Fast Weening

I've taken a break from caffeine many times.  The longest stretch was two months.  No caffeine from tea, soda, or any other beverage.  I think I still had chocolate.

Fasting from caffeine for long periods of time is a way of proving to myself that I'm not mastered by anything. Caffeine addiction is such an acceptable thing in our culture, because while caffeine is addictive, it is only mildly addictive. But it has it's problems, which is the reason for this blog. My theory again is that caffeine amplifies stress, which amplifies appetite, which amplifies weight, which amplifies lack of energy, which amplifies lack of money.

People are in denial that they are addicted to caffeine, because they supposedly only have caffeine once in a while. But these same people get headaches and wonder why -- it's because they skipped their daily dose! It's because our bodies are human, and when it comes to caffeine, they really do work the mostly same, chemically. The differences in our bodies don't defy physics and science.

I don't care who you are, if you have caffeine, your brain will tell your body, however subtly, that it needs more. You can ignore it, and pretend that it doesn't happen, and blame your aches on something else, but you're really in denial.

So I don't deny that I'm addicted when I'm just having a small cup in the morning and small cup in the afternoon. I'm just as addicted as the guy drinking two pots of coffee a day. I know people that drink that much caffeine every day. It doesn't take many "extra larges" from Dunkin Donuts to get there.

So, Because I've done this so many times, I know how to ween myself in the quickest way, while not suffering terribly for it. If I just go cold turkey I will feel pretty sick for about a week. But I think it should be as quick as possible without feeling sick. Here is how I think it should be done. Keep in mind, I'm not a doctor, so take my advice for what it's worth.

Day 1: Move all the caffeine you normally have in a day to one time in the day.  In other words, instead of having one at 8:30 am and 1:30 pm, skip 8:30 am and have two at 1:30 pm. Yes, a lot of this is just psychological, but it really makes things easy to do. This might not be safe if you are the two-pot a day guy.
Day 2: Cut that amount in half, but take at the same time.
Day 3: Cut that amount in half (for me it will be just one small half-caffeinated cup of coffee).
Day 4: Cut everything.

I think this plan makes it really easy for the worst caffeine addicts.

Again, my goal is to save $10,000, and yes I generally do not know where this will come from, apart from being frugal, working more hours, hopefully getting some commissions, and selling things around the house on e-bay or offer-up.  I've already been attempting these things and feel like I'm getting no where.

A small part of me believes I should have done this a long time ago; that this is something godly, and that I will not just be helping me, but helping a lot of other people. May God bless my endeavor. Amen.