Started Huel: May 4, 2019 @ 310 lbs
1st weigh-in: May 12, 2019 @ 301 lbs
2nd weigh-in: May 19, 2019 @ 297 lbs
3rd weigh-in: May 26, 2019 @ 295 lbs
4th weigh-in: June 2, 2019 @ 291 lbs
5th weigh-in: June 9, 2019 @ 291 lbs
6th weigh-in: June 16, 2019 @ 290 lbs
1st month weight loss = 19lbs
2nd month weight loss = 1lbs SO FAR
I’m 27 years old, 6’1" 310 pounds at the start of my journey. I’m a father of one and soon to be father of two in September. I’m a mail carrier but I’m in the truck most of the day. I’m a recovering alcoholic and I’m recently 3 years sober. I want to live as long as possible to watch my children grow. Having children put everything into perspective. I don’t want them looking at their dad and thinking it’s ok to not be healthy. I researched plenty of products to help me out. These forums and the Huel website itself sold me on choosing Huel.
My current routine is 1 scoop of Huel in the morning with 8 ounces of whole milk and a tablespoon of instant coffee. The whole milk makes up for the missing calories from 2 scoops. For lunch I have 2 scoops with 12 ounces of an almond/cashew milk blend. This blend has about half the calories of straight almond milk. For dinner I usually have a Chipotle bowl with brown rice, chicken, fajita veggies, tomatoes, corn and lettuce. If I don’t get Chipotle I do 1 scoop of Huel with 8 ounces of whole milk.
My favorite Huel powders in order are Unflavored/Unsweetened, Vanilla, Chocolate and lastly Berry which I don’t like very much. Mixing a scoop of U/U with Berry does help dilute the sweetness and taste. This is what I’ll be doing until I am finished with it and won’t be ordering another Berry bag. The U/U is my favorite because it’s natural base flavor is good to me and it will change flavor with mostly anything you add to it. I’ve discovered flavor syrups don’t flavor it very well for some reason, though. Vanilla powder is sweet but it is very good with half U/U in it as well. Chocolate is great on it’s own and also tastes somewhat like hot chocolate with the addition of U/U.
I’m sorta where you’re at, there’s a few of us “big” folks here. I do a 3 (original size) scooper for breakfast and a regular meal. I also intermittently fast, so breakfast is at lunchtime. So far, I like the caramel best.
For weight loss, be mindful of what you add into the mix. The calories tend to sneak up on ya.
Which powder did you use the caramel boost with? I couldn’t taste it in the chocolate and I only did one scoop. I did do 10oz of water instead of 8oz but that’s not too much of a difference.
First of all, welcome to the forums. I was a big dude back in my late 20’s, early 30’s. So I understand where you’re coming from. You’re on the right course now.
First things first: don’t even bother with U/U Huel. The U/U is only for people who really don’t like any of the flavored ones or who don’t like the taste of sucralose or stevia. I am forcing myself to finish up my last bit of U/U and I have to add a lot to it to make it palatable. (The apple cinnamon Huel flavor packet + PB + banana + pumpkin pie spice is doing the trick.) Vanilla Huel is much better and it’s taste is compatible with a wide range of flavors, so you won’t even need U/U. I think U/U is most useful for baking and for savory flavors.
Caramel flavor packet is my personal favorite. It goes extremely well with vanilla.
I know it’s weird, but I found that my “greens” powder tastes really good with both my berry and chocolate Huel powder. It’s just a mix of different freeze dried green vegetables, like kale, spinach, wheat grass, etc. I think it’s called Amazing Grass green superfood or something. It’s an easy way to get a serving of green vegetables and for some reason it tastes good with these two Huel flavors.
Thanks for the advice. I’m still tempted to try a bag of the unflavored just to see if I could play around with it. How would you describe the unflavored powder’s natural taste, if it has any hint of anything at all?
I’ve been on Huel for awhile but just tried Berry on Saturday and I concur. Not a fan, but…it isn’t objectionable enough that it might not grow on me.
Thing to keep in mind, if you want to keep doing the Huel thing, flavors will get boring. Humans are mentally hardwired to have a varied diet. Eating the same thing every meal isn’t natural to us so varying flavors even if its something we aren’t a fan of is necessary.
I’ve actually mixed a scoop of U/U in water and took a sip. You wanna know what it tastes like? It tastes like dissapointment .
Imagine reaching for a chocolate chip cookie, biting into it, and then realizing it was oatmeal raisin… Multiply that feeling by 10 and that’s what it feels like to drink U/U Huel with no additives.
That’s really unfair. If you expect Unflavored and Unsweetened to be either Flavored or Sweetened your expectation should be examined.
U/U is exactly what it claims to be. I found the vanilla much too sweet and it made me uncomfortably gassy. I usually use 100mL of juice and 300mL of water to 120g of powder, immersion blend in the shaker and drink the whole thing down in one gulp (sometimes i take a breath, so two gulps)
If you want caffeine, make a pot of coffee then keep it in the refrigerator so you can use coffee instead of water (or use instant coffee if you’re not a coffee snob)
Anyway, just wanted to remind anyone reading this thread that U/U delivers exactly what it intends for those who don’t want extra sweeteners (for whatever reason) and would rather add flavors from whole ingredients such as actual fruit (bananas) or berries (blueberry) or real coffee.
…or Hershey’s Syrup and Kahlua… if you’re planning on that kind of day
UU is also for those of us who find vanilla much too sweet. I am one of the many folk who mix the two in order to mellow the sweetness. If I’m adding a flavor boost, or sweet fruit, then I do about 60% UU to 40% vanilla. With no additives, I do the reverse.
Be that as it may, he asked for my opinion and that’s my honest opinion.
I will be finishing my 4th and last bag of U/U Huel. I can make it work. It’s much more effort to make it tasty, though. And in light of the two new flavors, it’s not necessary for me to use U/U anymore.
I’ve been using Huel since February and only have interest in U/U. I guess as chef in my past life, I like to concoct my own flavors. The flavor of U/U is oatmealish, a nice neutral flavor for a base. On my counter I have everything I need to create whatever I have a taste for from savory, sweet and energizing; cocoa powder, stevia, instant expresso, powdered vanilla, matcha, kosher salt (pinch in every concoction), cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, granulated garlic, etc. I usually use water as the fluid, but sometimes I’ll use various vegetable, fruit or combination of juices. I also use a green powder that I mix into a Huel shake daily. I use two scoops a shake and will have as many as 6 on a day I don’t consume anything else.
I’m a former chef who thinks this way as well and is why I’m interested in the U/U. You’re the second person @billyjef to mention greens powder as an addition to your Huel. I’ll have to check that out.
I’m also a big guy, recovering alcoholic and I also consider myself a food addict. I keep the ingredients to easily whip up whatever I feel will satisfy my hunger not to indulge my obsession with food, but just the opposite. Unlike alcohol, I have to eat so I’ve embraced the mind of those non-foodies who seek some sort of dog chow for humans. So I put things into place so that I spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and obsessing about food as little as possible, but also won’t trigger a need and hunger for other food. This allows me to focus on living.
One thing I’ve learned from years of being a chef and food addict, often us chefs actually prefer simpler foods than the people we served…probably another reason the U/U seems preferable.
My basic goto mix is 2 scoops of U/U, with an 1/8 teaspoon stevia and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (ice and water to measure 20oz, blended in a sports blender). This basically makes an creamy, sweet, but not too sweet, oatmeal milk. I avoid sugar as much as possible because it triggers physical addiction for me.
Regarding Green Powder, I’d wait until your body adjusts comfortably to huel before adding a green powder as they can also create stress for the body of some people at first. Most the green powders have high amounts of probiotics incorporated in them, in the billions the one I am using, and they can be distressful for the body at first until you adjust to them.
But if you are regularly eating at least one healthy solid meal a day (I strive to just consume huel, so that isn’t a given for me) with vegetables, the green powder isn’t all that necessary anyways.
This might be unwarranted, but I wanted to take a moment to C E L E B R A T E hefty guys (especially dads! ESPECIALLY people overcoming addiction) taking steps to be healthier!!
