So I Quit Caffeine This Week... Should You?

[Deleted17784]

Good read. I actually quit caffeine and alcohol yesterday and I feel awful...

I love caffeine and I always supplement with it before work and hitting the gym. I find even a small cup of coffee before I lift weights makes a HUGE difference in my work out. There have been many studies that support it's benefits on endurance as well as concentration.

I don't know about everyone else here but I build a tolerance to caffeine quick. Now I can drink three cups of coffee with breakfast and go back to sleep.

That's why every three months or so I take a few weeks off. Yeah it sucks, but once I have that first cup of coffee after my time off it's like WOW this is great!!!

I just recently started drinking coffee but before I used caffeine pills. These pills are dirt cheap and give me a nice clean caffeine buzz - if that makes sense. Also, more convenient and don't give you coffee breath!

If you don't like the taste of coffee check these out. I pop a half a tab three times a day.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011865IQ/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

Just don't buy the "ADVANCED Caffeine". There's some extra crap in there that will give you an anxiety attack from hell. The standard stuff is pure.

Also, to the OP be careful with the OXY. I know people who really jumped off the deep end with that shit.

 

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[arfadugus]

Now down to half a cup a day and I'm already feeling better. Periods of fatigue are shorter. I can concentrate now without coffee. My Joints feel a little better overall. I'll keep you guys updated on the no caffeine route.

 

[Vigilante]

I kicked the habit... for a few weeks.

My caffeine intake is definitely moderated. I will have the daily soda/energy drink, but most of the time I don't even finish the energy drink.

I was way overdoing it. Just like everything else in life, moderation is the key for me.

Caffiene no longer controls my schedule. I control my schedule. Caffeine is now just a tool.

 

[Nadia]

Curious...

Has anyone quit caffeine entirely and noticed a profound difference in mental acuity? And if so, can you give an example of how you came to that conclusion?

I admit caffeine is something I have a lot of and sometimes I wonder if it hurting or helping.

I used to drink so much coffee. And I realised it was connected to me feeling tired ALL the time and feeling bloated. I drink more herbal tea now and fresh juice. Every once in a while, I will have coffee and I feel myself going insane.

It used to give me a fake sense of energy and crash me out in a few hours.

 

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[Nadia]

I don't drink soda at all. I quit 5 years back. Knowing that it contains aspartame, is enough for me to stay away from toxic poison.

 

[Nadia]

I also would not be surprised that there is a high correlation between the FastLane mindset, and the regular use of products like caffeine and other stimulants.

I used to use energy shots when I started my first company. Highs were great, the lows so low, I was practically incoherent over a voicemail and once fell asleep leaving one to a client.

Never made the mistake ever again.

 

[Mattie]

I drank water and tea for four years straight. When I got to Netherlands I can tell you the sugar in pop, juice, and the caffeine does make you feel tired and sluggish. I had three beers Saturday, I don't drink at all. I can tell you my brain the last few days is slowed down. How I can tell is I am not productive or retaining as much information before Saturday. It was amazing to see that effect, and glad I don't use alcohol on a regular basis. I've never been a caffeine drinker because if I drink it at 5 p.m. I'll be awake until 5 a.m. It effects my body.

I prefer to sticking with water and flavored herbal teas. That is when I feel my best.

 

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[arfadugus]

Here's a post I wrote about caffeine from my blog.

Is there a reason to give up caffeine? You bet. Here’s why.

If you are reading this post you are probably having second thoughts about caffeine. Could your irratability, mood swings, or low energy levels be coming from caffeine?

You bet!

Your body is a finely tuned organic machine. I’m going to use a car analogy to explain why caffeine is bad for you. If you put NOS (nitrous oxide) in a car that doesn’t have the right engine what happens? Usually the first run your engine will die because it’s not a high performance engine. In other words the engine is not meant to have NOS in it.

Your body is adaptive which is why many can go years without any real side effects from caffeine. The fuel source that your body is adapted to is food, water, sunlight, sleep, etc. Caffeine is not a FOOD SOURCE. It does not give you real energy. It makes a foreign chemical reaction INSIDE of your body. This reaction is felt as energy but is cause by ADRENALINE. Yes that energy burst you feel after you drink caffeine is an adrenaline rush.

Adrenaline is a stress hormone that is used sparingly by your body unless you provoke it with a stressful situation. When you are hiking in the woods and a bear comes to attack you there will be an adrenaline rush that will give you the best chance of survival. When this chemical is used too much it will start to wear out your adrenal glands causing ADRENAL FATIGUE. When you drink caffeine you body will use up its adrenaline “stores” and after you will have none left and you will crash. Hense why we crash after caffeine. This reaction is cause many negative effects on your health such as.

• Vitamin and mineral deficiency
• Over Tense muscles causing joint pain
• Dehydration
• Low energy levels
• Which leads to Depression
• Effects REM and deep sleep cycles
• ADDICTION
• Newborn babies with caffeine withdrawl headaches. (seriously)

But I wouldn’t survive without caffeine!



If you are like most people you probably think you are just naturally fatigued all the time and have no energy level. You think that you need caffeine for energy. When its really caffeine withdrawl from lack of caffeine that is making you FEEL like you have no energy. Caffeine withdrawl is the process in which your body is trying to recover from the adrenal fatigue and heal the damage that you have been doing to yourself for years.

Here are some common caffeine withdrawl symptoms.

• HEADACHE (yes we all know this one)
• Lack of motivation
• Low low energy levels
• Stiff Joints
• Depression
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Withdrawl symptoms can last up to 2 WEEKS. That is how long it takes for your body to recover.

You wont know how you feel without the influence of caffeine until after you have been off of it for two or more weeks. So take a 60 day challenge and get off of caffeine.

Rules of the challenge.

For 60 days..

1. I will not consume any caffeine, including, coffee, decaf, chocolate, sodas, energy drinks, etc.
2. I will not quit cold turkey. Reduce by a little every three days for 2 weeks. This will make the 2 week withdrawl period a smoother road.
3. I will eat as healthy as I can and exercise. (to get your body in gear faster)
4. I will keep a journal of my 60 day journey. (let other know what you’ve experienced)
5. I will drink at least a half a gallon of water per day.

BENEFITS OF QUITTING CAFFEINE

• More consistent energy levels
• Better control of appitite
• Weight loss
• Less joint pain
• More motivation to kick a$$!

There are other tips to help you quit and reasons why in the book “Caffeine Blues” byStephen Cherniske, M.S.

 

[Mattie]

Yes, if we just went bio and organic with everything, just think how healthy we would be. I have to laugh, because ever since I arrived in the Netherlands I've been drinking pop with out sugar. I Was wondering why it tasted like crap to me.

Food tastes weird, when you're so used to the crap American's put in it. It either tastes very good because of no preservatives and artificial stuff, or it tastes bad. Something you have to get used too. Thanks for sharing that bit of information there.

 

[Gale4rc]

Coffee is steroids for the everyday person to get more work done. I love it.

 

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[Deleted17784]

Hey the only reason I quit caffeine is because I LOVE IT! It wasn't giving me the good effects it once was... I'm taking a few weeks off then I'm back on it.

Hell no I'm not quitting. Coffee makes me extremely productive at work and in the gym. Plus it just makes me happy.

 

[arfadugus]

Hey the only reason I quit caffeine is because I LOVE IT! It wasn't giving me the good effects it once was... I'm taking a few weeks off then I'm back on it.

Hell no I'm not quitting. Coffee makes me extremely productive at work and in the gym. Plus it just makes me happy.

Lets see if you are still saying this years down the road XD

 

[Tony Nguyen]

I honestly can't relate i don't drink soda or coffee at all.
Should i drink it?
Is there any benefits?

 

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[arfadugus]

I honestly can't relate i don't drink soda or coffee at all.
Should i drink it?
Is there any benefits?

If you want short term gain but long term consequences. Its a slippery slope, before you know it you are ingesting 1000mg of caffeine per day and getting insomnia and anxiety and fatigue.

 

[Deleted17784]

If you want short term gain but long term consequences. Its a slippery slope, before you know it you are ingesting 1000mg of caffeine per day and getting insomnia and anxiety and fatigue.

1,000mg! Good lord man. Let me guess... Was this in some pre workout bullshit? Colon Xplode or some similar stim loaded pre work out trash? That's a lot of caffeine.

I think the average person would see a great boost in productivity with one of two cups of coffee per day. On average 100-200mg

When I was taking the caffeine pills I would take 100mg twice per day. Sometimes an extra 100mg if it was a heavy lifting day but never exceeded 300mg per day.

Once that amount stopped doing the trick I would cycle off. After a few weeks off that first coffee is a great boost!

Caffeine is just like anything else that feels good. Booze, food, spending money. You need some self control or you could harm yourself.

 

[arfadugus]

Well usually people drink more than "2 cups

1,000mg! Good lord man. Let me guess... Was this in some pre workout bullshit? Colon Xplode or some similar stim loaded pre work out trash? That's a lot of caffeine.

I think the average person would see a great boost in productivity with one of two cups of coffee per day. On average 100-200mg

When I was taking the caffeine pills I would take 100mg twice per day. Sometimes an extra 100mg if it was a heavy lifting day but never exceeded 300mg per day.

Once that amount stopped doing the trick I would cycle off. After a few weeks off that first coffee is a great boost!

Caffeine is just like anything else that feels good. Booze, food, spending money. You need some self control or you could harm yourself.

Usually people drink more than 2 cups per day. Remember 1 cup of caffeine is only 6 oz and most people drink 1 cup out of a 12 oz mug Making one 6 oz cup actually 12 oz of coffee. so that 2 cups of coffee ends up being 400mg of caffeine which isn't a healthy amount at all. At 400mg of caffeine per day I quote "you are undoubtedly experiencing some degree of mental and physical addiction to Caffeine. Research shows an almost 200% increase of risk for ulcers and fibrocystic disease." -Stephen Herniske, M.S.
Again the average caffeine consumtion in the US is over 400 mg easily. Distruption of sleep patterns start at just 100- 300mg of caffeine per day.
Also most people don't realize the side effects from caffeine cause all they feel is the good that it gives them short term so it must be good through and through. Its like cigarettes in a way, there isn't any real harm short term but its cumulative long term. Eventually you'll need more and more to get the same "energy buzz" as well.

 

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[Deleted17784]

Well usually people drink more than "2 cups


Usually people drink more than 2 cups per day. Remember 1 cup of caffeine is only 6 oz and most people drink 1 cup out of a 12 oz mug Making one 6 oz cup actually 12 oz of coffee. so that 2 cups of coffee ends up being 400mg of caffeine which isn't a healthy amount at all. At 400mg of caffeine per day I quote "you are undoubtedly experiencing some degree of mental and physical addiction to Caffeine. Research shows an almost 200% increase of risk for ulcers and fibrocystic disease." -Stephen Herniske, M.S.
Again the average caffeine consumtion in the US is over 400 mg easily. Distruption of sleep patterns start at just 100- 300mg of caffeine per day.
Also most people don't realize the side effects from caffeine cause all they feel is the good that it gives them short term so it must be good through and through. Its like cigarettes in a way, there isn't any real harm short term but its cumulative long term. Eventually you'll need more and more to get the same "energy buzz" as well.

I'm no expert but based on my research your average 8oz cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine. Of course, there could be more or less depending on the type.

I've read the average person reported negative side effects starting at about 300mg of caffeine per day. Increased anxiety, jitters, trouble sleeping, etc.

I don't know how big most people's mugs are or how much people usually drink but if you have a cup or two of regular coffee per day it should be fine.

Of course, caffeine effects everyone different. Some folks drink five coffees per day and sleep fine. Others have all the bad side effects with one cup. You need to evaluate where you are on this spectrum.

It's definitely an addiction. I'm an addict! But I still quit cold turkey every few months with no problems. 3-4 days I get a headache and feel lazy. That's it. I wouldn't go comparing it to opiates.

I agree with this end part "Eventually you'll need more and more to get the same energy buzz."

That's why I quit every few months. I can have two cups of coffee and go to sleep.

In my opinion, the people having problems are over doing it and burning themselves out.

 

[evlttwin]

I tried to quit, but I failed.

Oh well....

 

[Deleted17784]

Life is miserable without caffeine. I'll drink this one for the quitters out there. Cheers!

 

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[tafy]

ahh you are living the dream @Skins

 

[arfadugus]

On day 5 no caffeine. Still have a headache and no motivation to do anything. I hear benefits can take up to 3 weeks to start showing

 

[Vigilante]

Yeah... Um... I fell off the wagon and never looked back

 

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[Jakeeck]

I'm on day 3. As with any "happy chemical" drug, you get the highs followed by an inevitable low. Unforunately, the euphoria of the highs decrease over time, and the lows only get worse. I always get a pretty harsh low in the evenings, so I'm quitting for 3 weeks to see what happens.

Good luck to everyone else trying!

 

[vinylawesome]

Caffeine is a hell of a drug.

 

[theag]

Enjoying a nice coffee right now. :embarrased:
Will never quit.

 

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[Digamma]

I went clean for some months, back before the summer.
The only thing that really changed for me was less stomach acid, probably because I cut the cup of coffee that I used to drink on an empty stomach in the morning. But I wasn't a big coffee drinker (2/3 cups a day, rarely more) and I can't remember any symptoms of withdrawal.

I drink only one cup a day now, after lunch, plus the occasional espresso when I'm at someone's house.

 

[Mattie]

I was caffeine free until I moved to the Netherlands. Strange drinks here that I find taste really bad, because they don't have sugar in some. And not to interested in carbonated water. Tea, Dr. Pepper, Coca-cola, seem to be it. My whole diet changed here, and needs to get straightened out. lol

 

[Davo]

Thanks to the personality test I eventually came to the conclusion that coffee is really bad for me and chamomile tea is really good.

Been about 2 weeks now since I quit coffee (used to have 2-3 a day) and started having chamomile tea.
Don't drink soft drinks or take sugar. I do have Milo a few times a week during the day but mainly for the taste and haven't noticed a side effect.

Before quitting: very irritable, headches early morning and late afternoon, big ups and downs during the day, very tired after work
Post quitting: a lot calmer, no more headaches even when lacking sleep, day is more balanced. even at night i still have plenty of energy to hit the gym

I still miss the taste but I don't want the headaches so I may have an occasional one every week or two lol

 

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[geko_man]

I was drinking about 3-4 cups per day when I quit, it took about 2.5 weeks before the headaches/feeling average stopped. I started drinking the odd coffee again (2-3 per week) and don't notice any of the additive traits.
The one benefit is now when I do have a coffee I actually get the coffee high and have a productive run! I really forgot what that was like as I just didn't feel an effect when I was drinking so many.

 

[Davo]

The one benefit is now when I do have a coffee I actually get the coffee high and have a productive run! I really forgot what that was like as I just didn't feel an effect when I was drinking so many.

Yea agreed. Way better when you get the boost from a random cup rather than your body just crazing for it.