New to Huel / Going 100% Huel!

1Week Update:

I’ve been 100% Huel for a week now (as of Friday), and things are going pretty well over all. I feel energetic overall, which is surprising given the calorie deficit I’ve been in. I have had a few cravings for solid food, but they passed quickly. I still enjoy the Huel, and I’ve placed another order with some strawberry flavor to experiment with. I’ve dropped 2.2 pounds over the last week, and 1% body fat which I’m impressed with. My total body water has actually increased slightly, so I don’t feel the drop was related to water shifts. If I continue to lose weight this quickly I’ll probably increase my calorie intake, as I think 2 pounds per week is a bit too aggressive for me. My calculations were intended to put me at 1 pound per week fat loss, and I don’t want to compromise the lean mass that I have. If anybody is wondering, I’m taking my body composition analysis with an InBody 570 machine, so the method is direct segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.

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Hi BMcCune,

I just wanted to say thank you for such a thorough and clinical breakdown of your use of Huel. I like hearing the intangibles as much as anyone (how you feel, cravings, challenges, etc) but that married with such objective analysis gives a complete picture.

Sometimes our stats are lagging indicators so good on you for going a full month. That should be a sufficient sample size… thank you again!

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Two week update:

I’m 2 weeks in to my Huel only diet, and I really enjoy it so far. I actually really like the flavor of the regular vanilla Huel, but I’ve also gotten the strawberry flavor boost, and it’s pretty decent too. My energy levels have come around to be really good at this point, and I’ve noticed that I don’t get as fatigued lifting as I did the first week. I think my body just needed to adjust to the caloric deficit I’m running. Cravings for solid foods have pretty much tapered off for me, but I’m a creature of habit thanks to the military, so I may not notice as much as others will. Last week I actually broke a couple different plateau weights powerlifting, so that was very reassuring to me.

I’ve leaned out considerably, here are a few stats from the last two weeks:
Start -> 1 week -> 2 weeks
Weight: 207.2 -> 205.0 -> 202.6
Body Fat: 19.9 -> 18.9 -> 18.0
Total body water: 121.7 -> 121.7 -> 121.9
BMI: 31.0 -> 30.7 -> 30.4
ECW/TBW: 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.373

These measurements were all taken on an InBody analyzer, same time of day on Friday mornings, under the same conditions prior to workout (food, water intake, etc.)

Very positive progress so far, and I’m feeling really good!

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3 Week update:

Still feeling pretty good after my third week on Huel, it’s become a very easy routine for me as far as diets go, and I still enjoy it. My energy levels are very good, and I’ve ramped up my exercise routine a bit. I’m strength training 2 days on and 1 day off, with 30 minutes of cardio on lifting days and 1 hour of cardio on rest days. All rest days are active rest, so while I am doing 1 hour of cardio, my circuits are all low resistance with a goal heart rate between 130-140. My cardio routines are all 15 minute circuits between rowing, stationary bike, elliptical, climbing machine, stair-stepper, and the trusty old treadmill. I’ve continued to make significant progress in leaning out; I’ve gotten far more vascular and I can see the start of some abdominal definition finally. I still have plenty of belly fat I’d like to drop over the next month. I’m scheduling my next set of full labs to follow up on my initial post for late April, just after I’ve hit the 2 month mark of my Huel diet.

Stats update for the 3 week progress mark:
Start -> 1 week -> 2 weeks -> 3 weeks
Weight: 207.2 -> 205.0 -> 202.6 -> 200.8
Body Fat: 19.9 -> 18.9 -> 18.0 -> 14.8
Total body water: 121.7 -> 121.7 -> 121.9 -> 125.2
BMI: 31.0 -> 30.7 -> 30.4 -> 30.1
ECW/TBW: 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.370

These measurements were all taken on an InBody analyzer, same time of day on Friday mornings, under the same conditions prior to workout (food, water intake, etc.) I had a significant increase in total body water this week, and I’m wondering if that affected my body fat reading being that I had such a significant decrease over the week…

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1 Month Update

I’ve completed a whole month on my Huel diet and things are going really well. I’m pretty adapted to just Huel now, and any food cravings I had have pretty much disappeared. I’ve noticed that I’m processing it efficiently, and I can feel when my body needs more calories. Right around 3.5-4 hours I start feeling tired, but after I eat again that’s gone pretty quickly. It may just be me, but I feel like I need to drink more water than I previously have to keep up with my diet, I seem to feel dehydrated faster than I did on solid foods. From a strength training perspective, I am still making steady progress, no apparent loss of muscle mass or strength from calorie restriction as of yet.

As I had suspected, the difference in total body water at my 3 week analysis had corrected by the next analysis at 1 month, and my body fat reading was a little more realistic. I have scheduled my 2 month follow up blood work for April 10th, and I’m really interested to see what changes this diet has made.

Stats update for the 1 month progress mark:
Start -> 1 week -> 2 weeks -> 3 weeks -> 4 weeks
Weight: 207.2 -> 205.0 -> 202.6 -> 200.8 -> 200.2
Body Fat: 19.9 -> 18.9 -> 18.0 -> 14.8 -> 16.9
Total body water: 121.7 -> 121.7 -> 121.9 -> 125.2 -> 121.9
BMI: 31.0 -> 30.7 -> 30.4 -> 30.1 -> 30.0
ECW/TBW: 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.370 -> 0.375

These measurements were all taken on an InBody analyzer, same time of day on Friday mornings, under the same conditions prior to workout (food, water intake, etc.)

So, total 1 month weight loss of 7.0 pounds with a body fat decrease of 3.0%

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One thing I forgot to mention, I just received another order of Huel last Friday, and it seems like the new shipping setup they have is paying off. I ordered 8 bags on Tuesday, and it showed up via Fedex on Friday. Hopefully this 3-4 day turnaround is the new norm for shipping, it was certainly a pleasant surprise this week!

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5 Week update:

Busy morning so I’m just updating stats for the 5 week progress mark. Still making some good progress although not as dramatic change as the first few weeks.

Stats update for the 5 week progress mark:
Start -> 1 week -> 2 weeks -> 3 weeks -> 4 weeks -> 5 weeks
Weight: 207.2 -> 205.0 -> 202.6 -> 200.8 -> 200.2 -> 199.1
Body Fat: 19.9 -> 18.9 -> 18.0 -> 14.8 -> 16.9 -> 15.5
Total body water: 121.7 -> 121.7 -> 121.9 -> 125.2 -> 121.9 -> 123.5
BMI: 31.0 -> 30.7 -> 30.4 -> 30.1 -> 30.0 -> 29.8
ECW/TBW: 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.370 -> 0.375 -> 0.373

These measurements were all taken on an InBody analyzer, same time of day on Friday mornings, under the same conditions prior to workout (food, water intake, etc.)

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This is awesome. Curious to this InBody thing, something someone can purchase online?

You can purchase InBody analyzers online, but it’s not very realistic to own one. The retail price for the InBody 570 I’m using is around $10,000, and I’ve never seen the price on the 770 model that we have in the hospital. I did see someone selling a used 570 online for $6,700 a while back, not sure if it’s still there or not.

A lot of performance nutrition shops will have them available to use for their customers, and some gyms also have them on hand. You’re much better off finding a shop that has one and asking to use it, most of the nutrition shops are happy to help you out. Companies like Omron have much cheaper “consumer level” body fat analyzers, but I would be cautious about purchasing one. They’re much more affordable, but in testing we’ve shown that they’re not very accurate or consistent in their measurements.

What city do you live in? I might be able to find you a shop that has one.

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Oklahoma City. I looked online, although you can probably do a better search than I can, but the closest to me is Dallas. This might be okay, I mean I could feasibly get down there every three - six months or so. If you’ve got something closer than three hours away though, I’m all ears :smiley:

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I’ll take a look and see what I can find for ya!

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Alright, made it 6 weeks so far and everything is still going well. I’ve moved from an endurance routine in the gym to a powerlifting routine, and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to hang like I used to with the calorie deficit I’m at, but I was definitely wrong. We had deadlifts yesterday and I was able to get 10 reps at 400 lbs, which I felt really good about. All of my lifting weights are moving up steadily, and the progress is really motivating. I’m still cutting weight and body fat at a reasonable pace, and I’m feeling really healthy. I’m really looking forward to seeing what my labs look like in a couple of weeks compared to when I started. My body fat reading was below 15% today, and I feel confident that it’s accurate this time. Ultimately my goal is to be below 10%, and I know that will take some serious work.

Stats update for the 6 week progress mark:
Start -> 1 week -> 2 weeks -> 3 weeks -> 4 weeks -> 5 weeks -> 6 weeks
Weight: 207.2 -> 205.0 -> 202.6 -> 200.8 -> 200.2 -> 199.1 -> 198.9
Body Fat: 19.9 -> 18.9 -> 18.0 -> 14.8 -> 16.9 -> 15.5 -> 14.9
Total body water: 121.7 -> 121.7 -> 121.9 -> 125.2 -> 121.9 -> 123.5 -> 124.1
BMI: 31.0 -> 30.7 -> 30.4 -> 30.1 -> 30.0 -> 29.8 -> 29.8
ECW/TBW: 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.373 -> 0.370 -> 0.375 -> 0.373 -> 0.372

These measurements were all taken on an InBody analyzer, same time of day on Friday mornings, under the same conditions prior to workout (food, water intake, etc.)

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Do you have instagram? I’m keen to follow your progress. I appreciate anyone who includes numbers with their fitness. I run a CF gym in Medford, Oregon.

My IG is @anazaomedford or @samuelleegoing

I’m @bamccune on instagram

As promised, I’ve hit a full 2 months on diet of Huel, and I’ve gotten my lab results back! I’m really happy with the overall results I’ve gotten over the last 2 months, and I plan on continuing with the Huel. Here are my updated labs:

Start -> 2 Months

36 yr old male, 5 ft. 9 in.
BP 127/72, Pulse 51 -> 123/74, Pulse 51
207.2 lb -> 196.2 lb
19% BF -> 13.2% BF
BMR ~2036 kcal -> 2042 kcal
Lean Body Mass 169lb -> 170lb
Total daily energy expenditure 2952 kcal, based on an activity modifier of 1.4
ICW 76.3 -> 78.5
ECW 45.4 -> 46.3
TBW 121.7 -> 124.8
ECW/TBW ratio 0.373 -> 0.371

A/G RATIO 1.6 -> 1.5
ANION GAP 11 -> 15 mmol/L
GLUCOSE 90 -> 84 mg/dL
SODIUM 139 -> 141 mmol/L
POTASSIUM 4.3 -> 4.2 mmol/L
CHLORIDE 103 -> 104 mmol/L
CARBON DIOXIDE 30 -> 26 mmol/L
UREA NITROGEN 20 -> 32 mg/dL
CREATININE 1.2 -> 1.2 mg/dL
TOTAL PROTEIN 7.3 -> 7.3 g/dL
ALBUMIN 4.4 -> 4.4 g/dL
CALCIUM,TOTAL 9.1-> 9.4 mg/dL
BILIRUBIN,TOTAL 0.6 -> 0.7mg/dL
ALKALINE PHOS 64 -> 70 IU/L
AST 42 -> 54 IU/L
ALT 44 -> 59 IU/L
eGFR 69 -> 69
CHOLESTEROL 157 -> 111 mg/dL
HDL CHOLESTEROL 45 -> 39 mg/dL
CHOL/HDL RATIO 3.5 -> 3.2
TSH 2.84 -> 3.28 mIU/L
TRIGLYCERIDE 90 -> 105 mg/dL
LDL (CALCULATED) 94 -> 57 mg/dL
HEMOGLOBIN A1C 5.3 -> 5.2

No abnormalities in any of my basic metabolic panel or electrolytes to report. The biggest changes were in weight, body fat, and cholesterol. I lost 11 pounds of fat over 8 weeks, which is actually a little more aggressive than I had planned on. This amounted to almost 6% decrease in body fat. My total cholesterol decreased by ~30%, and LDL was almost cut in half. I wasn’t expecting such a dramatic change in cholesterol, but I’m really excited with those results. My A1c dropped slightly, but A1c is a 3 month average, so it’s only partially accredited to the last 2 months. My calculated lean body mass actually increased by 1 pound, which was a concern of mine when I started. Overall it’s been a great 2 months for transformation!

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This was great. Awesome results! I just wish it was truly just 100% Huel. About 18% of your calories came from other sources. Making it an 82% Huel diet. Perhaps it would have been too difficult for you to get your protein needs by just consuming more Huel.
I just ordered my first 6 bags of Huel. Planning on going 100%. No added protein, supplements or coffee. The protein in Huel is already close to double what I currently consume per 2000 cal.
I’m excited to give this a try. Unfortunately, I won’t have the labs or body mass testing equipment.
Thanks for sharing!

I am doing Huel and water. The only other calories I get would be from green tea with a little sugar. I made it 17 days so far. My story is a little different, as I started because of a severe health issues, but I am very happy to realize someone already proved the long term viability of consuming it as a primary source. I also want to get regular blood tests, and plan to stay on Huel and water for as long as I can. At this point, I was so messed up, I am scared to consume anything else until I get a proper diagnosis, if I can ever find a doctor who really listens and tries. My primary doctor is sending me to colitis specialist next week that is supposedly good. I was diagnosed with IBS in spite of a lot of things that contraindicate IBS, including a family history of Crohn’s. Good doctors sure are hard to find…

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Dang, Johnnie. I hope your Gastroenterologist can find the proper medical help for you. Inflammatory Bowel can be really difficult to deal with and causes some really annoying symptoms. The good news is there are several new “biologicals” and other immune modulating drugs available with more success should the older drugs fail. It’s sometimes a matter of convincing the insurance to cover them.

So does the Huel help with the symptoms?

Thanks very much. Huel helps with the symptoms for a very simple reason. It provides solid nutrition that is consistent and it does not promote inflammation. I do not thing Huel and water is necessary for everyone, but I
had tried a lot of diets and exclusions that never worked, so I used it as a diagnostic step. Eliminate everything unnecessary, drink Huel and water and pay attention to what happens. I did not expect it to work that fast though, so it was overwhelming. It really helped me understand for certain about the inflammation, but I had not really understood how far outside of the digestive tract it had gone. Another present from Crohn’s, if that is it.

Whatever it was, I went to them for help, and I do not know why they did not check for obvious clues. One of the signs gastroenterologists could look for would be visual indicators for inflammation. Swollen eyes are a possible complication of Crohn’s. My Mother tried going on Huel and water last week, and she also said he vision improved and she had not realized all the swelling. She is eighty and has a host of issues at that age. She says she could only sit around for a month. I bought her some Huel and today she was digging potatoes out of the ground, her vision improved and she is feeling better in many ways, including the GI issues. She is not quite there yet, but getting close to similar results to my own. She was never diagnosed beyond it being colitis, but somehow she got a more accurate diagnosis without trying, and I was stuck with the IBS for years, basically making my condition worse by taking some of the medications and following diets that would never work.

All I know for sure is most of the suffering was from the massive systemic inflammation I had, whatever the cause. Once that subsided, I felt much better, but do still have something in there. Going on the Huel diet made it go from a dragon to a mouse though, so it barely phases me. I made an excruciatingly lengthy and overenthusiastic post when I realized what happened. I literally had some difficulty mentally processing such good results after a fifteen year struggle and more tests that I can count, so please forgive the excessive enthusiasm in the post.

I think another key benefit is simply calories. People suffering with IBS or IBD become leery of food, so we eat less and then our body has even less energy to fight. My realy improvement was going above my minimum needs per day. That is when the body starts really repairing, from what I observed.

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