Has anyone cut out caffeine and noticed a difference?

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luv2run4fun
luv2run4fun Posts: 92
in Food and Nutrition
I am considering taking a break from my usual 1-2 cup per morning coffee drink. I recently bumped into a friend who had lost 10+ pounds and claims it to be the result of cutting out coffee/caffeine. I have noticed that despite the fact that I've lost 7 pounds on this program, I still have some water retention and I know it can be caused by caffeine intake. Anyone have any advice/thoughts/experience with this?

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  • michellejayne
    michellejayne Posts: 58
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    I did cut out coffee for awhile and drink tea and lots of water, i have lost 7 lbs and now that i have got started i am back to 1 cup of coffee in the morning!!
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
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    your a barve brave woman! LOL
  • Nlongenecker
    Nlongenecker Posts: 765
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    I have tried this several times. I read a book about hormones and metabolism and it basically said that caffeine can affect your adrenal glands by giving your body that amped up "fight or flight" feeling and this can affect (badly) your metabolism. I made it a whole month w/o caffeine or refined sugar last summer, but I haven't been able to accomplish that again.
  • jordan_vakil
    jordan_vakil Posts: 45
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    I used to drink 3 liters of mt dew a day most days and was hospitalized for kidney infrctions 3 times in one year as a result. So I have completely cut sodas out of my diet, but I still drink a cup of iced coffee maybe once or twice a week. I have really noticed a difference. I don't feel so blah and weighed down all the time, plus I really enjoy drinking water now and drink almost 3 liters of water a day.

    Cutting it out will prob suck at first, I had headaches for about a week, but it gets better. Just try it, and after awhile you won't even want it anymore. :happy:
  • miswen
    miswen Posts: 113 Member
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    :flowerforyou: Every year I give up coffee for Lent- just something I do because coffee is something I really love. I know that the first couple days I usually will have to suffer through some headaches but after that I am fine. I do drink a lot of tea. Last summer I planted a "tea garden" and make my own blends. I think this makes the switch a little easier. I dont know how much cutting the caffeine out has helped because I have really taken a look at my eating habits and exercise routine and changed those also. I guess I feel that any change you make to improve your heatlth is a good thing.:flowerforyou:
  • greeneyes82
    greeneyes82 Posts: 318 Member
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    I definately believe cutting out sodas & caffeine has contributed to my husband and my own weight loss! :happy: Can't say I really miss it. Every now & then, I might have a sip or 2 but that's it. I'm so glad we don't drink it anymore! This would be a great goal for you to set & you won't regret it! I started out by having one soda a week & before I knew it, I don't even crave it anymore!:bigsmile:
  • spiralgirl71
    spiralgirl71 Posts: 374 Member
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    I cut out caffeine for 9 months. I didn't lose any weight from it as I drank my coffee black. I'm sure it's healthier but I think the weight loss will depend on you are caffeinated items you are consuming and whether or not you are replacing them with water. Good luck!!
  • smarston
    smarston Posts: 78 Member
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    I used to drink Mt.Dew and occasionally a cap or two. I gave up all pop and caffeinated drinks. I lost 10 lbs by doing JUST this. Now if it was the result of no caffeine or No sugary Mt. Dew I'm not sure.
  • mariena
    mariena Posts: 39 Member
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    I'm hearing cut out caffeine and cut out high calorie soda being mixed up on this post. Of course cutting out any high calorie beverage is going to help in weight loss. The question is how are you drinking your coffee? If it is with cream and sugar, I might cut that out. But 1-2 cups of coffee is not a lot and shouldn't cause a lot of water retention if you are drinking enough water throughout the day. I'd look into your diet and really start to examine your sodium intake; which is usually the culprit. Giving up that nominal amount of caffeine really shouldn't make a difference.
  • McFatterton
    McFatterton Posts: 1,358 Member
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    I recently (about 2 weeks ago) stopped drinking caffeine and haven't noticed a difference.

    I would drink 1-2 cups of coffee a morning (the stronger, the better!) and between 12-32 oz of diet coke probably every other day.

    To be honest, I haven't noticed any differences at all. But, I didn't quit drinking it to lose weight, I did it for my health. :flowerforyou:
  • gerrys
    gerrys Posts: 5
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    I have cut out caffeine for about 2 weeks(and multiple attempts in the past). As usual I had the withdrawal headaches for a few days but eventually they went away. I used to drink 4+ sodas a day. I think my overall energy over the whole day is up, but I dont know if that's just due to cutting caffeine or combined with eating healthier and exercising. Either way, its bad for your kidneys to process that much soda in a day, so I hope to have finally kicked the habit!
  • luv2run4fun
    luv2run4fun Posts: 92
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    Okay...so, after reading everyone's posts, I think I may not be eliminating my morning cup of coffee. I drink it black--nothing added so it's not cream and sugar. Must be a sodium issue. I rarely add salt to my food, and if it is, it's sea-salt but it could still be causing a little retention!
  • altazin0907
    altazin0907 Posts: 188 Member
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    It is not the caffeine that makes you lose or gain weight it is the sugar in the drinks. :happy:
  • katie30
    katie30 Posts: 55
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    I haven't had significant caffeine in my diet for almost 4 years now (long before I started dieting). I went off it because I was suffering from severe pain in my breasts, which apparently large amounts of caffeine can cause. I didn't really notice a difference in my weight when I did it, but I did notice a lot of differences in my general health. I no longer had frequent migraines, the pain went away, and I felt better in the morning.

    I still like the taste of coffee and have one cup of "decaf" most mornings. The small amounts in this aren't to much for my system to handle.
  • luv2run4fun
    luv2run4fun Posts: 92
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    Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts!!!:wink:

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