Caffeine

This may not be the correct place because caffeine isn't really "weight loss" related.  I have been at the same weight for the last 10 years, am 5'6-1/2" and weigh anywhere from 170-180 depending on the day.  I am not unhealthy, but want to be healthier.  Losing weight would be a plus!  (No pun intended!)

I have completely cut out caffeine as part of my new eating habits and cannot lose the "caffeine headache."  It is driving me crazy, literally.  How long will this last?  I am an admitted coffee addict and cut it cold turkey - now drinking water, Crystal Light, Milk, Soy Milk, and tea.  My head is killing me!!!

As a former caffeine addict, I can tell you that if you quit cold turkey, you will have a massive headache that nothing but caffeine will cure for a few days.  Then it will go away.  Been there.....many times.  The last time I quit caffeine, I went slowly.  Try doing 1/2 reg 1/2 decaf coffee for a week or 2, then go 3/4 decaf and 1/4 reg for a week, then you should be ready to stop without the headache.  It worked for me.  I hate being addicted to caffeine.  Now, so I don't get hooked again, I only allow myself 1 or 2 caffeinated coffees a week and everything else is decaf.  Plus, once I'm off, it's nice actually having caffeine really work as far as keeping me awake when I need to on the day or 2 that I do decide to drink it since my body's not used to it anymore.  Anyway, good luck!

take tylenol

it worked for me

I've been there, one time I was at my dads and he wouldn't let me have coffee when I got there whereas I was drinking about 4 cups a day... ohhh... that hurt, but it usually only lasts for 2 days maybe and can be helped with most pain-killers.

Also, drink a fair amount of water.

i've been there too! I got really addicted to coffee my first semester in college. I started drinking it, at first, just to stay awake on those nights when I was pulling study sessions until 4 & 5 a.m. It got to the point, though, where I felt tired all day if I didn't have a cup of coffee, and then instead of only needing one cup to help me through a late night, I needed several. When I went home after 1st semester, for winter break, I could sleep as much as I wanted, so I stopped drinking coffee cold turkey but I didn't really look at it as "quitting" then because I had no idea how much my body had become accustomed to it's daily caffeine boost. I couldn't understand where the headaches were coming from! One day my head was hurting sooo bad... for some reason I ended up having a few sips of my mom's coffee and in minutes the headache was gone, haha! That's when i realized that I was addicted to caffeine. The headaches went away after about a week. When I got back to school for second semester, I didn't allow myself to start drinking coffee again... at least not daily. I drink a fair amount of tea, but to offset that, I add an extra class of water to my daily H2O intake for each cup of tea I drink. And now I only have coffee about once a week, and then only when it is truly needed. Like the above poster said, when I was hooked on coffee, it really wasn't making me feel alert anymore... only wired and on-edge. I've found now that when I drink it rarely, it actually does what I want it to... which is to keep me alert when I really must study late! (I must add, I've changed my study habits and am getting a lot more sleep this semester which has probably contributed to the fact that I don't "need" coffee so much anymore). Sorry so long... main point is, the headaches WILL go away, haha... hope this helps :-)

You might also want to consider that (it's been said) it's perfectly acceptable to have one cup of coffee per day within a healthy lifestyle. It's not harmful in that amount, and actually has a few benefits... There's tons of info on the web, if you're interested!

I used to be a 4-cup-a day-with sugar-and-milk kind of coffee drinker, but now absolutely enjoy one cup of black coffee each morning. That's one of the best things about getting out of bed each day, and it absolutely kick starts my workout!

Anyway, good luck and take care!

Perhaps you could try drinking a few cups of some green tea for a little while?  That has caffeine in it, but not as much as coffee does, so you with a cup or two of it a day, you can still get it, but in much smaller doses :)

How long has it been that you've been off the coffee and still have the headache?

It took me about a 36 hours when I went cold turkey.  Used some tylenol to take the edge off.

Although it seems there are some health benefits from coffee, I think there are more from green and white tea.  Plus, less stomach upset.  There's some information out there that the more you consume things that disturb your intestinal tract, the worse it is for your weight, among other things.

Hi again!

Don't get me wrong... I certainly appreciate the health benefits of green and white tea versus coffee... But as I see it, for those of us who pursue healthy lifestyles, exercise, and eat well, I'm a big fan of keeping it all in balance. Allowing yourself to enjoy something like coffee might not be such a bad thing. (Besides, green tea in the morning could never replace the sights and sounds and smells of a cup of strong, black java!)

If you're interested, here's an article that I think does a good job of the "good, bad and ugly" of coffee...

http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2911 /is-coffee-good-for-you

Take care (& take Tylenol!)

i would drink something light in caffeine just to get rid of the headache!!  OWE!  I would just drink a diet coke or something.  The one time I went through caffeine withdraw, that helped me and no pain killer helped at all.  And once the headache is gone, you can go on without your caffeine, but it's so painful to just go cold turkey, that headache lasts WAY too long!

since you've already gone cold turky, and have endured the headache till now, I strongly suggest you just keep off caffeine altogether and break the habit once and for all.