Any a.m. coffee drinkers ever quit ... not easy.

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Stopped drinking coffee in the morning. 1st switched to decaf about a week ago, then past two days none at all. Crikey! Must have been addicted, feeling like sad zombie until about lunch time. Giving it two weeks and if no improvement, then back on the java party train again.

Quit because I tend toward some mild anxiety and was given advice to cut caffeine.
 
Too fast. I know people who went down from 3 to 2 for a week and the 2 to 1 cup etc. Same with Coke. Gradual decrease is better for caffeine.
 
Never and probably won't. I enjoy the taste of a small amount of strong coffee or an espresso.
 
Man, if I DON'T get my coffee I'm anxious.

I used to drink a lot of diet soda (but no coffee) but it was disturbing my sleep, so I gave it up. That was misery. The headaches were intense. I had to replace the caffeine if I wanted to resume being a civilized human.

My solution was to only have coffee (or anything with caffeine) at breakfast or early in the morning. By 9, I switch to water. It was the best compromise for me between ditching as much caffeine as I could without being grumpy.
 
Never liked the taste of coffee and I have attempted to try various flavors too. A friend of mine who IS addicted to the stuff, tried once to quit and actually went thru major withdrawals (Shakes and sweats) and finally his wife told him to go back to the stuff.
 
Once upon a time, I worked Saturday nights at a radio station in addition to my daytime job. For a month I kept having horrible thumping headaches on Monday morning. It wasn't the job or my coworkers, and I couldn't trace it down to any food I'd eaten on Sunday. Finally it occurred to me that I slept late on Sundays, drank no coffee in the morning and none at night. So when I woke on on Monday, I had caffeine withdrawal! Once I started drinking several cups on Sunday, the Monday headaches went away.

I've never forgotten that. So during hurricane season, I keep a milk bottle of cold coffee in the refrigerator. If the power goes out, I can at least have some caffeine until the power comes back and I can brew more.

Lesson: Going cold turkey may not be a pleasant option. Maybe tapering off is better.
 
Like most who have posted, I was addicted to coffee for most of my life. I was irritable and cranky when I didn't get it on my schedule. My wife and I finally decided to quit the coffee habit and substituted hot tea instead which still provided a bit of caffeine each morning. Now it's one hot black tea and one hot green tea everyday. I still get the urge when I walk by a coffee shop and smell that fresh brew but so far I've resisted the urge.
 
I needed to give up one.... either coffee or Mountain Dew.

I haven't had a Mountain Dew in years.

Still drink about 1.5 to 2 quarts of black coffee a day.
 
I drank up to 4 cups a day, but found that I was too addicted to it. If I didn't have a cup by 10am, I would get headaches by the afternoon (even if I had 4 cups between 10am and noon).

I weened myself off coffee a few times, but honestly didn't feel any better or worse (but I did get rid of the withdrawal headaches), so I figured, I might as well just drink it. I limit myself to around 2 cups in the morning now.
 
How much were you drinking?
Maybe try instant coffee for a while, it has much less caffeine than fresh coffee. Also I switched to smaller mugs/cups too, so I can have 2-3 coffees a day without any side-effects.
You've also got to supplement the water you were getting with your coffee, dehydration can give you a headache too.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Never and probably won't. I enjoy the taste of a small amount of strong coffee or an espresso.

+1

I have actually gone from 1 to 2 cups a day recently, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
No way i will ever give it up, i have been drinking 10 cups a day forever.
I did lower it for a while but decided i was better of with it.

http://authoritynutrition.com/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee/


OT: I like that site Travel but lately I've found lots of conflicting information (cooking oils and Omega 6 specifically).


OP: Ya I tried to quit but I like the taste and I need a reason to get out of my chair.

Try switching to water after noon and stick with the decaf.
 
There could be some health benefits, but as with any of that data you have to have an open mind,and take it with a grain of salt. My mother in law drank several cups of coffee a day for as long as I can remember. If it fights Alzheimer's or Parkinson's it didn't for her. She had both very bad, and died as a result.

I drink it black when I feel a headache coming on, and 9 out of 10 times it stops the headache dead in its tracks.
 
If you want to cut down get a keurig and do a 3-4 k-cups a day then taper down to 1 a day over a couple months.

I used to drink 2-3 pots at work with 1 coworker.

now I'm down to 1 travel mug(14oz) or 2 regular 10oz cups on my days off.

occasionally I REALLY want an after dinner cup and I'll do 3-4oz

I only drink good coffee though. I roast my own and have my own reuseable k-cups and a technivorm moccamaster coffee pot.

The keurig is adjusted to 193F water and does a decent job on the smallest setting (6oz)x 2 k-cups

Its good when in a rush in the morning.
 
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Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Too fast. I know people who went down from 3 to 2 for a week and the 2 to 1 cup etc. Same with Coke. Gradual decrease is better for caffeine.


+1

Start with half decaf then go down until it is 100% decaf, and then you won't need it at all.

I worked at Dunkin in high school, and got to the point where coffee no longer impacted my energy level. I could drink a large coffee while closing the store, then go home and go to sleep.

I drink very little coffee now, since I've found I get more migraines when I drink more coffee.
 
I feel a bit better reading that others have felt an actual feeling of lowered mood or even opposite of edgy mood when trying to quit. It definitely affects my mood not cranky but more like draggy, depressed, with a negative outlook until late morning. Definitely a form of withdrawals I guess.
 
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