Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)
  • Any former coffee / caffeine addicts?
  • tomd
    Free Member

    I’m interested in anyone elses experiences of trying this. Up until 10 days ago I drank a lot of coffee, as in 5 or so cups a day of varying strength. I enjoy the taste, but also it’s a habbit as much as anything.

    As a bit of an experiment I cut it down to one a day and now to none. Also no tea or cafinated drinks to substitute. I feel quite a lot better. My concentration at work seems better, and also have almost no desire to eat sugary snacks as before (partly because less craving but also dairy milk and peppermint tea is rank).

    So has anyone else had experiences with giving up coffee / caffeine? Medically unqualified pseudo-science welcome.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Girl who used to sit next to me went from 6 large starbucks during the working day to nothing fairly regularly, she also fell asleep at her desk a bit too…

    warton
    Free Member

    Girl who used to sit next to me went from 6 large starbucks

    so she was addicted to frothy milk, rather than caffeine?

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    steveoath
    Free Member

    Decaf Millicano helped me.

    tomd
    Free Member

    6 Starbucks a day is some achievement, luckily we have a kitchen at work so could bring my own cafetiere in so wasn’t spending £20 a day on coffee.

    robbespierre
    Free Member

    I am currently trying to cut-down.
    I have peaked at 7-8 cups a day easy, but I’m sure it’s not good for me. By coincidence I brought in a pack of green tea and a pack of fruit tea this morning, in an attempt to find an alternative to the “habit” aspect.

    tomd
    Free Member

    Green tea has caffeine in it as well sadly.

    geordiemick00
    Free Member

    yep, I used to have 4 cans of coke a day, plus 3 coffees and after two weeks of the shakes and headaches I got off the nasty stuff. That was a year ago. I drink decaff tetley tea and decaf coffee but now and then have a coff with caffeine in just to keep a little in my system.

    I’ve lost two stone, fell so much more energetic, make less stupid decisions and generally feel better in many ways.

    dmorts
    Full Member

    I cut out caffeine completely a few months ago for about 6 weeks. Slept much better and getting up in the morning was easier. Back on 2 large cups of filter coffee and two cups of tea though!

    There is a theory that caffeine has no net benefit. The idea is that before your first morning coffee you’re in a state of caffeine withdrawal and suffering symptoms, lack of concentration, motivation etc. All of this is put right by the intake of caffeine. Hence you think the coffee is helping, but it’s actually a vicious circle.

    If you stop completely and get over the withdrawal, you shouldn’t need to drink caffeine.

    I have to say I did find this, but then slipped back into the habit/vicious circle after 6 weeks or so. Filter coffee being on tap at work didn’t help! I think one day I was tired so had a coffee

    ali69er
    Free Member

    I used to drink 2 litres of coke a day, six years ago I gave it up. Not had it since, my total weight loss since my heaviest about 9 years ago is nearly 40kgs, all achieved by cutting that sort of stuff out. Recently, I find myself drinking 3 cups of instant or shop coffee a day and that worries me, I really think its the habit more than the caffeine, but I could be wrong.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Girl who used to sit next to me went from 6 large starbucks during the working day to nothing…

    Never mind the caffeine, she must have been about £200 a month better off!

    qwerty
    Free Member

    Google caffine withdrawal, i went caffine & alcohol dry for most of January, wasn’t pleasent initially.

    Redstar
    Free Member

    I’m by no means an expert on the subject but i read that caffeine stimulates the adrenal gland which in turn releases cortisol into your bloodstream which causes the fight or flight syndrome.
    Fine if your about to be eaten by a lion or want something to pep you up before a race but for normal day to day activities it can leave your system with to much cortisol which leads to stress and fatigue.

    I stopped having so much caffeine in my day and i definitely sleep better, feel less on edge and generally feel healthier.

    DT78
    Free Member

    Just back from my 2 week detox (hols coffee always horrible).

    I find that I end up sleeping loads more – normally I sleep 6-7 hours with a couple of cups of coffee in the morning to get going. On hols, sans coffee I’ll sleep 8-10 hours comfortably.

    ti_pin_man
    Free Member

    like othrs have said, I stopped coffee drinking about 12 years ago… for two weeks after this i was a miserable twunt and now I have occasional cokes and even a red bull raely but I dont ‘need’ it, or want it like I used to.

    The 2 weeks initially was hell.

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    Used to enjoy tea/coffee (for the taste, never had more than 1-2 per day) but have cut out all caffeine now in a bid to reduce stress. Think it’s worked, plus I don’t miss it at all.

    metalheart
    Free Member

    Many moons ago I got very, very drunk on wine one night and ended up ripping my throat on the upchuck.

    The next day I, unsurprisingly, felt decidedly rough. As the day went on I got headaches, tight shoulders, aching neck. The next day it wasn’t getting any better.

    The following day I still felt rough, never had a two hangover before. However the fog had somewhat cleared from my mind and I reaslised in the evening (I mentioned the torn throat earlier) that I hadn’t had any tea or coffee for over 48 hours (normally I was having a coffee pretty much every hour). Deciding that it might be something to do with it I made myself a caffetierre of proper coffee. By the time the first mug was drunk ALL my symthoms had disappeared…

    I now limit myself to 3 coffees a day (ok sometimes I push the boat out and have 4) and highly unusual to have one after 6 pm. Its kind of amazing how it can creep up on you!

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    ^^^^ just goes to show what a potent drug it is! IMO once people are used to drinking a lot of caffeine they don’t even get any benefit from it anyway, they just need it to maintain their body’s “normal” state, hence my cutting it out completely now.

    trevh
    Free Member

    had to do a detox for 2 months with food an drink to sort out an allergy I had it was done under the hospitals guidance approx 18 months ago. apart from losing 2 stone over the period one of the things was no caffiene so all decaf drinks and no diet coke or anything. mother of all headaches after about 7 days. that lasted for 3 days. was told it was normal and just to put up with it the energy level fell through the floor but after the detox decided not to go back to the caffiene and feel no different from before now its much better the body just has to get used to not having it . have the occasional normal T but no coffee at all and Diet coke once in a blue moon . Wife has also decided not to touch caffene after 5 pm only drinks decaf at home says she sleeps a lot better for it. Worthwhile experiment. I didnt belive how crap you cpould feel coming off it though.

    cbmotorsport
    Free Member

    Woman at work drinks about 5 cups of tea a day..nothing really wrong there, but she drinks about 5 cubs of cofee as well, and 2 cans of red bull in the afternoon.

    She complains about needing the red bull as she gets tired in the afternoon..I’m sure it’s got more to do with the fact that she’s crashing in the afternoons because of all that cafeine.

    KonaTC
    Full Member

    A few years back I was getting through 15+ mugs of coffee a day, it was only when I was on holiday with family did I spot anything was wrong. After a few days I thought I had jetlag/onset of flu, I felt awful, headaches, cold sweats, shaking and a feeling of being constantly hung-over. Then by accident I discovered my brother only drunk decaffeinated coffee! A quick trip the local convenience store for a full on man-coffee and a few hours later normality was resumed. But….

    On getting home an appointment with the practise nurse resulted in a plan to cut down on my coffee intake by a cup or two a week, I now only drink about 3-4 cups a day (I do have the odd relapse) and never after 4pm – ish.

    Do I feel any better, not sure; but I am sleeping better and don’t get as wound up as I use to but then again I am in a different job.

    gofasterstripes
    Free Member

    I tend to have one mighty moka in the morning [stovetop brewed] – maybe equivalent to 3-4 shots espresso.
    Then try to limit myself to 1 or maybe 2 instants in the post-lunch dip.

    Mostly this is due to lack of sleeping time though….

    Wish I felt more alert. “Be alert, your country needs lerts”

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    She complains about needing the red bull as she gets tired in the afternoon..I’m sure it’s got more to do with the fact that she’s crashing in the afternoons because of all that cafeine.

    I used to get extremely tired in the afternoons/evenings sometimes, especially when outside in the hot sun (even when not drinking beer!) Seems obvious, but I was getting dehydrated. I am a lot less tired now I’m drinking enough water.

    dmorts
    Full Member

    Wish I felt more alert.

    Maybe cut caffeine completely then? You’ll probably sleep better, then feel less tired during the day and not feel the need for caffeine. It will be difficult at first. How about halving your Moka size and then forgoing the 1/2 cups in the afternoon.

    Thing is I like coffee, but I also liked being caffeine free. Can’t really have both…

    wilko1999
    Free Member

    Nope, still hopelessly addicted here. That first coffee feeling in the morning is hard to beat, I really need to knock it on the head and go cold turkey

    surroundedbyhills
    Free Member

    NEED Coffee in the morning and feel lethargic for a good part of the day if I don’t get a 2nd cup. This is a significant drop on what I used to drink as being in the catering business we always had “proper” coffee on tap.

    Have discovered that about 1-2hrs after the 1st hit if you drink a pint of water it has pretty similar effect. Try it.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Green tea here since 2005

    Only use caffeine before and during riding it’s not called rocket fuel for nothing 🙂

    gofasterstripes
    Free Member

    I was on about 3 times that amount a few years ago. Cut right back when I started to get heart palpitations!

    I will try to cut back further 🙂

    justatheory
    Free Member

    It tastes so nice though. As does beer and wine. Just enjoy in moderation as the slogan says.

    tomd
    Free Member

    It tastes so nice though

    Good coffee is nice, trouble is 80% of what I was drinking was pish. I reckon I may still enjoy the odd cup from a good cafe when i know I’ll enjoy it.

    RoganJosh
    Free Member

    2 a day not gonna hurt anyone, I have an espresso at 7 with breakfast and then normally a double/filter at about 11. I tried cutting back but started getting a bit chubby through snacking more!

    Have a nespresso machine at work with millions of free capsules so got carried away with that for a bit and started having ridiculous heart palpitations so drank camomile tea for 3 weeks cold turkey, then went back to 1 a day now back to 2, jobs a goodn

    3dvgirl
    Free Member

    umm caffeine… i mean seriously..

    She complains about needing the red bull as she gets tired in the afternoon..I’m sure it’s got more to do with the fact that she’s crashing in the afternoons because of all that cafeine.

    its actually the insulin spike.

    gofasterstripes
    Free Member

    3dvgirl you are Emily and I claim my £5

    cdaimers
    Full Member

    +1 for green tea.

    Went from 5-6 cups of black coffee in the morning to 3-4 cups of green tea over the day about 12 months ago. So much better for it. No mood swings, palpitations, and feel so much better.

Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)

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