Convenient Caffiene? Trying to quit Redbull

GoldnRampion

So, I admit that I've got a problem with caffeine. I'm a working college student, and between school and work I work an average of 70-80 hours a week. To do that, I rely heavily on energy drinks. My usual habit is 2 a day: one with breakfast, and one in the late afternoon. I know this is really unhealthy (and probably ultimately counter-productive), so I really want to start cutting back.
My goal is to switch entirely to coffee by the end of this semester. Over the summer I've gotten in to the habit of swapping my morning energy drink for a coffee. Afternoons are still a problem.
The issue is coffee is really inconvenient. I don't always have a coffee maker around, and a medium coffee from a cafe on campus is twice as expensive as my usual energy drink. I don't have the discipline to gag down a mug of cold coffee that I've carried around all day either... Its super easy to just toss a can of Redbull in my bag and call it good.
Does anyone have any advice for getting a healthier caffeine fix on a busy schedule and moderate budget?

daniip_la

Can you splurge on a yeti (or other good brand) thermos-type mug and bring coffee with you? That's what I did as an undergrad, it kept my coffee hot pretty much the entire day. Now as a grad student, I have my own office with a coffee pot on my desk so it's a non-issue.

I still enjoy at least one redbull a day, though, on top of all the coffee I drink. I personally don't think they're inherently unhealthy, but I don't have any evidence to that so that's just my opinion.

ninerbuff

You can buy 200mg caffeine pills.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

quiksylver296

Meh. I drink a Monster every afternoon, and coffee in the morning. Unless your Redbull has calories you are trying to cut, I don't see an issue. If it does have calories, Monster Ultra Zero doesn't have any and it's yummy.

ETA: I feel like I should add that I quit caffeine every January, just to prove I can.

ETA2: Do they still make No-Doz caffeine pills? You could just go that route.

jjalbertt

I also recommend a thermos. They're really handy.

cwolfman13

coffee in the morning...maybe a diet coke or something in the afternoon.

personally, i drink hot coffee in the morning on the way to work and usually have a Lucky Jack when I get home from work...

quiksylver296

cwolfman13 wrote: »

coffee in the morning...maybe a diet coke or something in the afternoon.

personally, i drink hot coffee in the morning on the way to work and usually have a Lucky Jack when I get home from work...

daniip_la

cwolfman13 wrote: »

coffee in the morning...maybe a diet coke or something in the afternoon.

personally, i drink hot coffee in the morning on the way to work and usually have a Lucky Jack when I get home from work...

That looks absolutely amazing, and after a quick google I'm now sad that it's not available anywhere near me.

iManifestGoals

Hi millennial.

Welcome to what everyone does. Goes to school and works.

If it starts affecting your heart. Get a physical.

You're 22, MAKE time to eat & exercise and you WILL reach your goal in 6 months.

DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY.

Generation X.

tcunbeliever

you could try iced tea instead of coffee in the afternoon

B4Rachael

This is my go to coffee - it is in a can so it travels easy & it is small enough to fit in my bag. It is also only 70 calories.

akamran1

Maxwell House and Folgers make coffee bags -- pour in boiling water (or microwave), allow to steep, then dunk the bag up and down 20 times (package directions). I use them when I travel.

GoldnRampion

Thank you everyone for the advice. I do have a thermal mug now, but maybe I should look into a higher quality one. I'm going to try out several of the recommendations here and see what works best.

astronaught

I have a Zojirushi SM-SA60-BA Stainless Steel Mug that keeps coffee steaming hot for at least 12 hours. It was less than $30 from Amazon.

RachelElser

do you know any of the teachers well enough to ask if you can use the office's kurieg?

sllm1

I take an energy vitamin - like One-a-Day Active Metabolism. It has 120mg of caffeine. It's enough to get me going but not too much, and it seems to last for most of the day.

cee134

Learn to drink coffee. It can taste really good even without sugar and milk. FYI red bull is very expensive coffee, caffeine is = to about 8 oz cup of coffee. So it's really just a rip-off.

quiksylver296

astronaught wrote: »

I have a Zojirushi SM-SA60-BA Stainless Steel Mug that keeps coffee steaming hot for at least 12 hours. It was less than $30 from Amazon.

Does it fit under a Keurig?!? Seriously. @astronaught Every awesome mug I've bought so far has been too tall to fit under a Keurig.

gothchiq

this may not be considered healthy BUT when I'm in a pinch I just use caffeine tablets from the drugstore.

GoldnRampion

@iManifestGoals,
I think you misunderstood my post. I was not complaining about my work schedule. I love both my job and studies, and am grateful to be involved in challenging work that is useful to society. That hasn't always been the case and I've worked much harder in the past to achieve the career I have. If my work schedule was the problem I would have framed the question as such. Instead, my question was really as follows:
Statement 1: I have certain career goals that dictate a specific work and course load. These goals are primary, therefore this work schedule is non-negotiable and all other goals must be achieved within this constraint.
Statement 2: I have recently committed to a secondary goal to be healthier than I currently am. This goal requires changing some of my daily eating and exercise habits.
Question: What strategies may I be able to employ within the current given constraints (Statement 1) so that I can be successful in both sets of goals?

I think your self righteous lecture was a little misplaced.
Sincerely,
Not a 22 year old

tladame

I don't drink coffee, so I use Arbonne energy fizz sticks when I need an energy boost. You just empty the packet into a bottle of water. They aren't cheap but they work. I love Red Bull but the energy fizz is much healthier.

grinning_chick

Energy drinks are categorically gross tasting to me. Ever since I (for all intents and purposes) quit drinking coffee/espresso, if I need caffeine above/beyond what plain ol' black tea provides I use an OTC generic pill form to stay awake/alert. About as convenient as one can get. I've had no complaints with the quality of the stimulation and it saves me the calories I would've expended putting real cream in my coffee (which takes ~double what tea requires). Win-Win.

OldHound

Strongly brewed Tea should have enough Caffeine to take care of the headaches. I would suggest Earl Grey, or Chai, with a little honey for sweetness, if you like They both have good flavor. You will need access to a microwave to heat the water, though.

P.S. Always be careful of people who quote movie muppets..

iManifestGoals

My apologies.

Packerjohn

daniip_la wrote: »

Can you splurge on a yeti (or other good brand) thermos-type mug and bring coffee with you? That's what I did as an undergrad, it kept my coffee hot pretty much the entire day. Now as a grad student, I have my own office with a coffee pot on my desk so it's a non-issue.

I still enjoy at least one redbull a day, though, on top of all the coffee I drink. I personally don't think they're inherently unhealthy, but I don't have any evidence to that so that's just my opinion.

"Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks.

Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day — may cause side effects such as:

Insomnia
Nervousness
Restlessness
Irritability
Stomach upset
Fast heartbeat
Muscle tremors"

From this article:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678

pomegranatecloud

I have this travel mug, which keeps my coffee hot for about 5 hours: https://amazon.com/Contigo-Autoseal-Stainless-Travel-16-Ounce/dp/B00HZI5XBG/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1471574720&sr=1-4&keywords=coffee+travel+mug.

Have you tried making cold brew coffee? It tastes way better than cold coffee; it's less acidic tasting. I'd try making some and put it in a big jar or mug and then carrying that around you. Here's a recipe: thekitchn.com/how-to-make-the-best-iced-coffee-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-192560.

I don't know what your schedule is, but can you make coffee at work and bring it with you to class? I worked full-time while in school for 4 years so I know how hard it is. The good thing is once you're done with school and just have work life is pretty easy, and it's like being on a vacation.

salsera_barbie

You can also get some single serve Nescafé and just get some hot water to make.

daniip_la

Packerjohn wrote: »

daniip_la wrote: »

Can you splurge on a yeti (or other good brand) thermos-type mug and bring coffee with you? That's what I did as an undergrad, it kept my coffee hot pretty much the entire day. Now as a grad student, I have my own office with a coffee pot on my desk so it's a non-issue.

I still enjoy at least one redbull a day, though, on top of all the coffee I drink. I personally don't think they're inherently unhealthy, but I don't have any evidence to that so that's just my opinion.

"Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks.

Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day — may cause side effects such as:

Insomnia
Nervousness
Restlessness
Irritability
Stomach upset
Fast heartbeat
Muscle tremors"

From this article:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678

Thanks, but I actually meant the energy drinks themselves health-wise, not the incredible amount of caffeine I drink. I don't have any adverse reactions to caffeine, so I don't tend to worry about it.

KateTii

DIY iced coffee maybe?There's heaps of recipes and it's pretty tasty as it's very different to hot coffee gone "cold".