 calorie Huel shake (could be breakfast - it’s definitely filling)
300 calorie snack (check below for snack ideas)
300 calorie light lunch (Lean Cuisine type meals usually aim around the 300 calorie mark)
700 calorie dinner
Of course, some variations on this could be taking 100 calories off dinner and drinking another Huel shake as a snack. Making your daily meals consist of 2 Huel shakes, a light lunch, and a 600 calorie dinner, which is still a significant dinner.
Snacks:
- Apple with 2 tbsp of peanut butter (300 calories)
- Carrots with hummus (one of my personal favorites, both hummus and carrots are low in calories, but high in fiber so you can eat a good amount and it’ll help you feel fuller)
- Greek yogurt with granola
- Mixed berries
- Unsalted and unflavored popcorn (seriously, you can eat cups of it - great for eating over a longer period of time)
A lot of what you already love can be modified to fit your diet. I personally get a 300 calorie pint of Halo Top ice cream (heavy in fiber and packs up to 24g of protein!) and pig out on it instead of a light lunch when I have a sweet tooth =) you could eat cookies, but with the calorie count on most regular cookies, you’d only be able to eat 4 cookies, which is hardly filling, mostly fat, and doesn’t provide much in terms of nutrients. So it’s not just calorie counting, it’s also being smart about the calories that are going in.
Regarding dinner, meal prepping is key here. Choose something you love and don’t think you could get sick of. For me it was mac and cheese, but I like to make something new every week. I eat generous portions of mac and cheese, shrimp carbonara, spaghetti and meatballs, turkey tacos, etc., They’re filling, savory, and you can be more aware of what’s going into your body when you’re the one making it.
If you want a diet based more heavily on Huel then you could substitute Huel for breakfast, lunch, and still be able to eat a 900 calorie dinner - which might be a bit much to consume in one meal and lead to getting carried away. Alternatively, you could drink Huel for breakfast, lunch, snack, and be left with a 500 calorie dinner - which could definitely be filling if packed with fiber and protein, and you’re about guaranteed to get a substantial amount of nutrients if you’re drinking 3 Huel shakes a day.
Hope this helps!
