Caffeine and Atkins

[PaintedStuff]

Hi All,

Joined the DISboards last month re our WDW trip in October; who woulda thought I'd be asking about diet advice here?

I just started Atkins - Yesterday. My biggest problem is the inability to give up Diet Coke. It's a HUGE addiction. I'm a total junkie - have to have three to four cans a day. I don't drink coffee (don't even like mocha flavored things!)

To give up both DC and carbs at one time is too much for me to bear. So I've started Atkins with DC and a lot of water in between.

Wondering if this has been an issue with any of you?

By the way - thrilled to see that eating lo-carb in WDW will be totally do-able! G-d willing I'll be past my induction stage (we're going in four weeks) so I'll be able to have more veggies/salad and other choices.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I honestly didn't cut down very much on caffeine during induction. I did give up my morning coffee for two weeks, but I still had a soda or two during the day. Now, 3 1/2 months into Atkins, I'm drinking my coffee and one diet coke a day. I'm losing steadily, so I really don't think the caffeine has had much of a negative effect.

If a program is going to be so tough that you can't imagine doing it long term, it isn't worth it. I'm all for making little adaptations here and there that will make the program more acceptable to you. You have to pay attention to your loss patterns and see if your adaptations are beneficial or not. Good luck!

 

[nativetxn]

I didn't give up my coffee and my husband did not give up his diet coke. We still both lost weight easily on Atkins.

Are you going to be taking the challenge? Please say yes, I'd love to have you join our support group

Katholyn

 

[LisaTx]

I'm with you there. There was no way I could start Atkins and give up my diet coke at the same time. I'm not a coffee drinker either.

I did however switch from diet coke to diet rite cola. It is sweetened with Splenda instead of aspertame. I also cut back to one in the morning to get me going. Actually I did that long before I started Atkins. Sometimes if I'm out in the afternoon I'll get a diet coke, but not too often. There is also a diet RC that is sweetened with splenda and has no caffeine. You might try substituting some of your later in the day diet cokes with that instead.

Someday I would like to give up my caffeine addiction all together, but for now I'm taking baby steps in my quest to get healthy. My next goal is to begin excercising regularly.

Good luck on Atkins!

 

[Rhonda]

Caffeine does have the effect in some people of inhibiting weight loss. I haven't noticed it in me though. I drink 2-3 cups of coffee per day, and I'm still losing and in ketosis!

 

[arizonacolbys]

I've only recently been on Atkins for the last week or so, but I havne't given up my Diet Coke. I have never liked coffee, so I ususally need a Diet Coke to help wake me up at work in the mornings.

I have not intentionally decreased my Diet Coke intake (used to be 4-7 cans a day), but I have found that with all of the extra water I am trying to drink, I can't possibly drink as much Coke as I used to. You might find that you will get some headaches if you try to cut out your caffeine all at once, I know I do. Adding headaches to my carb withdrawal was not something I wanted to deal with.

I know many others that have been successful on Atkins without cutting out the caffeine. Hope this helps you out!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I have never worried about the caffeine. I actually worry more about how much sweetener I'm getting. That is one reason why I have cut back on the soda. I also cut back because the carbonated water depletes the bones of calcium.

I use diet soda like a treat. It probably averages out to about 4-5 glasses a week. I'll go for 4 days without any, and then in one day I'll have 3 glasses. It's kind of like that.

But I don't have a problem with caffeine at all, so I don't make a point of staying away from it.

 

[Lynn CC]

I drink coffe everyday and I've lost 26 pounds on Atkins. I think if you can give it up that's great, but I love it too much!