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Try as I might, I am not at the point where I can give up coffee. I'm sure its an addiction, but it's the one thing I look forward to in the morning. If I had to give it up, I would surely crash and burn on my Paleo plan.

I drink three 8oz. cups a day; two in the am and one in the afternoon. Each gets two tsp. of Splenda with an oz. of cream in each. I can't drink it black or unsweetened.

I'm aware that the coffee leaches micronutrients, that dairy isn't great for me, nor is the artificial sweetener... They irritate my gut and slow down my progress. The rational part of me knows that I'll be in much better health without them, but I'm really struggling here.

Oh, and FWIW, Stevia tastes nasty!

Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Mr. P, are you asking how to stop using Splenda, or the coffee altogether, or ??? I sometimes use Necta Sweet saccharin tablets. If you are in good health, and your indulgence in life is coffee and cream with Splenda, I say "why not?". I wish you much joy. :) – PaleoGran Mar 15 2012 at 15:59
One of my great joys consists of a dessert blend tea (I dig "Birthday Cake" and "Almost Nutella" from Adagio) in lieu of my typical green/white teas. A few splashes (I almost said "a splash"...but let's be honest - it's a few!) of heavy cream and a half packet of stevia and I am in heaven. I do drink mostly green or white, iced, with some fruit, but when I get a craving, I figure it's a better thing than actual cake or a spoonful of Nutella. Perhaps you can cut the AM dose to one cup? – Blossom1 Mar 15 2012 at 16:35
I'd like to quit coffee, creamer, and Splenda completely. I'd like to try tea with honey, but my weight loss goals don't support the extra sugar right now. – Mr. Pickles Mar 15 2012 at 16:53
why not try stevia like Blossom1 suggested? I see nothing wrong with the cream though, as long as it isn't creamer. – ryan Mar 15 2012 at 17:52
Stevia does taste nasty - if you use too much. It becomes very bitter. The trick is to use a tiny amount. – Dave S. Mar 15 2012 at 18:31

7 Answers

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Well, maybe being assured the sacrifice is worth it will help. I gave up the milk and the splenda and started drinking coffee black. It was hard, but only for about a week. I got used to it. After I did this grains stopped looking good to me. Pizza stopped looking awesome and started looking like a flat, round disc of poison. The really dark chocolate bars started tasting better. Search paleohacks for the research that shows splenda kills off your gut flora. That can be stick to my carrot. If nothing else, ditch the splenda and use some natural sweetener very sparingly.

I seriously regard giving the Splenda up as one of the key moments in my dieting history. It got so much easier!

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My instincts tell me you are right about this. Thanks. – Mr. Pickles Mar 15 2012 at 17:24
I feel the exact same way about giving up splenda and other non-nutritive sweeteners!!! Totally changed my relationship with food. – jj Mar 29 2012 at 17:53
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why exactly would you want to give up coffee? i have never understood the coffee paranoia. coffee not only reduces appetite and aids in IF, but it is also a decent source of minerals. besides that it is just really, really good. paleo truly loses me when people are willing to be miserable and give up all enjoyable things in life for the sake of some ideal. have your coffee and drink it too.

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Hey Mr. P,

I can't help you out on the "no-coffee" bit (I usually take mine through and IV)! I do limit myself to two cups and then switch to teas if I still need a cozy drink. I too have had this battle when switching to a paleo lifestyle. My advice is do not use artificial sweeteners...nasty!

However, in your case I would allow permission for some natural honey or a little maple syrup. It is not that much and far better for you than your current. As far a cream, maybe gradually cut it down or try some coconut milk. I did eventually get to where I enjoyed my coffee black with just occasionally sweetening the pot! When I do sweeten...I use full cream and honey and it is awesome!

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I did try substituting Coconut milk for the cream and I actually lost an extra pound in a week, but it didn't taste great and I went back to cream. – Mr. Pickles Mar 15 2012 at 16:54
Consider adding cinnamon to the coconut milk.. You might like it better... – Jen Mar 30 2012 at 1:29
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Having 2 or 3 mugs of coffee each day hasn't stopped me from losing a lot of fat, redistributing fat for a better body profile or any other positive development in the past year. Each mug of coffee has a generous tablespoon of heavy cream added and--usually--a teaspoon of honey.

I now either fast or reduce calories 2 or 3 days per week and on those days I omit the honey. Usually. :-))

My main question for you is, how do you REALLY respond to the coffee? I've read that different people react differently--duh. I have always been a fidgety-type person with tons of nervous energy and coffee/caffeine is SOOTHING and CALMING for me which is not uncommon.

People who are naturally calm, though, can find coffee to be a source of irritability or overstimulaion. Also, some gluten sensitive people can cross-react to coffee as I understand it.

You have to be honest with yourself about your response to coffee. If, like me, you have only positive reactions why worry? If your body doesn't like it, find something else to sip.

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I do have gluten sensitivity and IBS, so I may have some cross-reacting issues, but I haven't missed a cup in twenty years (!) so I have no frame of reference for how I would do without it. – Mr. Pickles Mar 15 2012 at 16:57
You know, if I could replace the Splenda with honey AND still lose weight, I would be happy. – Mr. Pickles Mar 15 2012 at 16:57
I would try it! That's been our solution, and we've done pretty well (I've lost ~175 lbs in the past 2 years, for example, and I'm a post-menopausal woman). Just remember that the Splenda makes your beverage unusually sweet -- so pick an amount (I use about 2 tsp) and stick to it until your taste-buds change. Otherwise, you'll find yourself using WAY too much sweetener and throwing off your body's balance. – Firestorm Mar 15 2012 at 17:07
Yes, I limit myself to 1 tsp of honey per mug so I never go over a tbsp per day. – Nance Mar 15 2012 at 17:36
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Honestly, I went cold turkey on the splenda & cream and forced myself to make the switch to black coffee a few years back. Within a week, I could no longer stand to drink it with the extra junk and I've been a black coffee girl ever since. Give it a try for a week or 30 days and see if you can convert yourself.

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I take my coffee with a lot raw heavy cream, a little sucanat, and a tablespoon or so of coconut oil. I find that the oil keeps me fuller and more energized, and raw cream is delicious! (and, yes, it's not totally raw after being in the hot coffee, but this stuff is so thick you can spoon it!)

That said, if you find that you are tired all the time, giving up coffee might be good for you. Dehydration and over caffination can cause you to be tired all the time, so you feel you "need" coffee or stimulants to stay awake and alert. For me, adding the coconut oil prevents me from going for the second or third cup, and I will drink water or kombucha instead.

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Well, this isn't really answering your question, but I gave up coffee for 4 or 5 days (due to insomnia-combating efforts in my case), and didn't really notice any positive effects, health or sleep-wise. I drink it black, 2-4 cups a day, with 2-3 packets of Splenda per cup. I can't say that it seems to increase my cravings for sugar or carbs. I theorize that in my case, the extra alertness, psychological boost from the sweetness, and maybe the likelihood that it causes me to eat less compensates for whatever weight-loss prevention effects Splenda has. Gut-flora...might be an issue.

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