Coffee Quit Day Comes! 3,2,1,..

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TwentyTen
TwentyTen Posts: 585
in Motivation and Support
I have to quit the stuff, I really do. It is an addiction, and I load it with sugar. I believe it has contributed to the weight gain, and surely I will make better progress without the junk. I have been hooked on it since I was a kid, and I want off.

I have the date, mentally preparing... for Feb 14th. And no, it has nothing to do with Valentine's Day, just a coincidence.
It's a Sunday, I figure if I keep busy Saturday I will have the time on Sunday to sleep off the initial headaches. One day I can probably afford to be foggy-brained.

Would be great to have some company, so I am not going through this detox alone.

Don't get me wrong, I do not think coffee is all bad, nor am I declaring I will never have a cup again...but the way I use it, it isn't healthy, and that has to stop. NO coffee for me for a whole month! I have been succesful before, for close to a couple weeks, and most definitely felt better for it, so I know it's the right thing to do. Once I slip though, I am back to the habit every time. I am a coffee-holic.

BUT its harrrrrd. It's everywhere you turn, lol. And the long hours and extra pressure at work right now... I cannot aford to be fuzzy brained. I will be using green tea for a little caffeine if I need it, but I drink that unsweetened, and it isn't toxic as the large coffee with two shots of expresso and 6 sugars is. Seriously, it has to stop.

Posting to help keep myself accountable, and see if anyone has any tips, magic wands, or wants to join me.
Wish me luck at least , I am going to need it!


Thanks!
«1345678

Replies

  • missmelfina
    missmelfina Posts: 30 Member
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    Cold turkey's the only way to do it for me.
  • allim
    allim Posts: 21
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    I just wanted to let you know that I also did this two weeks ago. It CAN be done!
    It was not something i had thought of in advance, and I do not feel had an "addiction" to coffee- or not one at least that I felt the need to "quit"... but they DO say that admiting you have a problem is the first step to surviving it.. LOL.
    Regardless I just woke up one Monday morning and decided that the stuff was dehydrating me, making my skin dry and grey and basically making me feel like crap so instead of turning on the coffee maker i brewed a pot of green tea. and then another. and then another. I only gave up coffee for a week to "re-boot" my system but i found that week my skin tone improved, i felt more mellow and i drank green tea like a maniac. SO my advice is make sure you have something lined up to offset the coffee-craving... Good Luck!!!
  • kechiemc
    kechiemc Posts: 1,355 Member
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    Today has been 4 weeks of no coffee for me.:noway: I quit cold turkey. If I can do it, you can do it.:drinker: I went from at least twice a day every day to no coffee. The headaches lasted for 2 or 3 days for me. By day 2, I was ready to have coffee just to stop the headaches. Even when I drank coffee, I also drank green tea. I still drink tea. I am not sure if that made giving up coffee easier for me.

    Best wishes:flowerforyou:
    -Kechie.
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    Thanks Kechie and allim, I really do appreciate the encouragement .
    Looks like green tea by the boatload for me , and maybe a bottle of aspirin.
    And yes missmelfina, the weaning plan hasn't really been working out very well.
    Those first few days are going to be painful, but once i get through them I know I will feel better. This time I have to STAY off it because I do not want to go through the quit again.

    Good to hear from those that have been there, thanks again!
  • missmelfina
    missmelfina Posts: 30 Member
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    Green tea totally works.
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    It really does and now I can drink it with no sugar. I quit the coffee on december 1st and lasted for a month. I was drinking mine with carnation milk and about 6 tsp sugar 3 cups every night. I slip and have a instant decaf once maybe twice a week. It doesn't taste the same now and I really don't need it.

    Good luck.
    Green tea totally works.
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    It really does and now I can drink it with no sugar. I quit the coffee on december 1st and lasted for a month. I was drinking mine with carnation milk and about 6 tsp sugar 3 cups every night. I slip and have a instant decaf once maybe twice a week. It doesn't taste the same now and I really don't need it.

    Good luck.
    Green tea totally works.

    Thanks! Good to know I am not the only one thats had the habit.
  • Sarah219
    Sarah219 Posts: 46
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    I never thought i had a coffee problem before reading your posts and also from filling in my food diary- i have about 8 cups a day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is waaaaaayyyyy to much .....trouble is i think it is helping me get through my quitting cigarettes , so dare not cut out coffee just yet ..... but i will be interested to see how you get on as its something i would like to stop in the future !!! Good Luck xxxxxxxxx
  • dax58
    dax58 Posts: 22 Member
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    I gave up coffee about 2 1/2 years ago after someone in the office recorded the amount i was drinking lets just say with a big office and lots of rounds i was hitting the 20's most days.

    Just be prepared to sleep initially as you have to get past it leaving your system. After that it is plain sailing.

    Im now on green tea, water and trying very hard to manage my coke intake. dont want to replace one addiction with another :)
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    I never thought i had a coffee problem before reading your posts and also from filling in my food diary- i have about 8 cups a day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is waaaaaayyyyy to much .....trouble is i think it is helping me get through my quitting cigarettes , so dare not cut out coffee just yet ..... but i will be interested to see how you get on as its something i would like to stop in the future !!! Good Luck xxxxxxxxx

    Quitting the smokes is a bigee! Excellent you are managing to pull that off Sarah, amazing even. i've tried and failed at that several times myself. For me , the coffee and smokes go hand in hand. I don't think I will ever quit the smokes until I can nix the coffee . When I was younger I would drink the stuff all day and all night. Not as many these days but they are way stronger and larger than I used to make them. Trying to keep it at no more than two a day until Sunday.

    Yes dax, i know I am going to sleep and sleeeeeep. Wish I could sleep a week! Good for you for quitting the habit. Coke is about as evil I think. Surely you are better off without 20 cups a day in your system, yikes!

    Thanks for chiming in everyone!
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    The day and the hour looms, lol. This time tomorrow the moon is new and my coffee/sugar detox begins.
    I'm skeeered!
    :cry:
  • stephcheers
    stephcheers Posts: 105
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    It's almost 11:00 PM and everyone in my house is asleep....and I'm drinking coffee. What's wrong with me?!!! I should just go to bed. It is a terrible addiction, that for me goes hand in hand w/ sitting in front of a computer. LOL

    Good luck to you TwentyTen!
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    thanks steph!
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    On my way now for the last cup from Starbucks. I am torn between getting a huge one, or a small one... hm. Decisions , decisions..

    I appreciate having heard from people who have done this, and amused that no one wanted to join me, lol.

    I better not forget to get aspirin while I am there.

    Hope everyones having a great Saturday. It's a beautiful sunny day here, very spring like.
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    Ok well I have had my last cup. It was good, nothing stellar.. lol.
  • PanicAtTheBuffet
    PanicAtTheBuffet Posts: 374
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    and amused that no one wanted to join me, lol.

    This made me LOL, I am also too skeeered to give up coffee.

    3, 2, 1, 0.......Hi Twentyten, How are you feeling today? (I'm asking very quietly)
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    and amused that no one wanted to join me, lol.

    This made me LOL, I am also too skeeered to give up coffee.

    3, 2, 1, 0.......Hi Twentyten, How are you feeling today? (I'm asking very quietly)

    Maybe you should ask me when I wake up... which may be NEVER. lol
    This damn green tea just doesn't have the kick. I'm a little shakey, and my lids won't open all the way, Might need some toothpicks.
  • stephcheers
    stephcheers Posts: 105
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    I hear ya on the green tea. I actually drink it, but it definitely doesn't do the trick like coffee for me. It is sort of fun to start trying different teas though. That actually has distracted my addiction. But I don't know if there will ever be a replacement for me.
    Hope your doing good.
  • TwentyTen
    TwentyTen Posts: 585
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    Thanks for checkin in on me steph and panic...

    I am definitely feeling it , as they day has worn on. Tomorrow , and the next days at work are the real challenge tho' , ten hour days and fresh coffee brewing constantly.
    When I have tried this before I have always managed a few days maybe , and tell myself I did good and one a week or so is fine, lol.. one on mondays, maybe one on fridays.. .etc.. So, I really gotta hold out this time.
    Maybe two green tea bags per cup, I do have to stay sharp on the job. I am trying to imagine it will be SO bad, so that it will never actually be as bad as I imagined. Haha, does that make sense?
    I am definitely feelin' a lil fuzzy, probably will be editing for typos....
    There is some Excedrin at work, but I will be bringing back up just in case.

    Someone recommended Teeccino to me, and it sounds great , just not going to be able to get it in time to try it. Worth checking out tho' for anyone else thinking of getting off coffee. Its a healthy thing , and has kick to it they say.

    Monday looms . .
  • PanicAtTheBuffet
    PanicAtTheBuffet Posts: 374
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    The following is the approximate caffeine content of various beverages. 1. Milligrams of Caffeine 2. Item average per serving 3.Range Per ounce*
    Coffee (5 oz. cup) 80 40 - 170 16.00
    Cola (12 oz. can) 45 30 - 60 3.75
    Black Tea (one tea bag) 40 25 - 110 5.00
    Oolong Tea (one tea bag) 30 12 - 55 3.75
    Green Tea (one tea bag) 20 8 - 30 2.50
    White Tea (one tea bag) 15 6 - 25 2.00
    Decaf Tea (one tea bag) 2 1 - 4 0.50
    Herbal Tea (one tea bag) 0 0 0.00
    *Assumes 8 ounces of water per tea bag

    Hi steph and Twentyten. After I found this little chart, I can see that starting the day with a 16-24oz coffee and finishing with 1 or 2 cups of black tea, that I was maybe one or two cups away from flying.

    My plan is to slowly start drinking less coffee and eventually going to black tea, then green tea. etc.

    Thanks for bringing attention to this.....Happy Monday. :drinker: (water)

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