This morning I realized that I hadn't had any caffeine yesterday, so I decided today was as good a day as any. I've been tapering for weeks, so hopefully no headaches. Please share any caffeine stories you have.

loved it & swore by it when I started 6+ weeks ago.

now i prefer crystal light.

Cold turkey caffeine withdrawal was a hideous experience for me -- a constant headache for ten days. I was only drinking a maximum of two cups a day but they were double espresso lattes so I'm sure I was getting more caffeine than would in a regular cup of coffee. Plus I'm very sensitive to any kind of stimulant or drug and you may not be, so your experience might be different.

We recently bought some DECAF espresso from Grounds for Change -- its excellent! Now I enjoy my morning espresso even without the buzz I used to get from caffeine.

Di

I haven't been able to kick the habit. It's not the caffeine I'm addicted to but just the habit of driving through McDonald's for a Diet Coke. I don't crave it when I'm at home. Only in the car. I keep it to once a day. But my stomach would be better off without it.

When I first started on Atkins I stopped drinking coffee cold turkey without any problems. Then, I started drinking it again because I was not getting enough calories and the heavy cream really helped in this regard. Drinking coffee has not hindered my weight loss.

I'm a junky. I don't drink coffee, don't partake in the rest of the staff's daily journey to Starbuck's. I drink Dt. Dr. pepper when I am anywhere but work, and Dt coke while at work (that's what we have). Somedays I swear I can put away a 12 pack of dr. p. It's like I constantly have to have one in my hand. They haven't really hindered the weight loss. They didn't the first real time I was on the wagon, and they haven't really now. I tried to quit last week. I got really really bad headaches. It was also TOM, so I was exhausted, and emotional, and just a wreck really. I couldn't really blame all the symptoms on the loss of caffeine/aspartame, so I can't say for sure. I didn't last more than 3 days. Even now, I am sitting here sipping my last one, making the kids get dressed so we can go grocery shopping because mommy is out of soda. I know if don't go, and wake up in the morning and don't have one, I will just die. (not literally, but I will be very hard to live with. Maybe someone else will die )

Maybe I will try again this week. I have to get my courage up though. i need to. I drank so much yesterday, I was vibrating at work last night. I actually poured my last one out and started drinking water, I was scared I was gonna blow a valve or something. Then I stopped and bought a 20oz Dt. Dr. Pepper on the way home. Then I couldn't sleep. I'm terrible.

Hi Sonya,

It sounds like you nailed it, and you're addicted to caffeine. I have a friend who drank several Cokes (and Mountain Dews and Jolt Colas) a day, because his employer provided them for free. My wife warned him that it would catch up with him, but he just laughed -- he was 35 and could drink 2 Jolt colas and drop into bed and fall asleep immediately. A couple of years later, he started feeling uneasy and lost his sense of well-being. When he tried to go off caffeine "cold turkey" he thought he was going to die!

For most people, cold turkey doesn't work well. I suggest reading TSP books. She really wants people off of chemicals, but she has specific recommendations. Also, you'll note that coming off the chemicals is not #1 or even #2 on the priority list!

-Don

Who's TSP? I actually didn't get any soda at the store today. Was gonna go for. Starting cooking supper and chickened out and sent hubby to the store down the street.

TSP is The Schwarzbein Principle. She has a website that could give you info before you read her books. I understand your anxiety over quitting the colas. Maybe your goal could be to have a certain number a day. Get used to that. When I get anxious about thinking I need to quit then I actually end up drinking more. I've decided to drink one a day and for me that makes me less anxious about it. It looks like you will need more than that to get you through. How about alternating a bottle of water after every soda you drink? Good luck.