By Melissa Urban, who doesn’t do “moderation” very well at all
Just over four months ago, I gave up caffeine for good. It wasn’t the first time I’d done without – periodically through the last two years, usually when our coffee habits had quietly and sneakily grown past the point of healthy, we’d do a week or two of no caffeine, and then reset our consumption to a more reasonable level. I’d get to the 14 day mark, figure I was as good as cleansed and then happily make my first cup of coffee, promising myself that I’d go back to consuming “in moderation”. In under a month, however, my consumption was usually right back to where I left off. I’d make every excuse in the book for my 3-4 cups a day – I needed a boost while traveling, a small coffee mid-workshop made the day a little easier, coffee pre-workout was an ergogenic aid. I knew I was kidding myself – and my adrenals knew it too. (News flash: the folks who counsel you on nutrition and health are human, too.)
The last time we gave up coffee for a few weeks was in August 2010, as we were moving from New England to Salt Lake City. I went my usual two weeks without, but when I went back to my beloved Misha’s Route 66, something was different.
Sometimes, awareness sucks
As many of you have experienced with our Whole30 program, the more “cycles” you complete of (a) going without a particular food, and (b) reintroducing it, the more acutely aware you are of the effect that food is having on you. It was the same with my periodic coffee cleanses. Each time I went back to drinking coffee, I noticed just a little bit more how it was negatively affecting my mood, my sleep, my energy levels – even on just one or two cups a day. In August, however, the caffeine straight-up kicked me in the crotch with its nasty effects. These are the things I noticed after only two weeks away, and returning back to just two small cups of coffee a day:
- Caffeine gives me crazypants. Literally. I get anxious. It makes me irritable. I pick fights, I snap at people, my fuse is abnormally short. In general, I’m an unpleasant person to be around sometime around cup one-and-a-half. Sorry, Dallas.
- I become maniacal about my work. I would mindlessly, slowly sip my two cups while typing up blog posts or responding to emails and find myself in this unhealthy place where I’d refuse to break for the gym, to answer a personal phone call or even to pee (for real) because I was firmly entrenched in “work mode”.
- I didn’t eat a full meal until noon. Ever. Caffeine is a powerful appetite suppressant, and despite our rule to eat before our first cup of coffee, I just wasn’t hungry. Though I’d force myself to eat something, two hard-boiled eggs was hardly enough to see me through until lunch.
Stating the obvious
Dallas was the first to say the idea out loud – carefully, mind you. “Maybe you should, um, I don’t know, it’s just an idea, but maybe you should just… give up coffee?” I’d been thinking the very same thing for quite some time, to be honest – at that point, it was easy to see the caffeine wasn’t doing me any favors. I just wasn’t sure I was ready to pull the trigger. It’s a daunting proposition, to give up coffee forever. But on October 24th, surrounded by witnesses, I swore off caffeine… again.
This time, however, was different. While I still went through the same withdrawal symptoms –headaches, lethargy, crankiness – the mental cravings disappeared virtually immediately. The difference this time was that I was giving it up for good. There was no 30 day period, no end point in sight, no “I’ll give myself a longer break and see how it goes.” I decided right then and there that, given the way caffeine affected me, there was no reason for me to keep it in my life. And the finality of that made everything so much easier. (I’ve never been good at moderation, anyway.)
Emerging from my caffeine coma
It took a full month before things (sleep, energy, my over-worked adrenals) started to come back around – that quick fix I was hoping for was nowhere to be found, in fact. Things actually got worse before they got better, which I wasn’t expecting. And even four months later, I’m still noticing slow and gradual improvements in areas I never expected. Sure, I was aware of the mood swings, the irritability, the lack of appetite. What I hadn’t noticed was how caffeine was affecting other areas of my life – until, of course, I gave it up. (And Whole30 principles come around again, right?) These are the things I’ve noticed in the last four months of “caffeine-free”:
- After a full month, I was sleeping so much better. This was a tough battle – the first month, my system was all kinds of confused, and my sleep patterns were all over the charts. I had trouble falling asleep at first, and then I’d fall asleep okay but wake up at 1 AM, 2 AM, 3 AM as my hormonal balance continued to shift. After a solid month without caffeine, I started to fall asleep easy, sleep straight through the night and wake up refreshed without an alarm. (I thought I was doing this already. Comparatively, my sleep quality sucked compared to where it is now.)
- After two months, I started to wake up hungry. Not ravenous, but genuinely, normally, happily hungry. Good lord, I haven’t woken up hungry since 1994. This is an amazing phenomenon in which my body is actually sending me valid signals (hunger) when it’s actually supposed to (after fasting overnight). Amazing… but only after only eight full weeks of being caffeine-free. (Interestingly, feeding yourself a healthy meal within an hour of waking is very helpful in recovering from adrenal fatigue – certainly, waking up hungry makes that a whole lot easier.)
- After three months, my emotional volatility in a certain one week period each month has greatly dissipated. This is the most surprising change – I had no idea my caffeine consumption was connected to such a serious case of “hormone poisoning” during that week. Makes sense in hindsight, but I’m grateful that I no longer ride the hormonal roller coaster every 28 days. (I’m not the only one happy about that.)
- After four months, I noticed my general awareness of stress – and its negative effects – has dramatically improved. For those who know me well, I’ve always thrived on being in a constant state of stress. Work, training, day-to-day activities were all conducted at a maniacal pace, not because they had to be. I just thought I liked it that way. Now, after several months of sleeping well, eating more, and generally allowing my adrenals to recover, I can feel that stress-state creeping on… and I no longer like it. Now, it just feels, well… stressed. (Because in most day-to-day life situations – say it with me – “Stress is bad, m’kay?”) While I’m not great at nipping it the bud every time it pops up, and it’s usually work stuff that sets me off the fastest, I’m much better at recognizing it early and taking measures to ensure my periods of stress are less frequent, and shorter in duration. Progress. And you’re welcome, adrenals.
The road to recovery
I’m hopeful that things will continue to progress and improvements will continue to appear over the next few months – I fully expect it will take at least a year to reap the full physical and mental benefits of a caffeine-free lifestyle. I’ve decided not to mess around with a good thing, and will avoid all caffeinated products for the time being. Turns out I don’t miss black coffee enough to justify a decaf, and I’ve been told by a few smart people that even decaffeinated beverages are too much for the extra-sensitive.
Now, if you think this entire post is just propaganda on the evils of coffee, think again (and re-read our Coffee Manifesto). We’re not trying to tell you what to do – coffee isn’t all good, nor is it all evil. But if you’ve noticed, as I did, that your caffeine consumption takes more than it gives, maybe it’s time to take a good, hard look at your habit, too. The rewards may surprise you.
Hey – thanks for this; the timing is perfect! I have given up coffee since Jan 1, but you caught me at a tired moment when I was thinking “maybe I’ll have coffee today… to help wake up.” Thanks for reminding me why I stay straight!
As they say,
I’ve been looking at dairy and other foods under this kind of microscope lately, so it looks like it’s time to put caffeine in the bright lights and see what happens, too.
me again. I’ve kept reading about this post since I read it. I’m in the same place with sugar. I can’t even seem to do *just one piece* of cake on birthdays… it sends me on a crazy binge. I’m considering giving up sugar (as in the candy-cake-cookie-kind) for good.
Getting closer to the edge …
Congrats on giving up caffeine and finding out benefits you didn’t expect. That’s what I’ve come to love about eating paleo–the benefits I had no idea related to my diet.
What about green tea? I’ve read it has loads of anti-oxidants and that they are good for you, but perhaps the caffeine isn’t so it would be best to buy caffeine free g. tee, or steep it once, dump the tea, and steep the same bag again (I’ve read this would eliminate most of the caffeine)?
Congratulations, Moxy-Boss! I’m super excited for you!
I’ve been a mostly-decaf person for years, but when you swore off caffeine, I did, too. I’ve been flirting with a cup of regular here and there… but like you, I’m beginning to see there’s no real up side, so I’m caffeine-free for good now, too. I’m staying away from decaf, too, because I’m definitely sensitive to even trace amounts of caffeine. The buzz can be fun, but if I stop and think about THAT carefully, it kinda creeps me out.
Yay, water and herbal tea.
And yay, you!
Hi…thanks for this post,really needed to read this. I ‘ve been caffeine free since 3 weeks but am havin severe mood swings,lethargy is creeping in & my appetites increased a lot…like I’m trying to fill some void..jus gonna keep on keeping on..btw this is my first time post
Hi.
Reading the beginning of this post reminds me of quitting cigarettes, and of Allan Carr’s description of “Just one cigarette.”
To paraphrase:
You stop smoking for some time, and then just to prove to yourself you’ve quit you smoke just one cig. Next thing you know your are back on a pack-a-day habit.
After about 6 months of caffeine-free living, I have discovered two things.
First, having a cup of coffee or black tea now sends me completely around the bend. Not thinking about it, I had a cup of very strong tea (Stash Double Bergamot Earl Grey Tea, the most amazing tea in the world) and headed off to the doctor. My blood pressure a half hour later was 170/90! Normally, BP is about 130 over 80. That really hit home how caffeine really effects our body’s goings-on.
Second, after going without coffee for so long, I seem to have lost the taste for it. I love the smell, and that first bitter hit of hot liquid. But everything after that is a let down. Sort of the same way I view bread and dairy right now. It just doesn’t really even register as food after all this time. Add to that how crappy I feel when I eat any of the above, and it’s just not worth it.
Ahh so proud of you Melissa!
This is the beginning of my third month caffeine free, the only negative i have found is that it is hard to stay up working late like sometimes IT people have to do.. Other than that it’s all good in every way, and now it’s been so long that it doesn’t even sound appealing anymore
I’m on day three of no caffeine. Weaning down just wasn’t working — I was tired all the time every day, so on Friday I had one cup of green tea and on Saturday I had nothing. And Sunday nothing. And today nothing. I napped a lot over the weekend to try and get rid of the withdrawal headaches and that worked. I picked a good weekend.
Today I haven’t had a headache so far. It’s 4 PM now and I’m REALLY tired but I don’t know if that’s because I’m lacking in caffeine or because I worked (mentally) hard today and I’m worn out. I was good up until now, though. Didn’t need a pick-me-up to get the day started.
I decided to quit because — like you said in a comment on the whole30 thread — as stressed as I am now, anything that contributes to stress is not something I need in my life.
I did quit before, though — in April of 2008 I realized I’d have to leave Seattle eventually and I wouldn’t be around the corner from sixteen amazing coffee shops, so I gave up my habit. I was caffeine-free for about six or eight months. I don’t remember a difference at all, but I wasn’t really paying attention.
I’m hoping to find a happy “in moderation” in the future. I do really well with whiskey, for instance. When I have it, I really like it, but I never feel crappy afterward and it never makes me feel bad when I have to go without it.
When I have to go without caffeine, it hurts. I’d rather it not do that. I’m hoping that with occasional indulgence (as with alcohol) I can still enjoy it but not get immediately re-addicted or something, and also not get crazypants from just one shot of espresso. I’m okay with not enjoying bread anymore, but I hope I don’t lose a taste for coffee!
I see being off it for at least three or four months before I even try again, though.
Wow, I could have written this blog post – it is pretty much word for word, exactly how coffee affects me and I notice it even more now that I’ve done a Whole 30 and have been sticking to about 90-95% ever since.. I had actually stopped for a week or so at the beginning of my Whole30 this January but seeing as I LOVE coconut milk and had no qualms about using it in place of cream, I went back to that old habit, which is exactly what it is for me. I have always felt so much better off coffee but now I am even more aware of it.. the ONE half to full cup I have every morning is even too much for my constitution – thanks, Melissa, for the impetus to kick it to the curb, once again
Holy crab Melissa – just the thought of giving up caffeine, working and planning a wedding and YOU DID IT!! I guess I have no excuses!!! The ” every 28-day roller coaster” that you speak of is magnified time 10 jillion mid 40s so I’m sure my partner and my kids would be most appreciative as well. Thank you so much for this post and CONGRATS!!
Consider yourself warned….this post is for the ladies….
I was in a similar boat not to long ago….moved to a new country (yay stress!), had loads of new time on my hands (no job) and really just wanted to be one of the cool kids (Invite ME!-I’m totally in for that walk around the habour and a cuppa coffee/tea)….I, like you Melissa, do not do moderation well. Which is why clean eating is one right decision at a time. But it’s getting easier….anyway back my point…I was drinking to much caffeine for me (1-2 cups a day + 1-2 cups of tea).
I crossfit, and double unders have been a steady goal, sure I’m ok at them, but I want 75+ uninterrupted double unders, I was kinda stuck at 10-12…..stop….repeat. And what was stopping me wasn’t my arms slowly moving away from my body (like now) or not being light on my toes, it was my, eerr… my bladder. It wouldn’t hold. I’d look up the workout everyday and plan my attire accordingly. If it was a double under day….black tights (lu.lu. lemon hide it best), and after the workout was finished sprint so fast to my car to get the hell home.
Of course I made sure my bladder was empty, EMPTY when the workout started (3-2-Wait….where’s Devon?….she’s gone to the bathroom!), and I’ve never given birth, so, to say I was confused and uncomfortable was an understatement.
Fast forward into 2+ months caffeine free, I do not have the same problem. Now the only problem I have with double unders are those wondering arms I mentioned above. Seriously, I don’t have a medical/ nutrition background, but I suspect the caffeine was irritating my bladder.
Sidenote: When I decided to give up caffeine, I didn’t tell my boyfriend (whom I live with), I just decided that I was doing this for me and that we talk enough about health, crossfit, paleo blah blah blah, we didn’t need one more thing to add to the list. After a few days of withdrawl symptoms it became clear something was up. I confessed in the car on the way over to his mom’s place for tea. After a few days of dealing with a cranky pants girlfriend with no concernable explanation his response was this-(insert snarky tone) “when you decide to do things like this, it affects more than just you, ya know”. Fair point boyfriend, fair point….learn from my mistakes.
Thanks for the article Melissa and pointing out the other (maybe less obvious) benefits I’m experiencing
Congrats Melissa!
Can you give me a few examples of what you do drink or is it just water all the time? I’ve been struggling with the thought of giving up coffee too. I’m in the middle of another Whole30 now so my coffee is black but I am relying on it way too much.
As always, thanks for your posts!
Wooo, it’s eerie to read a post that so closely describes your own experience with coffee.
And yay, for you – four months caffeine free!
I used to drink loads of coffee and diet coke because I felt tired all the time. After having stopped drinking both 14 months ago, I realized that it had been the caffeine making me tired. And jumpy, restless and short tempered. Nowadays, I have become extremely sensitive to caffeine and can instantly feel it if I happen to inadvertently get some into my system. It’s insidious stuff…
Your post (as well as your and Dallas’ comments at yesterday’s Santa Rosa workshop) encouraged me to look up how much black tea I really am drinking each day (was my perceived “cup” of Mariage Freres Marco Polo every morning really just a cup? Hard to believe I have never measured my little single-serving tea pot before). It’s slightly over 8oz, so pretty darn close, but at an estimated 40-60mg of caffeine per 8oz (depending on who you ask),it’s definitely something I should keep a handle on! As always, a very informative and helpful post. Many thanks!
@Adam: You hit the nail on the head. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl, and with caffeine, nothing is just so much better for me. And Dallas.
@Spencer: I get the bulk of my anti-oxidants from fresh vegetables and fruit, so I can skip the green tea with it’s small quantity of free radical-fighters and caffeine chaser. If you like green tea, it’s not got anywhere near as much caffeine as coffee… but for me, none is best.
For those wondering “How much caffeine in my favorite drink?”, the Mayo Clinic has a decent comparison by type of beverage here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211
@Martin: I agree with everything you’ve said. Even a little will probably make me feel terrible, and I just don’t miss it. I look at it this way – there’s only one general “flavor” of coffee, but I have an unlimited number of herbal teas at my disposal. Bonus!
@Mel: You’re the bomb, and you don’t need anything (including caffeine) to make you bright and shiny.
@Patty: It’s easy to give something up once you realize it makes you feel like junk. And makes you a miserable person to be around. (I’m talking about me, not you.)
@Devon: In a sensitive bladder, the acid, caffeine and tannins in coffees are well known for causing intense irritation and discomfort. Your experience isn’t at all unusual – we’ve had several consulting clients report the same thing with DU’s and other jumping exercises. Glad you figured it out on your own!
@Kytashie: (Not sure who is commenting – but hello to both of you!) I drink lots of herbal teas – all are caffeine free. (I skip teas that are green, white or black, even if it’s been decaffeinated.) I also drink lots of mineral water (sometimes flavored with lemon or citrus), the occasional coconut water (not very often – too much sugar) and tons of plain old water. The herbal teas are money, though… it’s a warm cup first thing in the morning, and there are tons of flavors, which makes it hard to get bored.
Thanks to all for commenting!
Melissa
Mel – I think this has turned a bright spotlight onto a problem I have chosen to ignore for a while now, so it’s Whole9 confession time. I don’t have an issue with caffeine, I tend to stick to one cup of tea/coffee a day and that’s if I even finish the whole cup. What struck me was in the first paragraph when you talk about doing a caffeine ‘cleanse’ and then your consumption sneaks up on you and you end up right where you were before you started. In spite of the fact that chocolate may just be one of the many wonders of the world, I fear that the same kind of relationship has developed between myself and chocolate.
I tend to be pretty strict most of the time anyway, my only real deviations being things on my ‘F off list’ which include the occasional scotch or chocolate. Only problem is that key word ‘occasional’ seems to have become more and more occasional over time after every iteration of Whole30. Even us veterans have some skeletons in our closet! I think this has really opened my eyes to the fact that giving up chocolate may be something I need to do for longer than just 30 days. As with the discussion on substituting things for desserts in the ‘Dessert Demons in Disguise’ post, I fear that’s the relationship I’ve developed with it, even if I was sticking to 85% or higher. It’s not about the chocolate being ‘bad’ but about what it represents. And if it represents a dessert in disguise then I believe it’s time for some chocolate detox of the more than one month variety.
I’m typing this out so that I can put myself on notice, Operation Just Say No to Cocoa pre-planning for execution has begun! Thank you as always for your wonderful insight. And what?! You guys are human?! I don’t buy it, you’re perfect. At least you’re not like that other healthy eating couple Marissa and Ballas who got caught eating (gasp!) fish tacos with tortillas in Mexico not too long ago!
Gulp!! I needed this….I’ve been trying to cut my Starbucks habit for a year. I did the Whole 30 Feb and went right back to my beloved Chai’s right after…..and have been trying to kick it for a year.
I make it through a day, yes ONE day, and then I NEEEEEEED it to get through the next day. I’m totally convicted on this post. I often think caffeine is my friend, but I realize its time to make it my enemy….
Great job Melissa, I know its not easy.
Natasha here–Thanks for the ideas! I’m always cold so looking for something warm to drink. Today is Day One for me and I have awful heartburn. I wonder if it’s connected to coffee?
Thanks for the encouragement.
Good Job M! When I saw you in Nov. you were 13 days without caffine…LOOK HOW FAR YOU’VE COME!!
This post has now inspired me. Just picked up 3 boxes of Honeybush and lets see how this goes!
Is caffein from coffe as bad as caffein from guarana ?? I dont drink much coffe but I use guarana.
Benny,
Caffeine (from coffee) = caffeine (from guarana). You shouldn’t use (or need to use) a stimulant drug to survive your life, or it will take a serious toll (on your neuroendocrine system) over time. Skip the guarana as a (regular) caffeine source and your body will thank you. A little coffee, mate, black tea, or guarana is okay occasionally, but occasionally is the key word.
Wow, good Job, Melissa! What about decaf?
Funny how you write this article, and I am currently detoxing myself from caffeinated coffee right now. I was having several issues with workout recovery, sleep quality, pre-lunch eating, stress-overload, and major irritability. I knew the problem, but didn’t want to address it until Lindsey (my fiancee) pointed out how short tempered I was with the kids we teach Sunday mornings at church. Of all times to be impatient and cranky, that is certainly not the time. Only thing I found to be causing this was the coffee.
So I started this past Monday to only drink decaf. I also decided to back off the 1/2 pot-ish i would normally consume to about 16 ounces.
Man what a difference! I can actually sleep after a 16-18 hour day, I can see a change in my mood, along with many other things.
I have often thought about swearing off coffee but i love the taste too much! I know this is just another excuse to have control
david EE
@LaurenG: Well, it wasn’t our intention, to call you out on your chocolate habit… but it’s probably the same story. And yes, even us veterans stumble from time to time. Glad to see you’re taking a hold of things, you’ll be happier and healthier for it. It could be worse – YOU COULD BE EATING CORN. (Gasp!) Thanks for sharing – keep us posted as to how things are going, yes?
@Jody: The first week is the worst – you’ve just gotta stick it out. The withdrawal symptoms tell you how serious your habit really was, though, huh? Hang in there!
@Natasha: I’ve not heard of heartburn being associated with withdrawal… usually that comes from the coffee itself. But lots of wacky things happen in the first week or two without, so be patient.
@J Spice: First, miss you. Second, you know how hard it was, during those first few weeks! But I’m so much happier without it. Also pick up a box of Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat – my favorite flavor, but you’ll have to deal with all kinds of 12 year old boy jokes from Sam. It’s worth it, though. Love you!
@Jess: No decaf for me – they don’t get ALL the caffeine out in the process, and I just don’t want to upset a really good thing here by introducing any caffeine into my diet at all. Strictly herbal tea… but there are lots of great varieties. Nice to hear from you!
@David: Doesn’t it suck, hearing from your significant other that you’re a much nicer person WITHOUT the coffee? Sorry to hear you’re having some trouble with it, but I do think you’ll be happier and healthier in the long term by cutting back your habit… or going without altogether. The benefits continue long after the first few weeks, so stick with it, my friend! Keep us posted.
Best,
Melissa
Congratulations.
Something I have been slowly but surely learning (even though everything is oh so black and white and written in stone and obvious…) hah but things take more than 30 days. Surpassing time frames and putting yourself in a state of reset button until it’s not doing anything for you is much better than reset for 30/60/100 days. You are resetting years of disaster, who would think 30 days would clear it all up?
I’m not good with moderation, either
Rock on, Melissa!
-S.
So it’s been a week and half and… I can’t sleep. I’ll wake up around 2 or 3 when my husband goes to bed and then I can’t get back to sleep. Why is insomnia a feature of caffeine withdrawal!? I never had to TRY to get my 8 hours before. This is new to me. I hate caffeine. Grrr.
“Caffeine gives me crazypants. Literally. I get anxious. It makes me irritable. I pick fights, I snap at people, my fuse is abnormally short. In general, I’m an unpleasant person to be around sometime around cup one-and-a-half. Sorry, Dallas.”
That’s me. Except the Dallas part. I’ve had bosses tell me I need to switch to decaf due to my impatience with others first thing AM.
I gave up coffee, among other things, for Feb for a 30 day challenge. I may need to go back to that. The caffeine in tea doesn’t seem to have the same effect.
thanks!
Samantha: You nailed it, sister. I’m STILL noticing benefits from my caffeine-free living, and I fully expect to continue to see things improve as the year goes on.
Shelly: I’m sorry, but that’s my exact experience too. I literally watched the clock as my cortisol levels creeped… first I’d wake up at 1 AM, then a few days later it was 2 AM, and so on. It got better in the second month, but you’ve got to put your time in before things start to calm down – and the more life stress you have (like moving, travel, etc.) the longer it will take. Hang in there!
Jenella: Yeah, it’s not very fun when others point out your awful behavior, but in our case, it was a necessary step in the awareness process. Best of luck to you.
Melissa
Thanks for the post. You seem to mention your “stressed adrenals” in a number of forms a number of times. Did you ever have an adrenal profile taken before and after going without coffee?
Thanks for the post.
You mention your “stressed adrenals” prior and you allowed your “adrenals to recover” after, did you ever have an adrenal profile measured before and after going caffiene-free?
Squid – I did not, but then again, given my experience and my symptoms, I didn’t have to. With our travel schedule for the last 8 months, my Type A personality and the way I’ve spent the last ten years (stressed out of my mind with my former day job and always on the go, training too much, resting not enough, eating too little and sleeping too little), I was a classic case. We’re actually planning to do some testing (an ASI panel, for one) now to see how things shake out. I won’t have anything to compare it to, but I know stuff is starting to come back based on how I feel – how much they’re back to “normal” would be interesting to find out.
Melissa
This is Day 3 of no caffeine. Well, no diet soda, but that has = no caffeine for me too. I know only good things can come of this!
Today is day 18 w/ no coffee and day 17 w/ no caffeine. I only had 2 sips of green tea but those two sips had caffeine in them.
I’m sleeping much better and definitely feel less stressed and no anxiety. even when i don’t get 7 hours of sleep. i used to feel anxious all day. now i’m fine.
The problem is that i still don’t feel awake. it’s 11am, i woke up at 430am and i still don’t feel awake. hopefully this will get better before day 30. My fear is i’ll go back to caffeine after day 30.
I’m going to make a cup of Red Velvet Chocolate tea by Republic of tea, maybe that will help.
geez, i don’t have the red velvet tea w/ me today. i have Stash DECAF chocolate hazelnut. Maybe i haven’t been caffeine free for 17 days. How bad do you think this decaf has been affecting me? Can I still claim i’m 17 days off the caffeine
sorry for all the post. the box says it’s naturally decaffeinated black tea. I thought black tea always had caffeine
Elizabeth,
We generally don’t consider “decaf” coffee or tea truly caffeine-free (there’s a little left over after processing), but please don’t stress about this stuff. The concept is: decrease the stress load on your neurological system, and worrying about the few milligrams of caffeine that might be left in your decaf tea defeats the purpose. Just move on and do better in the future. Glad your anxiety and sleep have improved. After your Caffeine Holiday, reintroduce and pay attention to how you feel (and sleep). You might even discover that it’s not worth it.
Best,
Dallas
Funny reading this article. I have recently (very recently) given up coffee accidentally. I was trying to find lower calorie/fat creamer choices. I was drinking 4-6 cups a day, with the added French Vanilla creamer…I was adding around 500 calories a day. Non-dairy creamer is also loaded with bad stuff. This was the one area I felt I could sacrifice paleo ideals on, due to the diuretic effects of caffeine. Well…I went to the health food store and bought some “So Delicious” Cocunut Milk Coffee Creamer..heading in the right direction. The plain was gross, I NEEDED FRENCH VANILLA. So I went to the SD website and found they had a French Vanilla version, dairy free, and something my local health food store would special order. I called and talked to Kiki about my options. I had to buy half a case, which was 6 cartons of French Vanilla creamer. I was going to go in the next day, drop some bucks on just that. I had been coffee free for about 4 days at this point. Later in the afternoon after I marinated on it for a while, I thought “Ya know, I don’t need this crap”. I started thinking about my obsession to find a healthier creamer (which I feel is still a good thing), and how coffee was running my morning routine, how I would sit around for 2-3 hours sipping on it, delaying going to the gym, and all the other negative side effects from it’s consumption. I was dehydrated, irritable (ask my roommate), pooping 3-4 times during this period and so on. I came to the realization, it was like a drug, to me, and I was not going to buy that half case of creamer, and continue to let coffee run my life. Ha, this is starting to sound like a cocaine addiction. Mind you, I am only 6 days into my no coffee life style, but honestly feel much better. My sleep is still not the greatest, but after reading this article I know I am on the right path! Thanks.
Jameson: My experience was exactly the same. I was using so much of that damn coconut creamer because it was the only sweet treat I’d get in my day, which meant I was drinking WAY more coffee than I intended. Switching to black coffee did cut my consumption for a while, but then the caffeine cravings kicked in and I was back to where I started, with all the negative side effects. Glad to hear you’re trying to kick your habit – hang in there. Things may get worse before they get better, but they do get SO much better.
Melissa
Okay, so it’s been two months. I hate it. Every day I think about going back to caffeine because:
1) I really like coffee. I roast my own beans and I love the whole ritual of every step of the process. It’s a good thing and it makes me happy.
2) I’m noticing zero benefit at all.
My sleep still hasn’t stabilized, I don’t feel significantly less stressed, my head is still foggy, menstrual and hormonal issues persist. Nothing at all is better and some things have actually gotten worse. And this is in SPITE of having settled in to a new hometown and a new job that I love.
Maybe two months isn’t long enough, but it sure is hard not to get discouraged about the journey when I have no idea when or if I’ll see any benefit at all. It might be better to cut my losses and just go back to my couple espresso shots per week because I was feeling pretty good then.
So, when do you know whether your consumption takes more than it gives? Because at the two month mark, I miss what coffee gave me.
Shelly, you’ve had so much stress over the last few months with your move and your job change and your Whole30 and giving up caffeine, I’m not at all surprised that things haven’t stabilized yet. It took me a solid four months before I was really feeling “normal” again, and a solid six before I felt like things were finally stable. I truly do believe that a caffeine-free existence in the face of all the stress you’re trying to recover from is going to do you well in the long run, but you can always do a test run for yourself.
If you want to really experience how caffeine may be affecting you, try reintroducing it. (Know that if you do, and you experience some negative side effects, it’s going to be that much harder to give it up again!) Try going back to a cup or two (no more than that) in the morning and pay serious attention to how it affects you. Think about mood, energy levels, sleep quality. You may actually be feeling better than you think, and adding caffeine back in will make you realize that! Or you may notice no difference, in which case you can probably feel comfortable adding small amounts of coffee back into your routine. That’s going to be up to you.
Let me know what you end up doing, and how things go.
Melissa
(19 days, nearly 3 weeks coffee-free)
Having long-suspected that coffee was doing more harm than good, I flipped my finger to ole’ Joe as soon as university finals ended (so long, old pal. perhaps we will meet again someday)
No decaf, no green tea- I went from 2 cups of meth-strength Peet’s per day to 0 cups of coffee and many, many glasses of water.
The first week, after the miserable first two days, was actually quite enjoyable. I felt more peaceful, more connected to my true being, and frankly (cover your eyes young ones) a lot more horny. Almost instantly, my sex drive went from virtually non-existent to very, very existent.
From this I concluded that coffee has a dramatic effect on hormones, at least for me.
Among many other benefits (better skin, better sleep, thinking before talking) I have noticed I am more relaxed around people. Any nervous energy/ anxiety seemed to dissipate. I always thought caffeine boosted my confidence and helped with social anxiety; what I’ve found is that this is precisely the opposite.
However, while the benefits are many, I sit here on my couch, with limited ideas of how to spend my time, and even more limited energy to do it. When I was drinking coffee this was not the case. I was full of energy and ideas, the only problem was I didn’t have time to do them (school does that to people)
so, I am conflicted. what good is peacefulness, sound sleep, and increased appetite if I don’t have the energy to DO anything, or the energy to socialize, and thereby let my newfound peacefulness overflow into others?
I also miss the ritual. That first cup in the morning, a time all to myself; my roommates still drunkenly asleep, the morning was mine. so precious, in fact, I would fall asleep excited for my morning cup. but the negative aspects, the dependence… I couldn’t do it any longer.
So here I am. Clear-headed, calm, yet… incomplete. But I will trek on, with hope that tomorrow is a better day.
(I shall report back at two months)
Tim – give it time. It took MONTHS for things to really shake out for me. Sleep, energy, mood all bounced around like crazy for a while. Be patient – I’d say you’re off to a great start with the improvements you’ve already noticed.
In the meantime, there are other things you can do to improve your energy levels… like our Whole30 program. One of the first things people say about their experience was their energy levels skyrocketed, and stayed consistent from morning to noon to evening. So maybe as you’re flipping off Joe, you can also say sayonara to grains, dairy, legumes, booze and sugars and get the best of ALL worlds. (Just a thought.)
Looking forward to your two month report.
Melissa
My wife and I are on day 20 of our first Whole30 and I’m thinking maybe of doing a Caffeine Clean when our Whole30 is up. I’ve quit smoking in my life and have given up sugar and alcohol recently, but quitting caffeine might be hardest yet.
I have been off caffeine now for 6 months. At first, it was amazing. An amazing sense of peacefulness. I suffer from anxiety and found instantly that coming off caffeine got rid of most anxiety problems. I also sleep so much better without caffeine.
But here’s the problem. I’ve recently noticed that I am developing some quite serious memory problems, which historically is highly unusual for me. I’m only 34 years old so I don’t classify myself as being at risk of dementia. During my life, I have been intelligent, logical (able to program computers), creative (professional musician) and with a fantastic memory – yet suddenly I have found it difficult to recall even the simplest of things and making a lot of logical mistakes.
I’m torn. I love the freedom away from anxiety. But at the same time, if a lack of caffeine is causing my memory to gently slip away, then I’m going to have to seriously think about which I’d prefer: A crazy mind with a great memory, or a peaceful mind but with memory problems.
Andrew,
Please don’t think that the absence of coffee in your life is causing your memory deficits. Interestingly, chronically elevated cortisol (i.e. chronic stress) tends to damage cognitive function, as does chronic sleep deprivation and omega-3 deficiencies. I’ll go out on a limb here and say there’s a zero percent chance that the absence of caffeine is causing your cognitive challenges (even though acute caffeine ingestion improves focus). Look elsewhere in your lifestyle and nutrition plan for possible causes, but don’t rationalize the return to coffee.
Best,
Dallas
The same thing with the memory and brain fog happened to me when I quit coffee. It could be a coincidence, but I hadn’t changed anything else. Andrew says he sleeps better, though — my sleep never really regulated after quitting caffeine so I tended to blame that for my memory problems.
I did add coffee back and everything got better immediately. I obviously hadn’t really adjusted to being off it, but I couldn’t really afford to at the time, what with my new job and having to learn everyone’s name and actually sleep at night.
I’m off coffee now for my whole30 (might as well!) but I’m still drinking black tea. It’s not as effective as coffee and I don’t like it as much! Hmph!
back again to report— I made a terrible mistake.
At about 2 1/2 months I caved in while feeling fatigued and depressed. One dark roast with lunch and I was flying. I felt confident and energized; the first day back on coffee was certainly a good one.
but then I proceeded to drink a coffee over the next three days, and the positive effects diminished, and all the reasons I quit coffee in the first place smacked me in the face (anxiety, poor skin, low sex drive, a lack of inner peace/calm).
When I drink coffee I feel like a little kid; when I don’t I feel like a man. Quite a difference for such a benign little drink, don’t ya think?
Tim. that is a really powerful story… and good on you for sharing it with us. Sorry to hear you had a kinda crappy experience, but what a great learning opportunity, right?
As we say in our house, dripping with sarcasm, “Learning is fun.” [pout]
Tim,
Your experience reinforces my (weak at times) decision not to reintroduce coffee or caffeine in any form (even tea) since October 2010. Not even when we went back to the East Coast and I almost drop-tackled a girl at Logan Airport drinking a Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee. Not even when I see Dallas drinking my favorite black tea and think, how much caffeine could be in one little teabag, anyway? Not even when I REALLY want the taste of coffee and think about ordering a decaf.
I’ve already done the hard part – given it up and stayed “clean” for a good amount of months. And I gave it up for a reason. So I’m not about to “test” myself and have to go through that clean-up process (mentally, at least) all over again.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, even if it was a tough one for you. I, personally, needed to hear it.
Melissa
Test
Okay, sorry about that “test” message–I had tried to submit a detailed comment, but it got lost, so I wanted to try again to see if I could post without losing a lot of typing.
Melissa, I am so glad you posted this, as I think I may have to quit caffeine as well. I’ve stopped drinking coffee for my Whole30 because I don’t really like coffee without at least some half-and-half, and preferably some stevia as well (newsflash: I probably just don’t really like coffee!). But reading through the effects you listed, bells started ringing for me. . .
Over the last 7-8 months or so, work has been pretty crazy busy for me, and I drank more than my usual amount of coffee to try to keep up with everything. It worked, because I was awfully productive on my caffeine highs, but the side effects were just as you described. I was unnaturally focused, to the point where I wouldn’t even get up to pee (and ended up with a UTI as a result). I also would forget to eat until mid- to late afternoon, and often would just skip lunch. Even if I did go to the trouble of heating up my lunch, I rarely ate it because I couldn’t tear myself away from the keyboard long enough to pick up a fork.
I had trouble sleeping as well, which is unusual for me. I woke up several times each night. While I could attribute some of that to the work stress, the caffeine likely played a large role as well. So I was stressed, and chronically fatigued, and tightly wound. . . and surprise, surprise, I wasn’t terribly nice to my husband and son either. Maybe that’s why they didn’t really mind that I wasn’t home much.
I’m thinking now is as good a time as any to kick the caffeine habit, since I’ve already gone without for a few days. The headaches are already starting to subside. And I’ll save a fortune by not going to Starbucks twice a day. It’s a win all the way around, and I’ll be a better person for it.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Tara,
I’m glad you found the post helpful. Your experience sounds a lot like my own, and I’m still caffeine-free more than one year later, with fantastic results. I suggest finding some good herbal teas and carrying them around with you, so that if and when the urge strikes you to indulge in a coffee (or your friends are ordering it for breakfast or after dinner) you don’t feel left out. That was hugely helpful to me during my transition.
Best of luck to you!
Melissa
Melissa, I am wanting to eliminate coffee from my diet for this month as an expiriment. The things I want to track are mood, energy, sleep (quant/qual), appetite, skin (breakouts), and stress. Any tips on a scale to use so that when I go back and look at the month my observations will make sense? Or will my life improvements be so blatantly obvious that I will immediately trash my Keurig? Thank you for all you do for us
Sorry to post this twice, but I wasn’t quite sure if the facebook one would show up. Oh, technology:)
Jenna,
I’ll be honest – a month is likely not enough. In fact, things got worse before they got better (especially sleep) as my body adjusted to life without AM stimulants, and I’m afraid you may not be able to really “see” how caffeine is affecting you in just 30 days. It’s a great place to start, however… so give it a month and see how you feel.
All of the things you mentioned – mood, energy, sleep, stress – are good measurements. Also track anxiety or irritability (those should get better soon, if you experience any issues with them now). I also noticed my OCD tendencies with work improved super-fast – I was better able to let things go, and less likely to obsess about details or work left undone.
Keep me posted and let me know how things are going – and if you need a little help around Day 30 to decide whether to keep it up or not, I can offer my assistance there, too.
Best,
Melissa
PS No decaf either, yes? No coffee at all, or decaffeinated teas – just herbal varieties that have no caffeine to begin with.
Hello – I am three weeks off of caffeine and already, I feel it is one of the best, and most confusing things I’ve done for myself in a while. I suffer from depression and chronic pain and fatigue and I finally decided I have to do the thing I thought I could never do – give up the caffeine. It was hell at first but things got better. I am now sleeping more soundly and notice my skin looks like I took three years off of it. I feel calmer and less bothered by little things that used to agitate me to no end. Best of all is that I am not having that awful “crushing fatigue” I used to have. However, the fatigue is still there and at times I just feel like my brain shuts down. I am still having bouts of mild/moderate depression. I practice yoga and meditation and that is very helpful.
But I do feel like something is missing – almost like an emptiness overcomes me and I don’t know what to do with myself. I am not used to feeling calm and yet having a bit more energy.
I am also still taking Adderall 30 mg a day, which actually works better without the caffeine and it never really wired me up the way one thinks. I am afraid to start cutting down on that for fear of more fatigue and depression, but I want to start getting off of that too. Right now though, it’s one thing at a time and of the two evils, caffeine was the worst.
I was put on that for the crushing fatigue, the severe depression, and I also have ADD/bipolar disorder and can’t take a lot of antidepressants.
I am also mostly on a raw food diet and am working on cutting out sugar, which I crave a lot and which can be a sign of adrenal fatigue. Oh, my pain from fibromyalgia is a lot better without the extra stimulation of caffeine.
So I will keep going. I had a feeling it takes longer than just a couple of weeks or so for things to level out.
I read that a good cup of nettle tea is a great thing for energy in the morning. No caffeine. Have not been able to find any yet though. Have to order online, I suppose. Rooibos tea is also what I wake up with now.
Wow cat – snap! I’m off caffeine and I wake up to roobois every morning, on a “caveman diet” of raw foods, and i’m off sugar and dairy too, and i have neuropathic pain in my pelvic region and suffer from anxiety and depression too – bipolar disorder runs in my family like blood.
Caffeine really does make neuropathic pain worse, so it’s great to get rid of it. I know what you mean about that empty feeling – I’m still trying to find ways of combatting it.
I have found Vitamin D to be enormously beneficial as a mood stabiliser, along with Vit C, calcium and Omega 3s.
I gave up caffeine cold turkey after I had a kidney stone two and a half years ago. I felt so terrible from the kidney stone experience that I barely noticed the withdrawal symptoms, but I was seriously emotional. I cried very easily for about two months. After that, things got better and better. I realized that I had been severely dehydrated for years (hence the kidney stone). I also stopped having blinding headaches all the time (another effect of dehydration). Everything was going along swimmingly and I was feeling better and better.
At about the two year mark, however, I started to notice that I was not getting anything done at work. Just nothing. I had become lethargic and couldn’t make myself do anything. I got really depressed. I’ve always struggled with a little depression, but nothing compared to this. So, I started occasionally having a little bit of coffee. Not every day, mind you, maybe a single shot of really weak coffee once a week or once in two weeks. Guess what? I feel much better. It was almost like I needed a jump start to get me out of the funk.
I’m trying to figure out how to think about this because giving up coffee was a fantastic thing for me. And huge for my health. There’s no way I want to go back to being dependent on it or ever get so dehydrated again, but a little coffee here and there seems to make a world of difference for me. I wonder if there is a way to have the occasional coffee without building up a tolerance and going right back to where I was over two years ago. Funny how you’d think it would be a moot point after all this time.
Cheri,
I cannot imagine that one shot of weak coffee once a week is really the key to your depression and getting things done at work on a daily basis… but if it’s working for you, keep it up! You certainly won’t harm yourself with that low a weekly “dose,” nor are you likely to build up a tolerance if you maintain that schedule and don’t let your consumption creep.
Best,
Melissa
Even though the initial post if from over a year ago, it’s still a great an relevant post. I was never a caffeine person. I hate chocolate, soda, coffee and tea which are the primary sources. I never drink them. But recently I was promoted at work and and had several side projects going at the same time so I decided to dip my toes in caffeine to help me keep pace. That was two months ago and now when I try to get off, it’s unbearable so I’m tapering down. I drink Monster Rehabs, they have 170 mg of caffeine in a two serving can. I started out with 8 ounces, which is half a serving equaling 85 mg. That kept me good for about a week or two and now, two months later I’m up to an entire can which is 170 mg. That’s still less than most people drink, but considering I’m 30 years old and never consume caffeine (I don’t even take Midol when I’m PMSing due to the caffeine in it), 170 mg is a lot for me. I find that I’m irritable, tense, have a short fuse all of that and I want off. Every time I try to stop I can’t get my work done, so I’m tapering. I’m on 16 ounces / 170 mg and I’m going to reduce by 2 ounces every three days. Tapering is much better for me. I used to be a heavy drinker in college and I became dependent and had to taper off (I was at a point where I couldn’t go a day without a drink) So I know that if I can taper off alcohol then I can certainly taper off caffeine. The body is adaptable and once your body has adapted to the presence of a substance, it’s a much better idea to taper down so that your body gradually adapts to the removal of the substance. Some people go cold turkey and that’s fine, too, whatever works for you is what’s most important. But from a physiological stand point, once your body has adapted to a substance, you should taper off instead of going cold turkey (If possible of course).
So any way, I’ve created a taper schedule and I’m down to 10 ounces (from 16) and feel fine. Based on my taper schedule I will be completely caffeine free in 8 days without discomfort. Boosting up on vitamins that caffeine depletes is also a good idea. Electrolytes, particularly magnesium (which is a calming mineral) and potassium are a must as you taper and for at least 90 days after, then a healthy diet should be enough. B vitamins are also depleted because they are water soluble and lost in urine; caffeine has diuretic properties. So a good sublingual b complex is a must or better a b complex shot if your doctor will give it to you. Exercise is also a must to counteract the fatigue and low mood associated with caffeine withdrawal and abstinence. At first you may be too tired but push yourself to do it. It works wonders.
When you’re battling caffeine, it’s important to have the right tools. I’m confident my transition will be smooth.
Haven,
Thanks for your input, although I disagree with the idea that you must taper off caffeine (or any substance) once you become dependent. Both habit research and addiction research show otherwise, except in extreme circumstances. In addition, caffeine has never actually been scientifically proven to be a diuretic (although that’s a common myth), so the addition of supplements may not be necessary, depending on your diet and lifestyle.
The important thing is that you found an approach that is working well for you – and you’re succeeding in your efforts. Keep up the great work.
Best,
Melissa
It been 3 months with no coffee and i still feel tired .I feel like doing nothing all day It really sucks When do thing get better?
I have quit and relapsed on caffeine many times. I’m making another go at it and have weaned myself back down from 3 coffees/energy drinks per day to one small cup. In a few days I’ll make the jump to caffiene free.
The thing I notice most is how my sleep changes. When I am ‘on’ caffeine, I seem to require 9 hours of sleep. When I am ‘off’ it, I only need 7. Just like Melissa mentions in the article, I wake up several times per night with caffeine. Without it, I can sleep straight through.
Regarding staying off caffeine – While the withdrawal headaches and foggy-headedness are a pain to get through, the reason I end up relapsing is always because of a big, stressful event. If I have a lot of tight deadlines or a ton of work to do in a short period of time, I flip right back to my old habit. At least I can recognize this and hopefully will have the willpower to stay caffeine-free in the future.
@Christina, keep at it. If you have been drinking coffee for years it could take a while for your body to get used to living without it.
@Michael, it sounds like are learning a lot about your coffee habits. Kudos for paying attention to those things. They will likely help you be successful in your upcoming caffeine holiday. Best of luck!
Hello!
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Hello.
I’m almost two years off caffeine now. The first year was tough – I felt like I was getting Alzheimer’s.
In the second year I finally got my brain back – yayy. Much more creative, much more logical and practical in thought.
Caffeine is truly evil, if nothing else but for the fact it takes so long to remove from the system.
I was speaking to a Hare Krishna a few days ago, and he conveyed to me that in order to be a guru you have to be off drugs (including caffeine) for a whole year before you are eligible. Well, I can see that now.
These things do take time, but is well worth it, if not for your physical health, then for your spiritual health and knowing that you’re not a slave to *anything* including chemicals.
Andrew did you feel tired for a whole year?Its been 9 months now and i still don’t feel with it
Hi Christina,
It took a while – yes probably about a year. I feel great now… so DO stick with it. It’s so worth it. Energy levels and memory skills are back to normal. The way you have to look at it is that your body has (probably) been used to caffeine it’s whole life so it takes a while to adjust to the new conditions.
It’s funny actually – I notice more and more how tired caffeine drinkers are first thing in the morning – they seemingly cannot function without that first hit of the day. And yet first thing for me, I’m bouncing around everywhere fresh after my nice sleep. Everyone wonders how I can be so energetic first thing in the morning!
Hi, I know I need to get off coffee as well. Original post is pretty much describing me on coffee.
For a while I was drinking a mixture of chicory and carob with ground anise, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg. Brewing it like coffee. I really like the taste and it seems very similar in texture to coffee.
What do you think of this as a replacement for coffee. It is similar to the Teechino product which is also a non-caffeine coffee substitute. I am just not really into herbal teas. I mean I like them in the afternoon or evening, but they get really boring to me quickly. I know there is an element of addiction involved here. I am not clueless. However, I figure that if the caffeine is the issue and if the chicory/carob mix is a non caffeinated solution that I like, why not. Do you have any thoughts? Objections? Experience?
Hi Melissa,
I have cut out coffee and now drink green tea about 4 cups per day, I am hoping to cut out caffeine completely. Do you feel like you need less sleep without caffeine or is it the same? Thanks.
Thank you Melissa, for your post! I quit coffee 3 weeks ago and needed to read this today. I am a ‘no moderation’ person too! I was fine the first week or so but this last few days I am really looking for my morning coffee. I have come way too far to cave now – its herbal tea and water for me – and the occasional green tea. I didn’t expect to still feel this way but after reading a few of the posts, it is clear that ridding my body of this caffeine habit is going to take some time.
Andrew & Christina: Wow a year and nine months…this is serious stuff. All I can think of now if that I want my body completely free of this stuff. I slept a LOT the first week and now I am having some insomnia and lethargy, which of course makes you want a coffee the next morning to wake up. Sigh. I have a ways to go.
I will say though, that my family noticed that I became almost immediately slower and calmer..and I don’t feel like ripping someone’s head off at the drop of a hat!
I’m on my way. And good luck to everyone doing the same.
Hello,
I have been off caffeine since November and it’s been a constant struggle to overcome this stubborn drug. Now, after all these months I have started to feel better and healthier, I have gained weight which was really needed as i had been too thin but there is one slight disruption. I have been having tinnitus for a month now, and it doesn’t want to be eliminated.
In general, I cannot complain and I will stick to the plan and carry on the struggle.
Regards
I also am on a no caf streak… Already for 34 days, not even a sip of cola, coffee, tea or anything caffeinated. Before that I went 2 months with 2 small bottles of Cola, but that does not count as recovery, because I felt the effects of just a small cup of cola… Anyways. I wanted to share with you an advice about stress. There are a lot of new scientific researches made which show results that hgih vitamin C (starting with 1 g) intake helps face stress and perform in stressful situations.
Also, it helps adrenaline gland, so it is crucial to take vitamin C while recovering from caffeine addiction, because that helps the process a lot.
As someone who recently stopped drinking coffee, this was interesting to read. I think it took me five attempts in the past couple years to give up coffee. I’d keep going back after a couple weeks. Not only was I addicted to caffeine, but I was also addicted to the taste–I absolutely love it. I knew I had a problem, though, when I was slamming six cups of coffee in the morning. I decided to stop drinking coffee on March 3, so a tad over two months ago. It took ten days for the headaches to disappear, and I had a few sips of green tea in the meantime. Since then, however, I’ve noticed several differences. The most noticeable ones are:
1) I’ve become a morning person. What this entails is two-fold. First, I am usually able to fall asleep and wake up at “normal” hours, usually around midnight and seven or eight a.m., respectively. Second, I wake up naturally–no alarm necessary–which means I wake up feeling rather energized.
2) I do not cramp while I exercise. As a runner, this is an incredible feeling. I would get awful cramps that were related to my menstrual cycle ten minutes into a run, which would derail my efforts to build endurance as a long-distance runner. Now I am able to run for however long I wish, independent of that lovely time of the month. I am emphasizing this point because there are several articles which encourage the consumption of caffeine prior to exercise routines. I do not agree with this practice. I find that what I eat has a stronger impact on how successful my workouts are. If I don’t eat any processed foods the day before, I have really good runs the next morning.
3) I feel considerably less stressed. What I really mean by this is that I do not feel stress in the physical sense. I still find myself in stressful situations (because face it, this is what life is), but I handle them much better now.
4) I do not feel a wave of fatigue in the late afternoon/early evening. I’d normally have a cup of coffee to overcome that feeling, which, in turn, would cause me to stay up too late. Now I simply don’t have that anymore.
I’d say I noticed these differences after a month or so. Given how much better I feel after only a couple months, I think it’s safe to say that I am not going to back ever.
For people who consume a lot of caffeine during the day (at least 300 mg), you’ll probably need some Advil if you quit entirely. There’s really no way around the headaches from withdrawal. Also, you may find mornings difficult in the beginning, as I did myself. Starting my day with yoga helped me a lot with that, so I strongly recommend looking into that. The key thing is to persist. It will be difficult, and the temptation might not ever go away entirely, even after months. It really is worth the effort, though, and you never really know how it may go until you genuinely try.
This is exactly my experience. Maybe it’s just us that react like this to caffeine? No, probably, everyone does, but they “think they like it,” and never get out of it. Understanding what it feels like to not be stressed out, anxious, and crazy, is really what helps.
I’m a meditator, and I’d always wonder why the calm only lasted 30 minutes to an hour after meditation, and then the neurological effects (the stress proofing, greater control over the rest of the brain from the prefrontal cortex, etc) wouldn’t last. It was the caffeine!
ALSO – even a cup a day does this strange thing to my brain where it makes me feel disconnected from my emotions. Like, it’s totally “harder” to connect with happiness and take pleasure in small things. This is definitely a neurological thing, and it isn’t good.
Caffeine is seductive. It’s peer pressure. Everyone drinks it. It does help cognitive speed, among other things, it’s portrayed in such a positive light. Starbucks logos look enticing, it all smells so good, etc.
But at the end of the day, how much is it just peer pressure and conditioning that makes people drink something that throws off their emotional balance, ability to think clearly, ability to stay on task, and their ability to sleep soundly?
I think, totally a lot.
Thanks for the post.
OMG, I’m sorry it took me so long to respond to some of these!
@Andrew, it didn’t take me quite as long to feel “clean”, but it was at least a six month process before things really started to clear up. I really love the idea of not needing a mood-and-energy-altering substance to function – it makes me feel confident and competent!
@Christina, it can take a long time for your body to regulate, but I suspect you have other lifestyle factors at play here. Caffeine isn’t the only thing that can smuck with cortisol’s natural daily rhythm, and while giving up caffeine is a great step towards normalizing hormonal balance, it’s not anywhere near the biggest player. If you’re not getting 8+ hours of sleep a night, exercising smart (not too much, not too little), managing stress effectively and eating a healthy diet most of the time, you may not be getting as much bang for your buck with caffeine removal as you had hoped. In addition, even if you ARE doing all of those things right now, if your health history is such that you have a history of chronic stress, well… that in and of itself can take years to recover from. Sorry to be a downer, but my message is ultimately positive – keep up the good work, be patient, and address any factors that may be impeding your goals.
@Claudia, I don’t have a problem with a substitute for that hot cup of something in the morning. As long as it’s truly caffeine free (even decaf coffee has some caffeine) I think that’s a smart strategy for getting off the java, but still enjoying the ritual of waking up to something warm. You’re not addicted to coffee, per se… it’s the caffeine. Take away the caffeine and I think you’re fine to enjoy an alternative. However, subbing decaf coffee for regular coffee isn’t something I’d recommend for at least the first year. That’s a little too “alcoholic drinking O’Douls” for my taste.
@Mack: I feel like I need the same amount of sleep as I always have – and I’m actually getting it now that I’m off caffeine! Even if I drank it early in the morning, it really did mess with my sleep quality. I’m sleeping better than ever now (well, not now – I have a newborn at home – but before…) and waking up without an alarm super bright-eyed and energetic.
@Sandra: That was my experience too – I’m a much nicer, more patient person without caffeine. Keep up the good work and be patient – I promise, it will all be worth it!
@Stephen: Good for you. I know it’s a long road, but again, it’s all worth it! Keep up the good work.
@Ernestas: Thanks for the tip! Even better than supplementing with Vitamin C is getting enough through real, fresh food. Throw in some citrus or other fruits and veggies and reap all the benefits! However, I’ve also played around with a Vitamin C crystals (added to water) in addition to the real foods.
@Hanna: Your experience really does mirror my own. As for the withdrawal headaches, mine were really only bad for days two and three – I just powered through. If you have to take a pain reliever, we think Tylenol is your best choice, as NSAIDs mess with gut permeability. Glad to hear you are feeling so much better – I am too!
@Ryan: I wholeheartedly agree, and think these are interesting observations that are so common to people… once they give up caffeine. Thanks for the eloquent contribution.
Melissa
@Melissa, you will never get anything close to 1 g of Vitamin C from food. This is because thousands of years ago we were eating a lot of more citrus fruits. Also, glucose does not help for Vitamin C to work, so it is really a bad idea to think that you get anything close to Vitamin C supplementation. It is, however, true, that food gives a wider variety of vitamins.
Not sure if I mentioned this before but I drink Roobois tea (otherwise known as Redbush tead) for a hot drink in the morning. Completely and naturally caffeine free and packing in anti-oxidants. Totally love it.
I’ve wayyy off caffeine now and completely better for it. Couldn’t imagine going back now. Shudders to even think about it.