Introduction and Questions for Veteran Huelers!

Experiences
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Hello everyone! I’m a 31 year old Hueler-to-be as I’ve done a lot of research on meal replacements and this is the first liquid one I want to try in order to help me get my weight down enough so I can start exercizing properly. Try not to imagine being too big to exercize - it makes me sad.

Starting Weight: 370 lbs (this will be for an eventual journal)

Anyways, I had some questions for people who have used Huel as full or partial meal replacements before I go placing my orders. Thank you to anyone in advance for your answers!

  1. I plan on replacing all of my meals with Huel, save for the occasional treat so I don’t get burnt out. I know a lot of anything can be tiring. So my question is, what flavor of Huel do you find is easy to drink on a regular basis? Chocolate can get rich after a while for me, too much is hard to eat, despite how much I love it. Is Huel the same way? What flavors do you tend to just gulp down with ease?

  2. My goal weight is 160 pounds. I plan on using Huel to get my eating in order and then using OrangeTheory Fitness as my exercize regimen. To that end, will 3 500cal meals of Huel be enough to keep me full and satisfied without craving everything else in sight? Should I adjust my quantity based on my weight? My job is sedentary so I don’t get a ton of regular movement outside of workouts.

  3. How long after consuming Huel do you start feeling properly hungry again? Is there a specific hour-mark you tend to eat?

  4. For the cappucino flavors, do you find that taking that flavor at dinner messes with any ability to fall asleep? Is the caffiene content large enough to disrupt your sleep habits?

I’m sure I’ll have more questions later but these are the big ones on my mind. Thank you everyone! Glad to be here. :slight_smile:

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I tend to just drink the vanilla. It tastes like overnight oatmeal to me. I’ve tired a few of the flavor systems. My fav of those would be strawberry. That being said I don’t flavor mine very often. I did try the unflavored unsweetened and I can get it down but I don’t LIKE like I do vanilla.

I haven’t had any digestive issues however prior to being 100% huel I was on a very strict autoimmune diet.

I drink my huel at approx 8:30am. Then at 11:30am and then again at 6pm. I never get growly stomach hungry. To be honest it’s been a super easy transition for me especially since I love the huel. If I do feel hungry I will grab an apple or banana. I drink about 70-80oz of water as well.

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Hi @QueenAqua!

Welcome! I’m also using Huel for sizable weight loss. Sending you positive thoughts!

I know I’m wordy! It’s even worse in person. Imagine how my friends and family feel! :open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth::open_mouth:

I recommend following Huel’s instructions of easing into it. Add 1 shake for 3 - 5 days, then 2 for that length, etc… It’s a change to your system. Some people have gassy issues for awhile. It seems to pass for most of us once our gut adjusts.

It’s more filling to use 3 scoop shakes, but many prefer the texture of 2 scoops. I do a combination. I’m hungrier at lunch and dinner, so use 3 scoops for those meals, but having four 2 scoop shakes works for me too. It’s pretty effortless to mix up. Expect to adjust it to your palate and needs.

There’s a place on the Huel website that will help you calculate how many calories you need to lose a specific amount in a week. That will give you an idea of how many scoops in a day you need. Many use a scale to be even more accurate in weighing the powder.

The mixins are something you can play with to suit your individual tastes. I recommend rotating flavor profiles so as not to get bored. I use water or unsweetened cashew or coconut milk as my liquid. Watch those added calories too though. The side of the shaker bottle lists ml measurements.

I personally prefer unsweetened peanut butter powder, the chocolate Huel flavor packet (sometimes mixed with a bit of coconut extract), almond extract, or just a hefty spoonful of cinnamon, etc…or often plain with no additions. I generally use a combination of the Vanilla and the unflavored /unsweetened. Although sometimes just the vanilla. Sometimes just the U/U with mixins. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I add erythritol to the unflavored/unsweetened. It’s a granulated sugar alcohol that tastes much better to me than other artificial sweeteners and hasn’t got the calories of honey or other sugars. Xylitol is tasty as well (another sugar alcohol). It has a low glycemic index too. But that one has calories. 40% less than sugar, but calories nonetheless. I sometimes use it in my morning coffee. These don’t have the aftertaste for me that other sweeteners tend to have. I read somewhere that they are also healthier options.

I talked in other threads about using the U/U powder to make a version of a Bloody Mary. That helps me when I crave something savory. I sometimes also just sip a plain cup of hot broth. Better than Bullion brand is low calorie, fast, and easy to make to fight that craving. The vegetable stock is pretty good. Keep an eye on sodium though. :wink: Or make your own homemade lower sodium stock and freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop them into a freezer bag.

Drink alot of water as well! It will help with feeling fuller and you really need more than you’d imagine.

Read thru this forum. There are many ideas here that will really help you.

I don’t specifically eat at any preset hour. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I wake up and take pills for my thyroid that don’t like food sigh wait 30-45 minutes, have coffee and mix a Huel. After my coffee, I drink my breakfast. And space the others thru my day. It’s very fluid and not everything works for everyone. I encourage you to make it easy for your schedule and needs. It took me a little trial and error. There’s no single right way to do it, except YOUR way.

It keeps me satisfied, not stuffed but full. It was harder right at first. I do get cravings of course, but once I got adjusted to the routine, it’s been better. Just keep your goals in mind! Envision yourself succeeding when you want pie or whatever. Mmmm pie… :smirk::drooling_face::joy::rofl: Picture you at a healthy weight. Doing more and more things you enjoy. The craving will pass. Try to do something else to put it out of your mind.

I haven’t tried the cappuccino flavor yet. Someone else will have to weigh in on that. I don’t know if it has added caffeine. Those mix ins are strongly flavored, you only add a teaspoon or so.

Good luck to you! Please stay on the forum and let us know how you’re doing. There’s some very helpful people on here that can answer most anything you throw at them. Food journals also help. Some here use Fitness Pal as well. Find what helps you to stay engaged and accountable.

:slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face:

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http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

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@teame122 - Thank you so much for the information! It’s nice to know the vanilla flavor at standalone is actually palatable. One of the things I really want to try is a frozen blueberry and vanilla almond milk Huel smoothie (Huelie?). Thank you for letting me know that there wasn’t anything much in the way of gastro issues. I have IBS from lacking a gallbladder so I do expect some “adjustments” systemically speaking.

@Sondi - I never mind wordiness! Thank you so much for responding! I definitely am going to follow Huel instructions for getting into it - eventually 3x a day and supplementing with fruit or the occasional normal meal every once in a while (I wish I could quit you, pizza).

The calculator is an AMAZING tool. Looks like 1500-1900 is what I need to lose 2+ pounds a week, which is 500 calories per meal. That seems about average from what I’ve been able to tell. I know adjustments may be needed to find out what works for me - I think I’ll need to grind a lot of ice in because I love that texture. Huel milkshakes (Huelshakes? Okay I’ll stop.)

Water drinking is something I’ve grown to love so being hydrated won’t be an issue. I also have CHOCOLATE PB powder which I will try to mix in, in a heartbeat. That stuff is amazing. :slight_smile:

Thank you guys so much for all the information. I appreciate it more than I can say. <3

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Vanilla Huel by itself is pretty good. It doesn’t take much to flavor it up. Here are some simple mixtures that don’t add much sugar. I always recommend using a blender to fully homogenize. All are with 500 to 600 ml water.

  1. 3 scoops vanilla Huel + 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter. (Optional: sprinkle some cinnamon on top before blending.)

  2. 3 Scoops vanilla Huel + 12 raw cashews. (Optional: sprinkle some cinnamon, or add a full teaspoon of the Huel coco powder.)

  3. 3 Scoops Huel + handfull of frozen blueberries.

Always drink a gulp of water after finishing a Huel dosage, to wash down any remaining grittiness.

It will take a few days to get used to the texture. It may also take a few days to get used to the lower glycemic index. There is hardly any sugar in Huel and the oats are slow digesting carbs. Your brain will not like eating this the first few days and you may feel sugar withdrawals. Stick with it and this will go away soon. Don’t judge it on the first day.

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I’m also 31, using Huel for 2/3 meal replacement, and starting weight was 328 lbs.

I changed my diet 4 months ago, which brought me down to about 308 lbs. I started Huel just about a month ago and am down to 285 lbs. We’re in a similar boat, and I think I can help provide meaningful input. Honestly, I have not read your existing responses, so I apologize for overlap.

  1. I started on regular Vanilla. I just swapped to U/U gluten free. I had to go gluten free on this because of some medical stuff, and this helps, but the U/U is a huge change for me. I think I might prefer the Vanilla, as I like sweeter flavors. I’m going to try savory today, though!

I love cinnamon, and that has been a staple flavor for me. I tend to use 2 liberal tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 3 drops orange oil if I want some punch. On Vanilla, I could drink it for days, but the regular Vanilla I found to be just fine.

  1. 3 500kcal meals might be enough, but there’s no way for us to really tell you that. Instead, you need to determine what your basal metabolic rate is, and then cut your caloric intake to 20-25% of that value. If I told you to just take in 1,500kcal, I might be doing you a massive disservice. You could be way undercutting and slow your metabolism even more and stop losing weight.

Personally, I do 3 scoops per meal, so about 450kcal, and only twice a day, though I’m working on 3 meals plus a regular meal in the evening. I find that I can do a single 3-scoop meal and be just fine until my next about 5 hours later. The GI levels on this is pretty low, and because the macros are well balanced, you feel satisfied for a long time. Depending on your diet prior, this may not be the case for a week or two.

Remember that your goal should be about .5 lbs lost per week. It’s a seemingly low number, but that’s still 2 lbs a month, which is really good. You’ll lose more inherently, especially as your body appreciates the flood of proper nutrition hitting it.

  1. I accidentally went into this already, but this varies person to person. Personally, 3-scoop meals last me about 5 hours. I feel satisfied until that, then it kinda feels like sliding down a cliff for me. Another meal and I climb back up at a good pace and stay there for the same amount of time.

If you’re just starting out and making the transition, be sure to bag 2, 1 or 2 scoop snacks. There’s nothing wrong with having a little extra during your usual scheduled meals.

  1. Caffeine keeps me going for a pretty long time. I have a thyroid issue, and caffeine exasperates that from time to time, so I try to keep my caffeine intake to 3pm or less. I think the caffeine in the flavor is pretty low: 35mg per serving? It shouln’t be a problem. Personally, I prefer just making myself some coffee over ice, then adding Huel to that. The flavor is much better, in my honest opinion, but the packet works in a quick pinch just fine.

A final thought for you:

Don’t attempt to just drop your weight by diet alone, all the way down to 160 lbs. Now that I have some excess weight off, I have more energy and capability. Work out by lifting weights. With the protein you’ll be getting from Huel, it should help you make some good gains while losing that excess fat. Also, I recommend looking into intermittent fasting. It isn’t for everyone (nothing is), but it could work for you. I will be using this in tandem with working out to see how my body responds and if it sheds weight any better.

If you wait to drop 200 lbs, you’re going to be upset with your body image. The moment you get to 300 lbs (maybe more: The sooner the better), look to exercise. Until then, take the time to research that out. I didn’t look into your plan, but here’s my source for most fitness stuff: https://www.muscleforlife.com/

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In regards to calorie counting, here’ my 2 cents. Based on what I’ve read regarding fat regulation, weight loss, as well as my own personal experience… It’s not an exact science and I’m not sure if it’s necessary. Because our sleep amount, physical activity, insulin sensitivity, resting metabolic rate (which varies throughout the day and is interdependent on many factors) vary from day to day and person to person, I am not convinced that a calculator is the best way to determine how much Huel to consume. Certainly, there are ballpark figures. But I think that weight loss can occur without sticking to the calculation.

In essence, if you keep eating a low glycemic index diet and increase your physical activity, you will lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity. At that point, your hunger transforms from a mere psychological hunger to a more physiological hunger where you eat if you need to. If you are low on energy and are not hijacked by sugar addiction, then you can safely eat more without worrying about what this will do to the weight loss regimen. In other words, just do some form of exercise and eat lower GI foods, and then simply eat at much or as little as your body tells you.

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@Deron - I love the blueberry idea! I don’t have a blender but I’m hoping elbow grease will have an acceptable result. I also won’t judge it until the first month. All I’m starting with is replacing breakfasts since that’s the meal I want to put the least amount of effort into in the morning.

@jmelton - I don’t have gluten issues but sweet is something I can’t get enough of, so I forwent the flavor packs and just got vanilla. I think I’ll like it, especially if it’s really cold (yay ice cubes!) I also adore cinnamon and plan on using it on occasion.

As far as the caloric intake, I’m going to experiment, but I did find this (unofficial) Android app which does offer some suggestions I may work with. (link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.lawilliams.huel&hl=en)

I plan on trying out with coffee and hot cocoa mixes into Huel. I definitely am going to try with a thicker portion with milk and ice. I’m positive I could make this taste like a milkshake if I try.

I won’t be dropping by diet alone, this is just to get my eating in order AND prep me for working out AND getting me down to where I can exercize without nearly dropping in five minutes. I have a premier membership to OrangeTheory Fitness (link: https://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/) which is straight up interval training with weights, resistance, water rowing, treadmill and everything awesome for an hour. Once I get into that I know weight will start melting off. I’m excited to get back into it.

I appreciate the link and I will definitely look into the muscle for life stuff! :slight_smile:

@Deron (again) - There’s no aspect of health that is an exact science (damn it), but I definitely am going to try to work out what will work with me. My doctor and I are in close contact and I have access to a nutritionist through my work so I’ll be bouncing off ideas if I need help.

Thank you everyone for your input! It really does mean a lot and I read every word. <3

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I’m trying to use Huel to lose weight also. I prefer it straight (vanilla) and not too cold.

I notice when it’s really cold, the texture turns into something like pancake batter, and I feel as though a lot is wasted stuck in the mixer.

I like it when I can drink it.

I haven’t really gone all in; just one meal here and there. I worry I will crave bad food all day. Oh well, I have to start!

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Hi!

I am just slightly older than you at 32 and also trying to use hulu for weight loss. In addition to weight loss as someone who is bordering somewhere between pre-diabetic and actually diabetic, I am hoping to get carbs (I love carbs) under control.

I immediately jumped into 2 Huel shakes a day and 1 regular meal a day. My activity level is pretty light. I go on an occasional walk and move a bit throughout my day but not enough. I am 6"0 and started at almost 355 pounds and have lost just over 10 pounds since I started the diet on Saint Patrick’s Day.

That being said, it is important to note the following: this weight loss has happened despite a day or two where I did not utilize Huel, occasional setbacks where I may have eaten things I’m trying to avoid, etc. I improve on doing less than that over time.

For breakfast and lunch, I generally have the shakes and then for dinner I eat something that is somewhere between what I want and being mindful of carbs. Often, this is a sandwich that clocks in at around 600 calories. There have been other nights though where it might be a plate of chicken wings that clocks in closer to 1000. There have been 2 pizza nights in there, both of which I regretted and have vowed to cut the pizza out. There have been a couple fast food nights where I often get a couple burgers minus the buns and usually avoid the fries but haven’t been perfect on that either.

My activity level hasn’t changed a whole lot but I’m hoping as I feel better that will be less true.

I used to almost never eat breakfast and my lunch and dinner times (whether I ate them, when I ate them, how much I ate, etc.) varied wildly. Since getting in breakfast, I am waking up with and getting through the moring with way more energy.

I should admit as well (if it hasn’t become clear yet), I am a fairly lazy meal prepper. This is what I do for my two huel shakes every day:

  1. At night, usually as I’m making my evening meal or cleaning up from it, I get out my kitchen scale, huel, added ingrediants and blender bottles.
  2. I do not like to fuss with a blender, I measure out power. Usually I only measure out 115-120 grams of powder instead of the full 127 serving to account for an addition.
  3. I add 400 ml of water. Then I add the measured out Huel. I also add a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon (while I like cinnamon, I do this mostly for the regulation of blood sugar affects studies have suggested it has. Most people use more cinnamon than this for taste. I don’t because I’m hyper paranoid about cinnamon toxicity which I am sure I blow out of proportion.) I also add about 8g of cacao powder. I like the flavor of cacao. It is also considered a superfood and makes the vanilla flavored Huel less sweet, which I am a big fan of.
  4. I then shake this up for several seconds.
  5. I then top this off with more water. This is around another 150mL or so. I’m not super picky on this, I basically just go back almost, but not quite to the top of the 700mL cup.
  6. More shaking for several seconds.
  7. I refrigerate them overnight. I drink one in the morning and take another to work with me for lunch and keep it in the fridge there.
  8. Rinse and Repeat in the evening.

I have also taken a couple steps to monitor my health/fitness. I purchased for around $30 one of the cheaper fitness bands that meaures heart rate, sleep, steps taken, etc. As a bonus, it has an alarm that will vibrate to wake me and will also vibrate to alert me of calls coming in on my cell, as I have a bad habit of almost always keeping my cell on silent.

I also purchased for around $30 one of the cheaper scales that also has an app with it that tracks your weight and many other biometrcis (which I barely pay attention to).

Another huge change I made is I only drink water now. I cut out the diet soda (which I gave Trump a run for his money for in drinking). i think this has benefited me enormously. To try to sneak extra water into my diet (because I am terrible at staying hydrated), I have made it routine that whenever I finish a huel shake, I fill the cup back up with water and shake it (to retain the remaining nutrients in the cup) and drink that as well.

I should also mention that I do not necessarily recommend jumping immediately into 2 shakes as I did. My discomfort level the first week was not inconsiderable but I also am stubborn and was determined I was doing it. I also have a hard time making changes and for me, the best way to do it is to just drown myself in the change.

These are just some things that have worked for me and my own journey and setbacks. I wish you luck with your journey as well!

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@QueenAqua

Just discovered another good combination:

  1. 500 to 600 ml water
  2. 3 scoops Vanilla Huel
  3. Half or third of an apple, cut into a few pieces
  4. Tablespoon of natural peanut butter
  5. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top
    Blend

I suppose that some unsweetened applesauce would be just as good as the apple itself.

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@Dan - Thank you for your response! Part of the reason I’m excited to start is because they actually detail that every once in a while, having a ‘normal’ meal is a good idea if you’re going 3x a day with Huel. So every month, I could have a pizza night without worrying (I’m right there with you. I love pizza and ice cream and everything else. Didn’t get up to my weight for no reason, lol!)

I’m happy to know that the Huel still works even if you do slip up because I know it’s likely for me. I’m one of the sort of people who can eat the same thing over and over again without getting burnt out, with a little variety here and there (flavorings and cinnamon, etc.)

The way you describe prepping Huel sounds awesome. I do like cacao and that stuff sounds amazing. I do want to get a scale for myself, but I also need a good blender/emulsifier. Until then, elbow grease for me!

Filtered water is supplied en masse at my work so drinking water is no problem. I do love my diet sodas but I plan on cutting back because water is just plain better for you. I am only going to start with one per day because if I miss breakfast, I get sick in a hurry, but I definitely know I’ll be upping it eventually to 3x a day. I appreciate all of your advice, thank you so much for letting me into your path. :slight_smile:

@Deron - OMG that sounds amazing! Like a peanut butter and apple sandwich with cinnamon undertones :smiley: I have some chocolate PB powder which I plan on adding a bit of because more protein is always a good thing and it’ll cut the vanilla taste if it ends up being too much. But that sounds wonderful :smiley:

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@Wn2fsh - I’m hoping to find a balance between smoothness and chill, because I love cold drinks. I hope you get to your goal soon! :smiley: