I’ve always been told that if I drank tea, cola or my greatest thrill of eating chocolate that I’m using a drug. But I shrugged it off. I mean, it wasn’t as if I was taking speed or crack. After some research, to my astonishment, caffeine has the same pharmacological effects on the body as many of the substances we associate with doing harm.

Aside from being highly addictive and causing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, which I’m discovering, caffeine is a psycho-active substance that can even transform an individual’s personality. Since I’m trying to lose weight, I’m wondering if this will have any affect on me. Last night I can tell you I was pretty down. I’ve only lost one pound in three weeks and I was quite depressed.

What I also learned from my research is that an ounce of sweet chocolate may contain between 75 and 150mg of combined methylxanthines and a cup of chocolate or chocolate milk may contain 150-300mg. Oh, boy. Looks like my next step is quitting the chocolate. That one is going to be the most difficult.

Also, in the United States, the permissible limit of caffeine in cola drinks and other carbonated beverages is 200mg per liter, higher than in other countries like Australia. The U.S. drinks also have higher levels of sugar. Caffeine's bitter taste acts as a flavoring agent to counteract the sweetness of the sugar. I found that interesting. Liquid candy that sits right around your middle – I’m living proof.

Furthermore, according to http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/poison/caffeine/caffeine.htm caffeine is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream from the gastro-intestinal tract. It reaches maximum concentration within about one hour. The blood distributes it throughout the body. It even manages to pass through the blood-brain barrier, the Web site says.

It goes on to say that the half life of caffeine in the human body varies between 3 to 7 hours. Throughout the body it increases metabolic rate by around 10 percent. Females metabolise caffeine 20 to 30 percent more quickly than males. Early experiments showed that low concentrations of caffeine may produce small decreases in heart rate, whereas higher concentrations may make the heart beat abnormally fast, the site said.

In the brain it constricts the cerebral blood vessels. If you're used to drinking several cups of coffee or Coca-Cola, like I was each day, but then you quit, those blood vessels will dilate, maybe enough to give you a powerful headache. That explains it.

Some people may even experience tremors after drinking caffeinated drinks. That's thought to be due to over-activation of the central nervous system. The explanations are enough for me to stay away from caffeine for good. It also may cause insomnia, frequent urination and muscle fatigue. I’ve experienced all of those side effects.

Of course, caffeine isn’t all bad. It has been known to improve mental speed-related tasks, but I think I’ll exercise my brain without a stimulant from now on.

Now onto the next path in my weight loss journey, eating more raw fruit and vegetables and weaning myself off chocolate. I’m still exercising 4 to 5 times a week. I think my change in diet will help and I’m going to incorporate weight training. Let’s hope that will make the difference so I can say I’ve lost more than one pound in the next 21 days. Stay tuned! Work it, baby!