What do you use, if anything, for an early morning or mid afternoon "pick me up"?

I of course don't drink things with sugar in them, for obvious "I'm gonna puke" reasons! I try to stay away from carbonation, and I don't drink coffee.

I know about the Crystal light energy (120 gm caffeine in one little packet) and I used to drink Sparks but my walmart doesn't sell them anymore..there are a couple other brands of energy powder drinks that you mix in water bottles, but everyone of them I've tried is nasty....What else is out there? What do you drink or take? I love the new Rockstar zero carb drinks! Tasty and 240 caffeine in one can!! Idealy would be to ween mysself off caffeine entirely, (but I've given up compuslive eating and alcohol..I need one vice right?) and I've found as I've been consistant with my vitamins I haven't used as much caffeine...but lately I've had REALLY long and demanding days...any ideas?

Thanks!

Coffee with NSA Swiss Miss.
Dark Chocolate covered Coffee beans
Morning Spark
Power Edge Drink Mix - try these in bigger bottles like the 24 oz Propel bottles with ice and water.

I didn't know about the Crystal Light energy packets but I've tried them. I need to read the labels more closely, I guess.

I just can't do a day without caffeine and I became hooked on Coffee at a very early age. Maybe B-12 sublingual. I was taking 3500 a day for a while and was wired like crazy. I dropped it back to 500 a day when the surgeon found out and laughed at me...Said no wonder I was bouncing off the walls..LOL.

WOW about the B-12 sub!!! I haven't done good with my vitamins this whole time..(getting better lately) and just wondered why I slept so much..so I picked up the caffeine habit.. and some days was drinking up to 1,000 mg of caffeine a day! not too healthy I'm sure! I have a bottle of B-12 that I got almost 3 years ago right out of surgery, and have most the bottle left... HMM maybe THAT is why I'm so tired and rely on caffeine SO much. If I up that I may not need as much caffeine, I never used caffeine before surgery unless I was staying up all night (literally pulling a 36 hr day) or on long late road trips. So before surgery in my entire life I'd probably used caffeine 10 times! Now I drink a caffinated beverage as much as 10 a day (ok a little dramatic there).

I will definitly up the b-12!! I shouldn't have to live on caffeine just to function, I hardly drink any water all my liquids are caffianted drinks... and I'm sure I need lots of good clean water, so if b-12 helps out.. that will be easy! Thanks!

Leslee

oh and the energy crystal light packets are sooo yummy.. I just can't drink them well anymore. I used to take them to the bars and mix it in vodka water...it was really yummy at the time, but now that I'm not drinking...I just think of gross vodka everytime I drink one of those....

but until I ruined it was reallly good!

Hi~

I rely (too much) on Sugar-free Red Bull.
I honestly cannot get through the day without the caffeine and I did NOT use caffeine before surgery..
I think that the vitamin B in the Red Bull helps me also.

Blessings~
Katrina

Highest: 249
Consult: 242
Surgery day: 240
Lowest: 138
Current:147
Goal: 124

It's the whole vitamin B thing again! That toally makes sense.. I haven't done blood work but I probably have low blood leves on a few things... I better take better care of myself!  And yeah, I didn't drink caffeine before surgery either. I remember them saying we couldn't have caffeine after surgery and I was like "big deal"... HA!! it's a BIG DEAL!!! lol

Later,
Leslee

Have you tried Click?  2 birds with one stone-- caffeine and protein! 

I really like it for the PM pick me up!  I heard about it from Eggface and Melting Mama.

http://www.drinkclick.com/

MM's blog has pricing and a promo code:

http://www.meltingmama.net/wls/2008/06/something-click.html



Michele

I've purchased a HamiltonBeach Wave Station Express (smoothie blender - w/ spigot on ly $18.00 at Wallyworld!!) and I make FRUIT SMOOTHIES EVERY MORNING, daily...

I make enough to freeze one batch - which is my afternoon PICK ME UP (big time)
(approximate based on how thick I want it)

I'll use 2 cups frozen any fruit
1 banana
1/2 c plain, unsweetened, non-fat yogurt
1 cup V8 diet splash
1.5 rounded measuring spoon French vanilla creme WHEY
sometimes a pkg of Splenda - depends how ripe banana is...

Oh my goodness... the frozen fruit blends up beautifuly in my cheapie blender - this daily treat - has also resulted in me losing 4 lbs in the past 2 weeks without trying... I'm getting in more fruit, I'm back to 6 small "meals" (which I count this as 2 -  1 in am, 1 in afternoon) and I feel FANTASTIC!

The fruit smoothie results in a slow burn (no caffeine) does not cause my sugar to bottom out and, for me, is far more effective than a "caffeine" boost...

Protein per serving approx:  22 grams

My favorite thing of the moment (I got this from Ellie Krieger, the healthy lady on the Food Network). She calls it her energy trail mix. You can use whatever fruit you want.

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots (I cut them up a little)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup almonds

Make 1/3-cup portions and put into little snack-size baggies. It makes about 10. I bring one to work every day. Those pumpkin seeds are a pain in the a$$ to chew, but they're supposed to be good for you and this keeps me satisified a good while.

that sound so yummy! And I love pumpkin seeds! lol