Caffeine - I was wrong

[bikinidreams]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

Once I read that caffeine causes an insulin spike similar to raw sugar, I had no problem commiting! Good luck to those of you quitting!

[planetclaire]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I find that if I drink coffee before eating in the morning - and I am talking caffeinated - I'm not hungry all morning. But then I think I overeat the rest of the day.

I switched this week to half caf and once the caffeine can is empty, its decaf all the way. I've also cut down the amount I am drinking....ummmm, a pot a day, to 2 cups (well, mugs, which are bigger).

[liv]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

Interesting thread revival. I read my own post to this thread about how I was limiting coffee. I have since come to realize that coffee stimulates my appetite. I drink a cup (coffee or decaf) and I want to eat. This has come as such a revelation to me. I understand now why I "had to" snack all the time. I drank a lot of coffee. Now I am very conscious about when I drink some (decaf still). Usuall I have some before breakfast (because I am going to eat anyway) and I have some right after supper as a dessert as it will not affect me as I just had a major meal. Cut down on the rest.

[bikinidreams]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

Oh my golly, ever since college I had been a complete fiend for coffee. There were days when I would literally have 40 oz plus diet cokes, or more! For the past few months, I switched to the 1/2 caffeine variety in the mornings, and then in the past two weeks, I cut it out completely. I had major headaches, but just sleep it off and the withdrawal will be gone in a few days! I know it causes blood sugar spikes, and I didn't want to be a slave to the drug anymore!!!

I will say that when studying for a major exam this past weekend, I had a cup of 1/2 caffeine coffee! This morning, I am home sick from work, and am enjoying decaf with cream. All things you love in moderation- coffee has great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties!

[liv]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I cut out my caffeine and I was a huge coffee drinker (we're talking pots). Lately I have also reduced my decaf drinking. It is not the coffee that bothers me as such but all the habits around it. The things that goes with the coffee. They seemed to creep back on me and I needed to reduce that again. Also I signed up for the water challenge this month and found that I had difficulty with it. Coffee was coming before water.

On the plus side for coffee drinkers though there was just a study published which suggested that drinking coffee (especially for women) may be beneficial.

Drinking Coffee May Extend Life, Study Suggests, But Doesn't Prove, Link Between Coffee And Longer Life - CBS News

[booklady]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I think for me, one of the reasons I went on and off the diet so many times is I just did not lose much and the last few times, none at all and I would get frustrated.
I decided this time to get all the caffiene out completely. Normally when I do try to limit caffiene I will drink Chystle Lite or decaff ice tea both loaded with artifical sweetners. Thanks to Sherris advice I gave up the sweetners as well and I am now eleven days in, and ten days of no caffiene or sweetners and I have dropped 16 pounds already.
I drink between 150 and 200 ounces of water a day and now I rarely even think about the two liters of diet dr pepper I used to drink a day.
My skin looks great and I am thrilled to be off that stuff.
So, for me, giving up the caffiene and sweetners seems to have made a huge differance in my low carb experience.
Stephie

[Thinker]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

We stopped the caffeine today, didn't seem like a problem.

A little in the a.m. stops the headache. But not having any afterward means I have a bunch more energy in the afternoon. Good Luck to you!!

[valleriek]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

We stopped the caffeine today, didn't seem like a problem.

[Thinker]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I'm a serious coffee drinker. Hasn't stalled my weight loss, but it's not doing my wallet any favors. I think I'll try to join you quitters

CL -

Try just cutting back - like I have. I still get to enjoy the NY Times - but I have a small espresso instead of a big fat venti.

[Chicklady]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I'm a serious coffee drinker. Hasn't stalled my weight loss, but it's not doing my wallet any favors. I think I'll try to join you quitters

[Thinker]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

Hey....well...I'm several days in - and I really do feel much better. I've kept myself to the doppio espresso in the morning. If I'm working from Starbucks doing emails in the a.m. - I might follow it up w/another 1/2 caf.

What I've really noticed is all the free time. It seems I was always stopping in those places. Also, my appetite has really changed. I'm not starving in the afternoon w/o this stuff. Further, I've not had any super "foggy" mid afternoons like I used to have.

[valleriek]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

Hehe, I think I am going to switch out our 1/2 caff coffee for decaf and see if my bf even notices! We are down to 2 cups per day with 2 total splenda packets.

[APanthesilia]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I cut way back on caffeine about 4 years ago and have never been more grateful! I used to have terrible headaches and I couldn't sleep through the night and it was always hard for me to get to sleep. I thought I just had sleeping problems and then one week by accident I didn't have caffeine and it was the best sleep I ever had! Once I realised that and cut out caffeine the headaches were a lot better too! Now I sometimes let myself have caffeinated tea in the morning but I never let myself have caffeine after noon because I won't sleep if I do! I was still a (caffeine free) diet coke addict but I cut that out in January and it's been great. I just try to get in all the water I'm supposed to, and like Megs said, if I do that then it's hard to be able to drink the coffee/diet coke/tea. So if you're thinking of cutting back on the caffeine, I think give it a shot and see how it goes! Remember the first week or so will be hard but try to work past it and I bet you'll be glad you did! If you need a pick me up in the morning try going for a walk or doing a bit of exercise before work. It has worked wonders for me and I've found that without caffeine I feel like I actually have more energy because it comes from exercise/eating right rather than chemicals. Good luck!

[not2late]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I got to hand it to you all.....When I was on Induction I was drinking 64 ounces of water daily plus an additional 8 ounces of water for every 25 pounds I was over weight. That came to about a gallon of water a day! I had a hard time drinking all that water and if I drank 3-4 cups of coffee on top of that I think I'd vomit!

It doesn't really feel like low blood sugar - but there was a fogginess that's gone now.

Look at the Blood sugar symptom test in Chapter 12.That "fogginess" you describe, can also be called "difficulty with concentration" And if you google "low blood sugar, fogginess, symptom", you'll find over 1000 entries for it.

[Thinker]

Re: Caffeine - I was wrong

I drink 2 cups espresso a day and one lareg sugar free redbull... which is full of artificial sweetener. Does anyone else drink these? I get so tired at work by midday that I choose to drink one (despite deciding in the morning i wont) because I feel so deal i can't get through without. buh.

I have to tell you - for me - after cutting back to just one espresso in the morning - i never get tired in the afternoon. I think there was just a bounce-back effect. It doesn't really feel like low blood sugar - but there was a fogginess that's gone now.