I gave up coffee for 45 days and here’s what happened.
I didn’t arrive on the number of days as 45 for just no reason or off the top of my head, actually, Lent was starting and I knew I really wanted to challenge myself. Pre-Lent Emily was drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day. Of course, I would also add skim milk (about 2 ounces) and 2 tbsp of non-dairy creamer to each cup so it would add up to about 100 calories a cup.
I LIVED for my coffee, I would count the seconds until I could leave for lunch to go home and make another cup to get me through the afternoon. I would walk in the door after work to make another cup of goodness and settle in for a night of client calls. PLUS the cup I would make each morning as well. If I didn’t have my coffee, I felt like I couldn’t start my day.
But then I gave it up, cold turkey starting Ash Wednesday, February 17th. The first few days gave me bad caffeine withdrawal headaches that started in the afternoon evening time and lasted through the night. But then, after the first 3 days, it got easier. The cravings were still there, but not the headaches.
Fast Forward a week, I was fully adjusted. There has been times I would KILL for an iced coffee from Starbucks or a hot coffee from my krueig before work, but I didn’t do it. What made it easier was getting rid of my stash of creamer. Without the temptation to just make a cup, it all went by so much easier.
So what changes has getting rid of coffee for 45 days have occurred? Well, my energy has been more consistent throughout the day and I haven’t been having energy crashes in the afternoon anymore which is a huge positive. Without the coffee, I have also found that my bathroom regularity is much better, going daily, as well as I am staying much more hydrated throughout the day and drinking more water. There were many days I would nurse my cup of coffee until 10 am and then start drinking water, but now I have no choice but to drink my water as soon as I get up. My teeth are also whiter, too!
Lastly, my weight has also been more controlled and actually down a little bit from when I started, which I predicted would happen. When you reduce 200-300 added calories a day and they aren’t replaced with anything while maintaining activity and intake, weight loss should occur. But, I did not set out on these 45 days with the goal of weight loss, instead, I wanted to see if I could do it as I have failed and gave in so many other times before.
If this spurs you to give it a try, take it slow, drink your water and you just may never go back to consistently drinking coffee again.