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Author Topic: My fight against caffeine.  (Read 21699 times)

Hubris Incalculable

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2012, 10:51:22 am »

Since you don't like Coffee or Tea (though I have no Idea why you wouldn't), I would like to recommend Yerba Mate. It's a tasty Drink with plenty of Caffeine.
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Svarte Troner

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #16 on: August 04, 2012, 12:47:21 pm »

Since you don't like Coffee or Tea (though I have no Idea why you wouldn't), I would like to recommend Yerba Mate. It's a tasty Drink with plenty of Caffeine.

Is that stuff widely available in BC, cause I've never heard of anyone drinking that in my life. And I thought he was trying to wane himself off caffeine.

edit: Oh yeah and:
Quote from: Wikipedia
Like other members of the Cucurbitaceae family, calabashes contain cucurbitacins that are known to be cytotoxic. The tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacins present in fruits and vegetables of the cucumber family, are responsible for the bitter taste, and can cause ulcers in the stomach. In extreme cases, people have died from drinking calabash juice.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2012, 12:50:25 pm by Svarte Troner »
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ChairmanPoo

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #17 on: August 04, 2012, 01:26:48 pm »

"Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. Only the dose makes it non-poisonous"-Paracelsus.

AKA: Don't panic.
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weenog

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #18 on: August 04, 2012, 02:46:42 pm »

I dropped 40 lb pretty much by accident when I quit feeding my caffeine addiction with Pepsi and switched to coffee instead.  i used to hate coffee too, in fact it made me kind of sick, but it turns out I was just doing it wrong.  I wasn't used to coffee so the rare occasions I'd drink it, I'd try to bury it in milk or cream, sweeteners, etc.  Turns out, I just don't get along with coffee that's been modified that way.  If I take it black and unsweetened it's all good.  I do still get kind of sour and acidic if I take instant coffee in a moment of desperation, though.

Try experimenting with different kinds of coffee and tea, and with different things added or taken away, before you decide to just give up on caffeine altogether.  You might find you actually like one or both depending on how it's prepared and what else is in it.  And coffee is actually surprisingly healthy, especially if you're like me and don't have many other options for potassium intake.
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ed boy

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #19 on: August 04, 2012, 03:09:07 pm »

If your standard drink is anything other than water, that's not good. Having soft drinks and juice and things like that are fine on occasion, but if you shouldn't have them more often than that.

Obviously things like soft drinks are full of sugar. They're also full of caffiene. Calories that yo get from drinks are pretty much empty calories - you're taking in extra calories without your body thinking it's getting anything substantial, which means that you end up getting in far more than you should.

For coffee and tea, they're bad, but depending on how you get them the badness vaires. Every source contains an awful lot of caffiene. Caffiene has short term-effects, but in the long term it does more harm than good, and it can really mess with your concentration once the initial hit wears off. If you make it yourself, and don't add much sugar and stuff, then the caffiene is pretty much your only concern. If you get it from somewhere like Starbucks, then you've also got to consider calories. Loads of their coffees have more calories than a McDonald's burger, and some have more than two. Coffee you make yourself is pretty much the healthiest way of getting caffiene, but caffiene isn't something you should be having a lot of.

Things like juice are also dangerous. Lots of people think they're healthy because they have some of the vitamins of fruit, but they have such ridiculous amounts of sugar. Most juices have more sugar and calories in them than cola, even when none has been added. Although nutrients and vitamins from fruit are important, you lose most of them in processing to juice, and are just left with the sugar from the fruit. Eat fruit instead (dried fruit if possible), it much better for you. A couple people said that they like to drink juice because it tastes good; that's because it's pretty much pure sugar.

Finally, I can recommend drinking plenty of water. Most people get far less fluid than they should. A healthy intake of water for when you're just sitting indoors not doing anything active, is at the very least two litres per day, ideally a lot more than that - I get about a gallon per day in a quiet day, more when doing something active. Although you can survive with less, you're not going to be functioning at anywhere near your best - you'll feel a lot more alert and awake, and find it a lot easier to concentrate and apply yourself.
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Hubris Incalculable

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #20 on: August 04, 2012, 08:51:28 pm »

Since you don't like Coffee or Tea (though I have no Idea why you wouldn't), I would like to recommend Yerba Mate. It's a tasty Drink with plenty of Caffeine.

Is that stuff widely available in BC, cause I've never heard of anyone drinking that in my life. And I thought he was trying to wane himself off caffeine.

edit: Oh yeah and:
Quote from: Wikipedia
Like other members of the Cucurbitaceae family, calabashes contain cucurbitacins that are known to be cytotoxic. The tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacins present in fruits and vegetables of the cucumber family, are responsible for the bitter taste, and can cause ulcers in the stomach. In extreme cases, people have died from drinking calabash juice.
Well, there's a Store in my Town owned by an ex-Paraguayan Mennonite, and the front of his Store is full of Bags of it in multiple Brands, along with the Drinking Paraphernalia. He also sells Flooring.

I suggested it if his only Complaint about Caffeine was that he couldn't or didn't want to consume the various Forms it's sold in.

Issues with Calabashes may be avoided by using a Guampa made of Cattle Horn.
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MaximumZero

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #21 on: August 04, 2012, 09:23:51 pm »

Day 2: The detoxinating...

So, I've had nothing but water for the past two days. Also, I've checked into pricing for a local gym, and on Monday, I'm going to look into training with a Grand Master in Hap Ki Do. I'll probably just wind up dumping my pop money into one of these two things, possibly both, if HKD isn't too expensive. I really, really need to do some cardio and flexibility work.

I did the Excedrin weaning thing before, and honestly, it just kept me hooked. Yeah, I've been suffering headaches, but I just power through them until I can sleep them off. If I can manage to keep a happy face while dealing with idiot customers and chasing a three year old, all while wanting to throw up because the pain was so bad...I think I can do this. Weird thing is, without caffeine, the pain in my knees and back has become 10x what they were. It's not unbearable, but it doesn't make me happy. Seems my depression has gotten bad again, too, but I just need to remember to take my prozac, and it'll be all good.

I don't like coffee and tea because I find them both extremely bitter, no matter what kind of stuff I put in them. I've got a kickass pink limeade recipe that I'm thinking about putting to use. To be fair, I was drinking upwards of 2-3L of Mountain Dew a day (1300+ calories!), along with about 1L of water. That may have something to do with it. I occasionally drink some fruit juice, but it's really expensive, unless I get stuff made with almost nothing but syrup, and that's worse for me than the pop! I don't mind the tap water here, so that's what I'm drinking. Funnily enough, I'm drinking it out of a Mountain Dew bottle that I've washed out. Old habits die hard, I guess.

I'm thinking about sticking to pop as a recreational habit instead of a constant one, as I drink my rum in it, and I don't do that very often anymore. I'm hoping that I can get away with that. Often, I go a couple months between drinks.

I can't seem to find Yerba Mate anywhere. I'm thinking about getting some creatine, though, because it helps with depression.

Thanks for the support, guys. I really appreciate it.
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Dutchling

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #22 on: August 05, 2012, 11:14:51 am »

I occasionally drink some fruit juice, but it's really expensive, unless I get stuff made with almost nothing but syrup, and that's worse for me than the pop!
Buy oranges, and make the juice yourself. That way it is actually healthy although I have no idea how expensive those things are where you live.
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MaximumZero

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Re: So, I'm thinking about giving it up...
« Reply #23 on: August 05, 2012, 10:49:27 pm »

Day 3: Minor headaches, lethargy, joint stiffness and pain all day, but otherwise good. Not as bad as yesterday. Took a nap for a couple hours after work.
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MaximumZero

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Re: My fight against caffeine.
« Reply #24 on: August 07, 2012, 03:22:16 pm »

Day 4: The Facepunching.

I feel great! I woke up at 9:30am, got a bunch of errands done, and joined a gym. No headaches, low pain and stiffness. Haven't worked out yet, but haven't needed a nap yet, either.

Feels good, man.
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ed boy

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Re: My fight against caffeine.
« Reply #25 on: August 07, 2012, 03:26:57 pm »

Day 4: The Facepunching.

I feel great! I woke up at 9:30am, got a bunch of errands done, and joined a gym. No headaches, low pain and stiffness. Haven't worked out yet, but haven't needed a nap yet, either.

Feels good, man.

It's all up from here. You've been feeling off-prime the past few days because it takes time for your body to get used to the changes. You might take a bit longer to fully adjust, but once that's done you'll be in great shape.
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MaximumZero

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Re: My fight against caffeine.
« Reply #26 on: August 07, 2012, 03:29:46 pm »

That's really good to hear. ^_^

Went to a restaurant and ordered a water today. :/ Felt like a cheapass. I explained to the manager (who happened to be the cashier) that I was giving up caffeine and he gave me a cup for a large pop. "Damn, that's rough. Get as much water as you need, bud."
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sonerohi

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Re: My fight against caffeine.
« Reply #27 on: August 07, 2012, 03:38:54 pm »

I cold-turkeyed at the start of this summer. I don't know how severe your consumption was, but I used to drink six to seven sodas a day. I've lost nearly 25 pounds (although there is no way of knowing what of that is the caffeine) but I do still get the headaches and the craving. Luck be with you Max.
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MaximumZero

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Re: My fight against caffeine.
« Reply #28 on: August 07, 2012, 03:41:37 pm »

I was between 2-3L of Mountain Dew a day. I've got the craving, but I've pushed it off thus far.
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sonerohi

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Re: My fight against caffeine.
« Reply #29 on: August 07, 2012, 03:49:43 pm »

Wow  :o. I tried to placate the crave with cheats, like allowing myself a soda on my birthday or when a friend was over. The crave saw my weakness though, and hit me hard. Once you quit caffeine you have to treat it like meth or something. Not even once and all that, heading to the rehab center after a Sierra Mist.
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