One Month of Huel (2 meals/day)

Experiences
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Just wanted to report on my first month of Huel. Started on July 28th, and have eaten it every day since then.

How I Prepare Huel
I very quickly settled on this process. I eat 200g of Huel during the work day (usually one at 11 a.m. and one at about 3 or 4 p.m.). I prepare the Huel the night before by blending 2 batches of 100g each and storing it in 2 Klean Kanteens in the Fridge, which I use a lunchbox with an icepack for transport. Sometimes I will have an additional 100g serving of Huel in the evening / at night. I eat a solid food dinner.

Taste
I’ve always been sensitive to artificial sweeteners, and this was one of my big concerns when ordering Huel. It was indeed way too (artificially) sweet for me, tasting like something very unnatural, the same type of feeling I get when drinking diet soda or eating a desert without real sugar. I can thankfully report that after some experiments, I’ve found that using 50g of vanilla or chocolate with 50g of unsweetened unflavored Huel brings it into a very palatable zone for me, sometimes even going to 25g flavored Huel + 75g u/u.

Why Huel
I started Huel, in part, tolose weight. I understand that Huel is NOT a diet drink or anything like that, but knowing my own shortfalls in being able to prepare and plan meals, I decided that it would be a part of my weight loss strategy. I tracked all of my caloric intake for the month, and it also helped me keep an eye on what I was eating. I’ve done calorie tracking before, and it is difficult and can be time consuming, but with Huel I’m cutting out 1/2 to 1/3 of that calculation because it’s so easy to calculate with Huel.

I also wanted to start Huel to control my spending on food, particularly at lunch on workdays. This would help doublefold by preventing me from eating crap for lunch because it was the only option.

Did it work
I started Huel at 400lbs, and am down 18lbs to 382lbs after one month of Huel. I’m happy with this progress, though of course I’m itching to get to my initial goal of 300 lbs. I’m 34, 6’2 and have always been heavy, I was close to 300lbs about 5 years ago while doing a lot of exercise and heavily reducing caloric intake. It was very hard to maintain that weight level, but I never should have allowed myself to get up to 400lbs. I’m hopeful that Huel will help me with this.

Huel has definitely saved me money, I went from eating out at lunch most days or not eating lunch to way overeating for dinner. I think one Huel’s superpower benefits is being able to start eating it RIGHT when you start getting hungry. I’ve learned that the longer I am hungry, the less responsible I am when it comes time to eat.

I find that it is much easier for me to make a responsible decision for dinner when it is the only solid food meal I have to worry about, so even when I’m not eating a balanced meal of Huel, I’m eating MUCH healthier things for dinner, in more reasonable portion sizes.

I feel great, and I’ve been cycling more than I have in the past 2 years during my first month of using Huel.

Problems
See “Taste” section above for an issue I was having with the artificial sweeteners, thankfully I worked that out.

I knew there would be an adjustment time on Huel, and I did experience some gas during the first week or two, but that has subsided entirely. Unfortunately, my bowel movements have been all over the place with Huel. I had straight up diarrhea for the first two weeks, it would happen after ever time I ate a solid food meal. After about week 3 I was thinking things were improving, but then I had another bout of it. Even when I was having more solid movements, they were still very soft and fast. I feel kind of like an old person now, because when I have to go… I have to get to a toilet quickly. This has caused some anxiety in daily activities, knowing at any time I might need to get to a bathroom ASAP. I think the jury is still out on this one, but I really hope this improves. Any tips would be welcome.

Overall
I look forward to eating Huel every day. I am not sick of Huel after eating it every day for a month along with one solid food meal. I think effects on my health (aside from bowel health) have been very positive, and I will continue to eat Huel.

Thanks Huel!

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Congrats on getting through your first month! Your progress is super encouraging. :smile:

It sounds like we have a lot of similarities. I’m also using Huel to help count calories and simplify food prep, and doing about two Huels a day usually. The hungrier I get, the more likely I am to eat junk, too. I have noticed my hunger response changing and weakening since I started almost two weeks ago, though. When I feel it, it’s not nearly so urgent seeming anymore. Having something quick and easy to make on hand is a big reason I decided to try Huel too, though.

Despite being a die-hard breakfast-first-thing-in-the-morning person all my life, I started pushing back my morning Huel until around 11. This has been working for me because I tend to be a night owl and get into snacking if I get hungry before bed. This way I can space my meals out to cover that time of day, versus the morning when I have much less of a snacking habit.

What kind of dinner meals have you been making?

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I’ve been eating A LOT of fish for dinner, probably too much for FDA standards, probably should get a mercury test, haha. Either frozen tuna patties on whole wheat buns, or filets of varying types from trader joes freezer section. I’ll heat up some quick to make frozen asparagus or brussels sprouts to go with it. Also eating some “Banza” chickpea pasta with tomato basil sauce from Trader Joes. I can eat quite a bit of Yogurt & Granola as well. I need to find some more diverse things to make, because I’ve seriously been eating too much fish. I’ve been going out to dinner once per week as well, it’s the only time I eat something that I can’t quantify exactly since the places I go don’t list calories, but I still try to estimate.

I’ve DEFINITELY found that my desire for sugary foods has gone down A LOT. I don’t know if the artifical sweetener is tricking my body into thinking it’s getting a sweet treat, or if keeping myself mostly fulfilled throughout the day has decreased cravings, but I pretty much never crave sugar anymore, which is a good thing. If I do crave something after my dinner meal, I’ll usually just do half a serving of the chocolate Huel as a snack.

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Wow we really are similar! I can totally get into periods where I’ll eat one thing, usually because of convenience. When I quit being vegan, I craved hard cooked eggs, which I ate relentlessly every day for a couple months at least, definitely leading to me doing some googling about safe quantities, lol. My willingness to food prep is pretty much limited to sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and the occasional soup. I have a much higher tolerance for ingredient assembly than I do multi-step cooking processes.

I wish I had a Trader Joe’s where I live! Tuna patty sandwiches sound delicious and easy! I can’t seem to find stuff like that at my nearest store, but I’ll have to check some others.

I have also been going out as a treat every now and then and also do my best to estimate those calories. I’m glad to find out that Chipotle lists the calories of all their ingredients on their menus and online. Half of one of their bowls is pretty satisfying and comes to less than 500 calories, including all the fatty ingredients I would normally get (sour cream and guacamole!) and keeps surprisingly well as leftovers for the next day.

That’s great your cravings have been curbed so well! My cravings seem to reflect more a desire for the mindless snacking behavior (kinda like quitting smoking) and the feeling of fullness from eating all I want. But if I keep my mind from obsessing until my next meal I do fine.

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This is a great detailed review!

We recommend that when you start your Huel diet, you first try replacing 1 meal with Huel, and then after a while (approx. 5-7 days) you could progress to replacing 2 of your daily meals (and then 3, 4, etc. if you want to go 100% Huel). This will allow your body to slowly adjust to Huel.

If you switch from one diet e.g. vegan to paleo, you can experience flatulence and irregular bowel movements, tiredness and/or cravings, etc. It’s not that the diet is bad it’s due to changes in the gut’s microbiome based on their new food source.

Some people swear by probiotics or enzymes but it’s a bit of trial and error.

If you’re worried about your mercury levels try eating smaller fish such as sardines which have lower levels gram for gram.

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OK, coming up on 2 months of Huel. Still drinking it in mostly the same manner & frequency as my last post. Down 10 lbs from my last update, so I’ve gone from 400lbs to 372lbs total. 28 lbs in 2 months, not bad!

Just to be clear, I’m attributing this to calorie counting, not simply drinking Huel. However, some key advantages that Huel has over “traditional” food, is that calorie counting is stupid simple with Huel. I don’t even have to think about it. Another advantage, and a strategy that continues to work for me from my last update, is that I continue to drink Huel as soon as possible when I start to feel hungry, or ideally even a little bit before. Another unique aspect of Huel, its so easy to make that I don’t get into that headspace where I’m too lazy to find a more complicated meal, or succumb to most other “quick” meals that aren’t as healthful, I can just make a quick serving or half serving and be on with my day. This method really seems to cut down on my cravings.

I think one reason my weight loss has slowed down a little bit, aside from it just being easier to lose those first lbs, is that I’ve been cycling a LOT (even completed my first century ride two weeks ago!) and have been prioritizing making sure I’m well fed and fueled for those rides, which sometimes end up pushing me closer to a “break even” rate of consumption than my “goal” 500-800 cal deficit.

I’m pretty neutral on new vanilla vs old vanilla, haha, but I think 50/50 vanilla & u/u + chai flavoring has edged out 50/50 chocolate & u/u as my favorite Huel flavor combo.

@Dan_Huel Thanks for the tip on Sardines, I’ve taken your advice and find them similar enough in flavor to tuna, plus they are more environmentally friendly, which was starting to wear on my conscience with the tuna and salmon.

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Alright, no end of month reports for Oct or Nov as my diet was a little less consistent these months. I definitely “fell off the wagon” so to speak, with some extended periods (several days to a week) without using Huel at all, as well as much less consistent use during lunch time. I was sick twice in this time peroid, which is abnormal but I chalk up to a lack of sleep vs. anything to do with Huel use.

Ok, but now for the month of December I’ve been back on a one meal per day Huel diet, mostly for work lunches, but occasionally for dinner. I think I’ve come to terms with not being able to use Huel for two meals on a regular basis, my system just can not handle it and I find myself having some rather urgent bathroom trips. Using it once per day seems to be perfectly fine, and if anything is keeping me more regular, so to speak.

I’m now down to 355 lbs, so that’s 45 lbs in almost 5 months. My weight loss definitely slowed down in Oct/Nov as I was not as consistent with Huel use, but I’m still pretty happy with my progress. I continue to refine my diet strategy, but think that having Huel for lunch consistently REALLY helps me stay on track and make healthier decisions throughout the day. It’s also been great for holidays, to keep my meals lighter and being able to have half a serving when I know that I’m going to be eating a lot due to a holiday party, etc.

I’ve ordered some Huel bars, so I’m going to see how I work those into my diet. Not sure if I’ll try to eat one per day or just use it as a snack when I get hungry after dinner or if I’m feeling particularly hungry in the afternoon. I’m hoping that the Huel bar will not push me over the edge on bathroom use like a regular second serving of Huel does. I’m also eager to try the new V3 probiotic formula, which maybe will help with bathroom issues as well? I have a decent amount of the current version to go through before I order more, so maybe next month.

I’m not sure if anyone is reading this or finding it interesting, but it’s a good way to keep track of my progress and maybe help/inspire others. Keep on Huelin!!

Oh, another thing. I found Huel use to be kind of embarrassing at first, especially since I’m often times quick to laugh at “fad diets” and the like, but I’ve actually told a couple of people that have asked about my weight loss or are surprised at how quickly I eat lunch or don’t seem to eat it at all (haha) that I’ve been using Huel. I’m not quite ready to endorse it to others wholeheartedly without some caveats about onboarding and errrr… poop issues… but maybe someday (when it fits me) I’ll wear my Huel shirt loud and proud :joy:

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Congrats on your journey and your success. It’s amazing. I also ride a bike, we’re the same height and I think I weigh about 240 and I’m not sure I could knock out a quick century.
Don’t be afraid to continue posting.

One thing I would say about initially having really encouraging weight loss results might have to do with water weight. I only started using Huel recently but I lost 7 pounds in the first 3 days. I associate it entirely to bloating/losing that. I stopped drinking entirely (I work in sales for a wine company and it had very much been a part of everyday life) and Huel sort of naturally tanks your sodium intake.

So far I’m into this strange, gassy community and how willing everyone is to share their story.

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Lets go @dcom looking forward to hearing you hit your goal. I bought this product for my sister after she had her appendix removed, and then shortly after had scar tissue that killed half of her lower intestine. She was on ensure but I didn’t like the ingredients and found huel. I’ve reading the forums for a year before I tried the product myself. I started during the holidays at one shake in the morning to get used to it. I also have been going to the bathroom a lot more frequently than before. I’m currently on my first week using the product twice a day for bfast and lunch. Saving money as well and getting my nutrients. I have a lot of energy now compared to before. I get cravings though when I’m driving home because that’s when I’m usually the hungriest. I was at 294 lbs at the most during the holidays. I weighed myself this morning and weighed in at 272 lbs. A lot of water weight!

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Hey All, just a quick update. I have, unfortunately “fallen off the wagon” again as they say. My last post in late December of last year is like a time capsule from a different world in so many ways. I was down to 355 at that time, and have since climbed up to 382, which is still about 20lbs less than when I started with Huel, but pretty disappointing to see all that progress lost (or gained, as the case may be :rofl: :sob:).

Post-mortem: I definitely put on a little weight over the holidays after my last post. I went from 355 up to 360 by mid-January when I have a record of my last log. I vaguely remember reaching a bit of a slump through February and then getting back on track in early March, my recollection is that I continued to hover around 360. Then the world changed completely with COVID-19. By the end of March I would start working from home, and have been since then. Unfortunately with the close proximity to my fridge, pantry, etc. I decided at that time to stop eating Huel every day for lunch. I did however maintain a fairly healthy diet for the first month or so, and even got back to calorie tracking for a few weeks. Following that, I started on a very steep downward spiral which has resulted in my current situation. I’m so thankful that I’m one of the lucky people that CAN continue to work from home throughout this pandemic, but it has made some aspects of my job more stressful than before. Being overweight also apparently makes me of higher risk, so I’ve taken somewhat extreme precautions, which completely diverted me away from my former Non-huel food staples since I made a decision to order all my food for curbside pickup or delivery (Amazon Fresh) rather than go to Trader Joes where I’d had a pretty solid routine of what I got, knew what would be satisfying for my calorie budget, etc.

I also seemed to hit a pretty moderate case of depression (probably the worst I’ve ever experienced, as I consider myself to be only mildly susceptible to depression) through the months of June & July which lead to RAMPANT overeating, delivery food, etc. This, coupled with the fact that a “trip to the grocery store” was a few thumb clicks away, open 24 hours, and stocked anything my tastes may fancy, also lead to some extremely bad online grocery purchases which would result in something like me eating a whole container of Oreo cookies for dinner, etc. or being “strong” enough to resist the urge to make bad purchases during normal hours, but when I’m craving something at 2 a.m. I can make the order and have it available the next day! Anyway, I’ll spare the details of my gluttony, but to suffice to say I feel like I’m pulling out of the depression, and hopefully have a newfound commitment to getting back on track. Given my examination of the situation through reading this post, it seems obvious that Huel should be incorporated into that commitment, but only time will tell.

I have continued cycling through all of this, in fact I’ve racked up more miles already this year before august (839) than the entirety of last year (820). It’s hard to say though if cycling helps in the overall weight loss, as my body does seem to need more food while cycling and it can lead to eating more. The one part where Huel has still be utilized through all of this is after a bike ride- I will usually have one scoop of huel, one scoop of protein powder, half of a frozen banana, and oat milk. The oat milk is somewhat suspect in this, as I USED To use unsweetened almond milk, which had 1/5th the calories (20) of the oat milk I use (100). Another thing that has been disrupted.

So in summary, I try not to beat myself up about it, these are unprecedented times, but also I feel somewhat guilty that in some ways diet should be much easier to manage now that I’m saving time and money not commuting to work, have access to a full kitchen and fresh ingredients, etc. but so far it just hasn’t worked out that way. Maybe I should commit to going back to Huel “full time” for lunch even though some of what I wanted out of it is less important now that I’m working from home.

I’ll try to update regularly again- even typing out this (too long) post somewhat re-invigorates my commitment and gives me an opportunity to reflect on where I’m at.

Hope everyone’s staying safe out there!

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This is the key and all you have to worry about now. Maybe you could try finding some joy in cooking even with Huel? Not only could that improve your relationship with food but it gives you less time to stare at your fridge!

We have a Huel recipe page here.

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Nice, I have to admit I was skeptical of the whole “cooking with Huel” thing because not having to cook is one thing I love about Huel… also when I did see a couple of threads about it they were mostly limited to Huel pancakes. These look really good though! Going to have to try the overnight oats and blueberry cheesecake recipes! Still pretty simple.

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The overnight oats are really good! Let me know how you get on.