Yeah, so it's my Day 3.
The only caffeine I've had since Wednesday would be the trace amounts in the decaf green tea I've been drinking, in addition to the trace amounts in the cocoa I use in my cereal and the bit that would be in the dark chocolate almonds I ate last night (the latter would total less than 30 mg, which is lower than a cup of regular tea).
As mentioned in my linked blog in the OP, my habit brought me upwards to 300 to 400 mg of caffeine daily, and sometimes double that.
I've read about this extensively. One book I read was a collection of scientific evidence of the effects of coffee consumption on various parts of the body, even decaf's effect on cholesterol levels.
It goes a little something like this: caffeine spurs the creation of certain chemical reactions in your body. Generally speaking, it influences your adrenal system, which is responsible for producing hormones in response to physical and mental stress. We're very familiar with this: increased blood pressure, metabolic rate, and glucose usage---in a word: adrenaline.
Basically, caffeine produces an adrenaline response: it "fabricates" what would otherwise be a defense or coping mechanism that would be used in response to stressors in our environment. But without necessarily experiencing these stressors, this can feel good. At first. Pumping out an adrenaline response without actually using the materials and conditions produced by it can create another response: residual cortisol. Cortisol is known as the "stress hormone." As one of the "main ingredients" of the adrenaline response, cortisol has its uses, but quite often it is created for the wrong reasons: unmanaged stress and high caffeine consumption, or both.
When cortisol is created and not dealt with (i.e. through the removal of a stressor or intense exercise...vitamin C can help too), it taxes the system: it reduces immunity (possibly leading to infection or other sickness) and is generally responsible for feelings of anxiety. It is often considered a factor for weight gain too. People who drink lots of coffee, who are stressed out a lot, and don't sleep enough tend to produce a lot of cortisone. Some people lose a bit of weight simply by quitting coffee: they sleep better and are less stressed just by cutting out that part of the puzzle.
Anyway, the bottom line is this: the use of caffeine even in modest amounts kicks your adrenal system in gear even if it doesn't "need to." It also prevents the production of a hormone that is excreted as a part of the sleep process, which could delay the onset of sleepiness, even if you drink coffee early in the day (btw, caffeine half life is 6 whole hours: that morning Starbucks is still in your system by sleepytime).
Some of you stated that you don't "crash." Well, I think it's more accurate to say you don't feel a crash, or you don't mind the effect of it. Because you necessarily do feel the adrenaline wear off eventually, and that's when some people go back for another hit, whether they've consciously felt it or not.
If you don't think you're addicted to caffeine and could stop anytime, just go one day without it. Caffeine withdrawal kicks in within 24 to 48 hours of cessation.
Caffeine tolerance and addiction varies person to person. Some can handle it better than others, but generally, daily consumption rates between 200 to 400 mg can easily cause problems in both the consumption itself and the cessation. The Canadian government's upper limit for caffeine intake for an unpregnant adult is 400 mg. A typical drip brew coffee of 8 oz. is between 100 to 150 mg. A Starbucks "Grande" I think is 400 mg. A tea is between 15 to 40, depending on the colour. So do the math.
Sorry for this being so long, but I wanted to share with you what I know. It will help get your head around why I want to quit this stuff. Day 2 was the worst for me: fuzzy head, low motivation, generally sleepiness. Last time, Day 3 marked the end of the worst of it, so today I should be fine. A real catalyst for me was that there is now evidence that caffeine can exacerbate existing problems of anxiety and depression. This was something else added to my list of strikes against caffeine and it ultimately was the catalyst for my current goal.
For those who have consumed caffeine regularly since adulthood, know this: you may not realize just how much of a boost to your sleep quality quitting caffeine will give you. You will likely feel more energized throughout the day, and this is without that "hit" you need to "kick-start your day." When you're off caffeine, you do other things to kick-start the day, such as listen to AC/DC or something.
Being off caffeine gives an odd feeling of freedom. But beware: it's easy to be drawn back by the lure of this widely available and worshiped drug.
Now wish us luck on our journey!
