Why I quit coffee
The problems
The first problem is that caffeine is clearly very addictive. I’ve recently been drinking up to 8 cups a day. I don’t like to be addicted like that.
The second problem? Caffeine messes with your brain. After a while you need it to stay focused and energetic. As soon as levels of caffeine drop you’ll feel worse. And the mornings? They are way slower than they could be.
The third thing is that caffeine releases stress hormones, that raise insulin and glucose levels, especially after meals. It could potentially be bad for weight loss.
Quitting
So nine days ago I had my last cup of coffee. From eight to zero cups a day, just like that. What happened?
Wish I could say it has been easy, but it’s been a miserable experience. For a number of days I had to take painkillers to be able to sleep and work. Not just for headache but for a weird and intense muscle ache in my legs (apparently this can happen).
Also the motivation. just. disappeared. It was replaced by brain fog and irritability.
I’ve replaced the coffee with naturally caffeine-free tea. Not too bad.
Feeling better
I’m feeling much better again this week, but apparently it can take 2-3 weeks to be fully back to normal. I’m looking forward to being able to get started right away in the morning and not have to wait for the coffee to kick in. I hope to feel sharp during the entire day.
And the weight? I’m happy with my weight already, but it will be interesting to see if anything changes. So far my experience is I’m low on “reward” and feel the urge to eat more, to try to feel better. I expect that will pass. But so far the weight is not going down, it’s stable at best.
I’ll write another blog post when I know the end result. But so far I’m happy with quitting.
Have you tried quitting? What happened? Feel free to leave a comment below.
More
Here’s another low-carb doctor who just recently quit coffee:
Dr. Adam Nally: Caffeine . . . Weight Loss Wonder Boy or Sneaky Scoundrel?
And here’s a video interview from this summer with the doctor who initially got me interested in quitting coffee. I actually tried to quit right away back then, but failed:
By the way I was listening to Tim Ferriss podcast interview with Jamie Foxx (very interesting man) this morning. Turns out they’ve both quit coffee, due to the negative effects of caffeine. Seems like a trend…
Another common addiction
