Post: #1

Hi everybody.

I must admit that I developed caffeine addiction. Why? Because It just doesn't help me to be more energetic and it just make me anxious. At the beginning when I started taking caffeine(many years ago). I fully enjoyed the benefits of it but now I can notice that I've developed an insane tolerance and increasing the dose doesn't help.

I tried to quit caffeine many times but after the second day I gave up. It kinda remembered the post that Roosh Opened long time ago referring to the ithdrawal symptoms associated to the disuse:

http://www.rooshv.com/what-happened-when...or-a-month

Any tips about how to overcome this? I just would like to use it on workout days... I also have a job that requires my focus and I don't want to be co-dependent on this "drug"

Post: #2

I tried quitting cold-turkey once and caught the flu. Maybe it was just coincidence. If I were to quit drinking coffee (currently 1/2 pot (6 cups) in the morning). I would ween myself off slowly.

Post: #3

Try substituting green tea for coffee. Both cold turkey and slowly reducing coffee intake are viable approaches. Choose one.

Post: #4

I would definitely say use adrafinil for the first week of cutting back. It is a prodrug to Modanifinil, which is a potent wakefulness promoting compound. Adrafinil is 100% legal in United States but am not sure about Portugal. Use it the first week of giving up coffee to get your body used to the absence of caffeine but without feeling sleepy and tired. Only do this for a week, otherwise you'll start developing tolerance to adrafinil.

Post: #5

Whenever I decide to quit caffeine or nicotine, I just pop an ibuprofen or two during the day and that helps a lot with headaches and other symptoms.

Post: #6

(04-10-2016 05:25 PM)RawGod Wrote:  Try substituting green tea for coffee. Both cold turkey and slowly reducing coffee intake are viable approaches. Choose one.

Actually, any kind of tea will be a significant step down from the same volume of coffee. A dark oolong or Lapsang Souchong might have a strong enough taste to be "coffee-like" if that's something you like.

A couple cups of tea a day should keep you from getting headaches and still but a much smaller dose of caffeine than you are used to.

Post: #7

I quit coffee cold turkey several months ago so here's a few things to keep in mind:

1. You will be really tired and sleepy the first couple of days. That's the crucial period in which your body craves caffeine - push through this.

2. Drink a lot of water. I currently drink between 3 - 4 liters of water a day, it helps with the cravings (especially since I practice intermittent fasting and skip breakfast).

3. The social factor. Perhaps why most people cave in and go back - if you hang around a lot of people who are big coffee drinkers they might pressure you into drinking more coffee with them. Don't - just tell them caffeine doesn't suit you and order water or non-caffeinated tea.

4. I also used coffee to boost my workouts. I usually drank a cup of coffee 1-2 hours before going to the gym. After quitting it I really haven't noticed any drop in my performance. If you are worried about that, look into juicing, especially beet juice, Mike from Danger and Play has a post on it.

Lastly, the benefits of not drinking coffee are really great. Not only am I saving money, but also I don't have any energy crashes in my day - my energy is constant until the evening.

If you have any more questions I'm more than happy to help you.

Post: #8

My go-to method of habit kicking involves finding (seeing?) benefit in not continuing the habit, which in this case is drinking coffee. The biggest sell for me was the fact that I now value my sleep, and since drinking coffee later in the day tends to affect my sleep, I'd rather sleep well than get that extra cup in. This mentality has enabled me to go from 5 to 2 *cups* per day. First one in the morning on my way to work, and the second one at 1-2pm. I've also realized that extra cups in the morning don't do anything for me in terms of additional alertness, so I just skip them as well.

Post: #9

(04-10-2016 04:32 PM)Onto Wrote:  I tried quitting cold-turkey once and caught the flu. Maybe it was just coincidence. If I were to quit drinking coffee (currently 1/2 pot (6 cups) in the morning). I would ween myself off slowly.

Yeah this is a fairly common side effect.

I have 4 shots of coffee each morning...need to cut down really.

Post: #10

Everything You put in Your body in Your choice.
I chose to drink alcohol. I chose smoke cigarettes/marijuana. I chose to masturbate times 10+ per day. I chose sniff glue, etc.
Changing habits requires You to chose how You want to live.

Day 1 is the hardest.

Write Your plan down on paper.
-I will only consume 1 cup of coffee 30 minutes before workout.
Or lex the impaler's plan.
-I will only consume 2 cups of coffee at work. 1 in the morning, 1 in afternoon.

Follow you plan for 2-3 weeks and You will change you programing.

Post: #11

I've switched from coffee to black tea in the morning. It's much milder in my opinion.

Post: #12

(04-11-2016 12:33 AM)Sentry92 Wrote:  I quit coffee cold turkey several months ago so here's a few things to keep in mind:

1. You will be really tired and sleepy the first couple of days. That's the crucial period in which your body craves caffeine - push through this.

2. Drink a lot of water. I currently drink between 3 - 4 liters of water a day, it helps with the cravings (especially since I practice intermittent fasting and skip breakfast).

3. The social factor. Perhaps why most people cave in and go back - if you hang around a lot of people who are big coffee drinkers they might pressure you into drinking more coffee with them. Don't - just tell them caffeine doesn't suit you and order water or non-caffeinated tea.

4. I also used coffee to boost my workouts. I usually drank a cup of coffee 1-2 hours before going to the gym. After quitting it I really haven't noticed any drop in my performance. If you are worried about that, look into juicing, especially beet juice, Mike from Danger and Play has a post on it.

Lastly, the benefits of not drinking coffee are really great. Not only am I saving money, but also I don't have any energy crashes in my day - my energy is constant until the evening.

If you have any more questions I'm more than happy to help you.

thank you very much. It's the third day without caffeine and it's being very easy going.

Yesterday I felt tired and went to bed quite early.

Next time I will use caffeine will use on certain days when I have to hit personal records in the gym...but definitely I won't rely on it anymore..it was a very disgusting feeling the one I was having.

thanks for the beet juice advice!

http://www.dangerandplay.com/2014/05/08/...-pressure/

Post: #13

No problem, I'm glad I could help.

Post: #14

I use to drink a lot of Sugar Free Redbull all throughout my 20's, finally when I hit about 30 I started developing daily Heart Palpitations and Irregular Heartbeat.

This scared the shit out of me and I went to the Doc.
They told me I was chronically dehydrated from years of Energy Drink abuse.

So I switched to Coffee and this didn't cure it.
I then switched to Green Tea and this almost did the trick, I still had the occassional Heart Palpitation or Irregular Heartbeat though.
I stopped drinking Green Tea and now @ 31 I have zero Heart problems anymore.

Going this route was pain-free and I never had to deal with any headaches or migraines like I hear other people go through.
My suggestions is to work your way down the chain like I did, instead of going off cold turkey.

Energy Drinks --> Coffee --> Green Tea --> Nothing

Now a days I will drink the occasional cup of Coffee or Green Tea like once a month if I have somewhere to be and I slept like shit the night before.

Haven't drank an Energy Drink in probably a year and don't plan on ever drinking one again.

Post: #15

I had to quit caffeine due to health issues. I ended up going cold turkey which was unpleasant for about a week. If you don't have to quit cold turkey, I suggest a standard "taper" like others have - whatever your dose is now (say, 4 caffeinated beverages a day, reduce by 1 every 2 days. You'll still potentially get some withdrawal headaches, treat them with water and advil/aspirin.

I find that now that I'm "clean" I actually have much more energy overall - being able to roll out of bed and not do that first cup of coffee is a big bonus. I do, however, have a prescription for modafanil, which I swear by. It doesn't help working out the way caffeine does but it's a good substitute for other days you don't sleep or need that extra boost.

Post: #16

My advice for this would to go cold turkey and to just suck it up..

Quit caffeine last year after drinking multiple coffee's a day for years. Quit cold turkey, had a headache for about 2 weeks but after that period I was fine.

Anything that's worth achieving will at some point be uncomfortable... you just have to suck it up and go on about your day.

You can do it!

Post: #17

I too recently quit, cold turkey.

I was taking one 5-Hour Energy drink every single day upon waking. If I didn't have one, I'd feel horrible and depressed.

Decided to quit caffeine to save money, and to improve sleep.

The first 3-4 days were tough. I had mood swings and head aches, but sleep quality improved quickly. After about a week, I found myself just as energized in the morning without caffeine, as I was while on it.

The best benefit I've found is not crashing 5 or so hours after ingesting caffeine. My energy is way more stable, and by 9-10pm I'm ready for bed.

Post: #18

A lot of people drink too much coffee that is just horrible quality and void of any real antioxidant properties. I think what really matters here is that you limit your caffeine intake per day, say no more than 16 or 20 oz. per day of brewed coffee would be a good start. For me, my body can tolerate about two 10oz cups per day (or roughly 2 double espressos). I'm a bigger 185 lb. 6' guy.

Also, make sure you are drinking freshly ground (within 5 minutes) coffee roasted within 2 weeks, if possible. Time really tends to rapidly degrade the real nutritional benefits of coffee.

Anyway, what I do when I want to cut back on coffee intake is to pick up some tasty herbal teas. I like peppermint tea as well as teas like cinnamon and even ginger or lavender. The 365 brand at Whole Foods has some nice selections of herbal teas. Doing this does tends to help to fill the void of drinking something hot, without the caffeine. I usually do this at night when I'm craving a coffee and it's been working out very well for the few years that I've been doing it. Normally I don't drink coffee much past 2-3PM or do more than 20 oz. of coffee per day. If I do, I've noticed I'm more irritable and anxious and my sleep quality is not as restful.

Post: #19

Agreed that quality of beans and also proper brewing process are important and often overlooked, especially by guys who drink "energy drinks" which are disgusting and not a good look. The only place energy drinks are excusable is for guys on active combat duty, in all other scenarios it should only be high quality coffee or tea. There are few corners of the civilized world these days that don't have access to good coffee beans.

But to quit caffeine completely, which is definitely good to do for a month once or twice per year, fresh ginger in hot water is a great replacement. Ginger + turmeric is nice too. Just buy the whole roots, take off the skin with a spoon, chop them up and steep in hot water. Ginger is good for about three steepings, so it's easy refills and something tasty and warm to sip on without the caffeine. It's better than some bullshit "herbal tea" that's smells like an old woman's perfume.

Post: #20

Buy caffeine pills from a bodybuilding website (way cheaper) and cut them up to take every day. Keep lowering the dose until you don't need it anymore.

Post: #21

Try this in the morning for a nice "chai"

3/4 cup of water
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp loose black tea
2-3 cloves
A decent amount of grated ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder or equivalent stick

Sugar is for losers!

Throw that into a saucepan and boil for 5-10mins for a nice tea flavoured with herbs and spices. Very tasty.

Post: #22

How to quit caffeine without withdrawals, using amino acids to refuel depleted neurotransmitters:
http://johnfawkes.com/how-to-cure-a-caff...-symptoms/

"You see, caffeine works by causing your brain to overproduce dopamine. Dopamine is made from L-Dopa, which is made from Tyrosine, which is made from Phenylalanine. Extended caffeine use uses up your stores of Tyrosine and Phenylalanine, so your brain reduces its dopamine production to conserve them. It then takes progressively more caffeine to force your brain to use its remaining amino acid stores to produce dopamine- meaning you consume more caffeine, let have less energy and feel terrible. "

"Thankfully, this addiction can be cured very quickly by supplementing either Tyrosine or Phenylalanine for just a few days. Best of all, this hack allows you to avoid the headaches, lethargy and other withdrawal symptoms that most people experience when quitting caffeine."

Post: #23

RawGods advice on substituting green tea is good.

Another thing I did was to take a water bottle into work, which I can refill from the cooler. I don't allow myself to have another cup of green tea until I've downed a full bottle of water. I've reduced my caffeine intake from 4-5 cups of coffee a day to 2 cups of green tea, and I'm drinking a lot more water into the bargain. Try it.

Post: #24

How you feeling now OP? Still caffeine free?

It’s been about a week since I’ve had caffeine and I can tell that my energy levels are slowly improving and stabilizing. I quit cold turkey this time, but I’ve also had success in the past with tapering down like other guys have suggested.

The hardest part has been mustering the energy to work out late in the afternoon, but I’ve just been powering through. Prior to quitting this time I was drinking Irish breakfast (black) tea multiple times a day, and then an energy drink right before lifting.

I’ve replaced the black tea with caffeine free herbal teas, and I’ll usually make a fruit smoothie about 45 minutes before working out. It doesn’t provide the same sudden jolt of energy, but the natural sugar does seem to help.

Post: #25

I'm right in the middle of cutting that shit out. Day 9 already without caffeine.
To be honest, I think the only successful method is a cold turkey. For this you need at least 2 weeks of spare time.

I tried staying away from caffeine many times, but always failed. The main reason was always the need of concentration and
energy for daily life. Studying, sport, party, work. If you are doing a cold turkey you will like shit depending on your tolerance for the first days.
That is why it's so important to have some free time and no important things to do.

My tipp: Visit your family for one week. You will probably need some support while doing this.