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We Quit Coffee

Three weeks ago, we quit coffee.  Andrew suggested it, I knew we should, but…

oh my gosh, it’s so, so good.  But it was this false love–we were always chasing that first high.

We actually only started drinking coffee on the daily about one year ago, when we went from 1 kid to 3.  When we started, it was AMAZING!  We got so much done, felt so great, but soon enough it lost it’s charm.  Drinking our morning cup of coffee was then necessary, but no longer did it give up a lift for any longer than an hour.  Plus, there was the frantic, “Did you make the coffee?  No?  Well, we’re going to have to be late…”

Plus, we were filling it with coffee mate, which just felt so dirty–yet wonderful.

At the end of the day, we felt tired, maybe even drained.

“I wish we could just have it every so often, like when we really need it, and have those awesome effects, not just need it everyday with no effects…”

“Let’s just quit, it’s not that awesome anymore,” but wait–like, now?  Addict panic.

So, we quit on a Monday.  We downed two cups of green tea that morning, and moved slooooooooooowwwwwwly.  But it was kind of nice.  We just sat on the floor with the kids in the early morning, and they crawled all over us.  I wasn’t running around doing random chores.

Plus, even though it felt like a sub par, watery substitute at the time, it felt good to be drinking green tea, it’s so good for you,

This is a real picture of an 80 year old man in Japan who drinks green tea every day.

The first few days, I moved slow.  For lunch, I brought the boys outside with me, and we ate long leisurly lunches, while I sipped tea.  Sometimes, I can be a busy body, so in some ways it was nice to feel so leisurly, even though I was still craving coffee at this point.

After lunch, Elijah went down for his nap.  Finley usually goes down 20 minutes after, and he asked if he could have tea with me too.  “I want to have tea with you, mama.”

“Sure!” I told him.  I even got him a real, little tea cup, and put some milk in it.  “It’s milk tea,” I told him, “and be careful, this is a real tea cup for a special boy.”

“Ok!” he told me, happy.

He was so content and leisurely, as he sat with me, lounged on the comfy chair while we talked, sipped our tea, and chatted.  I asked him what he was learning in BSF, and he usually says, “Play trucks,” which he did, but then, a couple minutes later after thinking about it, he told me, “Mama, God was born!”

(Side note, I was convinced last year that the children’s staff at bsf was paid.  They were so dedicated, brought their own teaching supplies, and were so loving and professional, some of the best teachers I have ever met, ever.  It wasn’t until this year that I found out they are all volunteers.  All 65 of them!!  Blew my mind, we are so thankful)

Oh really?” I asked him, as he nodded, we’re all going through Matthew so it was what we were learning.

Mommy son tea time
***

Two weeks into no coffee, we had weak moments where we took turns pleading, ‘Just this one day!’ and other moments where even though we were two weeks in, “we still didn’t feel any better!” pouting.   But we had a lot more energy at night, we felt less frazzled, or frantic.  We could get things done at night.

And now…

And now, three weeks in, we made it.  We feel great!  We feel better in the mornings, more energy even before our tea, than previously after our coffee.  Turns out, we did it! 

Who wouldda thought!?  What about you, do you drink coffee daily, have you ever quit?  Do you love it and would never quit?  Weigh in, let me know!

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  • Smith's October 10, 2013, 4:20 pm

    Oh, girl, we started an anti-inflammatory eating plan and coffee was forbidden through the 3-day detox. I was dying!! I was so sick by the third day I only moved from the bed to the couch. My husband has quick drinking it all together but I now have one or two cups in the morning only. This is a drastic improvement from 4 -5 cups in the morning and either tea or Dr. Pepper in the afternoon. Looking back, I should have cut back before going cold turkey. Just plain black coffee here along with a zero-processed eating plan and I’m feeling great!!

    • The Tiny Team October 11, 2013, 4:59 am

      Dang girl, good for you! That’s amazing! We’re trying to change up some eating habits round here too!

  • Elle Bee October 10, 2013, 5:01 pm

    I quit for a while and it was awesome!!! Love that you’re doing it and feeling great. It’s so much better to be good to our bodies!!

  • Cortney October 10, 2013, 5:24 pm

    I think I need to show this post to my husband! 😉 In all seriousness, though, I really appreciated your post. God has been showing me for a while that I need to slow down. And since we’re adopting two kiddos right now with special needs, that lesson is going to come in handy quickly. I love green tea, but what kind do you drink? I think I usually have the fake stuff that probably isn’t as good for you. 🙂

    • The Tiny Team October 11, 2013, 5:00 am

      We just get like the cheap stuff from the store, it’s all good! I LOVE the Tazo China Green Tips though when I can find it!

  • Sharon October 10, 2013, 5:32 pm

    This is incredibly timely for me! I went to bed last night with a funny feeling in my neck, like maybe I had a slightly swollen lymph node that was only noticeable when I turned my head a certain way. This morning, coming out of the shower, I decided to see if I could find the swelling. What I found out instead was that I have an abnormal heartbeat! I felt my pulse and it was beat-beat stop. Beat-beat stop. What??? Scary!!!! I called my sister to ask her doctor husband about it. His first advice – quit the caffeine. I realized that while I usually make 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day, they get cold and I only actually drink half that much. But lately I’ve been actually finishing those cups and having another cup or two at my moms, plus the awful Diet Coke I have most days. I’m truly glad for the motivation to drop the Diet Coke and won’t have it again, but I will phase out the caffeine. I know I do better if I switch to tea for a few days first, having just two to three cups a day. For someone reason after a few days of that I can go down to one cup, then drop it all together a day or two later. I just am not in a position to face full-blown caffeine withdrawal right now! I also need to improve my diet overall. I will look up that anti-inflammatory diet. My pulse has settled down to a normal level now but you can bet I’ll keep an eye on that!

    • The Tiny Team October 11, 2013, 5:01 am

      Wow! That’s so crazy, nice to have a dr. in the family! Yes, once i did this whole 12 week nutrition/fitness thing, it was amazing, I never felt better! Food is so important!

  • The Life of Blights October 10, 2013, 5:39 pm

    I drink decaf and love it more for the ritual (okay and the taste) than for anything else. I did quit putting sugar in it and only do half and half. I actually go to bed at night looking forward to my cup of coffee:) And BSF/Matthew is awesome, it about blew my 4 year old’s mind last week when he realized that we both were learning the same thing! haha. And that his 1 year old sister was in on it too. I am amazed AMAZED at the dedication and love they pour into us and our kiddos. Love it love it.

  • RiverOwl October 10, 2013, 6:18 pm

    I have always hated coffee – the smell, the taste… ew! I don’t even like anything coffee-flavoured either. Luckily, being British, I am addicted to something much better – tea!

  • Jill - addingaburden.com October 10, 2013, 7:36 pm

    Good for you! I started drinking coffee about a year ago and it has helped me feel way better in the mornings. I drank it back in high school along with coke and I had heartbeat issues though. Racing heart/abnormal rhythm. I only drink one cup now and tea the rest of the time. Perfect balance for me. My mom started giving me tea when I was 2! She put it in my sippy cup with milk and sugar. Now I have two cups with a splash of milk every day. I want Arie to drink it too, but so far he doesn’t like it. 🙂

    • The Tiny Team October 11, 2013, 5:02 am

      Awww, that’s so cute, Arie with tea 🙂

  • Joolz October 10, 2013, 9:45 pm

    I can get by on one or two coffees a day but I love a cup of tea before bed. There are so many flavours out there but I do love chai, its spices are warming and I think soothing.

    Cheers – Joolz xx

  • Belle-Mére October 11, 2013, 1:08 am

    I told you it was awesome!!! I am so glad you guys feel so good too 🙂 Now even green tea is at a ‘need to have basis’ which feels so good. Proud of you both! Way to be healthy! Next I will get you on to loose leaf tea you make in a french press so you can be a tea snob :p

  • Sherry October 11, 2013, 1:49 am

    Yeah ok, nice and wonderful. I did decaf and somehow slid back, so maybe it’s coffee angst, but there is NO WAY that 20something is 80. Nope. Don’t believe you.

    • Kim Yeatts October 11, 2013, 3:54 am

      I tried to believe, but can’t either. 🙂

    • The Tiny Team October 11, 2013, 4:58 am

      LOL!!!!!! Yes, that part was a joke, he’s totally a young man 🙂

  • Jolene October 12, 2013, 12:50 am

    Awww! I still enjoy coffee once or twice a week as a treat…I can make one cuppa last ALLLL day long! In fact, we did get coffee yesterday for our marathon medical day (going at it for 15+ hours with 4 out of 7 children) and I only drank half….Its like fine wine to me or good beer to my husband….we make it last…sip it and savor it!

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