Breaking My Caffeine Habit?

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JoniBologna
JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
in Food and Nutrition
As far as coffee addicts go, I'm not that bad. I don't necessarily drink caffeine everyday, but it's become a psychological comfort more than anything. Whether it be a vanilla latte, or a Dr. Pepper, there are certain times and foods that I feel the need to have a caffeinated beverage with. For instance, a Dr. Pepper with my sandwich at lunch, a latte with breakfast or before class. Is this a habit I need to break in order to be successful in losing weight? I know the extra 80-200 calories is rather wasteful, and "empty" as they say. I would like to hear stories from you. Did you quit drinking caffeine? How has it affected your diet? What tips or tricks can you give me to curb this habit? Thanks for reading! :smile:

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  • kellycrow
    kellycrow Posts: 140
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    i quit caffeine long before i worried about my diet. my main caffeine intake was through diet coke... ugh... i had coffee at times but not often.
    i had a few days of headaches but then it was over. i never felt (nor do i now feel) drained without it. as a matter of fact, it is a freeing feeling to not have that addiction...
    good luck!
  • LittleMissAngi
    LittleMissAngi Posts: 243 Member
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    I used to drink like 5 Dr. Peppers a day!

    I challenged myself to drink 8 glasses of water for the day. The next day I did the same..... here it is a month later and I can't even drink a Dr. Pepper. I can drink a diet soda, but only one if that!

    Eventually I will be completely off soda!

    I dropped 10 pounds fairly quickly just by cutting out Dr. Pepper.
  • Raina0512
    Raina0512 Posts: 216
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    Honestly, I can't quit caffeine. I can't get motivated without it, plus I get headaches if I don't have it. I drink water throughout the day, but I have to have a couple energy shots or a redbull a couple times a day. :/ Not sure how bad that is, but it is what it is.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I was drinking a cup of coffee every morning and then 1-3 8 oz. servings of Dr Pepper everyday for awhile and honestly, I was SOOO tired. Once I cut those out, I had a lot more energy! Now I wake myself up by drinking water and eating something yummy, nutritious & balanced.
  • cynditoney
    cynditoney Posts: 90
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    I was a true caffeine addict. I was taking caffeine pills (8 or so a day), drinking cokes and coffee. Unfortunately, by the evening, I was exhausted anyway and always felt too tired to do anything. I had bariatric surgery in April, and the doctor told me I had to be off the caffeine before my surgery. On April 8, I took my last caffeine pill and drank my last diet coke. I had a headache for a few days, so I took tylenol and slept a lot, but on the third day, I arose again. (lol). I have not had anything with caffeine since that day, period. I have more energy than I ever did on the caffeine, I sleep better and I have lost 68 pounds since March 30, when I went to the doctor for my pre-op testing. I also have not had a headache since I got over the withdrawal. I used to have headaches all the time. I carried a bottle of acetominaphen -500 caplets everywhere with me. I can now have coffee, but do not want it. I would recommend getting off the caffeine completely, just to see if it makes a difference with you. :flowerforyou:
  • skerjenn
    skerjenn Posts: 7
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    I'm currently working on reducing my coffee consumption. I've found it helpful to do it gradually -- I've tried numerous times to just quit altogether, but it's painful (intense headaches on top of other uncomfortable symptoms) and, I've decided, un-kind. :smile:

    I've gone from 5 or 6 cups per day now down to less than a cup (1 teacup full is 6oz) per day, and yesterday I skipped it altogether without a headache until first thing this morning. I'm getting closer. First I went with 2 cups per day for a few months, then 1 cup per day for another month, and for the last couple of weeks have been drinking a pretty teacup full. (Presentation, for me, makes up for quantity - so I put it into my favourite little china cup). While I was cutting back on the quantities, I also gradually reduced the additives (cream and sugar). I cut sugar first, then switched from cream to milk, and now drink it black and quite enjoy it (though I'd never have imagined it a few months back).

    I don't know that this is really helping me to lose weight, but it just feels good to get rid of my dependence on it. I feel healthier.

    The sugar in your Dr. Pepper and Latte might be more of a concern than the caffiene - and cutting any added sugar like that from your diet would definitely help you overall. I recommend doing it gradually, though, so that it's not so hard, and so that you can still enjoy these beverages and not have to go without them until you're ready.
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
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    Thanks All!
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    i quit cold turkey and was surprised how easy it was. i do drink decaf every morning, and still deeply enjoy it, but now realize that i can function just fine without caffeine. of course, i am aware that a strong cup of quality decaf, is not in fact completely caffeine free....
  • breakingthepath
    breakingthepath Posts: 124
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    of course, i am aware that a strong cup of quality decaf, is not in fact completely caffeine free....
    Neither are chocolate and a lot of teas :grumble:
    I drank coffee and energy drinks on occasion until I became sensitive to caffeine in '08, shortly after I went on the pill. Quitting was pretty useless for weight loss but it dropped my blood pressure down to normal.
  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    I quit drinking diet coke a year and a half ago because I wanted to get away from articial sweeteners. I also switched to unsweet tea. Unfortunately, I am still hooked on caffeine. I have decided I'm going to gradually wean myself off of it. I drink coffee (homebrewed, fairly strong) with about a tablespoon of hot chocolate mixed in in everymorning morning and unsweetened tea on occassion. I bought a bag of decaf coffee and I'm going to start mixing it in with regular, slowly increasing the amount of decaf while decreasing regular until I'm on only decaf. For the tea, I'm goign to just switch to decaf tea right away. I have found that if I don't have caffeine every day, I get headaches, so I think slowly is going to be the way to go for me.
  • volliegrl
    volliegrl Posts: 16
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    I love my pop... n regular kinds mainly pepsi, I know this is not good for you, but this is what I have done so far, went from a 755ml bottle to a 385 can now im just drinking the half size can ones! which seem to help with my headaches from withdrawal if i dont have one. I cant see myself stopping cold turkey as i get wicked headaches and grumpy, and I have a 5month old that would not be to happy with a grumpy mommy lol, let alone i wouldnt be able to handle him crying either lol
  • skysilver
    skysilver Posts: 73
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    I never started drinking tea or coffee until six years ago, at the age of 37, boy do I regret it- but what can I say, I love coffee- I am giving myself a few months to cut down then stop taking it. Why so long, because I drink an awful amount and don't want my body going into shock hahaha Not funny really!!
  • kfsooner
    kfsooner Posts: 40
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    I stopped drinking caffeine when I was expecting my first. That was 13 years ago....The only time I may have caffeine is in hot tea, not a lot.....maybe twice a week, and any chocolate. Good luck!!!
  • kellycrow
    kellycrow Posts: 140
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    Honestly, I can't quit caffeine. I can't get motivated without it, plus I get headaches if I don't have it. I drink water throughout the day, but I have to have a couple energy shots or a redbull a couple times a day. :/ Not sure how bad that is, but it is what it is.

    I got the headaches, too, but they go away in just a few days. Take motrin or tylenol (NOT excendrin as it has caffeine in it!!!) and get your sleep. Doesn't the fact that you get a terrible headache without caffeine prove to you that it is an addictive drug?!?! Shouldn't that be a clue that it is bad for you?!
    I know it is hard, but if you can, try going without caffeine for a week or so... see the difference...

    My energy-giving breakfast smoothie:
    combine the following in magic bullet, blender, whatever you have:
    frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, banana, 2 handfuls of spinach, water (and i like vanilla so i add vanilla extract and cinnamon... occasionally i will add a bit of 100% pure stevia)

    Kelly
  • JustJudy
    JustJudy Posts: 142 Member
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    All great suggestions! I have weaned myself off caffeine before and was able to do it for about 4 months. i'm back up to my daily 2-3 diet cokes/diet dr. peppers. You all are motivating me to do it again! I did find that it's not so much the caffeine I like as it is the carbonated drink with my meals. Worth thinking about again, but I also know I'm not a very nice person during the withdrawal phase.

    Thanks Everyone!

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