Here We Go Again…

I mentioned earlier that my husband and I were giving up soft drinks (caffeine). We’ve both done it in the past, but never at the same time. We drank the remaining bottles in our house and as of yesterday we have both been caffeine-free.

I’ve been keeping withdrawal headaches at bay thanks to some Tylenol. But I am soooo tired and am finding it hard to focus on anything. I was zapped of practically all energy today. If I could have, I would have slept all day. I’m not necessarily craving soft drinks, but I can tell that something isn’t right with my body. Tomorrow will probably be more of the same and then Monday I should start to get my energy back. At least that is what has happened in the past.

We both feel good about the change. We’ve been making a few lately, and some affect our finances. If I wasn’t so “out of it” I’d share those right now but they will have to wait. We’re bringing back a few good habits we had, but somehow slipped out of.

Posted by Tricia on January 3, 2009 at 11:03 PM in Saving Money | 19 Comments »
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abe responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 6:05 am
I’ve recently given up soda, but not caffeine (I’m at one pot of coffee per day).
T.D.P. responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Just stick with it, I stopped drinking soda about two years ago and now I can’t stand hardly any sugary drinks…including a staple from my childhood sweet tea! I’ve switched to diet green tea and love it as a soda/tea alternative. Good Luck!
Christy responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Hang in there! I gave up pop in 2001 and it was HARD. it’s worth the health benefits – I felt so much better after a few weeks. very time you have a headache pang, remind yourself of the good you’;re doing your body in the long haul.

I now have a little coke once a week and it’s so much better to not be chained to the fridge.
Christy responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 10:35 am
That should read “Coca-Cola”. LOL
nick responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 11:07 am
I dropped soft drinks about four years ago now. I stick to water, tea and every now and then fruit juice. I became a bit of a tea snob, which was easy since even the best teas are pretty cheap per cup.

I have to agree with T.D.P. though. I can’t stand sugary drinks anymore. It’s too much. My mouth feels like it’s turning inside out in the rare situation where I have to drink soft drinks (work parties, kids parties, etc.).
Joy Smith responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
It’s your body having a reaction to the caffeine withdrawals. I wrote an article on this not to long ago. Caffeine is considered a drug and the withdrawals can be as bad as other drugs that are addictive. You have no energy from both the loss of caffeine and all of that sugar!

Soon it will get better! You just have to get through this. For energy eat a little protein like some nuts or peanut butter. If you’re craving sweets try fresh fruit.
Penny responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Good job!

If you need a little something to help you through the withdrawal, a *tiny* piece of really good dark chocolate can do the trick. If you’re focusing more on cutting out soft drinks vs. all caffeine (i.e. from tea, coffee, etc.) green tea can help you transition. It doesn’t give the spike that sugary sodas do.
Tricia responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Today is definitely better, although I could feel a little jittery in the store with my vision. Both of us are trying to get to where we drink water only. Right now we’re dropping the caffeinated drinks (all soda – even caffeine free) and we are drinking lemonade and the generic Crystal Light.
Tammy responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
To increase your energy level, I suggest a good cardio exercise, like eliptical or treadmill for 30 -60 minutes a day. It has helped me tremendously.
Sally responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Your blog is a treasure to me. You come across as real and your actions as attainable by your readers, including myself. I worry that you will disappear when your credit card debt is paid off. I know this blog you put out is an invasion of your privacy – that is its value – it’s true.

This is just my own self-serving vote to encourage you to keep up your blog even as you enter the plus side of the balance sheet. Your realism is way more to the point than financial gurus such as Suze Oman.
Phil M responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
The best thing I did while quitting caffeine was to get a water bottle and carry it everywhere. It gives you the hydration you need, the convenience and the added bonus that you’re not paying $1+ every time you want a drink.

I used to (during my architecture school days) drink Mt Dew by the case load. The caffeine didn’t even affect me anymore. But when I quit, the headaches went away after about a week. I hate those headaches!
Jessica responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Did you think the headaches might be from the Crystal Light? If you weren’t really drinking sugar free drinks before I would try dropping this. Sugar substitutes are a huge migraine trigger, and can come on with age. I gave up soda based on concern that diet soda was giving me migraines, and it worked. Try substituting the crystal light with something else, like a flavored water. I also invested in a home seltzer maker as I’m a bubble addict, like many soda lovers, but even the bottle at the grocery store are way cheaper than soda if you get the store brand.
momstheword responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hello! I found you thru an old post of Lynnae’s at beingfrugal.net. I am looking forward to reading more and exploring your site more as we are trying to cut down in order to reach financial goals.

I think it’s awesome you are giving up caffeine. That is what I need to do too!
Tricia responded:
Posted: January 4th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Jessica – it’s funny you mention that. I was just thinking about migraines and how I haven’t had them in a while. I don’t recall the last one, but I was having them regularly for a while. If they spring up again, I’ll have to keep a headache diary. It could be the sugar substitutes. So far, no migraines *fingers crossed*. They are absolutely horrible!
Margot responded:
Posted: January 5th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Good for you! Isn’t it scary to think how many unhealthy chemicals the soda was putting into your body and how addicted to it you were? It’s great that you are breaking the addiction and saving money. Plus, you’re setting better habits for your son.
Esther responded:
Posted: January 5th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Why go cold turkey? The headaches, jitters and mental haze are not worth it, to me. You could switch to tea which is actually good for you. Careful not to load in too much cream and sugar though. Good luck!
Tricia responded:
Posted: January 5th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Esther – that’s a great suggestion. But, I have a mental block with tea. I drank it right before something bad happened and I haven’t been able to bring myself to touch it again. Sounds really silly when I write it down like that.
Esther responded:
Posted: January 7th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
That’s funny. I have the same thing, but with Burt’s Bees products. They’re now owned by Clorox anyway…
Jill responded:
Posted: January 11th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
You can effortlessly give up caffeine if you drink water spiked with a little Celtic sea salt.

It’s in the book “The Water Cure.”

Most people are dehydrated in the first place, then we make it even worse by drinking caffeine.

Your body won’t go through withdrawal and you won’t even miss soda.