Caffeine, yes or no?

[AussieAries]

hi everyone,

I was wondering about caffeine. I don't drink coffee but I LOVE coke zero and last week I switched from that to
caffeine free diet coke which is ok but not as good as the zero. I haven't really been craving coke zero but the
caffeine free stuff is a bit hard to find around here, my supermarkets don't always have it in stock. Is anyone
else going caffeine free? Does caffeine affect the way the Atkins diet work?

 

[AussieAries]

I just read that Atkins recommended decaffeinated tea and coffee so it must be the same with soft drinks

 

[Scrumbles]

Caffeine was discouraged in the original plan, but it's allowed in moderation in the newest version (New Atkins, New You).

I've drunk caffeine all through my weight loss and I don't believe it's held me back, but we're all different. The problem with large amounts - or even moderate amounts if you're sensitive to it - is that it hammers the adrenal gland, forcing it to produce excessive quantities of "fight-or-flight" hormones that then send you on a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Blood sugar rises then drops as insulin is released, making you crave another "fix" of some kind, most often something sugary. Clearly this is bad on any diet let alone Atkins!

I think the newer versions of the plan allow moderate consumption because many people can "get away" with limited amounts, but if you find you're suffering from bouts of fatigue or craving sweet things excessively, caffeine may well be the culprit and it's the first thing I'd cut out.

HTH

 

[Lindylou24]

I find it very hard to keep off the coke zero, I don't drink tea or coffee, so it's zero and water. I used to drink at least 5-6 tins a day but have now cut it down to two mostly per day. Unfortunately on the weekends this is harder and I find it causes water retention although it does not knock me out of ketosis . So on a Monday I try to only have one zero and up my water and it solves the problem of the water retention.

 

[sammy1]

Hi, I think coke zero does not have any caffeine in it. I don't have a bottle at the moment so can't check.

 

[moonlights]

I have a bottle in front of me right now. It does have caffeine but doesn't have citric acid, which is why it's preferable to diet coke.

I too have always had caffeine in tea and coke zero.

 

[AussieAries]

I was having 2 or three cans of zero everyday and felt weird flutterings in my chest afterwards, somebody said maybe it's the caffeine. Since I switched to caffeine free diet coke I haven't felt those flutterings at all so while I miss my zero I do actually feel better without it. Might try sprite zero, there's no caffeine in lemondade, right?

 

[moonlights]

But sprite zero contains citric acid and has a slightly higher carb count. Swings and roundabouts, it's what affects you personally that counts.

 

[TRISTAR]

I don't have caffeine, but I do have citric