I have an additction
 

I am addicted to Red Bull.

This has been a long love affair, Red Bull and I first met when I was working 12 hour shifts and started having to get up at 5 to be at work by 6! I needed something to get me going that early and I never have drank coffee or tea. Back then, it was at least 2 (sometimes more!) red bull a day, and was smoking at lest half a pack a day. Fast forward 8 years later, and I have kicked the tobacco habit, but I can't seem to ditch the red bull. I have at the very least, switch from the regular one to the zero cal kind. I have a red bull every morning still. I get a headache if I don't, and I'm irritable and very unhappy until I can have one. I really really wish I could bring myself to drink coffee or tea! I have never found a flavor I could stomach (My BF is a serious tea drinker and has had nearly every flavor out there, and I have tasted most of them)

I know I shouldn't drink the stuff, I know it's not good for me, but at the same time, I don't really WANT to give it up yet. I feel guilty for being so hooked on it, but at the same time I don't know what I would do without it.

Anyone else have any guilty pleasure/addictions? How do you deal with it?

lol, dont feel bad - i think everyone is allowed a guilty plesure! i cannot start my day without coffee - dont even try talk to me if i havent had it, i drink on average 3 to 5 mugs a day!

But my real guilty pleasure is chocolate covered marshmellow easter eggs, i just cant get enough of them! (ive eaten 5 today - at least they only come out once a year!!)

Years ago, I used to drink 1-2 POTS of coffee per day; with unlimited cream & sugar. No wonder I couldn't sleep, eh?

I slowly cut back, fighting headaches all the way. Now, I drink a homemade "double" ice coffee every day, using unsweetened almond milk (makes it super creamy) and exactly 4 teaspoons of sugar. I know that I could cut out the extra calories, but I don't want to. I LOVE coffee and I'll never ever give it up!

I would be concerned about what sort of chemical crap is in the zero cal stuff :(

No judgement here. I drank at least two liters of coke a day up until the end of July. I couldn't function without it, and I don't think it was the caffiene it was just the sugar surge. I knew I had to give it up, so I quit cold turkey. The withdrawal symptoms were hellacious. Just awful. But I did it in about a week (and then I went primal and went through more awful withdrawal).

If you're losing your weight and you feel ok don't guilt yourself. We all have our weaknesses.

I can relate! I was a smoker and had a 2 to 3 sugar free monster or rockstar a day habit about 4+ years ago. Had to stop both when we had a baby, I stayed away from the smokes but the energy drink habit has gone off and on. After a while they start making me feel terrible. I still have them sometimes, I especially love Monster's new zero calorie one, citrusy. But I digress. I had replaced energy drinks with diet soda, and have tried to just have both now and then instead of all the dang time. It's been a process. It's like I always have to have an "unhealthy" habit, it's weird. I'm probably crazy.

I still have coffee daily. And still have diet soda and sugar free energy drinks sometimes. In short -- if you get to a point where you just really don't want to depend on them anymore, you'll figure it out. Until then give yourself credit for all the other positive changes you've made!

I gave up coffee when I became a housewife. I used to get those specialty coffees everyday, a big 24 oz, then a frozen blended one for lunch. I could no longer afford it and didn't want to be like my mother and aunts drinking coffee into the late afternoon all day. They even used to take a thermos to the beach in 100 degree weather. I used to rely on my one a day dr pepper addiction from that day forward. I can proudly say I am now caffeine free I have about 40 days clean. Lol. My hubby bought some green tea pills but I am scared I will have to go through withdrawals again, so no thanks. Now I do allow myself a blended high calorie coffee from time to time, I swear it's like heaven having one. My addiction right now is nicotine, I never mention it here because I am just not ready to give it up, maybe I know it's bad, I am ashamed of it.

I feel so much better and so much less alone :) Thanks guys.

I know the time will come when I am ready to give up my beloved red bull (I even have a red bull fridge at home, not a mini one, a full sized cylinder ones that you see in convenience stores! I won't ever get rid of that though) I'm not NOT concerned about the chemically crap that is in the zero cal drinks, but at this point I fee like it is the lesser of two evils, if I drank the regular ones with all the sugar (not to mention, after that much sugar I feel like a bag of poo), that would put to much of a dent in my daily calories. Instead the I can drink the zero cal one without killing my cals for the day! Funny how we can justify things to ourselves like this :D

I love love love Redbull but haven't had it in at least 7 months. The problem with mine is that I used to like to mix it with vodka when we'd be out for drinks on Friday or Saturday night ($$$$$$$$). I just love the taste, the look, the buzz (literally!) from the caffeine. I'd love to splurge on one just to have it but it's totally off my plan (even the sugar free ones). Just wanted to let you know I share your love for it! (Almost everyone I know hates it and I just don't get that!!)

My love affair now is with coffee and tea; it's not something I will or have to give up. I have lost all of my weight drinking it every day, sometimes 8oz and sometimes 40oz depending on the day.

I do admit too that cherry Coke zero is a once a week treat. It's far less unhealthy compared to everything I used to do before my diet so I learned to let go of that worry.

Edit to add-----JEALOUS of your Red Bull fridge, omg!!

I also think you'll know when you're ready to give it up. I'm a serious caffeine addict (coffee), but I have struggled with pre-ulcers in the past so am really careful to pay attention to how I feel and how much coffee I'm drinking, as I don't want to be back in ulcer-land again! :p

If I were you, I'd go back to the regular calorie one. Well both are not good for you, the zero calorie is chalk full of chemicals.

I am not judging, I love Monsters. It used to be 3 a week but I have been lucky enough to kick that habit and just switch over to caffeine pills when necessary. I hate the taste of coffee and tea so caffeine pills were a good balance for me.

Edit : Sorry, I didn't read through all the comments before I posted lol. If you feel you're happier with the zero calorie one then stick with that one.

Originally Posted by elvislover324:
I love love love Redbull but haven't had it in at least 7 months. The problem with mine is that I used to like to mix it with vodka when we'd be out for drinks on Friday or Saturday night ($$$$$$$$). I just love the taste, the look, the buzz (literally!) from the caffeine. I'd love to splurge on one just to have it but it's totally off my plan (even the sugar free ones). Just wanted to let you know I share your love for it! (Almost everyone I know hates it and I just don't get that!!)

Edit to add-----JEALOUS of your Red Bull fridge, omg!!

I am a sucker for a Jag-Bomb!!, :lol: it has been my traditional birthday gift for all of my drinking friends :)

Red Bull fridge is awesome, it was the first X-mas present I got from my boyfriend!!! (That was pretty much it for me, I knew I was keeping him hehehe)

And speaking of red bulls, has anyone tried the new "flavors" ? Blueberry, Cranberry and Lime!! I saw them in the store and had to try them all. I'll stick to my zero cal ones, but I could see those flavors working well with Vodka!

bubblybarrister Ulcers sound terrible! I hope I never have those. :(

Candeka - I have considered switching back, but the other day I asked my BF to pick one up for me, not remembering that I have switched to the Zero ones, he brought me a regular one, and a bigger one (not the biggest) at that! After I drank that I just felt all kinds of messed up! High from the sugar, but my stomach was rolling. Then I crashed. HARD!

Originally Posted by Silverfire:
I am addicted to Red Bull.

This has been a long love affair, Red Bull and I first met when I was working 12 hour shifts and started having to get up at 5 to be at work by 6! I needed something to get me going that early and I never have drank coffee or tea. Back then, it was at least 2 (sometimes more!) red bull a day, and was smoking at lest half a pack a day. Fast forward 8 years later, and I have kicked the tobacco habit, but I can't seem to ditch the red bull. I have at the very least, switch from the regular one to the zero cal kind. I have a red bull every morning still. I get a headache if I don't, and I'm irritable and very unhappy until I can have one. I really really wish I could bring myself to drink coffee or tea! I have never found a flavor I could stomach (My BF is a serious tea drinker and has had nearly every flavor out there, and I have tasted most of them)

I know I shouldn't drink the stuff, I know it's not good for me, but at the same time, I don't really WANT to give it up yet. I feel guilty for being so hooked on it, but at the same time I don't know what I would do without it.

Anyone else have any guilty pleasure/addictions? How do you deal with it?

I used to be this way with Monster energy drinks and coffee. I would drink 1-2 coffees in the morning and afternoon, then have a Monster in the late afternoon. I cut back little by little. It was not easy, I even had to stay home from work one day because my body hurt from withdrawal (I thought I was catching a flu). I stopped though. You may have to increase or start taking vitamins/herbs and start getting the needed hours of sleep when you decide to quit.

Since then I've switched my guilty pleasure to dark chocolate. I love it. :D:D I can't go into a CVS or Walgreens without buying a square or a bar LOL

I drink 3 Diet Cokes every day. I'm in no hurry to give them up. Coffee gives me gut rot and tea just doesn't have the caffeine jolt I need to get going in the morning. And I do sooooooooo need caffeine to get going. Every time I've tried to give it up I've had horrible headaches and just felt rotten.

Originally Posted by Silverfire:

Red Bull fridge is awesome, it was the first X-mas present I got from my boyfriend!!! (That was pretty much it for me, I knew I was keeping him hehehe)

And speaking of red bulls, has anyone tried the new "flavors" ? Blueberry, Cranberry and Lime!! I saw them in the store and had to try them all. I'll stick to my zero cal ones, but I could see those flavors working well with Vodka!

OMG, he was definitely a keeper for the Red Bull fridge lol!! I am dying to get one for our basement bar (just the small one, to sit on the bar).

Flavors?! You are killing me now!! LOL @ you having to try them all, too funny. :)

Originally Posted by Garnet2727:
I drink 3 Diet Cokes every day. I'm in no hurry to give them up. Coffee gives me gut rot and tea just doesn't have the caffeine jolt I need to get going in the morning. And I do sooooooooo need caffeine to get going. Every time I've tried to give it up I've had horrible headaches and just felt rotten.

The withdrawal is a real kick in the rear isn't it. :(

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...o0Qfxas1YTI4Ww (This isn't mine, but the pink carpets look just like mine :barf:)

This is the one that I have - truth be told it holds much more beer than it does redbull :)

and yes! Flavors!!!
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...jGL_szhMex6kJQ

I used to be a Dr.Pepper/Root Beer/Orange Crush/Everything but Cola junkie too (on top of the red bull) and I have been just about pop free for a couple months now! That was quite hurdle too (Pretty sure those were double red bull days ) I have thought about getting something like a Soda stream so I can still have that lovely fizz that I crave. Although I find club soda and the sugar free Torani syrups a pretty decent alternative if I really want some bubbles.

I used to buy the green tea ginger ale all the time to keep at home, but it got to the point where I was drinking 2 or 3 a day! Worse yet, I would feel bad about drinking that much and would be embarrassed that I drank it all ALL and my boyfriend didn't get any, so I would have to go to the store and get more so he didn't notice! I still buy coke so he has something to mix with his rum, but I can't bring myself to drink cola so it's not a problem.

My guilty pleasure is a super delish calorie laden iced coffee from a local coffee shop near my old home. I HAD to have one almost daily! Of course now that we have moved 4 hours away from my coffee shop, I can no longer have them. I do get them when I go back to visit family every few months.

I'm a BIG coffee drinker and used to just laden it with creamer and sugar. (My home coffee probably had 400 cals easily!) Now I'm at the point where I can have my coffee with 2 measured servings of creamer and no extra sugar. I am not willing to give up those two servings of creamer!!

And like another poster said, I'm big on dark chocolate! In face, hubby asked if I needed/wanted anything brought home today (bad night/day) and I told him I really needed dark chocolate!

I guess I have more than one guilty pleasure I'm not willing to give up completely. I did give up my Mountain Dew (used to drink a liter a day) and my sweet tea. I no longer have either of those, ever. Giving up the Dew was the hardest and I really had a rough time. Now, I'm glad I did it!

So you are def not alone! We all have our vices!

Originally Posted by Radiojane:
The withdrawal is a real kick in the rear isn't it. :(

I surely is. I gave up smoking a few years ago but I cannot kick the caffeine habit although I really have cut way down.

In addition to beer, which we are starting to cover over in the Men's section, I am absolutely hooked on Icebreakers sugar free cool mints (1 calorie each). I smoked for ten years then used Nictotine lozenges to give up for three years and got hooked on them instead. The icebreakers got me off the lozenges.

I can see that my diet is gonna be a bit like that...

Originally Posted by Silverfire:
bubblybarrister Ulcers sound terrible! I hope I never have those. :(

Super not trying to scare you - sorry if I did! I think you're probably fine as long as your stomach feels fine! I felt really ill when I had irritations in my stomach lining and had to cut out all acidic foods to prevent them from turning into full blown ulcers. As long as you're not nauseous/experiencing a lot of acid reflux, I'm sure you're fine. :) Your body will let you know if it isn't cool with red bull! :)

Originally Posted by bubblybarrister:
Super not trying to scare you - sorry if I did! I think you're probably fine as long as your stomach feels fine! I felt really ill when I had irritations in my stomach lining and had to cut out all acidic foods to prevent them from turning into full blown ulcers. As long as you're not nauseous/experiencing a lot of acid reflux, I'm sure you're fine. :) Your body will let you know if it isn't cool with red bull! :)

No no! Don't worry, you didn't scare me. I have some friends who have chronic ulcers and know how bad it can affect them. I am glad that you have yours under control and are steering clear of ulcer-land :D

Originally Posted by IanG:
In addition to beer, which we are starting to cover over in the Men's section, I am absolutely hooked on Icebreakers sugar free cool mints (1 calorie each). I smoked for ten years then used Nictotine lozenges to give up for three years and got hooked on them instead. The icebreakers got me off the lozenges.

I can see that my diet is gonna be a bit like that...

I think my red bull dependency is directly related to quitting smoking. I had always done both, but Smoked far more more regularly than I drank red bull at the time, when I quit smoking I still found myself needing to stop at the store on the way to work or whatever, and instead of getting smokes I would get a couple red bull. (An equally as expensive habit I might add, finally I have learned to buy them by the case and on sale!)

Those icebreakers are pretty dang tasty too, my coworkers always have those at their desks!! And are always willing to share :)

And I know what you mean, it seems to be a lot of replacing a bad addiction with a good one (or just less bad ;) )

Addictions usually are not 'fixed' they are usually replaced. Which is not inherently bad or negative, really.

My boyfriend runs a drug and alcohol rehab facility and also does recovery counseling. He also is over ten years sober himself (from Alcohol).

Naturally, we always talk a lot of addictions and the ones that interests me are the 'non' addictions, the 'normal' stuff people are addicted to, not just the drugs and alcohol that we think of when we think addictions.

When he and I first got together I used to think, 'this guy can eat more sweets than anyone I have ever met'. He doesn't overeat specifically and he's not really that heavy (6' 2" and 230lbs) but he can sit down and eat 2 huge honey buns and a pack of pop tarts as a 'treat'. I would be ill if I tried to do that.

When I asked him about it, he said almost all former addicts are sweet/caffeine junkies. Scientifically a 'sugar high' is similar, though to a lesser degree, than that of a drug high. Also, big addictions among former addicts are smoking and drinking mt. dew.

Our bodies don't like to give up addiction highs, so we tend to look for other things that supply similar feelings that are more socially acceptable.

Not that all that matters much, but I do find it interesting. :)

It's also why a lot of people that go on diets and do massive life changes can become addicted to working out. It's the only part of their life that is giving their body that 'high' that they miss, so their body starts craving that.

Admittedly, my addictions do not tend to be exercise. LOL :D

Wow Katydid77 That really makes a whole lot of sense! In my mind I would gladly trade a Red Bull addiction for a gym addiction :lol:, but in real life... I don't think I am ready for that yet! Someday. I know I have at least a few more addictions that I am probably not too proud of, perhaps I can trade most of them up for a gym addiction! :D I doubt it works that way though.. Oh well.

I'm addicted to diet pepsi. Ive tried to quit it a few times. Butttt yea. At least its zero cals. I drink 3 cans a day, sometimes four if its a stressful day.

I could never do the diet soda... (cept the red bull of course :) ) I could never handle the intense aspartame flavors, so just stick to the red bull and skip the pop in general now! It's hard though, a couple of cubes over, every morning, as soon as one of my coworkers is in, he cracks a pop. Even just the sound makes me drool a little LOL. One time I had to get just a sip because I could smell it!

Originally Posted by CherryQuinn:
I'm addicted to diet pepsi. Ive tried to quit it a few times. Butttt yea. At least its zero cals. I drink 3 cans a day, sometimes four if its a stressful day.

Diet pepsi has been mine as well. It's the one thing I've been allowing myself without limit since I started my plan. This is terrible, but when I started counting I realized I was drinking at least SEVEN a day. Ugh...that can't be good.

Starting last week, I've since cut down to 2, drinking 1 in the morning and 1 during dinner. I "forced" the change on myself by not bringing any to work with me, just a Nalgene bottle. I do miss it though...

I'm drinking my XL black Dunkin' Donuts coffee with 2 Sweet & Lows while reading about all your drink addictions!:coffee2:

If I want to be really bad, I'll ask my husband to bring another one home when he gets out of work.:dizzy:

I swear they do add crack to these coffees because when I brew my own at home with their beans, it's hardly as heavenly.:D