Holy Hell ... What day is it? Today is March 3, aka 3/3, aka the 3rd day of the 3rd Challenge and the 3rd month. This should probably be going somewhere, but it isn't.
I'm pretty sure I'm almost thru this withdrawal. Altho today has been rough. I made it until about 5pm today without feeling the pain. But when the headache hit, I was totally unprepared. I wasn't at home, didn't have any pain killers with me and wasn't expecting it. The lack of headache had convinced me that I was as awesome at caffeine withdrawal as I am at everything else in my life and had mastered it in half the time that all the research said I would. But nope. I guess it just take longer to hit each day of the withdrawal.
I have to admit that the pain made me weak. We were having dinner out and I asked the waitress to bring me a cup of half decaf, half regular coffee and I had 3 sips. I knew I wasn't supposed to have it, but I was pretty sure the chipper waitress wasn't going to make it to the end of our meal if I didn't have it. On my side was the fact that (A) the coffee sucked so I didn't want any more than I needed, and (B) I sent it away as soon as I'd had the four sips so I wouldn't be tempted.
But really, in the past two days I've managed pretty well. The headache has been pretty well taken care of by Aleve and the occasional Vicodin. That's appropriate, right? I've replaced the coffee in the morning with tea so that I still have a drink each morning in my routine. So far, so good, but I'm going to have to find some other flavor before this month is over because it's not really cutting it.
What's really been impressive is that my children are clearly plotting against my progress without caffeine by scheduling their activities and social life in the worst possible way. Last night I had to pick up The Son, The Nephew and Bonus Son up at the movies at 12:08am. And then I had to be up at 5:30am to take The Nephew to his Track Meet. When I got home, The Toddler and The Princess thought it would be the best time to both arrive in my bed. But I'm no ordinary mother -- I just ignored them, rolled over and went back to sleep. 3 year olds make hot chocolate on gas stoves all the time, right?
Seriously tho, the lack of caffeine really isn't the biggest issue. I love coffee and I appreciated the freedom to drink it as I pleased. I had also come to enjoy a good diet coke when I was eating out. But it's the coffee way more than the soda. I really used it for comfort too, especially when I was trying to be good about not using food for comfort. When I was stressed or sad or feeling anxious or emotional, a foamy vanilla latte was just the cure. Every time.
It's also messing with my mental capabilities. I'm a little less sharp, more forgetful and all over the place. Is there a word for that? But I am also finding it really interesting that this Challenge is the one I've been most dedicated to. I'm really surprised to be finding that out. There were a lot of moments where I wanted some really carby-carbs in January and I knew if I cheated no one would really have to know if I didn't want to know. And I caved a time or two, even tho they weren't big. In February I was imperfect and inconsistent and then had to forgo the hard-core cardio altogether. It wasn't something I was happy to do, but it wasn't that hard for me either. But in every moment that I've wanted to cave and go straight to Starbucks or the soda machine, I've needed only myself. I haven't thought for more than half a second about heading for the IV-caffeine before the angel on the other shoulder reminded me how much getting thru this means. Proud of myself!!!
And it will only get easier. I'm planning on day five being a piece of cake and then it just being a matter of finding new ways to feed my emotions. Are there any vices that are beneficial?? Or would that be an oxymoron?
===================================================================
I have a retraction, of sorts to make, before I sign off. I received an email tonight from my sweet Colorado Uncle with what he called a rebuttal to my last blog post where I said some un-nice things about Irish. The short version is that I'm part Irish.
Whoops.
I knew my dad and his brothers were all given Irish names, some even got Irish middle names. I just thought my grandparents had a fetish. Now I've learned that my GreatGreatGreatGrandmother was 100% Irish. Her name was Catherine Woodward Moir/Keating and being her descendant makes me 3.125% Irish. And, according to my retired-teacher Uncle's math, my kids 1.56%. I'd like to take back the mean things I said about the Irish because I would never speak ill of my children. At least not where they could read it. Or where it's eternally cemented. Or for things they can't control - like being Irish.
Poor things.
I'm really going to have to come to grips with this Irish thing because I enjoy teasing some of my Irish friends relentlessly. I guess I'll mull it over over this pint of Guinness and a Jameson chaser.
Wait - does this mean I'm just being cultural if I start my morning with Baileys in my coffee. If I was allowed to drink coffee, of course?
I'm pretty sure I'm almost thru this withdrawal. Altho today has been rough. I made it until about 5pm today without feeling the pain. But when the headache hit, I was totally unprepared. I wasn't at home, didn't have any pain killers with me and wasn't expecting it. The lack of headache had convinced me that I was as awesome at caffeine withdrawal as I am at everything else in my life and had mastered it in half the time that all the research said I would. But nope. I guess it just take longer to hit each day of the withdrawal.
I have to admit that the pain made me weak. We were having dinner out and I asked the waitress to bring me a cup of half decaf, half regular coffee and I had 3 sips. I knew I wasn't supposed to have it, but I was pretty sure the chipper waitress wasn't going to make it to the end of our meal if I didn't have it. On my side was the fact that (A) the coffee sucked so I didn't want any more than I needed, and (B) I sent it away as soon as I'd had the four sips so I wouldn't be tempted.
But really, in the past two days I've managed pretty well. The headache has been pretty well taken care of by Aleve and the occasional Vicodin. That's appropriate, right? I've replaced the coffee in the morning with tea so that I still have a drink each morning in my routine. So far, so good, but I'm going to have to find some other flavor before this month is over because it's not really cutting it.
 |
| TEA ... yay. |
What's really been impressive is that my children are clearly plotting against my progress without caffeine by scheduling their activities and social life in the worst possible way. Last night I had to pick up The Son, The Nephew and Bonus Son up at the movies at 12:08am. And then I had to be up at 5:30am to take The Nephew to his Track Meet. When I got home, The Toddler and The Princess thought it would be the best time to both arrive in my bed. But I'm no ordinary mother -- I just ignored them, rolled over and went back to sleep. 3 year olds make hot chocolate on gas stoves all the time, right?
Seriously tho, the lack of caffeine really isn't the biggest issue. I love coffee and I appreciated the freedom to drink it as I pleased. I had also come to enjoy a good diet coke when I was eating out. But it's the coffee way more than the soda. I really used it for comfort too, especially when I was trying to be good about not using food for comfort. When I was stressed or sad or feeling anxious or emotional, a foamy vanilla latte was just the cure. Every time.
It's also messing with my mental capabilities. I'm a little less sharp, more forgetful and all over the place. Is there a word for that? But I am also finding it really interesting that this Challenge is the one I've been most dedicated to. I'm really surprised to be finding that out. There were a lot of moments where I wanted some really carby-carbs in January and I knew if I cheated no one would really have to know if I didn't want to know. And I caved a time or two, even tho they weren't big. In February I was imperfect and inconsistent and then had to forgo the hard-core cardio altogether. It wasn't something I was happy to do, but it wasn't that hard for me either. But in every moment that I've wanted to cave and go straight to Starbucks or the soda machine, I've needed only myself. I haven't thought for more than half a second about heading for the IV-caffeine before the angel on the other shoulder reminded me how much getting thru this means. Proud of myself!!!
And it will only get easier. I'm planning on day five being a piece of cake and then it just being a matter of finding new ways to feed my emotions. Are there any vices that are beneficial?? Or would that be an oxymoron?
===================================================================
I have a retraction, of sorts to make, before I sign off. I received an email tonight from my sweet Colorado Uncle with what he called a rebuttal to my last blog post where I said some un-nice things about Irish. The short version is that I'm part Irish.
Whoops.
This means I have to stop wearing shirts like this:
and start wearing one this this?
I knew my dad and his brothers were all given Irish names, some even got Irish middle names. I just thought my grandparents had a fetish. Now I've learned that my GreatGreatGreatGrandmother was 100% Irish. Her name was Catherine Woodward Moir/Keating and being her descendant makes me 3.125% Irish. And, according to my retired-teacher Uncle's math, my kids 1.56%. I'd like to take back the mean things I said about the Irish because I would never speak ill of my children. At least not where they could read it. Or where it's eternally cemented. Or for things they can't control - like being Irish.
Poor things.
I'm really going to have to come to grips with this Irish thing because I enjoy teasing some of my Irish friends relentlessly. I guess I'll mull it over over this pint of Guinness and a Jameson chaser.
Wait - does this mean I'm just being cultural if I start my morning with Baileys in my coffee. If I was allowed to drink coffee, of course?
SLAINTE!
(That's Gaelic for "CHEERS!")
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