Hi, my name's Craige...... and I have a coffee problem. I know coffee is bad for me, I drink it with two (fairly large) teaspoons of sugar and (up until about 2 weeks ago) in quantities of upwards of 6-8 cups a day. So anyways I decided that after seeing results from easing myself back into some form of regular training over the last half a year and seeing some results, it was time to to put the real work in and start tidying up what I'm consuming. I'm not particularly out of shape but I am heavy and I am carrying at least a stone of bodyfat that I wouldn't miss if it disappeared (currently sitting at 15st 5lb, down from 16st 2lb at the start of the year). Cleaning what I eat up has been fairly easy (apart from the odd monthly binge from the local chinese, seriously the ribs are amazing and I can get a spring roll as big as my face) but caffeine was another issue. I've been drinking Coca Cola for years as well as coffee in massive amounts. Really dangerously high amounts by medical standards. After slowing down with my missus and kids (real life) instead of being able to over train on a regular basis I think my habits just sort of snuck up and cashed the cheque. Anyways back on track. I decided I couldn't cut out caffeine straight away but I was willing and ready to take a sharp reduction. For 2 weeks I've been drinking only a single coffee a day. A couple days in those two weeks I've had a glass or two of coke but besides that, nothing else. I replaced my coffee with Twinings flavoured teas. As far as I know they're not actually made using tea leaves, they're made using whatever is advertised on the boxes (having just read the boxes I was right). I've been drinking one cup each of peppermint and nettle, honey and chamomile, lemon and ginger and liquorice tea. I've also upped my water intake by about an extra litre a day. So far I've noticed an increase in general awareness overall in the day and I'm rising earlier and sharper than I was a couple weeks ago. I'm also feeling less of a sugar crave through the day and don't feel like snacking so much. I've had the odd unexplained headache and lethargy day but overall I'm feeling great! Over the course of the next month or so I'm going to try to halve the amount of coffee I drink again, maybe alternate days when I have some and days when I don't until eventually I just don't bother with it at all. So that's my story, the story of a coffee fiend. Any other folks out there unable to operate without a good mug? Or maybe have some tips for managing caffeine consumption?
I adore coffee so I totally sympathise. I was like you for a long time, and there was a period when I could easily clear more than ten (big) cups a day. I've managed to get it under control to the point where now I have one cup probably every two or three days on average. There are some ways to satiate your sweet tooth without downing a can of sugar water like Coke; obviously there are non-sugar brands like Diet Coke and Coke Zero. You can put natural sweeteners like stevia in your coffee, which is hundreds of times sweeter than refined sugar and is extracted from plants instead of synthetically manufactured like aspartame (the sweetener in Diet Coke). It's great you're committed to making healthier changes. Your weight loss is admirable, so well done.
