I'm trying to do better with my water intake (meaning I'm trying to actually start drinking it). I'm used to living off my diet dr. depper and diet sunkist. So the past 3 days, I've been trying to drink 4 of my 16.9 bottle waters a day. I'm actually doing really good and have actually been drinking MORE than that.

But with that, means the reduction of my caffeine and man oh man...I'm tired and have a dull headache. I'm still having at least one during the day to keep the dull headache from becoming a full blown one but geez...how long does this last????????

Renee, I'd say a couple of weeks!! But they say if you can do it for a month, then you will not want anymore! I am not completely off of soft drinks, but I'm drinking way less now than I used to...it was depressing how many Mt. Dews I'd drink in a day...now I might have one or not any....sometimes if I'm feeling really tired two....but I've always drank plenty of water so that helps me out....I don't know why, but when I'm really thirsty water is the only thing that helps me...if I drink a soft drink or something it just makes me more thirsty!!

That being said, I can do without my soft drinks, but to take the place of that I have to have my SWEET TEA...yeah, I won't ever give that up....I don't drink a ton of it or anything, but when I want it I want it!!! In fact, I'm gonna make some today

i have coffee in the morning and that is about it. i rarely have soda anymore. it is kind of a treat now, LOL! the diet stuff is bad for you, too b/c of all the sodium.

i got myself a water bottle at Target the other day and I carry it around with me. I only drink one a day though, guess I should have more?

renee, do they say how much you should have a day (water, i mean). just wondering if that 8 glasses a day is till true.

Oh, Jessi - I totally forgot about my Diet Dews! geez I'm a caffeine-aholic. I've never been a tea drinker but for some reason sweet tea sounds good!

And Ellen - I love my coffee in the morning too! let's just say from sun up to sun down I am jacked up on caffeine. I seriously joke I just need an IV hooked up to my veins. But after I had my kidney stone a couple months ago - my doc recommended I drink 64 oz. of water a day. So that equates to 8- 8oz of water. But I've always been told that the recommended amount really depends on the person because one danger is you CAN drink too much water.

here's an interesting article I found about some of the myths on water:

Quote:

There’s a persistent urban legend that if you drink cold water, especially after eating, you’ll get cancer. The theory, which has been widely circulated via email, suggests that cold water solidifies fats you have just consumed, quickly causing toxins to create cancer in your body. Sites devoted to proving or disproving urban legends, like snopes.com, have defeated this theory quite effectively. It is not unhealthy to drink cold water, though in some cases, tepid or room temperature water may be a better choice. One theory, upon which medical researchers have varying opinions regards whether drinking cold water is as good for you as drinking tepid water, particularly when you are exercising. Some doctors suggest that room temperature or body temperature water is better than cold water, because the body has to expend energy to heat cold water to body temperature, resulting in some water loss. On the other hand, some doctors say that after physical exertion, you should drink cold water since it will help cool the body more effectively than room temperature water. What is clear is most people who drink cold water are likely to consume more of it, since it tends to taste better and is more satisfying. Even if drinking cold water results in marginal water loss, the extra water you will probably drink will help make up for this. There are some instances where you shouldn’t use cold water, but generally this doesn’t apply to drinking. If you are attempting to help bring down a fever, or assist someone with sunstroke (animal or person), you should not immerse that person or animal in cold water. Instead you should use lukewarm water, or even slightly warm water. Cold water can provoke chills, which may actually raise body temperature. Though baths can be a helpful way to bring down high fevers, you especially want to avoid allowing someone to shiver or get chilled. If people with fevers drink cold water that is very icy, they may also get chilly, so lukewarm or tepid water may be a better choice. There are a number of other urban legends associated with the amount of liquids and the type of liquids you consume. For instance people are told that coffee, tea and sodas deplete water from their bodies. Actually, people who routinely drink caffeinated beverages retain about two-thirds of what they drink, and this can be counted as part of daily fluid intake. Another “myth” regarding water is the eight, eight ounce (.24 l) glasses of water are needed daily. While this amount of water, whether you drink cold water or hot, won’t hurt you, daily intake of food usually provides about half the amount of needed fluids. Most people would get by with drinking about 32 ounces (approx. 1 liter) daily. The best indicator on whether your body is getting enough water is urine color. If your urine is dark yellow, chances are you’re not getting enough water. If you pass clear to very light colored yellow urine, your fluid intake is adequate. Remember that urine color in the morning will always be a little darker. Another indicator is thirst. When your body sends you “I’m thirsty” signals, have something to drink, but don’t worry about whether you should drink cold water or warm.

I quit drinking soda not too long ago so i know how you feel. I have to have coffee in the morning though or i am lagging all day long. Be strong! The feeling will pass

I still drink a 24 oz bottle of Pepsi pretty much everyday.

BUT I also have rules that I don't break! Ever! I never open a bottle of Pepsi before 2 PM. Before then I have to drink at least 36 oz of water and an 8 oz glass of juice or milk. I also don't drink any caffeinated beverages after 9 PM. And if the bottle isn't opened by 3PM I don't get one that day. The next step is to make the Pepsi an every other day sort of thing.

This is a VAST improvement over what I was doing just a year ago! A year ago I could easily down 3 24 oz bottles EVERY DAY!

Blessings,

Garsy

Oh, caffeine withdrawls SUCK!!! I don;t drink soda like I used to, but I am an avid 2-3 cup a day coffee drinker and if I chose not or cannot have at minimum a cup, I am a mess. I get cranky, tired, and have the headache too. When I stopped drinking soda, I had about a week or two of the dull headache, but I made my choice that I would rather have the coffee than the soda. Now, I only crave a Coke every once in a while thankfully, because no matter what type of soda it is, diet or regular, the carbonation is extremely bad for you. It messes with everything from your teeth to your blood.

Cheering for your quick kick of the headache.

oh that is too funny renee, i totally gauge if i am dehydrated that way so that is good to know but i def need to drink more.

TFS! i am impressed with all the non soda drinkers. brian got some the other day for owen's party and it is expensive, too! just think of all the money you save too and that can help you get through it, LOL!

by not choice of mine, i had to give up caffeine last winter ... i was drinking ungodly amounts of it every day {diet dr pepper mostly.. not to mention the caffeine in all the chocolate i was eating.

i was having major heart palpitations - palpitations that took my breath away and woke me up in the middle of the night - had to go to the ER one night - when the ER doc found out how much caffeine i was drinking she had a fit and was suspicious that my heart issues was from the caffeine.

had to go to a cardiologist to get all kinds of tests done to find out what was going on for sure....after some scary and pricey tests, found out caffeine was the culprit. it was messing with the electricity of my heart ... the doc said left unchanged would result in heart damage.

Soooo.....i had to quit caffeine cold turkey, including no chocolate. within a week the palpitations were 80% gone. within a couple weeks they were totally gone. i've missed chocolate a few times, but the palps were so scary, it's just not worth it to me.