Caffeine

I did a ton of reading on this last year when I was thinking of giving up caffeine. The conclusion, from very learned scientific studies, is that caffeine does no harm and is probably quite helpful to the body. This is caffeine in its naturally occurring form -- coffee and tea, not the soda crap.

I was surprised by how popular this subject is at health conferences and such, but the evidence is pretty clear that caffeine as people have consumed it for ages is just fine. That was good news, because I would have to sleep till noon without it.

 

First of all, I am very proud of you for citing scientific studies

Second of all, and more seriously, I came across some of the same information. But it is notable that my caffeine intake is limited to Diet Coke.

My main reasons for wanting to cut it out, honestly, are cost, clutter (my wife absolutely hates having the cans cluttering the counters and the refrigerator), and the inconvenience of dependence. It is just such a pain in the ass knowing every day that if I don't refuel after a certain amount of hours, that I might get a headache. I've honestly had to plan my days around making sure I could get to a Diet Coke at some point.

 

Maybe the title of this thread should be "Diet Coke" then?

 

For reasons like those Ragu cited, my girlfriend is on a no "fake sugar" kick.

For those of you looking to get rid of the processed drinks, but still wanting your caffeine, I'd suggest tea.

A cup of Lipton tea has nothing artificial, no calories, and 55mg of caffeine:

http://www.liptont.com/our_products/black_tea/blk_cup_size.aspx

That's actually a little more caffeine than a diet Coke:

http://productnutrition.thecoca-colacompany.com/products/diet-coke#ingredients

And, most people who dislike coffee will not object to tea. Since nearly every office break room has a coffee machine with a spout and/or a water cooler that also provides hot water, it's easy to make at work. You can nurse one cup (adding hot water if you need to) or pound them one after the other.

A simple double espresso will also do the trick. It's only 10 calories and packs 150mg of caffeine -- or about three times that of a can of diet Coke or a cup of tea.

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/espresso-shot#size=21

But drinking it straight can be an acquired taste. Cost and convenience are also an issue.

 

Yeah, but the pain in the ass reasons are enough to make quitting Diet Coke easy.

It's the caffeine that's going to make it tough.

Once you're used to it, it's not unusual to be tired and develop headaches without it.

 

No, because the withdrawal is what makes it difficult. And that's universal across caffeine sources.

 

caffeine dries you out. and anyone who's had a kidney stone will tell you that dehydration is a big cause of one of the meanest things to come down the pike -- literally -- in anyone's lifetime. so along with that coke or coffee, make sure to drink water daily until your pee runs clear. even if you don't think you're thirsty.

you'll be glad you did. promise.

 

I got to the point where I was drinking 4-6 Mountain Dews a day, mainly with meals. Two or three with lunch, another two or three at dinner. I rarely drank any without food, so maybe that helped when I decided to quit.
I tried to do it over the course of a couple weeks. One can with each meal for a few days, then one a day, then one a week.
Instead of the sodas with lunch, I turned to those single-packet, sugar-free drink mix things. I keep a Gatorade bottle filled with water at work, and two in the fridge at home and mix them up to wash down lunch and dinner.

I still drink a cup of coffee in the morning at work, and sweet tea or a coke when we go out to eat, but have largely eliminated the sodas from my diet. I bought a 24-pack of Mountain Dew right before I started this in late September and most of it is still sitting in our spare bedroom.
I dropped about 10 pounds in the first month without a ton of exercise, then another 10 in the last two months with some regular exercise, a bit of portion control and eating a few extra salads instead of burgers.

 

In my non-alcohol 2010, I discovered coffee. Funny how it took that long given the business I'm in.

But I drink one extra large Dunkin' Donuts coffee most mornings now, and maybe one or two more smaller cups during the course of the day.

This seems to be a lot to me given my previous coffee-less status, but based on others I know, it's really nothing. I'm just trying to drink more water, which has always been a problem for me anyway, and is even more important given how much I'm running.

 

haven't had caffeine in 24 years. i quit it because i hated the nasty headaches i would get if i missed my morning coffee (or lunchtime coke, or....).

my only complaint is that even all this time later, if i eat too much chocolate, i get hit with a headache right away. but on the whole i don't miss it. i see people in supermarkets buying liters of cola and i feel like i'm looking at some sort of scocially acceptable addict. which i suppose i am.