Quitting meat and caffeine

[thef0x]

I read Steve's coffee article along with his 30 day trial article and I decided to quit caffeine and all meat except fish. I've lost 2 belt sizes in 13 days which is a lot but I'm sleeping less, falling asleep faster, I'm more energized, I feel more flexible, sex is better, and my thinking is clear.. and more pensive. My self confidence has tripled, and my internal state has its daily lows but nevertheless is fantastic. Really useful changes, I'm so happy.

My next task is a 8:00 rise time (no matter what) and doubling my personal productivity.

Fantastic.

[thadroe]

Originally Posted by thef0x

I read Steve's coffee article along with his 30 day trial article and I decided to quit caffeine and all meat except fish. I've lost 2 belt sizes in 13 days which is a lot but I'm sleeping less, falling asleep faster, I'm more energized, I feel more flexible, sex is better, and my thinking is clear.. and more pensive. My self confidence has tripled, and my internal state has its daily lows but nevertheless is fantastic. Really useful changes, I'm so happy.

My next task is a 8:00 rise time (no matter what) and doubling my personal productivity.

Fantastic.

That's awesome, man! I did the same several years ago and am much much better off! Although I gave up fish too...too many pollutants. I do eat small amounts here and there.

I'm so glad you are feeling the difference! I remember noticing the same as well. However, don't be surprised if you have some times where you feel a little worse before you feel better as your body goes through the process of "house cleaning".

Thad

[elainevdw]

I had a hard time doing the regular waking time thing. Then I decided to start running in the morning. It's kind of funny how I trained myself to get my butt out of bed. I downloaded a particular ring tone I could use as an alarm on my cell phone, and every night before going to sleep I played it and rehearsed in my head getting up the next morning. Then in the morning I'd go on autopilot, put on my running gear and head out the door (or put on my yoga gear and do yoga, on off days). It's amazing -- after only about a week of doing this consistently, I went from hitting snooze 20 times to transitioning from deep sleep to total wakefulness about 30 seconds before my alarm was supposed to go off each morning. I think pairing activity with your wakeup time helps accelerate programming your body to wake up that time every morning.

I don't do this anymore, unfortunately... I really started to miss morning cuddle sessions on the weekends, and you really have to be consistent to keep it up!

The no-caffeine thing rocks, too. I drink caffeine every once in a while now, but only to serve a specific purpose. And I tell you what, not having your system deadened to the effects of caffeine makes it doubly effective when you do drink it!

[Pavel Alasheev]

It's interesting that i've never felt any effect of caffeine. Zero. I could drink 4 cups of coffee and then fall asleep immediately. I don't consume caffeine now (except for an occasional chocolate bar), just in case. Since it doesn't make any difference for me, i just thought that it does more harm than good and decided to stay away from it.

[micth]

that's awsome fox... i've never really drunk much caffeine, let alone become addicted to it, but i can say that i'm interested in becoming vegetarian to see if i can have more energy/sleep less. I can say though, that getting up early, and at the same time every day pay huge dividends in alot of areas in your life. I'd definitely recommend it.

[kthdsn]

I didn't think caffeine made a difference to me until I cut it out. Wow, what a difference. I felt more tired than usual in the evening, but so much more awake in the morning and throughout the day, much more energetic, less lethargic, like a fog lifted.

I have also recently cut out meat and increased fruit and veg in my diet, and I feel even better. I still feel like I have a long way to go, but I can't believe I spent so long in that fog thinking I was just fine.

It's great to see other people going through the same things too.

[skinnyninja]

I'm going to have to seriously rethink my diet. I eat lots and lots of red meat and drink lots of Mt. Dew and energy drinks.

I'm allergic to nuts and seafood, though, so I use that as an excuse to eat lots of meat. Sometimes I feel like I can't get "full" unless I eat meat. Not sure how to go about changing these habits.

[jpfieber]

I was addicted to caffeine in college as I often had to pull all-nighters to finish projects. I found that a two-liter of Mountain Dew was just the right amount to keep me up, but not so much that I got the shakes (was an architecture student so I needed to still be able to draw, and Vivarin and NoDoz gave me the shakes). Once I graduated I gave it up cold turkey and I'm glad I did. When I see the dependence that those around me have on it, it makes me appreciate that I no longer need to rely on caffeine. On the rare occasion though that I have a can of caffeinated soda, I really get wired, in a not so fun way (seems to affect the intestines too ), so that doesn't happen too often!

[Minishark]

Originally Posted by jpfieber

I was addicted to caffeine in college as I often had to pull all-nighters to finish projects. I found that a two-liter of Mountain Dew was just the right amount to keep me up, but not so much that I got the shakes (was an architecture student so I needed to still be able to draw, and Vivarin and NoDoz gave me the shakes). Once I graduated I gave it up cold turkey and I'm glad I did. When I see the dependence that those around me have on it, it makes me appreciate that I no longer need to rely on caffeine. On the rare occasion though that I have a can of caffeinated soda, I really get wired, in a not so fun way (seems to affect the intestines too ), so that doesn't happen too often!

Yeah, right now I'm Computer Science student at the University of Vermont, and it's definitely easy as a college student (a CS student even more so) to become addicted to caffeine. When you've got a strange class schedule and a strange eating schedule, it's nearly impossible to wake up at the same time every day, so a lot of people drink tons of coffee on those earlier days to make up for it. Also, when you want to be out late on the weekends enjoying yourself like you should, there's no way you're waking up before noon the next day. I've gotten myself down to about 1 or 2 cups of coffee a week (sometimes less), and I usually reserve them only for those days where I had a really bad night's sleep and I can't find the time to take a nap. I do still enjoy soda though, but the amount of caffeine in a soda isn't enough to really affect me unless I drink it within a couple hours of going to sleep.

[ahimel]

Originally Posted by skinnyninja

I'm allergic to nuts and seafood, though, so I use that as an excuse to eat lots of meat. Sometimes I feel like I can't get "full" unless I eat meat. Not sure how to go about changing these habits.

Try sneaking some soy into your diet. If you have a "Boulder" store nearby, you can buy Textured Vegetable Protein (or Textured Soy Protein) out of bins. Morningstar farms makes a line they call "starters" that's soy substitute for ground beef, and that's available at most grocery stores. Or Google TVP or TSP and buy it online.

DON'T try to make a hamburger out of it, or fall for the vegetarians' claims that the veggie burger "tastes just like the real thing." It doesn't. It tastes awful.

But put it in spaghetti sauce instead of ground beef. Be honest -- you can't taste the beef anyway, you just want bulk. You can use it in most soups or sauces (chili) without ever knowing the difference. I made a batch of nachos once, and no one realised it wasn't beef until they noticed that my vegetarian roommate was eating them. (All you taste is the taco seasoning.)

See if that helps you ease off the dead-animal-parts thing a bit, and go from there.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by skinnyninja

I'm going to have to seriously rethink my diet. I eat lots and lots of red meat and drink lots of Mt. Dew and energy drinks.

I'm allergic to nuts and seafood, though, so I use that as an excuse to eat lots of meat. Sometimes I feel like I can't get "full" unless I eat meat. Not sure how to go about changing these habits.

I'm right there with you on the Mt. Dew and energy drinks...

I know that I want to quit, and that there are amazing benefits that come with quitting... but every time I try, I get the withdrawal headaches... which means that I can't think clearly, and I'm more addicted to thinking than I am to anything else.

I really didn't start drinking coffee until I was in the Army, sitting in an over/under heated tent for twelve hours at a time staring at little yellow dots on a computer screen. (Someone has to tell the generals where to send their troops, and it certainly isn't the president. ) Since then, though, I've been fully addicted to every form of caffeine out there.

I really need to get one of those huge bottles of ibuprofen and throw out all of the caffeinated drinks in my house, lock myself in, and kick the addiction all at once. One day soon...

As far as only feeling full when you eat meat... Substitute the meat for something that is high in fiber. Fiber-rich foods are much more filling, low in saturated fat, and high in the types of fat that reduce your cholesterol. One of my favorite high-fiber recipes is fake mashed potatoes, though I lost it a few months back.

[Zach]

Ever since I've stopped eating meat, I feel so much better. And, I rarely ever drink soda pop, but when I do I have a Dr. Pepper once every couple months or so (shame on me). However, my mom is a pretty heavy drinker of Diet Pepsi, and she claims that when she drinks it she has joint pain, aching muscles, and a number of other issues, so it obviously isn't good for you.

[kthdsn]

The problem with diet pepsi and similar drinks is aspartame. The list of side effects is quite scary.

[thef0x]

Let me elaborate on the specific changes I made within my own context, and some more specific future goals that require habits I can begin to establish right now.

(Begins to sit, think, and eat an apple)

I've had a grasp on nutrition for some time now, having spent some time weight training in high school and surfing bodybuilding forums for professional articles on the subject. I graduate, spend a summer working, and move to a small private college where the food is limited and generally unhealthy. I ate through my first real winter and gained ten pounds or so. More over, I was in a slump at school and depressed. I finally figure some stuff out the end of my second semester at school, started to force myself to get through all my reading, and found a very pretty girl I felt I could really be myself around (this whole idea of "my self" I have issues with, namely that life is a becoming). I get a cool job at a downtown caffe in my city, meet young professionals daily, and enjoy a fairly relaxed summer vacation.

I started school in late August, and now it's September, October, November and I'm in fantastic relationship and doing tremendously at my studies. Today is day 13 of this diet change, and here is what is composed of:

No dairy drinks
No carbonated drinks
No refined sugar
Whole grains
Eggs and veggies in the morning
Tuna fish (this is terrible, I will be a mad hatter in 5 years)
Juices
and whatever else is basically vegan at my school (sometimes just rice and salad--not especially balanced)

I'm also taking a multivitamin, vit E, vit C, and flaxseed oil supps with some low sodium v8 juice as a light bedtime snack, usually with a banana I grab from commons.

I cut the caffeine completely and guys, I will never go back. I have no paranoia, my limiting beliefs have ceased to surface, I am utterly flexible in my physical body, my thinking is stronger vertically as well as horizontally, and, as a writer, I feel my writing has improved dramatically. I've begun to learn how to PhotoRead, practiced some of Steve's personal productivity stuff, and I feel like I've spent less time doing nothing and less time doing work, I have butt loads of free time to write, watch films, read books, socialize and party (college student, I do drink and smoke pot on weekends). The only hangups I've had with my girlfriend is her worrying that our relationship is too good, hilarious.

I cannot list the amount of difference these things have had on my overall life within the last 6 months. I feel like I'm inundated with abilities I've been working on all my life, and finally they're coming together with motivation and creative thinking. I feel like I'm constantly embracing all corners of my intelligence.

I am so overjoyed guys. Doing these things are hard, but they become better when you feel their effects, and I encourage all of you to spend your time now to experience them later. I like Steve's idea, demolish your goals.

Cheers

[thef0x]

Originally Posted by elainevdw

I had a hard time doing the regular waking time thing. Then I decided to start running in the morning. It's kind of funny how I trained myself to get my butt out of bed. I downloaded a particular ring tone I could use as an alarm on my cell phone, and every night before going to sleep I played it and rehearsed in my head getting up the next morning. Then in the morning I'd go on autopilot, put on my running gear and head out the door (or put on my yoga gear and do yoga, on off days). It's amazing -- after only about a week of doing this consistently, I went from hitting snooze 20 times to transitioning from deep sleep to total wakefulness about 30 seconds before my alarm was supposed to go off each morning. I think pairing activity with your wakeup time helps accelerate programming your body to wake up that time every morning.

I don't do this anymore, unfortunately... I really started to miss morning cuddle sessions on the weekends, and you really have to be consistent to keep it up!

The no-caffeine thing rocks, too. I drink caffeine every once in a while now, but only to serve a specific purpose. And I tell you what, not having your system deadened to the effects of caffeine makes it doubly effective when you do drink it!

I'm definitely going to use this method of waking, especially because my clock method is awful. Each night I'll listen to the ring and imagine myself opening my eyes and sliding comfortably out of bed. My question is, is the exercise necessarily coupled with your method or could I just hop in the shower?

Great advice, this sounds like a smarter and happier way to wake up, mainly the sound!

[Brendon Colby]

Yeah I gave up caffeine for a while too. I usually drink about 16oz of Starbuck's coffee in the morning and maybe one 12oz diet soda every other day or so. After a while I realized that, hey, I enjoyed that coffee and why not? I didn't see the super amazing benefits of quitting that I thought I would. So I drink coffee perhaps a little more on purpose now than I did and I definitely do enjoy every last drop.

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by thef0x

I'm definitely going to use this method of waking, especially because my clock method is awful. Each night I'll listen to the ring and imagine myself opening my eyes and sliding comfortably out of bed. My question is, is the exercise necessarily coupled with your method or could I just hop in the shower?

Great advice, this sounds like a smarter and happier way to wake up, mainly the sound!

I hope this method helps you out!

I bet you could jump in the shower instead of work out -- as long as it's an activity that takes 20 minutes so that you're not tempted to fall back asleep!

Also, I not only visualized getting up -- I actually laid down and got comfy, set the alarm to go off in the next minute, then when it went off, I turned it off, stretched, and physically got up. I did this 3-5 times before going to bed... even though I felt like quite a geek doing it.

And yes, the sound of the ringtone I decided to use as an alarm is very nice -- peaceful but upbeat! No ear-splitting BEEP BEEP BEEPs.

[Faith]

One of the tricks I learned in one of the numerous times I've given up caffeine is to take Excedrin to avoid the headaches. It has some caffeine in it, but I think it works like a nicotine patch. It helps wean you off, while you're dealing with the other aspects of quitting - in my case with Diet soda, missing the fizziness and coldness of the drink, and learning to enjoy plain water instead. After a couple days, I didn't need the Excedrin anymore.

Faith

[scottyp]

I have a pretty severe caffeine addiction, but I recently have made the transition from coffee to tea. Right now I drink 2-3 caffeinated teas a day (depending on the day), which is an improvement from 3-4 coffees a day. I also drink herbal tea often, especially at night. I also have a jar of cafe-lib (grain coffee substitute) when I have the urge for some kind of coffee-like drink.

While I haven't completely kicked the habit I have already noticed an improvement in my mood and sleep.

[SerbianSausage]

I quit coffee and tea permanently on 6th January 2006 ... around 16 months ago.

I also quit chocolate some months ago also and it is the best, and the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I didn't really feel like I had conquered caffeine until about 2 months without it - the physical withdrawal was severe and I missed it for about 2 months but now I don't miss it at all.

I would never go back to it again.

The benefits are enormous:

Clearer thinking
Getting up in the morning feeling fully rested - even with around 6-7 hours sleep
No energy lows AT ALL throughout the day
Less acidity in my body so a much better and level mood
Much much more

Quit caffeine - do it and stop mentally avoiding it. It will absolutely not be easy but it is really worth it. The first 1½ weeks are the worst and it gets easier every day from there. I do not think about it at all now.

[Matthew Shea]

I've quit coffee/caffeine in various ways before and always ended up with the same results: weight gain and lower energy levels. I'll stick with my coffee for now.

[Dan.Linehan]

Yeah but... I get free coffee at work

I mostly gave up coffee that I have to pay for. Mostly.

[Cranvac]

It is truly amazing the effects that you will have quitting coffee or other caffeine's. Caffeine is a systemic drug that takes more than 24 hours for your system to dispose of, therefore you will have a build up affect until your system triggers the process that uses water to take the caffeine out of your bloodstream.
This will go directly to your storage facility that is the easiest to access (Fat Cells!) yeah!. The same affect is with too much alcohol.

After time the body rids of the excess.

Hope that helps and motivates.

Cranvac