Subtitled: I need an adrenal beater.
Thank you for all your caffeine-related advice, everyone! Yesterday I limited myself to a single cup of coffee when I got up and by 2 p.m. I was a puddle of tissue on the floor.
(Credit goes to Dr. Mary for that analogy.)
(Gosh, I love Dr. Mary.)
I tried to distract myself by taking the kids to library and the park. I ignored the sign at the library advertising the daily special in the coffee shop: Long Island Iced Coffee.
I’ve never had a Long Island Iced Coffee but I have had lots of long island iced teas.
But that’s another story for another day.
And how cool is it that our library has a coffee shop? At least, it used to be cool. Sigh.
I drove home from the park and ignored the Caribou Coffee on my left and the Starbucks Coffee on my right. (Actually, they were both on my right but it’s not as lyrical to write it that way.)
I drove home from the park and went to bed. From 2:00 to 3:00 I slept like the dead, and then had a nice strong cup of…
I had a nice strong cup of….
Fine! I had a nice strong cup of COFFEE when I got up. There! I said it. I did it I’ve said it The deed is done. At least I was awake enough to pick up my son at his school at 3:30.
But only just.
PS. Note that I did cut back from my usual four cups, and mentally I’m getting myself to a place where I can—hypothetically—go without coffee for several hours. Plus I drank a ton more water—thank you, all, for the reminder to do that—and spent the majority of my day visiting local restrooms.
I’ll not thank you for that, however.
Cutting back is easier than the alternative of NOT having any coffee. You can do it. ")
I was thinking of cutting back, but then a dear friend showed me this, http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110511/coffee-drinking-breast-cancer-110511/20110511/?hub=OttawaHome. If there is a chance that coffee decreases breast cancer (doesn't dark chocolate, too? :), then I can well justify my 2-3 cups a day habit! 🙂
I think you probably have gotten this advice, but perhaps you could start having half regular, half decaf. Then, slowly switch to all decaf. It has worked for me. What I realized is that I'm much more even-keel when I don't have too much caffeine. But I really like the taste and warmth and whole experience of drinking coffee. The decaf still gives that to me, with just the little caffeine that's still in it.
Hang in there! Dr. Mary will help you figure this out. I love her, too =)
I recently gave up Diet Coke….lent and beyond. I was up to at least 3 cans a day…maybe more and every time I went to the store, those checkouts have Diet Coke, cold and ready for you to buy!
(I do -now that Lent is over–get it at the registers sometimes)
But what I found helps, is to hold off as long in the morning as I can, like first thing I do is fill that water bottle with water and ice and drink it…it helps when I was getting up and exercising (still working on getting into that habit again) then, I don't really miss it til after lunch….maybe that would help?
Mid day pick you up?
I'm with Sarah, going half regular and half decaf. I still drink it that way, and I can still have several cups a day without the guilty feelings! Hang in there!
Actually…(and you can just tell me to shut up if you want)…your bladder should not react as much to water as to coffee. Because of the acid in coffee your bladder wants emptied often. It can hold WAY more water. Just sayin'. 😉
I agree with Barb. It might take your bladder a while to get back into the habit of holding more, but it should function better with more water. BTW… how do you feel about us discussing your internal organs in the combox? You know we love you to pieces! 🙂
I feel like my friends know how to make me laugh is how I feel, Charlotte!
Also, we've got some of that same nasty weather moving in so I'm praying for both of us.
No advice for you, just sympathy, since my doctor told me yesterday to stop drinking tea, and the decaf stuff really doesn't taste as nice.
Did the doctor actually tell you to stop drinking coffee? Can you be French about this and drink only in the morning and see what happens? What if you just need some fresh air to perk you up or a walk in the afternoon rather than coffee? I'm such a horrible sleeper that I don't drink it past 9 am. But I would never go cold turkey. Coffee without caffeine is like, let's see, wine without grapes? Beer without cigs? just kidding. Good luck:)
Just think of the money you will save by not frequenting Starbucks and Caribou! Put that money in jar then reward yourself with something sweet smelling and feminine (think perfume, bath gel, hand lotions).
Cheers – Joolz
I'm in Jamie Jo's shoes, so I feel a tiny bit of your pain. You can do it!!! 🙂
(Incidentally, my coffee-addicted husband had to give up caffeine nearly cold turkey a year and a half ago. He now drinks decaf. Just FYI, it NEVER goes on sale!)
Oh, Mags! This is hard for hardcore addicts like us. (Ask my kids about the Lent when I gave up coffee: "Mom, you took more naps that year …. ")
I just discovered Teecino (www.teeccino.com) and am drinking it to start cutting back a bit on my four (actually, four sounds low for me) cups of coffee a day. I don't plan to give up caffeine entirely (I think there's a local ordinance forbidding that) but I'm starting to mix some Teecino in to my regular stuff. Think of it as methadone. We're too addicted to go cold turkey. It's not pretty.
I am in the same position about my identity. Just imagine … if I gave up coffee entirely, I'd have to change my blog header. And my Twitter page. And
I might have to quit homeschooling because sleeping teachers aren't very effective.
Hang in there.
Now, about that alcohol — I like Michelle's directive. 🙂
By now you must be knee deep in all this. I use to drink coffee through out the day until my own body turned on me. I still enjoy my cup in the am (and perhaps a second in the evening time) but that's it.
I think cutting back and doing the half decaf/caf drink is a good idea. What ever you find that works for you, and the rest of your household, is good.
Oh Margaret wish you luck in this.
Oh my, I just have to ask…. Did she put you on the bean diet too? No? Ask her about it next time you're in!
Try no coffee, no sugar-not even fruit, while introducing your system to the "bean diet."
Nobody but Dr Mary could ever get me to agree to it, but that lady knows what she is doing! Stick with it-it takes about 2 months to kick it. And lots and lots of herbal tea. Hang in there!
You make me laugh 😉
Lisa K
Yes, Lisa, she DID recommend the bean diet.
It's a good thing I like beans. It's just, like, why can't coffee beans be included in the list? 🙂
Wondering who Dr. Mary is.
Kelly
Where have all…the comments…gone? (sung to the tune of this song)
Blogger was down and all the posts and comments from 5/12 have disappeared. Strange.
Hi!
I'm currently trying to give up "some" of the coffee I drink, too. Because my nursing baby is impossible to get to sleep if I drink more than 1 cup after 2 pm!{So much for all of those people who told me that caffeine doesn't get into the breastmilk–Ha}
*Please* don't try to quit cold turkey…If you are anything like me, you will have the worst "migraine" imaginable along with nausea and seeing noises and voices (like on the cartoons) as bright lights! Weird! I'm having my coffee mixed with milk and a bit of Godiva cocoa and cinnamon–it's yummy and seems to be working well so far.
I'll pray for you if you'll pray
for me, please.
God bless you in your quest for health and energy!
Oh margaret, giving up caffeine is truly hard! I'm not a coffee drinker so my caffeine comes from diet pop. My son challenged over this most recent Lent (actually he does each year yet this is the first time I've accepted his challenge) to give up pop for Lent since "it was my idol."
I didn't think I could do it but I did! Now I'm back to drinking it but not so much… usually 🙂
I feel your pain!!
Hi, I accidentally posted without writing my name, so it came up "anonymous"
My verification word is "womph"–that's the sound I make without a bit of coffee!
God bless you,
Donna L.
PS so, how is it going?