For several reasons, about a week ago, I went cold turkey and stopped drinking anything with caffiene.

The soda was easy, since there is Caffiene Free Diet Coke, and I still limit myself to one a day, and sometimes I won't drink even one. I was cutting back on the soda anyhow, so this was no biggie.

What's getting me is having a cup of coffee in the morning at work. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of coffee, and usually at work when the I get a whiff of the coffee in the breakroom, I'll pour myself a cup. Its been hard to resist sometimes. (Because of course, no one wants to have decaf where I work!)

But I've already begun to see the effects of not intaking caffiene. Not as dehydrated as before, don't get sleepy during the day because of the "post-caffiene crash", plus I'm sure there are some effects I can't see like the whole thing about how caffiene effects calcium absorption.

I just need to get over the hump and not crave coffee...
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Excellent! While it might be easier to just not drink coffee at all, you could always stop by a coffee shop on your way to work and get a cup of decaf and bring it with.
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Originally posted by Dallandra
Excellent! While it might be easier to just not drink coffee at all, you could always stop by a coffee shop on your way to work and get a cup of decaf and bring it with.

If I'm ever REALLY feeling the urge, I know I have that option. I helped myself out this morning by keeping myself busy this morning so I wouldn't think about how that's when I'd usually grab my cup of coffee.
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i read decaf is worse than regular, because of the chemicals made to decaffinate it.....

doesn't soda/cola slow down your metabolism?
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Originally posted by Juniour
i read decaf is worse than regular, because of the chemicals made to decaffinate it.....

doesn't soda/cola slow down your metabolism?

That's why I limit myself to one soda a day, amongst other reasons.
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I used to be a caffiene fiend! 3-4 cans of Mountain Dew a day (which is like, pure caffiene) PLUS caffiene pills. I'd wash down caffiene pills with mountain dew, actually. *smack* Not to mention all the sugar that's in that soda! *another smack*

I started drinking my dad's caffiene free diet coke for a while, until I moved here, to texas. then I started drinking mountain dew again, for about a month, but even one soda, would have me bouncing off the walls.

and right now, I don't drink any soda, and i don't have any caffiene. go me!

I probably would drink soda, at least on occasion, if I could, but with the medication I'm on, I can't drink carbonated beverages. My doc warned me that it was a side effect, but that it didn't effect everyone. I drank half a sprite, (like, gulped) the first day when I was on my medication, and it made me so sick to my stomach, and I was in bed all day. I haven't had once since then, and that was back in April.

So going from 3-4 (or many, many more) Mountain Dews a day, plus 2-3 caffiene pills a day, to absolutely nothing, is an awesome feeling.

I don't know why I posted this, just, that's my story on caffiene.
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caffeine never really affected me too much ... except for what all the sugar did to my body weight!!

i could have a large cup of coffee at 11 p.m. and fall asleep in 10 minutes.

now i only drink water. i have half a cup of coffee on saturdays (my free day) along with a few diet cokes.
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yeah I used to have 3-4 cans of mountain dew a day...then I'd go out around 10pm for a double or triple shot mocha, go to bed no problem. I gave up pop at school, so now if I have a cup of coffee, even in the middle of the day, I can't sleep. Oh well, keeps me from drinking it unless I want to stay up :p
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Isn't it amazing, what it feels like to get yourself off caffiene?

I'm noticing the big difference in dehydration now. I don't feel hald as dehydrated as I used to. Plus I'm getting over the "coffee hump" I first posted about.
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You know what I think? If you can drink a strong coffee last thing at night, and fall asleep ten minutes later, it means you've built up a serious tolerance. :n
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wow i give everyone here such credit....i am a caffiene addict. I drink coffee, tea, and diet cola constantly. I have built up such tolerance and i am slowly trying to cut back. I drink a far amount of water but when i wake up in the morning the first thing i do is turn on my coffee pot. I love love love A&W diet vanilla cream soda ( i can't give it up completely it's my absolute favorite drink.) I am trying to limit myself to one diet soda a day as well as one cup of regular joe but i am having a hard time. Caffiene is my one bad addiction and i wish i could cut down permanently. :(

~laru
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Hi....I've never posted in this part of the forums before....I've never actually even looked until tonight...and when I did...I saw this great thread. Caffeine is my one bad addiction, too. Except I am not addicted to coffee...my addiction lies with any form of coke or pepsi....and not diet, either. If I could kick this addiction....it would be rather empowering to me!

I recently saw an article on Yahoo! News about how Caffeine actually increases your stress level(s), amongst other things. That's definitely something I would like to reduce in MY life!

I am going to try and break away from caffeine this week....slowly. I will let you know my progress. I would say I probably drink the equivalent of 4-5 cans (12 oz ones) a day right now.

Wish me luck!
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Welcome!!

I agree in that a slow cut-back is a good idea for you. Going cold turkey wasn't so hard for me (well it isn't now) because the most caffeine I'd have was one cup of coffee at work, and a can of soda at home. I had already worked myself down from about 3 cans of soda a day. Once I got over the hump of not wanting coffee every time I smelled it, its been great. Its been easy and I'm looking for more non-caffinated alternatives to soda besides water (gotta have variety...)
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So far, I have cut back to where I am having my caffeine (in the form of Coca Cola/Pepsi) WITH meals only instead of just drinking away. I expect I will stay with this through the rest of the week and try to cut back even further next week.

Thanks for the welcome.
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Yo,
Congrats to all ya caffeine fiends on yer thus far success!!! Tis one of da most eval of all addictions I hear.
I cut caffeine completelee outta my life like six months ago . . . wuzn't dat hard fer moi becuz I already abstained frem coffee and cokes (I HATE HATE HATE da taste of both of em, derno why), but I could not give up chocolate (dern't ask me why I would deprive myself of dis loveliery schtuff!)!
I finallee did it and had been chocolate-free up until a month ago becuz my budd-o boy wuz annoyed I couldn't share chocolate thangs wit him. Whadda brat! Aneehoo, so I cheated a few times and not feelin' too guiltee about it. Plan to be chocolate-free agin (I gotza lotsa carob to keep me happy), but if I trip up agin, it'll all be good becuz I have a purtee dern good handle in my caffeine.
Good luckers to ya'll.
Take care. Bi bis.
Me, the Flea
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I just had one VERY LARGE coke with my meal tonight....that's all for today...it just worked out that way...we'll see what happens in the next few days...:O
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Natha Namia--how's the cut-back going??

I admit it!! I succumbed to caffeine--but for a very good reason. See for me, when I'm on the rag, coffee and chocolate are my Midol. The treat my cramps and bitchiness better than any pill. (I don't think its so much the substances themselves, but rather the comfort factor)

So I went and got a tall (the smallest one!!) frappucino. And oooh its doing the trick I'm feeling better already.

I realize I have worked hard to stay away from caffeine, but I also realize that no ones perfect. One little frappucino now isn't going to make me a caffeine junkie again.
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It's better....I'm down to one large cup a day right now each day. I'm going to see what I can "drop to" early next week.
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this is a really interesting article on caffeine i just came across while attempting to do my statistics homework:

http://www.advanceforpa.com/PAcover.html
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Originally posted by getupkid
this is a really interesting article on caffeine i just came across while attempting to do my statistics homework:

http://www.advanceforpa.com/PAcover.html

That was quite interesting...thank you!:)
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I went caffeine-less today.....it was so hard. I heard the first three days are hard. I'm going to see how long I can hold off. Wish me luck.:b
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It gets easier as it goes.

I learned my lesson today. I had just one cup of coffee, just for the sake of my changed schedule at work. Just the caffiene in that one cup made me sick!! (to my stomach, arrgh!)
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Today was my second caffeine-less day. It hasn't been too bad. I think I can actually attribute my mild headache to pretty much my sinuses. Ugh. I took aspirin with some juice tonight to try and offset this somewhat. I JUST did this...and I imagine I'll feel better in about 90 minutes....give or take a bit.
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4 days without coca-cola.:n
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I've reached a point where if I try soda, it tastes WEIRD!

I never thought I could get to this point!:D

Nearly 2 weeks now!
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Natha Namia--That's great! Noticing how different you feel now??

I'm back on the "No Caffiene" wagon after going off of it. I swear after being off of caffiene for a month, and then having it again, having it made me feel like *poo*. The "caffeine crashes" were making me sleepy and tired when I knew I was rested well enough. It made me dehydrated, and all around just not well. I'm glad that I was able to go back after being off the wagon for about a week or so.
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