Caffeine Questions

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EmilyPersephone
EmilyPersephone Posts: 77
in Food and Nutrition
So, I know caffeine is awful and that I should quit it altogether, but I have not had the willpower to successfully quit my morning coffee.

I avoid energy drinks, I don't drink soda/pop, and I only take headache medicine with caffeine when it's an awful migraine and I am almost crying. So my only caffeine at the moment is 2 cups each morning upon waking up, with a tiny spoon of dairy free powder creamer, and some splenda (which I am searching for an alternative to.).

For those of you who had an awful caffeine addiction in the past, can you give me any tips on quitting it? I get awful headaches if I quit cold turkey so I was thinking of maybe just drinking less and less each day, but it really helps me wake up and get going in the mornings. I know I will feel more naturally energized as I begin to lose weight and get healthier, but for now, it helps noticeably. So advice/tips would be much appreciated!



Info that may help: I am 5'3, 225lbs, 21 years old, I eat roughly 1,400-2,000 calories per day depending on my level of physical activity that day and my stomach troubles (My day to day diet mostly consists of eggs, apples, oatmeal, some fresh fruits/vegs, some nuts, chicken, turkey, and some medically provided supplements for bad stomach days). I try to exercise daily (even going up and down the stairs carrying the vacuum, dancing while cleaning/doing dishes, pilates/yoga if I am watching tv, stretching while folding the laundry, and I go speed walking around the neighborhood at night.), and I drink the amount of water recommended by my doctors every day. (I'm a big water drinker since my diet is medically limited and I cannot have pops/sodas/juices and so on). In regards to caffeine, my doctor said that my diet is healthy enough that it should not hurt me much but it's still not ideal).
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Replies

  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Why do you have to give it up? Why is it awful?

    I'll give up my coffee when I'm dead.. and even then I might have them bury me with my coffee pot.

    If you enjoy your coffee, log anything you add to it into your diary and enjoy it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    So, I know caffeine is awful and that I should quit it altogether, but I have not had the willpower to successfully quit my morning coffee.

    I don't think it's awful. I quit it on occasion since I don't want to become dependent on it such that I need it to wake up properly, but on the whole I think it has benefits and isn't bad for you unless you really overdo it.

    I personally would not decide to quit it unless I felt it was causing a problem when starting other major changes (like cutting calories) probably.

    That said, if you want to quit it I'd cut down somewhat gradually if you are worried about headache phase. It really doesn't sound like you are drinking too much, though.

    When I've given it up at the amount you are drinking (which is similar to what I do) I find it's more a behavioral habit than the caffeine itself, and replaceable with some sort of no or low caffeine tea. If you think it makes a difference in your energy (which really could be psychological too), you might want to try switching to regular tea (with less caffeine than coffee) or just two half cups. For me the morning routine of drinking them is what matters.
  • EmilyPersephone
    EmilyPersephone Posts: 77
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    I don't eat/drink dairy because of gallbladder stuffs (I get my calcium from a doctor regulated supplement), but I suppose I'm not exactly sure why I "have" to give it up. I was told it would be recommended by my doctor but didn't think to ask why, haha. I have read all sorts of things about caffeine having very negative effects on the body, but I can't say for sure which sources are accurate. xD
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    2 cups each morning? Doesn't seem excessive or worth giving up. I was drinking a lot of diet soda. Gave that up - but I have a cup or two of coffee each day still. I think moderation is the key. Sounds like you're doing fine.

    But if you do quit - just got to tough it out. The headaches will last about a week. I gave it up completely when I was pregnant - soooo miserable for about a week and then I was fine.
  • EmilyPersephone
    EmilyPersephone Posts: 77
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    Alright, thank you for the responses!
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
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    I had to quit drinking coffee every day because it did screw with my circadian rhythm and caused my heart to race, even with just one cup a day.

    The way I did it was to switch to black tea. If you do want to quit, I'd suggest cutting it to one cup a day, then switching it out with tea for a few days a week, then just drinking tea. I've found personally that there isn't enough in tea to keep me addicted, and so I can choose whether or not to drink that without heavy cravings. It's taken about 2 months. I still drink espresso on weekends sometimes, as a treat. :3

    Good luck! I know most people aren't as sensitive as I am and if you can do two cups a day w/o issues, then nothing wrong with that either!
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
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    I sure don't think it's awful in moderation. Caffeine clears my head in the morning. 2 cups a day is enough for me. I just don't like the taste of decaf.
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
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    Honestly, my cup of coffee in the morning helps kick start my workout! For every negative thing said about it, there are lots of positives too. Have you ever looked into the positives? I totally think a cup (or two!) of coffee per day can be part of a healthy lifestyle.

    I get that there may be some people that medically should not have it, and if that's what your doctor is recommending for you, I'd make sure to be very clear on WHY.
  • nancytyc
    nancytyc Posts: 119 Member
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    I don't eat/drink dairy because of gallbladder stuffs (I get my calcium from a doctor regulated supplement), but I suppose I'm not exactly sure why I "have" to give it up. I was told it would be recommended by my doctor but didn't think to ask why, haha. I have read all sorts of things about caffeine having very negative effects on the body, but I can't say for sure which sources are accurate. xD

    You listen to your doctors? Wow, I did that once upon a day......turned out Low Fat made me fat and diabetic. Hmmm.....I don't listen to them much anymore, Enjoy your coffee......if that doesn't kill you they will just say something else will. :yawn:
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
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    I quit when I was pregnant also. I cut my regular coffee to half decaf, and then just decaf for the placebo effect. It was so much easier to drink something that tasted the same (to me) than to switch to a different drink entirely.
  • becky10rp
    becky10rp Posts: 573 Member
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    No one comes between me and my coffee.

    NO ONE!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    I didn't read anything past "I know it's awful"....
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    Re: the feeling so tired that you need caffeine in the morning. Interesting reason for that.

    Before a person starts drinking caffeine regularly, this is kind of how the body would look, where left is the sleepiest, and right is the most aware:
    REALLY sleepy
    sleepy
    normal waking awareness
    1 cup of coffee awareness

    When we start drinking caffeine regularly, the body adjusts everything one jump to the left, so that you require 1 cup of coffee just to get to normal waking awareness anymore. So when you first wake up, instead of being at 'normal' you are actually at 'sleepy' automatically.

    When you stop drinking coffee/caffeine, the body slowly shifts back to the right and you stop feeling as sleepy anymore when you wake up. Take a while, though. And yeah, slow withdrawal is better, if you have to do it. I've done it both ways, and I would definitely recommend slow over fast.
  • shai74
    shai74 Posts: 512 Member
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    No reason a healthy person should have to give up coffee. Coffee is not "aweful", or bad for you. Cultures all over the world have been drinking it for thousands of years with no harm done. Same with red wine. Obviously too much of either is not ideal, but in and of themselves they're fine.

    I feel like I've given up so many of lifes pleasures for the sake of my health, no way in hell I'm giving up something that's not even bad for me.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    I love coffee and I have given up caffeine many times! I am really sensitive to the effects of caffeine and it's a bummer for me because it is my drug of choice.

    Caffeine affects my sleep and my mood. I can be quite the junkie. I find life much easier without the caffeine. Though, I really liked the morning buzz I'd get when I did drink coffee. I would be so dang cheery. I used to have to limit myself 2 cups before 10am so that I could sleep soundly or even go to sleep. After a while that didn't seem to help.

    I have only gone cold turkey when stopping. It is feast or famine for me. There is no such thing as slow withdrawal. To avoid the withdrawal headaches when I stopped I would take two Advil upon waking and two to four hours later take two Tylenol and alternate throughout the day. Like you, I used to prefer the meds with the caffeine. This time around I omitted those as well. It made things easier because I wasn't still relying on the caffeine. The first month or two weren't really difficult but I didn't feel like my usual self in the mornings. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. I really missed the boost from the caffeine. It has been maybe six months or so and I feel great. I don't miss it anymore. I drink a ton of various herbal teas, non of which have caffeine. I only drink one decaf version of one of my all time fave teas and that is Good Earth, Sweet and Spicy.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    I have zero desire to ever give up caffeine.
  • pknjhh
    pknjhh Posts: 117 Member
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    I buy caffeine raw 1kg. That lasts me more years then I can count. I take 300mgs worth and put it in whatever I am drinking preworkout. Way more intense then coffee lol check out hard rhino raw supplements. Those guys are great. You control exactly what you put in your body.
  • StephenGammack
    StephenGammack Posts: 4
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    I gave up caffeine two years ago, it is a hard drug to give up as it is very addictive. I can't even manage a decaff now as it still contains caffeine and I am more sensitive to it. Since giving up my head is clearer, I can concentrate for longer on tasks, I have more energy and need less sleep. It is actually when I gave up and went back to it I realised how harmful it was to my body. The initial stage is the hardest, giving up was easier for me when I was honest about why I needed it, and that was because my body was exhausted and it pepped me up. So if you are giving it up make sure you get plenty of sleep and look after yourself super well.

    Footnote: There are loads of articles out there saying how great caffeine is for us, but it is worth questioning the source of these, your body is your guide, if you can't sleep because of the effects, its times to call it quits. Thats my opinion.

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