help with caffeine addiction

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presariofaded
presariofaded Posts: 48
in Food and Nutrition
about 2 weeks ago I had to give up pop because I joined Cross Country Running and that's one of the goals of the team. And well, it's not going too well. lol.
I haven't had any pop but I have a craving for Pepsi and it won't go away... so i've been eating more.. :sad:
I also haven't stepped on the scale since the 14th so I don't know how much I've gained... prolly not that much since I've been working out more but still...

Any tips to deal with cravings? Especially caffeine.

Replies

  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,982 Member
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    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    Drink a lot of water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    Take it one day at a time.......it will get better :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • barbarella
    barbarella Posts: 609 Member
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    My favorite tea is yerba mate. :drinker:

    http://www.guayaki.com/

    The caffeine kick is there but not as hefty or unhealthy as coffee or soda.
    Best price for teabags is at Trader Joe's, also available at many other supermarkets.

    Yes, drink lots of water! Also good: green tea, iced tea, with lemon.
    Good luck & Cheers! :drinker: :flowerforyou: :drinker:
  • JustOneLife
    JustOneLife Posts: 9
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    Hi Presariofaded-

    I'm in the same boat as you, except for me it's coffee. Every day I feel like I need that boost to get me awake and focused. It's been two days since I've been off it and I'm really getting headaches from the withdrawal. Today I took a tylenol to take the edge off. It takes about 2 weeks to form a habit, so by then I hope my cravings won't be so intense. Sometimes it's just a matter of creating a new routine. Grabbing a cup of coffee before work was a ritual I looked forward to and consequently was a strong contributor to my weight gain (lots of cream & sugar). I just bought some tea from Aveda that doesn't require sugar, it's sweetened with this spice that leaves a sweet after taste in your mouth. I think it's also meant to fight tension. So I look forward to bringing my tea to work now. As Barbiecat was saying it's really important to drink water, dehydration can really run you down. No pun intended :tongue: Other than the sugar, pepsi also contains sodium which can make you retain water. It's better to just drink water than rack up the calories and salt. Good luck on your team this year. I'm here for support if you need!
  • SuzyQZ2
    SuzyQZ2 Posts: 1
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    Most importantly as others have said, drink more water. But if you need a drink, try Diet Rite Cola. It is caffiene free and low sodium. Maybe having one of these occasionally will help you to stay with your diet. Good luck.
  • j_g4ever
    j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
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    I was off of pop for a long time and one night I got a craving for cola on ice and I gave it and it has been all down hill since then. I have finally got myself down to one can a day which is good compared to the 5 or 6 i was drinking. I will get off of pop again I just have to ween myself. It does take time to get that temptation gone and for me it will always be there. I have to say and have always said that caffeine is worse than any other addition. I think its a lot harder to beat. We can do it girls. We should start a group. :drinker: that is water in the glasses by the way. LOL
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I was off of pop for a long time and one night I got a craving for cola on ice and I gave it and it has been all down hill since then. I have finally got myself down to one can a day which is good compared to the 5 or 6 i was drinking. I will get off of pop again I just have to ween myself. It does take time to get that temptation gone and for me it will always be there. I have to say and have always said that caffeine is worse than any other addition. I think its a lot harder to beat. We can do it girls. We should start a group. :drinker: that is water in the glasses by the way. LOL

    Caffeine might be hard to over come, but IMO there are many other addictions that are worse that caffeine.
    Alcohol, and cigarettes to name two.

    For those that like to drink pop
    Open a can/bottle, and let it go flat, and then tell us how it still taste.

    What I mean is I don't think people are addicted to the sugary pop as much as they are addicted to the carbonation of that sugary syrup.:tongue:

    To the OP. Drink lots of water..
  • Tinker73
    Tinker73 Posts: 45
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    If it is the carbonation you want try drinking Club Soda,try the low sodium one.Sometimes I crave Pop and i drink that.:drinker:
  • skywalker
    skywalker Posts: 1,533
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    If it is the carbonation you want try drinking Club Soda,try the low sodium one.Sometimes I crave Pop and i drink that.:drinker:

    Or try ginger ale. It's caffeine free.:happy:
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    I love the little bubbles. I thought it was just me.



    What I mean is I don't think people are addicted to the sugary pop as much as they are addicted to the carbonation of that sugary syrup.:tongue:


    Water it down. I would do 4oz of pepsi to 4 oz of water. So a 16oz bottle should last you 4 days.

    Also try watering down your coffee. I make the coffee so you can see through it. :flowerforyou:
  • twilight1542
    twilight1542 Posts: 403
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    I was in your boat! I weaned myself from a minimum of 1 big gulp (44 oz) a day to maybe 1 12-oz can a week.I did this by figuring out the minimum amount I needed to avoid headaches & limited myself to that. I slowly reduced from there. Next thing I knew one day I realized I hadn't had any soda for several days & only realized it because I saw it in the store.

    I do still drink coffee b/c I love & am able to have my daily cup w/out exceeding my cals per day-I do drink black or use non-fat milk though :)
  • kdm9295
    kdm9295 Posts: 126 Member
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    I've been going back and forth on whether to give up pop or not. I love my diet coke. I have gotten myself down to 1 or 2 a day.

    Lots of people are saying to drink more water. I agree. When I start out the day drinking water, I crave more water. Now I think I'm giving into a habit, not really the craving.
  • JustOneLife
    JustOneLife Posts: 9
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    There is definitely something magical about snapping open a can of cola. :love: It's the sweetness and the bubbles that quench my thirst right away, instant gratification. Whereas water can take a while to relieve that dry mouth feeling. The trick is to beat dehydration before that dry mouth sets in. I'm lucky to have a water cooler in my office, but if I didn't I think I'd get one of those USB water bottle coolers and hook it up to my computer. (I'm such a geek)

    Also the more we romance and fantasize about the stuff the harder it is to kick it. If we're gonna start a group we should post about the benefits of drinking water.

    1) Healthier complexion :happy:

    who's got another?
  • Jaxyz
    Jaxyz Posts: 2
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    2. Better sleep = weight loss!

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