Huel/attempt to lose weight

[HAF1119]

Moving the thread from previous location as we were using an old thread!

A few of us either currently using/considering using Huel to aid in weight loss and just discuss anything from flavours to struggles as well as a weekly weigh in for those who want to do it

Anyone welcome if considering using Huel in anyway for a weight loss journey

Let's go for a weekly weigh in on a Friday so we aren't doing it after possible weekend cheats!

My start weight in Jan 2024 20st 1lb
Weight at weigh in 19/04 18st 7lb
Target weight 14st

Hi, I have a rtd variety pack and a pack of the rtd strawberries & cream in my virtual basket but they’re quite pricey if I end up not liking them! 😬 Any guidance on the rtd flavours?

I’m initially thinking of just having one for lunch and a cc meal in the evening. I don’t currently eat enough protein and suffer from a few food intolerance issues so this seems like a possible plan, but I’m just a bit reluctant to complete the order for some reason..!

I have had ready to drink banana, vanilla and chocolate. Banana was my personal favourite - but in terms of value for money i moved fairly quickly onto the powder. Additionally the powder can make you up something more substantial without adding too many calories. The flavoured powder seem to be strong enough that you can add most things to them and they still taste good - and what you add can make it thicker and feel like more of a 'meal'. I've added spinach, lettuce, frozen veg/fruit -
ice, carrots, cucumber, avocado - they all seem to thicken and add fruit/veg to diet without having any negative impact on taste.

This you can't do as easily with RTD - or if you do it sort of defeats the object! I have some RTD so I can have them if I'm out, trying to be fairly regular in cal intake to help metabolism - but other than that I don't use them anymore...

If you're set on the ready to drink what I would suggest would be to try a couple from a local supermarket. They're quite easily available now and about £2.50 each to buy as singles 1- so you can try before you buy?

Thanks @HAF1119 for setting up this new thread and definitely up for Friday weigh in.

so I’m into my 2nd week. I do 100% HUEL mon-Fri. Fri and sat night I’ll have proper dinner and Sunday gotta be a roast and then back on the wagon on mon morning.

i didn’t weigh myself at the beginning - couldn’t face the bad news but after a week I bit the bullet and it was 72.6 kg, tw 64kg …..

we can do this ladies! X

I’ve seen RTD in the supermarkets- my favourite is Berry.

I haven't tried the berry RTD I will have to give that a go! Today I indulged in a nandos 🤣 I actually feel guilty as I've done a few weeks of just lean protein/veg or salad and huel. But goodness that was some tasty calories!

Also everyone keeps telling me to really chew food and eat slow - I've done that with the huel hot meals, and the salad/veg/chicken breast etc meals.. but I think the Nando's was gone in about 90 seconds oops!

Cheating over and back on the wagon tomorrow!

Thank you for starting the thread - does anyone mind sharing what they have lost in week 1 or after 2 weeks on these products

Thanks for starting the thread @HAF1119

Start weight 12st 6lb
Current weight 12st 4lb
Target weight 10st 4lb.

I went completely off today (lunch out etc). Will get back on it tomorrow!

Well done for the weight loss so far. Amazing.

Well done!! Is that 2lb loss since starting on the Huel products? Some of mine was from cal counting before starting Huel - I started on Huel itself 3 weeks ago but from Jan was cal counting

Was just after a way to make sure I'm getting the right nutrients and feeling full in the easiest way possible (busy house, child likes food that isn't salad etc, making 2 rounds of food was doing my head in on top of everything else!) I do find it nice to not have to think about doing anything that takes much effort, and having the cals easily known!

I want to say 1lb to 2lb a week realistically but it depends on the calorie deficit you are in. The more of a deficit the more weight loss

If you look online for a calorie deficit calculator it should tell you the number of calories you need for maintenance based on current lifestyle - e.g. if you're non active - and based on height and weight. So if it said your maintenance calorie useage was 1800 and you then consumed 1700 a day you would drop weight, but slowly - if you consumed 1300 a day and had a 500cal deficit I believe that's where you generally lose 1lb to 2lb a week

I've seen that you can lose significantly more with a 1000cal deficit but it can cause health issues and is not sustainable at all long term.

The benefit of Huel is that it does contain key vitamins and minerals, and generally a serving of whatever you are having (hot meal or shake) is 400calories, and high protein. The protein helps you feel full, and knowing the cals helps with easily knowing how much you're eating. For me that means I can have 2 x huel 'meals' knowing I've had 800cals and then do myself a 400cal meal where I check and make sure of everything that's in it. It's easier than doing all 3 meals measured using raw ingredients - but for me in terms of weight loss it produces the same results

I do think a lot of people lose more when they first start a diet - I did but I was cal counting for 3 months on normal food before starting huel, so for me it just has stayed so far at 1 to 2lb a week (more often than not 1lb)

@HAF1119 no I lost the 2lb trying to do intermittent fasting. I actually lost 4lb but the stopped for a few days and 2lb came straight back on.

Ahhh, I've been doing 16:8 for a while... well.. until the last 4 days when I started getting hungry in the evening 🤣

God it's hard isn't it!

Yes so hard! I'm better missing breakfast and starting eating at 12pm as I hate going to bed hungry. But then I found after a couple of weeks I woke up feeling like I needed breakfast and just really depressed!! Probably hormones!

Dp and I are trying to do Huel. i also tried their pot noodle meal which was incredibly filling. 400 calories and much better at filling you up than the drinks

my main issue is waking up at night hungry - need to make sure i eat a bit more at night!

i have about 5-6kg left to go. Dp is aiming to lose about 20-30kg so we have a long way to go!

@HAF1119 Thankyou your information is very helpful

Which flavour of the pot ones did you have? I've only tried the chicken and mushroom one so far which was ok - then got the carbonara one which was completely inedible to me! Don't want to risk getting another that I find awful!

I find the hot and savory pasta Bolognese really delicious. I also really like the mexican bean one.
I tried the Thai curry and it was absolutely disgusting. I've never tried the instant pots. I had another bar today (fudge) and I wouldn't recommend them tbh.

We like the Katsu Curry Noodles - they are good for me as I don't have a microwave at work so can just add boiling water to these

Perfect - I didn't go too mad with the hot and savoury just got the mushroom - then the hell on earth carbonarra. I will try bolognaise. It is nice to have a little bit of variety especially when most the other meals are shakes!

Great, I need to also try this! Next on the waiting list for trying :) is it particularly spicy as I'm quite spice adverse.. or similar to katsu from a takeaway in heat? I don't mind a katsu from a takeaway - but when I see the little chillis measuring spice on the huel website I get the fear and end up not ordering in case!

Ps - shame about the bars - I have had protein bars etc before and never liked them - sort of grainy and synthetic - so was hesitant to try

They always make them look like a tasty snickers in the photos rather than the chore they truly are!

Omg can you imagine if they tasted like snickers... actually that would be dangerous lol.

@MrsMeanwhile I sort of wish they did but then the packet would be gone pretty fast 🤣 I guess it's good if they leave you not wanting more.....

the Katsu noodles ones are fine. Don't get the hot ones - think they chick'n fiery or whatever they are as they are hot!

the best snack diet bar I found was the slimfast choc caramel ones - linked here on ocado as it popped up first - and it's only 99 calories

problem with the Huel snack bars is that they are 200 calories and tbh a snack snickers is only 181calories and I can tell you which one I would rather have ;)

https://www.ocado.com/products/slimfast-chocolate-caramel-treat-bar-multipack-562694011?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlZixBhCoARIsAIC745CwYbdH-LsHtaQSTXIJgx-vL4yPyBwauPqEeKGBLg8iDpGRJzfJ92caArCcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks! Will give them a try :)