I Quit Coffee - Cold Turkey...and this is what happened
There was nothing more joyful than enjoying my warm cup of cafecito every morning. The experience of taking that first drink was heavenly, and I would look forward to it every day. When I was lucky enough to have pan dulce at home, I loved dipping a piece of it in my coffee - so delicious. It became a lifestyle; my frequent Starbucks runs on my way home from the gym, the many coffee dates with family, friends and co-workers. My life revolved so heavily around this experience, and I planned to keep this tradition alive forever. Unfortunately for me, my relationship with cafecito ended just over a month ago.
For a while now, I knew coffee was starting to affect me negatively. If I didn’t drink enough water, I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d start to feel those nasty dehydration headaches. Recently though, I would frequently feel light-headed, fuzzy, nauseous, and with significant acid reflux. A few weeks ago, my Mamacita and I went to breakfast; we each enjoyed a few cups of Cafe De Olla. As soon as we left the restaurant, I started to feel a bit light-headed, and my symptoms did not get better throughout the day. If anything, they just got worse. That day, I googled the harmful effects of caffeine to figure out why it started to affect me so much. I also spoke to my cousin, a Nutritionist, and she told me it was time to give up my caffeine addiction. I spent a good portion of my day researching the adverse effects and all the benefits. I was trying to find ways to convince myself that I didn’t need to quit even though I knew I had to. I read many articles that said to slowly ease off the coffee in order to not be hit hard with withdrawal symptoms. But I knew this was not an option for my personality. It was all or nothing. The very next day, I quit coffee, cold turkey…and this is what happened.
DAY 1 - I started my morning just like every other one - gym, got ready, whipped up my morning smoothie, skipped my cup of cafecito, and instead warmed up some water with lemon. At around noon, I started to get a mild headache that only got worse throughout the day. Following the headache was nausea, fatigue, and lack of motivation. I felt this way until I fell asleep.
DAY 2 - I woke up with a headache and didn’t have the energy to work out. I started my day feeling sluggish and with mild flu-like symptoms. Throughout the day, I felt worse, with extreme fatigue and nausea. I even puked a few times (I know, it’s gross, but it happened). I felt horrible all day. Day 2 was the worst day of my withdrawal symptoms.
DAY 3 - My headache was gone. YAY! I believed this was a win, and all of my withdrawal symptoms were gone. I even felt good enough to go on a walk. At night, it was a different story. Once I put my kids to bed, and I sat to relax, I started to feel my muscles ache as if I had run a full marathon. When I walked, my whole body was achy.
DAY 4 to DAY 7 - I woke up with achy muscles and sore joints, especially my ankles and heels. I constantly stretched out throughout the days to ease the soreness in my muscles.
After a whole week, I was back to normal, except for my lack of motivation, which lasted the longest.
I couldn’t believe that quitting my morning ritual would cause such havoc. I didn’t understand how one cup of coffee would do this to my body. I believed, I was only drinking one cup until I looked up it’s actual content. One cup is the equivalent of 100 mg of caffeine, well, my go-to Starbucks Grande Blonde (I’d order it only with almond milk) has 360 mg of caffeine. That is almost four cups of coffee! Now I understand why I felt so crappy when I quit.
It’s been over a month now, and I feel great. I no longer have the jitters, headaches, nausea or insomnia. My skin is a lot smoother and so glowy, probably because it’s no longer dehydrated. I even feel less anxious which is a big win for me.
I don’t know if I will ever drink coffee again; in the meantime, if I’m craving something hot, I will drink a caffeine-free tea or a coffee alternative - I discovered the Chagaccino recently. It’s so delicious and could be ordered with or without the caffeine. I always choose the latter.
Have you ever thought about giving up coffee? Did you give it up in the past? If so, tell us about it in the comments below. We would love to hear your experience.
Xoxo - G
