I’ve decided that the time has come for me to cut back on my caffeine intake just a tad.
Now, I enjoy a good cup of coffee as much as the next guy. Actually, I think I enjoy it more than the next guy, and that’s the problem. I said adios to soda months ago, so coffee is really the only place I’m getting caffeine from these days, but I drink a lot of coffee – I mean a lot of coffee. I probably average 1/2 to a full pot of coffee a day at work.
It’s not that it’s interfering with my sleep, giving me the jitters, or anything like that. But I did discover one definite drawback to ingesting all this caffeine. Before my 1/2 marathon on Sunday, I didn’t want to drink any coffee or anything that might mess with my stomach/digestion during the race. After the race, I pretty much went straight to my high school reunion, still not having had any form of caffeine.
By the time I got home after my reunion, I had a horrible splitting headache. Aspirin didn’t help. Laying down with my eyes closed and resting didn’t help. So at 5pm, I made some coffee to get my caffeine fix, and my headache was shortly gone. I decided right then that things had gotten out of hand, and that I needed to start cutting back on how much coffee I’m drinking.
I’m not going to go crazy and just quit cold turkey – I enjoy coffee way too much to do something like that. But I am going to start slowly dialing things back, eventually getting myself down to 2-3 cups a day.
Are you a coffee drinker? How much do you typically drink per day? Have you ever thought about cutting back?
{ 17 comments }
I drink coffee, but only one cup a day. I have it in the morning while I do my morning computer stuff (email, blog reading, etc). Otherwise, I try to stay away from it for the rest of the day. It isn’t that I don’t believe in drinking it the rest of the day or that it messes with my body. But I suffer from migraines and I’ve always found a bit of caffeine helps when I take my migraine medication of choice and I don’t want to lose that effectiveness. So I keep it toned back.
It also helps because now I’m trying to lose a few pounds and I’m sure the added sugar throughout the day wouldn’t be helping anything!
Alissa recently posted – Moved!
I used to drink almost a full pot of coffee in the morning. I had two giant travel mugs that I would tote with me to work. Now, I *just* have one travel mug, and it isn’t a giant. I’m not having any other caffeine throughout the day (I got off the soda again – YAY!), and I thought about going caffeine free again. But here’s the deal: decaf coffee tastes like dirt!
Good luck!
Agreed on the decaf tasting like dirt!
I recently MOSTLY gave up caffeine. Going from 4-6 cups of coffee per day to drinking decaf on most days. And yes, I had terrible headaches for about 2 days. I don’t totally avoid caffeine, but I don’t like the idea of my body adversely reacting to something when it’s not in my system. Addiction is not good in my opinion.
mac recently posted – The Wait Is Over
That’s really what got me too Mac, is the feeling that my body was becoming dependent on the caffeine, much like an addiction, and that’s definitely not good.
Ahh, a man after my own heart! Yes, coffee is my friend, too, ha! I don’t drink soda at all, but drink a LOT of iced tea and coffee (and recently, a little iced coffee, but not the syrup stuff, just coffee with a measured amount of 1/2 & 1/2 like I drink it hot). About six months ago, I started half-caffing everything. I brew my tea with both regular and decaf tea, and the same for my coffee. Now, I can’t stand straight decaf, but don’t really notice this, and it allowed me to cut my caffeine intake a bit. And I do sometimes have days of little to no caffeine (or at least until late in the day), and if I get a headache, I too know that it is time to cut back!
I *love* my morning coffee/latte, but I don’t have to have it. If I ever feel like I’m getting to the point of dependence, I cut it out for a while, but that’s only happened once…and was MORE than one cup! I think it’s great to realize the difference between ENJOYING something and NEEDING it to function. Good for you for seeing that in your coffee habit and doing something about it!
SeattleRunnerGirl recently posted – Rest Days
Yes, I drink WAAAY too much coffee. The funny thing is, I didn’t drink coffee until I moved to Seattle (cliche, I know). But I like chocolate, got into mochas, dropped mochas for weight loss, and have drank coffee ever since. A big travel mug in the morning and a grande Starbucks brewed after lunch. It’s more of a habit than anything else. Doesn’t have a great effect on me, but I also just take it for granted. I know I need to cut back. Let us know how it goes.
I went through this a couple of years ago and gave up all caffeine of any kind for about a year and a half. But I missed the taste of coffee and was always worrying that I would get some caffeinated drinks by accident. So I took up coffee again. But I only have one or two a day…
Kudos to you, though, for looking for one more way to move forward on your journey. Nice!
beej recently posted – Week 72 310
I just recently….this week….gave up coffee… but not caffeine.
I now drink tea instead. What an eye opener that was for me! Drinking coffee and lots of it – almost a whole pot daily for 30 years….it wasn’t my intention. I gave up sugar, real or substitute, and I always had a teas sugar to start my coffee out. I switched to Tea…NOW I see NO reason to go back…
Funny how that happened
Jules – Big Girl Bombshell recently posted – YeS! Changes!
Creepy, see next Fridays’ post. Just creepy really. I cut down a lot for the same reasons as you. I’ve switched it out with some teas and things. Now I find it has a better impact when I really need it, like before races/hard workouts.
That’s the other thing that made me want to cut back, is so that it would have more of an effect when I really need it. Now, I have to have several cups before I start feeling something. It’s like a heroin junkie, who has to keep taking more and more to get the same high.
Dude I think I would have more luck giving up oxygen. I’m pretty much on par for about 1 pot a day too, in fact I usually have a cup or two before my run.
The big drawback for me is that it contributes to my dehydration. Especially in this heat. So I try to drink extra water, which combined with the coffee has me running to the Jon every 20 minutes.
You look crazy thin man, way to go.
Joe recently posted – Running Shoe Review- The Sir Isaac from Newton Running
I go cold turkey every so often then slowly creep up again. Sigh it’s 9:30 and I’ve already had 5 cups. 2 decaf!
way to go. I need to start on this myself. Please keep me updated.
My MIL loves coffee, and was able to cut back on the caffeine portion by slowly mixing in decaf grounds a little at a time until she got so used to the decaf and thought it tasted great. I don’t drink coffee (an occasional Mocha in the winter is killer, I will admit), but I have a serious problem with Sunkist. I know, weird soda to be hooked on. Its more of an emotional thing with me, and I just can’t seem to set myself free from its grasp. I love it. L-O-V-E IT! Anyhow, I’m really trying to cut it back (and then out) since I HATE diet soda (and who needs more chemicals anyhow) and I hate the weird fanaticism it seems to be with me. I mean who CRAVES a Sunkist?? Its just weird. Anyhow, when I really get attached to the caffeine and I cut back and get that blasted headache I pop an Excederin Migraine (although I’m told any Excederin will do the trick). Excederine mixes Caffeine, Tylenol and Asprin for a nice little headache busting cocktail. I start with a half and go from there, looking for the perfect dose of caffeine that will elliminate the bloody caffeine headache. Anyhow, good luck cutting back. Its hard, especially when you truly enjoy something.
Fatty Cake Heather recently posted – SCORE!!!
i give up caffeine for the month of January every year. it does wonders! then when i pick back up that coffee mug in february it only takes a little to get me all perked up!