I have tremendous respect for you, mate, and you have inspired me to get back on the Huel horse and try again. I never minded the taste, but the grtittiness and inability to mix thoroughly in the shaker no matter how hard I shook it just turned me off . Leaving it in the fridge overnight helped with the grit, but then the mixture got super gummy which also turned me off. I am now looking into buying a Nutribullet to get rid of the chunky gritty issue. Has anyone tried Huel in a Nutribullet?
I hope to , at least partially, join you in your Huel journey. Thank you for posting!
For the average 100%-er, there are lots of snack options that provide satisfactory chewing without adding major calories or carbs: pickles (indeed, pickled anything), celery and raw veg. of all sorts, apples. @Chris_H, consider widening your very restrictive menu to include raw veg. at least, a/o pickles, for variety of taste and texture in a year-long trek.
@fernly Hi Dave ⌠good point on adding options for chewing ⌠My âgoalâ is to go as simple, clean, and efficient as possible - at least at first ⌠want to âplay aroundâ with âbeing uncomfortableâ for awhile :-)@Ze_Cat I do like to use one of those electric smoothie wands to mix (have not tried blender or bullet yet. Thanks for your post ⌠we can do it if we set our minds to it!
Whoa. Thatâs gonna be a big changup for you to go from about 200 - 300 mg caffeine per day to zero.
Just curious as to why you are choosing a no-caffeine approach during your Huel-only diet. And itâs not a judgement thing at all. I myself do only 10 mg of caffeine per day most days from my decaf tea or the chocolate powder in Huel. In essence, I donât really consume caffeine. But I am very sensitive and was also diagnosed with Tourettes as a child. So, avoiding caffeine is beneficial to me. I get jittery, paranoid, my ticks come back, and itâs counter-productive if I have too much.
However, several studies show that modest amounts of caffeine are not only safe but also beneficial to most people. And there may be other health benefits to having a cup of coffee per day. I think consuming coffee may even be associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimerâs later in life.
I can almost see caffeine abstinence as part of an ascetic approach to a fasting or Huel-only lifestyle. To limit and deprive the body of non-essential nutrients. Asceticism as a word is usually seen as something negative. A person denies himself of worldly pleasures. But asceticism can also be seen as a form of mental and physical training. By not indulging in these extra things (sugary foods, coffee, deserts, elaborately cooked meals, caffeine) your brain is free to focus on more spiritual or person things. Fasting in itself is a form of asceticism because you deny yourself food for a period of time in order to focus on spiritual issues. You understand that you do need food to live, but you also choose not to eat for a particular time. You suffer minor discomfort, but this helps keep you grounded. You learn that you donât have to indulge every time you see food. You become more resilient mentally and physically. Life is not always gonna give you abundance, so you better prepare youself for life by intentionally denying yourself basic pleasures for a while. Food is there. But you can choose not to eat it for a while and youâll still be fine. That hamburger is just a 5 minute drive away in the drive-through, but you can choose to consume Huel instead. It may not taste as good as a burger, but you get more benefit from the Huel, both physically and mentally.
I feel that my IF and Huel have given me more benefits that just âlosing weightâ. I have seen other benefits in my life. I am no spiritual guru. But I get benefits far beyond just being skinnier. In some ways I now see that my cravings for certain foods were child-like. Habitual. And when I first started using Huel and practicing IF, my brain would actually protest and throw fits. My âinner toddlerâ was challenging my decision to not eat these things. It has opened my eyes to just how much I followed my primitive and habitual nature when it came to food.
@Deron - For me, and my journey, the use of Huel is only one part of what I am trying to accomplish over a 365 day period. I am making radical and abrupt changes (âradical and abruptâ by my standards - not necessarily anyone elseâs âŚ) in most of my daily âinputsâ and âprocessingâ in hopes of achieving different âoutputsâ or outcomes. Just a personal experiment with N=1.
T-1 day til Nov 1st: Well, the quest begins tonight at midnight. Interesting to note that my last day for hedonistic consumption falls on All Hallowsâ Eve (while the Nov 1st start date was intentional, Oct 31st as last day for consumption of non-Huel items was not . As an FYI, some of the other changes I will be making for 365 days as of midnight include (but not limited to): no caffeine, no political news, sleeping on the floor, new sleep window (i.e., timing window), only positive/uplifting entertainment (i.e., TV, movies, music, etc.), mindfulness each morning, movement each morning, - with an overall goal of Clean, Simple, and Efficient in all things (no harm, no fear, compassion for all, seek truth, seek the present). Let the games begin!
Day 1 of 365: And, weâre off ⌠I will likely fast today in an effort to draw down the glycogen stores that are surely âtopped-offâ after the consumption of large quantities of All Hallowsâ Eve goodies last night (as part of my âlast supperâ) âŚ
Day 2 of 365: Note to self (and others who might benefit for this âobviousâ insight) going âfull-stopâ on nicotine, caffeine, and old foods on the same day, at the same time, can (and will) result in significant disruption and turmoil . Wile day one was a success (Huel only for fuel) I did not âfastâ for day one as contemplated - ultimately consumed 8 scoops of vanilla throughout the afternoon ⌠will (of course, increase the number of scoops per day to about 15.
Um, thatâs your first mention of Old Nick (OâTeen), whoâs the very devil of an addiction. Are you seriously trying to kick a tobacco habit simultaneous with a major dietary change?
Yup ⌠kicked âtobaccoâ a number of years back, but have continued to use âOld Nick (OâTeen)â gum and lozenges for more years than I would ever want to admit publicly ⌠was doesnât kill me, will âŚ
I recall some years ago when my wife and I kicked our cigarette habits, we used nicotine gum. First single pieces of gum, then after a couple weeks, started cutting the gum, which came as little brick-shaped pieces, in half. Then in quarters. When I started cutting them into eighths I thought, OK, weâre done now, and stopped.
Point, such as it is, if this proves a stumbling block to your whole program, consider a planned taper.
Day 3 of 365: Interesting to note how much time I used to spend deciding what, where, and when to eat, as well as, time spent obtaining and/or preparing meals and the related clean-up. Also interesting to note the âmanyâ ways I used food - above and beyond âfuelâ. - - I am very tired, very agitated, and generally unhappy - - This is not related to Huel, but rather, my insistence on a full-stop for âoldâ food and a number of other vices - all at the same time âŚ
Day 4 of 365: This will be my last post on this chain/string for awhile. As some of you have anticipated (possibly all of you anticipatedâŚ) - I tried to change too much too quickly ⌠full stop on complex carbs, nicotine, and caffeine was untenable for me. I need to re-evaluate a path forward ⌠thanks to all for the kind words of support!
fwiw, i donât think you need to stop. You already learned the all-or-nothing approach has a high probability of falling short of the goal.
So what? Tomorrow is another day. Every day is an opportunity to focus on doing better than yesterday.
Keep posting. You already have followers here. I know I wouldnât attempt the climb you have proposed, but you arenât going to reach the peak of Everest if you go home after the first set back.
Share your thoughts on the next track you want to try.
