help, I can't stop drinking coffee!

seriously- this is my last vice left. strong coffee with sugar. I have NO control over the substance. And i know it is bad for me. Funny thing is that I have no problem with anything else. Food, alcohol- no problems. But coffee. There is something that causes me to find any justification to drink it.

Tue. Oct 12, 12:32pm

Well - until you find that thing about it that is the final straw - why would you? If you don't precieve a benefit in quitting or a negative in continuing to drink it, then why exactly would you stop doing something you enjoy?

I quit drinking caffenated drinks earlier this year after a breast exam in which my breasts were 'hard' and tender on the sides. My doctor asked how much caffine I drank and told me should could tell I consumed quite a bit because that's where the body stores the excess amounts that it can't get rid of quickly enough. My co-worker just got diagnosed with breast cancer and I realized if I had a lump there, I'm sure I would not have been able to feel it. Plus I was tired of going to the bathroom every 1/2 hour and barely making it.

Those were my reasons, but until you find your own it will be difficult to change. Good luck!!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 2:08 PM

Coffee Addiction

Two thoughts...

First, have you figured out how many mg a day you're consuming? I think it's a problem over 200 mg/day. If you're over that, maybe taper off to a lower target number gradually. You could start cutting down on the sugar right aways, but it's probably better to start cutting back the actual coffee next time you're on vacation so you're not so derailed by the withdrawal effects.

Second, I have a good friend who was addicted to Pepsi, despite being a vegan and model of health otherwise. She tried hypno-therapy. It took one session, and she had the therapist replace her love of Pepsi for green tea. So now she drinks that all the time. The success of this can vary from person to person, but apparently this kind of issue is ideal for it.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 2:53 PM

I agree with the PP that you should try to cut down on the sugar in your coffee. As for the coffee itself, if you want to stop drinking it you should really do it gradually. If you try to cut it out all at once you could get headaches from the sudden caffeine withdrawl.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 4:49 PM

I understand!

I too have a severe adiction to coffee that I'm trying to break. My best friend is always on my about how much sugar I put in it and how bad it is for me. Today is my first day without coffee to aid me in my weightloss goal. if you'd like, we can do it together. :]

Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 5:40 PM

There is hope! You can quit coffee. I used to drink about 2 pots a day and I quit about 20 years ago. I cut back slowly then I finally quit when I had a terrible case of the flu. I felt so terrible anyway, I decided why not just quit coffee for good.

I also had some breast problems and the doctor suggested cutting back.

I have to admit this: I love the smell of good coffee. When I shop Whole Foods I sometimes open the coffee bins and get a good whiff. I don't crave it much anymore though.

I also drink good tea. Every once in a while I have to cut back but the draw is not nearly as strong. It also has much less caffeine.

I used to drink Diet Coke a lot too and now I don't drink any soda. Just the occasional seltzer water (mostly in the summer when people are drinking soda.)

So keep the faith!

I agree, a good place to start is to cut back on sugar until you can drink black coffee. It will give you less of a jolt and cut back the roller coaster effect of sugar cravings. Also, it might make coffee less appealing. I sweetened my coffee too and that was a step I took. I didn't like sweetened coffee after I cut the sugar.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 7:51 PM

OP here. Morning 1. Working on a cup of green tea. Mighty leaf organic hojica green. Highly recommend!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010, 9:39 AM

when you stop eating broccoli, you don't get a headache. When you quit coffee, you get a headache. Something to think about!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010, 9:57 PM

OP here- working on day 2. Cup of green tea again.

Thursday, October 14, 2010, 10:34 AM

Good going OP!!!!! You WILL do this.

7:51

PS. I love Mighty Leaf tea too. Even bought 2 lbs in bulk at Amazon (2 1 lb bags of loose favorite flavors). It really helps to stick with special new brews when you are making the transition.

Thursday, October 14, 2010, 12:02 PM

OP here- day 3!! This silly thing I am doing with this thread is really helping me. I'm starting to finally understand how toxic coffee is for me.

12:02- thanks for the tip about Mighty Leaf on amazon. It is very expensive the brand I am drinking. Since i am an addict I can justify any expense. But I'd rather not spend 8 bucks on a box of tea!

Friday, October 15, 2010, 9:16 AM

OP here, day 4 completed. Couple cups of green tea. Had a Kombucha tea towards the end of the day. Feeling really good.

Got to make sure that I don't find a reason to start drinking coffee again.

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 10:41 PM

You are doing great! Every day will make it a little easier and you body will acclimate to less caffeine. Green tea will do what coffee used to do and you won't be on such a roller coaster because the effect is so much more subtle.

Yeah, I get the $8 tea comment. It probably feels necessary right now bt it is really nice to find a more sustainable choice for the long run. I bought a new mighty leaf flavor this week because whole foods had a good sale going. I have a big assortment of teas right now and a really pretty Japanese tea pot with a built in strainer. Tea has become special over the years. I buy carefully but I also buy to make it special.

The cravings drop away too (though I love the smell of coffee). I struggled some when I went through cycles of tiredness. That was the hurdle I had to find creative solutions for. I even went through a period of taking 15 minute power naps in my car when I had an exhausting job. It really helped though I have to admit I felt a little sheepish doing it. I was working in an upscale suburb of Boston and I drove 3 minutes away from work to a pretty parking lot and slept. The funny thing was there were always about 5 or 6 cars with other people taking lunch time naps too. I felt so much more refreshed for the afternoon that when I drank coffee.

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 11:35 PM

op here: day 5 completed. This really feels great. Still hitting the green tea, but i FEEL better than I have in a while. I feel "softer" if that makes sense.

Sunday, October 17, 2010, 10:10 PM

stopping coffee w sugar

Here's what worked for me. I tapered coffee with 1/2 caffeine and 1/2 decaf for awhile and used stevia instead. Then I switched to tea and eventually switched to decaf tea. I found I had to use excellent teas-boght them from Harney and Sons and Todd and Holland websites great teas and selections. That way I really enjoyed the tea and stopped coffee altogether. I was really surprised when I no longer craved coffee. Even the smell of Starbucks doesn't trigger me anymore. It worked for me -hope it works for you.

Monday, October 18, 2010, 8:45 PM

day 7 is here. I am now working on cutting down on green tea. It is tough and i am getting headaches when I don't drink any green tea with caffeine. I made it until 2:30 yesterday before I broke down and had a cup.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 8:12 AM

You are making tremendous headway. In 7 days with no coffee to only green tea is a huge undertaking. Yay you!

The headaches really plague me when I give up caffeine too. Just step it down slowly and they will be minimized as your body adjusts to running without the assistance.

I still do caffeine tea in the morning but I am ok with this. I have also gone through long periods of NO caffeine. I switch to some favorite herbal blends later in the day.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 10:05 AM

day 9 done. Almost through an entire day with no green tea at all. Just woke up from a short nap. Pretty amazing how dependent on caffeine I have become. No headache though, just tired.

Thursday, October 21, 2010, 7:38 PM

I finally quit coffee. Every time I crave a cup in the morning, the memory of the withdrawl headache comes pounding back. There is no way I want to go through that headache again. Maybe when it becomes a distant memory but for now it's the best deterrent.

Friday, October 22, 2010, 10:54 AM

Day 10 done.

Friday, October 22, 2010, 8:24 PM

Yay!! Go OT!

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 3:42 PM

Way to go OP. It's hard to do but if you do it, you'll find you have more energy. Coffee with cream and sugar is false energy.

Sunday, October 24, 2010, 12:10 PM

almost 2 weeks. Now instead of craving coffee (though I AM craving sugar) I can imagine how badly the coffee will make me feel. It will get my heart racing, and get me off balance.

Monday, October 25, 2010, 3:48 PM

good related article from Ask The Science Lady:

http://asksciencelady.blogspot.com/2010/10/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-you.html

Link

Friday, October 29, 2010, 12:24 PM

CVS

CVS Pharmacy is a subsidiary of the American retail and healthcare company. CVS is founded on May 8, 1963, in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. Stanley Goldstein, Sidney Goldstein Hebreux Jules, and Ralph Hoagland are the founders of the company.

Link

Sunday, March 4, 2018, 4:01 PM

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