Caffeine intake reduction, day #1

luvtorun

luvtorun

Cathlete
Heaven help me... yes, I decided today was the day to start. No sense wanting until the first of the month.

I am going to drink my usual two cups of coffee this morning (drip), but I used 3/4 regular and 1/4 decaffeinated. Not half and half yet. .... and yes, I am chicken. I am not looking forward to this, but I thought it was something good I could for my health, if I survive it.

I will have my usual caffeine diet soft drink around 1 or 2 that I usual have to ward off the afternoon slump, but this too will go as I move forward on this personal challenge of mine.

Anyone want to join? I really can't blame you if you don't.
 
Hi Jane.

I feel your pain. I reduced my caffeine intake down to one cup of half caff/half decaf per day and then all decaf for the rest of the day during my pregnancy. I was used to drinking 3-4-5 cups of caff coffee per day!

Sorry I can't join you.

Good luck! You can do it!:)

Wendy

6/13/05 Some new pics added!Check out pics of Joey's room in the "nursery" album!

http://www.PictureTrail.com/wendymin
 
Thanks for the encouragement Wendy. I don't blame you or anyone who doesn't do this. I wouldn't wish this on anybody. :9

I've seen your pics of Joey. He is a sweetie.
 
Hey jane,

I will join you in the caffeine intake. I had made that my own personal goal along with the sweets challenge. I went 16 days and started drinking some. This weekend was worse. So now we can help each other tapper off or stay away. I didn't have any at all for the first half of this month, so I will try again. But I know there might be possibilities of a slip up.

I think you are doing the right thing by slowly going off caffeine. I know you can do it. We will be here to help each other. So it is good that you come up with this because I was afraid that this weekends binge was going to ruin my will power.

I can complete this month and then I'm on vacation the week of the 4th. That week I intend on having sweets and caffeine. But I'm with you all the way for the next 2 weeks.

kim
 
Thanks Kim.... I thought a lot about how to go about this and slow, very slow is what I decided to do. I am so afraid of that awful headache that I know I'll get if I try to come off caffeine too fast.
 
oh goodness. when I was pregnant I drastically reduced my caffeine intake, but since having my son, it seems to be my one true vice. i wish i could say i have the strength to join you but....;)


"you miss 100% of the shots you never take"

Debbie
 
X coffe drinker here .Just wanted to tell you ,you will soon forget about your coffee .Infact you wont even want it after its been awhile .If I even try to drink a cup Just cuz ,well I have like 2 sips and down the sink it goes .YUK .... Try decaf Green Tea ,And Tension Tamer tea together ....Turn that into your favorite drink .Oh Its (Celestial Seasoning Tea )I drink it all the time .So good for you too . Good Luck .:) :)
 
I've already been doing this, so count me in. Actually, there really isn't anything for me to do. I quit caffeine cold turkey the same day we started the No Sweets Challenge. I also became a vegetarian at the same time. I am just going full-throttle here! :) Quitting caffeine cold turkey was not bad at all for me. I was a diet soda caffeine junkie - a 20 oz bottle in the morning, and sometimes another one for lunch. Not quite as bad as a coffee habit, but still - I was pretty hooked. The first couple of days without my diet soda were the hardest. I was also going without sweets, so it was a double-whammy. But after about 3 days, I didn't miss the diet soda anymore. I still miss sweets though. LOL! ;) I haven't had any caffeine (at least not intentionally) for almost 3 weeks and I'm doing just fine - I'm no more tired than I was before, and I no longer have constant headaches.

So don't be scared - you can do it! Your method of tapering back is probably the best way to go about it. It will get easier, I promise! :D
 
Thanks Emily... boy you are a brave soul to quit all you did at one time. I would not be so afraid of going cold turkey if it wasn't for that headache. I could probably push through the tiredness. I just remember that headache from a long time ago when I quit cold turkey. I kept it for a solid two weeks and it is not a fond memory.

Thanks for the support!!!
 
I just wanted to say you can do it! I have never been a coffee or tea drinker(can't stand either one). I don't drink soda and I haven't since before I had my sons (the oldest is 10). About the only thing I do drink is water and milk. OJ once in a blue moon!:)
 
Well I have my Diet Pepsi Lime in hand, as promised my one diet soda around 2ish to ward off the slump.... I considered ditching this since I only went down 1/4 on the caffeine this morning but I have been fantasizing about a jar of peanut butter and a bag of Dove dark chocolates all day and I thought I'd better not skip the Pepsi...;-)

Someone had mentioned Dove chocolates on a thread this morning and that is all I've been able to think about!!x(
 
Hey jane, you are doing good. The diet pepsi I alot better than the Dove cholates. You have cut down you caffeine already this morning. You can do it girl.

kim
 
Thanks Kim. I don't feel like I did that much today since I only cut my caffeine by a fourth this morning, but slowly but surely. I just wish I wasn't battling this urge to eat anything that is within reach. I hate it when I get this way. I wonder if anybody has ever fought the urge to not overindulge during PMSing and actually survived. I gave in yesterday and while I didn't have any "sweets" so to speak, I had some Pure Protein bars (they have 0 gm. sugar) but.... lets just say I didn't have to worry if I got my protein in yesterday.

I am going to start cleaning house now and try to tamp these overwhelming urges down.
 
Sabrina!!! OMG! How do you do it!?!? I drink lots of water but to just mainly drink water and milk? I'd go crazy! You go girl! I'm not that good! I need my cola fix...it's not a big fix...just maybe a cup a day if that and I need my coffee and tea...mostly decaf still even now that Joey is born.

Keep up the good work girl!! :)

Wendy

6/13/05 Some new pics added!Check out pics of Joey's room in the "nursery" album!

http://www.PictureTrail.com/wendymin
 
Good Luck Jane and fellow caffeine reducers.

I'm not ready for this challenge yet....I LOVE my coffee. But, it is the only caffeine I get as I don't drink soda or diet soda. Like Sabrina, it's just water for me with an occasional glass of cow juice.

GOOD LUCK!

Tammy
 
I quit sodas long ago, I dont like them, makes me gassy and burp a lot, so to avoid the embarrasment I quit and I am fine without it, I drink lots of water sometimes with drops of lemon for extra cleansing, but in the coffee deparment I am not a quiter yet, I do remember the good old days when I hated coffee, well, back then I was 230 lbs, then I developed coffee I dont remember how, but to me is my morning pleasure! I got them in flavors, my fav is Hazelnut with fat free cream and stevia, wow, I treat myself every morning before my daily run and it makes me so happy, how in the world I will quit? I would love to join you, but I failed 3 times in trying to quit, good luck my friend!

The older I get the more I love me.

http://www.geocities.com/norma123nyc/MyJourney.html
 
Norma,

I don't plan on giving up coffee, I'll eventually go to decaf. My husband says "what the point?" ... and the point is, like you, I like the favors. I love the Coffemate creamers, Hazelnut, no sugar added of course. I will just have my coffee not "loaded" so to speak. I think that is... this is day #1 and I already am talking like I have conquered this monster.
 
I went caffeine-free several years ago, and once you get past the withdrawal (if you even experience it), you will notice a HUGE improvement in your energy levels ALL DAY LONG.

I said "if you even experience it" (withdrawal), because when I committed to going caffeinep-free, I weaned myself. I never drank coffee, but I drank a 20 oz. of Pepsi every day. What I started doing was drinking half a 20 pz bottle one day, and the second half the next day. Then I started drinking only a 1/4 of the bottle every day. Then, it was a 1/4 every other day, and so forth. After 2 months of this tapering, I finally stopped drinking caffeine completely and suffered absolutely NO side effects or withdrawal. I substituted caffeine-free Pepsi, and did very well.

Also, forget about going caffeine-free if you're drinking that diet junk. That aspartame/nutrasweet/Equal/Splenda is worse for you than caffeine could ever be. I'd take the caffeine jitters over a brain tumor or worse any day. Anything that is labeled sugar-free should find a new home in your trash can immediately.
 
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