Caffeine runs in my blood. Instead of my body being made up of 75% of water, it’s probably made up of Starbucks and soda. It doesn’t help that I’m also in an extremely long-term realtionship with Dr. Pepper. Since I have a tendency to be a night owl, mornings aren’t my best friend; therefore, I rely on caffeine from my coffee to wake me up. I also turn to it when I’m eating meals because I think a soda taste better than bland water, but then there are times where I would simply rather have a can of those delectable 23 flavors than a bottle of water. That’s when I started to notice that I was going days without a glass of water and my kidneys probably wanted to kill me. I could easily down 2–3 cups of Dr. Pepper in a day alone. It also doesn’t help when the people at Starbucks start to know you and your order by heart. Quitting cold turkey is probably the hardest thing you can do for any addiciton—because caffeine is technically a drug—but I knew if I didn’t quit it this way, then I would never fully stop.
Day 1
I had to hide my coffee maker. Waking up and going straight to my kitchen to fix a cup is such a habit for me that at 7 a.m. I was still half-asleep and got confused as to where my trusty coffee maker was. Instead, I had to reach for a tall glass of ice cold water. This is actually really good for anyone to do as soon as they wake up, even if you do want to eventually make a cup of coffee or a glass of juice later in your morning, because ice cold water will help kick start your metabolism for the day.
As for the rest of the day, I didn’t have a problem with staying awake or any kind of cravings for a soda. I actually found myself climbing into bed earlier than normal (and by early, I mean like midnight. I told you I was a night owl).
Day 2
I woke up with the worst headache in my entire life. When sufffering from caffeine withdrawls, it’s typical to get a lot headaches. Most the time the fix is to simply drink more caffeine, but I knew I couldn’t. I tried to eating fruits and eggs for breakfast in the hope that it would take my headache away, but it only dulled it. I also found myself drifting off in my classes and constantly fighting to stay awake. I started forgetting things because I wasn’t paying attention when people spoke to me. As soon as I got home, I immediately crashed on my couch for a nap. After waking up a hour or so later, I only felt more tired. I didn’t even want to look at my homework because I knew I would fall asleep trying to read it. Rest assured, I fell asleep later that night at a solid 11 p.m.
Day 3
I now understood what being a zombie felt like. My mom warned me that this would be my worst day. I woke up with another headache, worse than the day before. I even tried taking an Excedrin and that did nothing. I was a monster. I became so grumpy to anyone that talked to me. I was still starting off my days with my glass of ice water, but it was feeling like a chore more than anything. My friends suggested drinking teas, but even those have caffeine. I wanted to stick strictly to water and nothing else. Instead I decided to start working out more. I tried doing yoga in the morning to wake me up, but that only made me more sleepy. I thought maybe doing cardio in the gym after class would help get rid of my headache. WARNING: Cardio only intensifies migraines. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.
Day 4
Around this time is when my headaches started to subside. I felt my body was actually appreciative that I was drinking more water. I was still waking up tired, but I wasn’t drifting off in class anymore. I realized the thing that I was missing most was the taste of soda and coffee, not the caffeine itself—although granted, caffeine would help my mornings out a little bit. Even though I had accepted that I was going to be grogy all day, I thought turning to chocolate would help. Wrong. It has caffeine, so I had to kiss my Hershey bar good-bye. Then I found the most glorious thing in the entire world, Hubba Bubba Dr. Pepper gum. I was extremely interested, but mostly because it was free of caffeine. Let me tell you, it taste just like those 23 flavors. Sure, the flavor fades after the first few mintues but to have it on my lips for just a moment was blissful.
Day 5
I realized how often I turn to caffeine, even when I’m out at bars. My go-to drink is a Jack & Coke, and I couldn’t even have that. Luckily I was saving more money when I went out with my friends for food because I wasn’t wasting $3 on cups of coffee or soda. It was a little sad when I went to Chick-fil-A and I couldn’t get my delicious sweet tea. Water and chicken nuggets are not a match made in Heaven.
Around this time of the the week, I found myself falling asleep on my couch around 10:30–11 p.m. I can’t recall the last time I went to bed before midnight. It actually felt really nice to be in bed by that time. It did suck that I would end up leaving my friend’s place earlier than normal because I was so exhausted.
Day 6
I woke up at 7 a.m. without a problem. Granted, it was a weekend and I didn’t need to be up that early, but I figure since I was up I could work out. Since I wasn’t tired anymore, I had more energy when I worked out. I also noticed that I was randomly more hungry. Maybe this was because I wasn’t reaching for a can of soda full of empty calories anymore. I was feeling a lot more optimsitic. I did get a tiny headache toward 6 p.m., but fortunately that went away with dinner and a Tylenol. As you guessed it, I was also in bed by 11 p.m.
Day 7
My last day. Hallelujuah. I had heard that people who give up caffeine ultimately just feel better. They find out that their bodies can do things they usually couldn’t do before, like with running. I ended up feeling a lot better myself. I actually was craving water by this time. Sure, tiny headaches came and went but nothing too major. I realized that I could actually live without soda or coffee in my life. I wasn’t getting tired throughout the day anymore. I was able to wake up earlier and do more things with my day. I felt accomplished. By the end of the day, I had completed my goal. My body thanked me so much.
Now
It’s almost a week later and I’m still going without soda and coffee. I feel great that I can go without them. Around Day 9, I thought about taking one little sip of Dr. Pepper (purely just for science), and I noticed it tasted different. It was a lot sweeter than I remembered. Sure, I could’ve gone the easy way and stuck to decaf coffee and caffeine-free Dr. Pepper, but my body needed all of that water. Skipping days without water is not good, and by subsituting those empty beverages with water, your body will thank you in the end. I’m extremely curious to see how long I can go without my little cups of joy, but I’m happy to say that I can survive without them. If you decide to do this, I have a couple tips:
- Don’t go into this thinking it is a cake walk. You will feel like you are a part of The Walking Dead.
- Understand that it’s not all about the caffeine, but rather the taste as well. If you don’t want to go cold turkey, there is decaf and caffeine-free soda.
- Caffeine headaches suck and ibuprofuen will not help you. Not even Excedrin Mirgraine. Good luck.
- If your friend decides to quit any addiciton, be patient because it can be terrible and it will be difficult for them.
- Get work done early in the day, if possible, because you will not want to stay up late trying to finish it.
Eventually I probably will have a can of soda or cup of coffee, but I never want to be so dependent on something like that again. I even liked that I have been going to bed earlier than before. I wake up not feeling grogy because I was able to get a full night rest. I encourage everyone to try something like this, even if for just a week. You might be surprised what your outcome is.