Young Katy would not believe that Adult Katy could say this…
…I. LOVE. COFFEE.
But it’s a rocky relationship. And because of that, every so often, I detox from the java and let me tell you: it’s brutal.
Right now, thanks to my No Nonsense November Plan, I’m only drinking coffee on the weekends. Why?
- I like my coffee with creamer — my favorites are flavored – and after a while, my definition of half and half is 1/2 coffee, 1/2 cream: no bueno.
- I’ve stopped enjoying the coffee when it’s an everyday occurrence — I find myself chugging it just to get the caffeine hit before running out the door to work.
- My intake has gone up from 1 or 1 1/2 cups a day to 2 or even three.
- I think there’s truth to the idea that too much coffee can cause adrenal fatigue — when I am drinking it by the trough, I feel burned out and I crash when I can’t keep my supply coming.
I’ve done this four or five times in the last year, and the results are always worth the pain. Once I feel more in control of my caffeine addiction, I’ll probably build coffee back in to a near-daily schedule (along with juicing, which gives me a ton of energy).
So, as an experience coffee detoxer, I thought I’d share the normal course of events for me.
Day 1:
I usually quit cold turkey, so Day 1 is more about cravings than any physical pain or symptoms. I want the coffee both for its taste and for the routine. I tend to feel a little off all day after giving up the coffee, and by the end of the day, I’m a bit more fatigued than normal and tend to go to bed a little early.
Day 2:
For me, the following 48 hours are the worst. Day 2 is fatigue city. I still crave the coffee, I start to develop a low-grade headache and I feel cranky and short-tempered (although I will say: with each detox, these symptoms seem to be less severe — the first time was the worst!). By 5 or 6pm, I’m so fatigued that I can barely keep my eyes open. I often lose my appetite and crash on the nearest couch by 8pm. I sleep soundly through the night.
Day 3:
Headache, headache, headache. The cravings have started to diminish at this point, and the fatigue is not as debilitating. But I develop a headache that feels like migraine strength, and even my jaw and teeth hurt. My head feels like it is actually pushing out any remaining caffeine through my eye sockets.
The pain is bad, but I have never had to take off work or change plans. I know that by the next day, I’ll be feeling great, so Day 3 is usually just about surviving. Still fatigued at night but able to stay up until my normal bedtime.
Day 4:
I love Day 4, because it’s like the final day of a cold or flu: I feel almost back to normal, my headache is gone and the fatigue has disappeared. The cravings are pretty much gone, too! I still have a bit of a lingering offness (that’s the best way to describe it) but the hope has set in and the terrible detox seems to be ending.
Day 5:
Home free! No cravings, headaches or fatigue. I wake up feeling more energetic and happier. I still like the idea of coffee (the smell, the act of making it) but I no longer feel like I need it to stay awake or kickstart my day.
Now, I’ll only be going five days at a time without coffee, although I have given it up for weeks or even months before. I find that once I’m out of the detox, I’m fine. No more headaches or fatigue, and no real cravings.
About Katy
I was really badly addicted to coffee and it terrified me! So I had a brutal detox… There is nothing worse than those withdrawl headaches! and now I take breaks on the weekend, because I like coffee as part of the office routine. But I also don’t drink it every day either, more like every other day, with lots and lots of tea mixed in there instead! It makes me feel so much better, yet not totally cutting it off because it is something I love!
Mila @ loftyappetite recently posted..Pinterest projects
This sounds just like me! I agree I like it but then I can also see when my intake is too much and then it makes me more cranky/dependent.
I recently kind of detoxed it and replaced coffee with green tea. Then I brought back coffee but only 1x per week from Sbux. My treat. We’ll see how long that lasts. And I agree it gets easier and easier to keep adding cream/sugar and before you know it the drink is a calorie fest!
Holly recently posted..Winnner: GU
I hated coffee until about 1.5 yrs ago. No idea what happened but one day I made it at home and started drinking it. Now, I can’t imagine life without my 2 cups every morning. I have gone days without and I don’t seem to have any side effects but I’ve always been pretty resistant to the effects of caffeine. I can drink a TON before bed and have no problem sleeping so I think I have some sort of immunity to it or something!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen recently posted..Cheesy mushroom stuffed peppers
I’ve not gone on coffee detox for detox purposes but I have given up coffee for lent several times. Man that first week is HARD. But after that I’ve always been just fine. And then that first cup of coffee after the “fast” is soooogooood…..
I generally only drink a cup a day on weekdays and 2 on weekends. But man do I love the cups I drink.
Kristen (inspiredbydooce) recently posted..i feel it in my fingers, i feel it in my toes*
I do drink coffee. I put about 2 tbsp of soy creamer (french vanilla) and one packet of stevia in it. It’s an additional 40 calories, but it’s pretty sweet.
I did, however, give up diet coke about six months ago and it was HARD. I still crave it.
Lee recently posted..What Happens After
Coffee is like the abusive girl I’m not supposed to be with but whenever we’re together it’s so much fun!
Calvin recently posted..Missing hero and a call for guest posts
Y’know, I was to the point where when someone posted they were giving up coffee, I would always think “Hmm, that sounds like a good idea. I should do that!”
But honestly … I like coffee and don’t want to give it up. There are other things I can give up before giving up coffee would make a difference in my overall health! Plus, now that it’s getting colder outside, I do so love a hot cup o’ coffee in the mornings.
Carly (Swim, Run, Om) recently posted..it’s okay to be sad
I also love coffee, but I also did kind of a detox last spring. My experience was a lot like yours, I was awfully tired, had a light headache for a few days, and after a week I felt great. After that, I switched to decaf, just to enjoy the taste, but it’s just not the same. So during the past few months, coffee has creeped back into my life. Now I drink about 1 cup per day, with a small splash of milk. I don’t think I’ll give up coffee again, I just enjoy the taste and the experience too much. But I do try to limit my intake to 1 cup max.
Sue recently posted..Off Days & November Goals
Give up coffee?! Heck no! I would never. I had my first sip at 12 and I’ve been hooked ever since. I only drink it in the morning though, after noon it’s not allowed.
I also like to think that I’m helping out society because I drink coffee. I’m much more pleasant after my morning cup!
Brandi @ The Vitamin Bee recently posted..Hard Times
Ohhh no – the caffeine withdrawal headaches are the worst! I’m glad they went away.
Tiff @ Love Sweat and Beers recently posted..How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
I gave up coffee in college, along with Tab, which you may be too young to remember:) I figured out the caffeine was making it hard to fall asleep at night. The good this is that since I no longer have caffeine as part of my regular diet (except for a bit of chocolate now and then), when I need a pick me up it works!
Karen@WaistingTime recently posted..All I Want to Do Is Have Some Thumbs
I was a total coffee addict. I was drinking at least 3 cups per day. I have tried detoxing from it in the past and the headaches and general feeling of crankiness is awful. I did manage to go a year without coffee but replaced my coffee habit with a tea habit. Now, I just try and moderate my intake but having 1-2 cups in the morning and not touching the stuff for the rest of the day.
Jenn recently posted..Roots
Daaaamn, I think I’ll just stay addicted forever! That sounds like outright torture (first world problems!).
April recently posted..How To Eat Well Even During Super Busy Weeks
I don’t like anything about coffee. Well, I like the smell. But I can’t even eat Tiramisu because it tastes too much like coffee to me. But speaking of detoxing…I am on Day 10 of no Diet Coke. Yeah baby! I had a slight headache the 2nd and 3rd day but just took some aspirin and was ok. I’ve been wanting to quit DC forEVER now. I don’t know if this will be permanent but it’s a start.
I don’t do coffee in any respect… bleck. But I am a Dr. Pepper addict. I’ve detoxed from it before and the symptoms are just like your coffee detox symptoms. It’s rough. Currently I have about one a day but I’m getting ready to stop that! Get ready for a cranky Tara for a few days!!
Tara @ texasrunnergirl.com recently posted..10 days out
I agve up the joe a couple weeks back and replaced it with hot chocolate. I was drinking 2-3 cups of hot chocolate a day though, so I cut back. I definitely had awful headaches for 2-3 days. They were so bad I would just go to bed at 8pm to get myself out of the misery!
I wouldn’t say that I am addicted to coffee, but I do like me some caffeine. I drink about six to eight ounces of coffee weekdays, and the occasional cup on the weekend, but I can skip it and be okay.
Deva @ Deva by Definition recently posted..Goal-setting: November
Would you believe I’ve never tasted coffee!
I’m soon to be 44 and never had it!
I don’t like any type of hot drink.
Congrats on making it to the day where the withdrawals subside..most people when giving up caffeine or fasting quit before they feel better..way to go!
Tara Burner recently posted..Follow up Friday – giveaways to enter
Sigh. I am a coffee addict who finally kicked the habit this summer because my stomach HATES it. I still have it once in a while, though, when I really need to focus. There is nothing else out there (that is legal or doesn’t require a prescription) that helps me focus quite like coffee.
Theodora recently posted..The NYRR Five-Borough Bash and How to Stalk Me at the NYC Marathon!
I went off coffee in April and basically went through ALL the symptoms you mentioned! I wanted to get out of my 4-6 cup a day habit!! It worked but lately I’ve noticed myself creeping up again, before it was 1 cup a day, now it’s 2-3, so I’ll probably go off it for a month or so in the New Year again. I just LOVE coffee around this time of year. It’s such a comfortable and cozy drink for me
I recently gave up coffee – caffeine really – after being a high consumer of the stuff for a very long time. Surprisingly, I didn’t have cravings as I thought I would. What got me were the headaches that would hit me mid afternoon. They’ve gone away and I’m sleeping better. I’m glad you included that adrenal exhaustion link – thanks!
My coffee habit is pretty under control. I only drink one cup of coffee per day and it’s a regular cup – not the giant ones that Starbucks sells. I used to love Coke and Diet Coke, but I gave it up for Lent one year and never looked back.
My chocolate habit, on the other hand, is a disaster. Could you please come to my house and pry the chocolate out of my hands?
Victoria recently posted..Secret Girl Habits
I usually only have coffee in the morning, but I’ve gotten into an afternoon Starbucks habit and that starts a vicious cycle of staying up too late and then needing that caffeine hit to make it through the next day. I hope your weekend coffee won’t lead to Monday morning withdrawal!
Coco recently posted..My Midwest Adventures
I only drink one small cup of coffee a day but I know how those caffeine headaches can be. Kudos on your detox! I love the taste and smell of coffee, but I know I need to limit myself or it’d be a downward spiral.
Jessica @ Sushi and Sit-Ups recently posted..Linda’s La Cantina
I never drank coffee until my baby was born and now I am addicted!
Kat @ Living Like the Kings recently posted..FF – Pins
Definitely a coffee addict here. Some days when I’m off from work and start my day with a run, it will be 1pm before I realize I haven’t had any coffee yet (weird!) But I know what you mean about stopping enjoying it. There have been times when I head to Dunkin Donuts on my lunch break then on my way there or in the parking lot I realize that I don’t really want it, but it was just sort of a habit. Usually when visiting my parents we drink more coffee because they keep making it and refilling our cups! For a while now, I have just been having a cup in the morning and maybe on weekends I’ll have a second later in the day if I’m just sitting around at home.
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Katy
I’m currently trying to give up diet coke. (Well, actually VANILLA diet coke.) I gave it up a few months ago, only allowing myself one as a special treat from time to time… but alas, crap happened in my personal life and I (yet again) turned to the demon (delicious) drink.
This past week I went for 5 days without it (suffering many of the symptoms you mention) before having some today (Sunday, here in Oz). I’m hoping that I become just a ‘weekend’ VDC drinker, rather than regularly imbibe. I don’t drink tea / coffee, so it serves as my caffeine fix and general ‘pick me up’.
Good luck! *Deep breaths*
Deb
Why don’t you try drinking it with skim milk…or split your cup with 1/2 decaf and 1/2 regular?
I do coffee fasts all the time! Mostly because I hate feeling addicted to it. I also try to only drink it on the weekends, which is nice because it actually gives me time to savor it versus slurping it down before leaving for work on weekdays. It’s funny – I just wrote a big article on coffee and whether or not it’s healthy for MedHelp.org. So I had to dig through all the research. There are definitely pros and cons and coffee has plenty of antioxidants, but for some, I really think the adrenal thing is real (though not proven yet…).
I REALLY WANT to try a caffiene detox…but the coffee keeps talking to me about how yummy it is and how it’s crack and stuff….and I keep sipping.
Lindsay @ Lindsay’s List recently posted..follow the yellow brick road
I used to be one of those people who had to “doctor up” her coffee to drink it. Especially the swill in the office – I can’t tell you how many containers of French Vanilla coffee creamer I went through! :-O
But, over the years, I’ve forced myself to drink it black. Doing so not only saves me from the calories (and the chemicals!) of sweetening things up, but I end up drinking less coffee.
However, at those times when I think I’m overdoing it, I switch to green tea for a week. Does wonders!
Carolyn @HealthKitten.com recently posted..A Weekend of New Things
I used to love coffee but for some reason now I find it really abrasive when I drink it, like you said I think I stopped enjoying it because I was having it every day. I swapped to tea which I think it easier to drink and as far as coffee I enjoy it on occasion only but when I do I make sure I do it right.
For example when I stay in on the weekend I make a huge pot of coffee and drink it all night, then I wont touch it again for 3 or 4 weeks.
Lassa recently posted..Stop your heartburn
Giving up coffee scares me! I use stevia or splenda and only a splash of milk, so calories aren’t the concern for me. I usually only have it in the morning too, so I’m not too worried about my overall caffeine intake. I do get headaches if it’s more than an hour after I wake up, but I just LOVE the flavor and look forward to it every morning!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat recently posted..Holiday Shopping Tips and Creamy Pasta Sauce
I was a major coffee addict for years, and I’ve been drinking it since I was young (like 10 years old – thanks mom!) I gave it up cold turkey when I did the clean program detox last march and now stick to about 4-5 cups per month and tea most other days. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a daily cup but i definitely think i enjoy it so much more now that it’s not just a habit.