Caffeine Detox Time

[LiE]

I've considered doing one of these as usually I have 2 coffees and about 3 or 4 teas a day. Just seems like quite a lot but I wonder whether other people have more without any issue.

I do find that I can't get on at work in the morning unless I've had a coffee

Some people are less sensitive to coffee, so they can have more as they don't respond. I'm very sensitive to caffeine.

The reliance on caffeine or any substance isn't a good thing and not something I'm comfortable with. When you hear people say "I need to have a coffee to wake up in the morning", you are basically resigning to the fact you need a substance daily to function normally. The fact it's packaged up in a delicious coffee obfuscates the fact you are taking caffeine. I bet people would feel differently if they took caffeine in pill form, that'd soon realise how many pills they be poppin' to get the hit or feel normal.

 

[glenimp617]

I do this from time to time. Gave up caffeine last September ish and switched over to decaff (even caffeine free pepsi). Had headaches for about a week, and felt out of it for around a month.
Between then and now I never really felt like me. anyway, about two weeks ago I went back to proper coffee!! Felt a bit weird at first, now I feel like me again, working at 100mph with my brain switched on!

 

[LiE]

Between then and now I never really felt like me. anyway, about two weeks ago I went back to proper coffee!!

I know what you mean, you miss the buzz and the mood boost. I guess you do this long enough and you convince yourself that on caffeine is the norm. It's part of the reason why I keep coming back to caffeine. It's short lived however and soon it becomes a case of needing caffeine to keep feeling level.

 

[malachi]

I'm not really a coffee drinker. If I do its one every few days but I drink tea everyday.

Whats peoples main reason for drinking coffee and why they need to cut back?

 

[bloodiedathame]

I’ve been reading this morning that the optimal time for caffiene is after 10am. That way it doesn’t interfere with your body’s natural ability to wake up with cortisol.

Surely that depends on what time you wake up.

 

[LiE]

I'm not really a coffee drinker. If I do its one every few days but I drink tea everyday.

Whats peoples main reason for drinking coffee and why they need to cut back?

Most people drink coffee because they enjoy it, but part of the enjoyment comes from the caffeine which gives you a buzz/alert boost/mood boost.

You build a tolerance to caffeine over time and you need more and more, but that tolerance reaches a point where it's insurmountable e.g. doesn't matter how much you take you won't feel the effects.

Too much caffeine has impacts on many aspects of your mental and physical health. It does have some health benefits too.

Surely that depends on what time you wake up.

Yes sorry I was assuming a normal morning routine of waking up around 7.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

It's that time of year again to come off the hard stuff. I've done in a few times in the past and really enjoyed how I felt caffeine free. I'm hoping I can stay strong this time and not slip back into old habits.

Anyone else cut out caffeine recently?

I only consume caffeine before a gym workout now. I cut out all other sources. I need a break from it for a few weeks as it is losing effectiveness. I usually do this when I go on holiday, but that is out of the equation for the time being.

 

[LiE]

I only consume caffeine before a gym workout now. I cut out all other sources. I need a break from it for a few weeks as it is losing effectiveness. I usually do this when I go on holiday, but that is out of the equation for the time being.

See I used to manage this approach, only ever had caffeine 4 x week before training. However that was when I was in my mid 20s and had more time for rest and sleep, now with a young family this approach doesn't work for me.

 

[LiE]

Starting another detox today, been feeling pretty awful and the caffeine usage has been hard to manage where a normal day would be a can of zero monster and pour over coffee.

Anyone else done a detox or quit recently?

 

[bloodiedathame]

I might join you. Is decaf allowed?

 

[LiE]

I might join you. Is decaf allowed?

Yea it can be useful, but do keep in mind it isn't totally caffeine free.

 

[bainbridge]

I'm much happier having simply cut down.

One coffee with breakfast and another after lunch, then no more caffeine in the day. This approach gets me going for the working day, gets me.through the day and doesn't affect sleep.

I might go crazy and have a cup of tea in the afternoon.

The last 2 attempts at going caffeine free ended in:

Constipation
Headaches
Having a coffee
Laying a cable
Headache vanishing

I'm a functioning addict and it works for me

 

[deusexlumina]

I gave it up. For me the benefit is that i can better tell when i'm thirsty and hungry. In general i'm more hydrated than I was before, and I now eat bigger meals.

I was very caffeine sensitive, however. Should have kicked it long ago really. Energy is fine without it.

 

[smogsy]

not tottally coffee but for quite a while back was drinking up to 2L of coke a day.
i stopped about 8 months ago
after the second day i felt rough with headaches etc
third day was better 4/5th i felt ok.
after 2 weeks of no caffenie,

i felt almost woke up again, i could see more clearly, was sleeping better could work better, felt like i had the energy to anything
done this for around 12 weeks.

then i decided to have 1 can & 1 lead to another and another.
got back to around 3 cans a day.

last week i stopped drinking coke again, this time reducing to 1 can a day.
i will stop, but this time i found i need somthing to put there in its place as my go to easy drink.
R whites Lemonade, not great but lot less caffiene & lot less sugar. so its a start & not been addicted to it

 

[LiE]

I'm going to try a different approach instead of quitting, I need to be realistic. There are some benefits to coffee and I do benefit from it, when taken in moderation.

I will be going down to 1 cup a day and I'm strictly having this only 2 hours after waking. This is to prevent caffeine messing with my natural cortisol / waking up process. I have found from past experience delaying the first cup of coffee is hugely beneficial. When I have had a coffee first thing on an empty stomach, horrible.

 

[Devilman]

I seem to recall from some studies that were done (Don't recall where, was on a documentary someplace, maybe BBC) and showed that caffeine doesn't really have any benefits to it (in terms of alertness / cognitive function). When compared to "non-caffeine consumers" they found that caffeine drinkers did indeed get a boost to their reaction times etc.. but only back up to the level they were at before the lack of caffeine caused them to "droop" - and this level was on average, equal to that of non-caffeine consumers.

 

[Whitewater]

I seem to recall from some studies that were done (Don't recall where, was on a documentary someplace, maybe BBC) and showed that caffeine doesn't really have any benefits to it (in terms of alertness / cognitive function). When compared to "non-caffeine consumers" they found that caffeine drinkers did indeed get a boost to their reaction times etc.. but only back up to the level they were at before the lack of caffeine caused them to "droop" - and this level was on average, equal to that of non-caffeine consumers.

I believe it was this one https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ar...N7/what-does-caffeine-really-do-to-our-brains:

"Then came the second batch of tests, after the volunteers had been given a drink either containing caffeine, or a placebo.

The placebo drink, with no caffeine, did not affect the volunteers’ results at all – although those that were caffeine addicts carried on getting worse at the tasks as they slumped deeper into withdrawal.

For those that got a caffeine fix, the results were different:

The volunteers who normally drink caffeine came out of withdrawal, but all it really did was bring their mental performance closer to normal levels, where the non-users had started.

For those who didn’t normally drink caffeine, the caffeine dose did make them feel slightly more alert but it also made several of them feel anxious and it made their hands shake."

There was another study (on the BBC I think) that showed high levels of antioxidants in proper coffee.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

Not gone totally caffeine free but I try to only drink decaff coffee or tea after 12 everyday including weekend.

Found some nice decaff coffee and Yorkshire decaff tea is good too.

The majority of people at work pull their face at decaff and ask what's the point, I like the taste of coffee!

 

[Steedie]

Starting another detox today, been feeling pretty awful and the caffeine usage has been hard to manage where a normal day would be a can of zero monster and pour over coffee.

Anyone else done a detox or quit recently?

LOL!!

Bro, I can't keep up. Just bought all your fancy coffee stuff and now you're giving it up

 

[LiE]

LOL!!

Bro, I can't keep up. Just bought all your fancy coffee stuff and now you're giving it up

Bro pls, do you even read all posts.

I'm going to try a different approach instead of quitting, I need to be realistic. There are some benefits to coffee and I do benefit from it, when taken in moderation.

I will be going down to 1 cup a day and I'm strictly having this only 2 hours after waking. This is to prevent caffeine messing with my natural cortisol / waking up process. I have found from past experience delaying the first cup of coffee is hugely beneficial. When I have had a coffee first thing on an empty stomach, horrible.