I've been doing a modified Atkins for a couple of weeks, and have decided to go South Beach all the way this next week. I think I 'm really going to miss my real coffee! Why no caffiene on SB? Would cutting back on real coffee, like going 1/2 cup real with 1/2 cup decaf and s-l-o-w-l-y going to no caffiene be a bad idea? I'm afraid I won't be able to get going in the morning without my real coffee

Are you still drinking caffeinated beverages? Excess caffeine can drop blood sugar levels and leave you craving sweets. The best way to reduce caffeine is to mix the high-octane stuff with increasing amounts of decaffeinated coffee until you're finally drinking all decaf, which you can enjoy with cream. If you try to quit cold turkey, you may experience some powerful headaches. Water processed decaf is preferable because it does not use chemicals as other decaffeinating processes do.*

*This is taken from the Atkins 365 Day calendar.

It does answer the question about why decaf.

Boditty - I don;t follow the SouthBeach program but Atkins says no caffeine either. I tried to give up caffeine and succeeded for 2 months when i first started 2 1/2 years ago. I used the system Mona describes. But i found I just couldn't fully wake up without caffeinated coffee. So I now drink half-caf. AMxwell house sells this as well as folgers and maybe others. But you could mix your own in any proportion you choose. If you can give it up then great but to my way of thinking it's too much sacrifice. I lost over 100 pounds drinking my coffee.

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I think you have to know how it effects YOU. I am not giving up my coffee for any diet, for anybody, for any reason. It's my one vice, lol, and I like it, I enjoy it, and I'll compromise in another area... But, it don't seem to effect me, so that makes it easier for me to keep on using it.

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In the cookies of life, we are the chocolate chips.

I too lost over 100 lbs and never gave up my coffee, so maybe I could have lost faster if I had but it was not worth it to me
Good luck with whatever you decide

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I am with the rest of the gang.... Gave up the caffeinated coffee during induction only. It was a VERY painful experience to say the least! After induction I went to mixing half and half for about 3 to 4 months and now I am on full octane again! I never noticed any problems since returning to full leaded coffee, but each person is different. However, the only caffeine I do have is my morning coffee. The rest of the day I do not indulge..... strictly water and my decaf teas.

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Thanks all who replied.... glad I'm not the only Java Junkie of the group. It's one of my last vices too! I will try cutting back, and I too only drink the real thing in the morning, so maybe it will be ok. Just today I tried iced green tea...wow, really good!!!! It can't hurt to put less caffiene in my bod, since too much gives me headaches anyway. I'll give it a 'shot"


thanks!