Caffeine, Caffeine...joy, joy. The Poll edition.

[Ann.without.an.e]

My caffeine consumption has been slowly creeping up.  And it makes me wonder, how much is "normal"?

 

And what a better way to find out than produce a nifty poll.   :lol:

 

 

ETA - for consistency let's say 8 ounce cups.

Edited January 11, 2018 by Attolia

[Moonhawk]

1. I have a horrible habit of leaving an inch of it in the cup, so can never justify getting a second serving. Doesn't matter how big the cup is, I never seem to finish my coffee. Drives DH crazy, but at least we always know whose mug is whose :) 

[Ann.without.an.e]

1. I have a horrible habit of leaving an inch of it in the cup, so can never justify getting a second serving. Doesn't matter how big the cup is, I never seem to finish my coffee. Drives DH crazy, but at least we always know whose mug is whose :)

 

 

My dd is the same way.  It is a running joke in our house.  

[Word Nerd]

1-2 travel mugs per day (The size varies, but I think the ones I usually use are 16 oz.)

Edited January 11, 2018 by Word Nerd

[Pawz4me]

I don't know how you're defining "cups" so I'll wait to vote until that's clarified.

 

I have four travel mugs of coffee on a normal day. Three of them are caffeinated. I think each one holds 12-14 ounces of coffee.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I don't know how you're defining "cups" so I'll wait to vote until that's clarified.

 

I have four travel mugs of coffee on a normal day. Three of them are caffeinated. I think each one holds 12-14 ounces of coffee.

 

 

I always assume a cup to be 8 oz so I edited it for clarity. Thanks for the heads up that it might need clarification.

[Spryte]

Ok, so I don’t drink coffee coffee. But if you figure that a shot of espresso has the same amount of caffeine as an 8 oz coffee, then ...

 

I drink 2 - 3 espressos every am, I drink them in cappuccino but I’m not talking Starbucks. I make my own. One shot of espresso and approx 5 oz of frothed milk.

 

I usually have one around mid afternoon, sometimes two if we have company and there’s a lot of coffee consumption going on, or if I need a pick me up to stay up beat and energetic.

 

Occasionally, not often, I have single espresso after dinner, if DH and I have plans to stay up late. If those plans mean staying at home, once every 6 mos or so I’ll add a splash of kahlua.

 

So sometimes I have as many as six cups, but normally it’s more like 3-4.

[Pawz4me]

I always assume a cup to be 8 oz so I edited it for clarity. Thanks for the heads up that it might need clarification.

 

Coffee manufacturers' instructions for brewing a "cup" of coffee often means something less than eight ounces. Most refer to using X amount of coffee for every six ounces of water. On many (most?) coffee makers the number of cups made is measured in six ounce increments (so a 10 cup coffee maker makes 60 ounces of coffee). One would assume a cup would always be eight ounces, but apparently that's not so when it comes to coffee. ;)

[ashfern]

I've given up caffeine, again. I do drink one caffeine-free coke zero each day.

[AmandaVT]

I voted 5 - my mug here is 12 oz. I usually have 3 mugs in the am and 1 in the afternoon. I do drink a lot of iced tea in the summer, so that's my winter answer. :-)

[Ann.without.an.e]

I've given up caffeine, again. I do drink one caffeine-free coke zero each day.

 

 

Brave soul.  How's that working out for you?   :laugh:

[AnnE-girl]

I voted three, but it’s (often, ahem) occasionally more like four. I was down to two cups of half decaf during my pregnancies, but I think that’s the least amount of coffee I’ve consumed since college.

[MomtoCandJ]

Ummmm I drink a pot of coffee a day so whatever that is.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Ummmm I drink a pot of coffee a day so whatever that is.

 

 

:lol:

[Catwoman]

My caffeine consumption varies, but I have at least some of it every single day.

 

I’m surprised no one has popped in to discuss how caffeine is an evil addictive drug that we should all avoid. ;) Of course, in my current heavily-caffeinated condition, I might not take such a suggestion in a friendly way, however accurate or well-intended it might be. :D

[Corraleno]

I usually have 2 large (16-20 oz) travel mugs of tea (usually black tea chai) per day, so I voted 4.

 

I couldn't have 4 cups of coffee though, that would make me seriously jittery. At most I might have a tall or grande frappuccino, which has 1-2 shots of espresso. That would be all the caffeine I could handle for the day.

[Catwoman]

Brave soul. How's that working out for you? :laugh:

She’s probably already counting down to her much-anticipated relapse. Or at least that’s what I would be doing... :leaving:

[regentrude]

I do drink one caffeine-free coke zero each day.

 

what is left of coke when you take out the caffeine and the sugar? 

[happypamama]

About 1 cup of coffee a day or so, maybe a little more in the winter when it’s cold, and maybe a soda, but I sometimes base that on how much coffee I’ve had. So 1-2, but occasionally 3.

[Catwoman]

what is left of coke when you take out the caffeine and the sugar?

Caramel coloring? ;)

 

Certainly, all of the fun is gone. The sugar and the caffeine are the key players, as far as I’m concerned.

Edited January 11, 2018 by Catwoman

[fralala]

Caffeine is a drug. I've found it has been extremely effective for my (mild) depression. And that's at just 2-3 cups a day of cold brew coffee. (Along with the squares of dark chocolate that are the daily due of any hard-working parent.)

[Catwoman]

Caffeine is my friend.

 

It also helps a lot when I get migraines.

Edited January 11, 2018 by Catwoman

[Ali in OR]

Just ice water here. I don't like coffee, tea is nothing special but maybe if I'm cold--3 times per year? I do like soda, but trying to limit it to once per week, usually when out. And I'm beginning to think caffeine in the evening isn't a good idea for me, so I try to do caffeine-free for sure if it's dinner-time or later. Anyway, I voted 0.

[Crimson Wife]

Right now I'm having 1 cup that is 2/3 decaf and 1/3 half-caf and then any further cups are 100% decaf. The impact of caffeine on fertility is inconclusive but since I turn 41 in a few weeks, I'm erring on the side of caution.

 

Normally I drink anywhere from 3-4 cups of regular coffee per day.

[Tap]

I have a minimum of 2, sometimes 3.  

 

I have sporadic low blood pressure so my doctor told me to drink caffeine throughout the day and add extra salt to my diet. LOL  Not the recommendation I was expecting. LOL   I generally make a 14 ounce coffee in the morning and sometimes I forget to drink it and throw most of it away.  If I don't drink it, I feel the effects ot the low blood pressure more and will end up drinking a Red Bull to compensate. 

My body responds to stress by lowering my blood pressure.  So when things get rough at work, I have to drink caffeine and have a salty snack to get my bp to increase.  LOL  

[regentrude]

I have two 6oz cups of coffee in the morning and in winter an 8oz mug of black tea in the afternoon.

[historically accurate]

I've never been a coffee or tea drinker, but I used to drink Coke. I don't anymore, so I have 1/2 of a caffeine-water Crystal Light flavored packet every morning. I then switch to only water. That comes out to 8 oz daily as it goes into a 16.9 oz water bottle, so I voted 1 cup. 

[sassenach]

Minimum 2 cups of coffee every morning. In the winter, I often have another cup around 3.

[kitten18]

I voted 4. I usually drink 3 mugs (like the basic kind off Shutterfly, that are 11oz). I figure 3 of those is close to 32oz.

[Heatherwith4]

I voted 2, but I’ve been so tired lately that it’s definitely more.

[kiana]

I have hit other. It is more than 6 cups worth, I believe, but it is in the form of either diet soda (if I'm stressed beyond belief) or caffeine pills (if I'm not). 

 

Caffeineinformer.com is useful if you want to know how much you've consumed. 

[DawnM]

Does 8 ounces of espresso count?   :lol:   Each shot is about 2 ounces, and I usually only have two shots, but sometimes I have 4 throughout the day.

[solascriptura]

About 2 16 oz cups. I love my coffee and find no need to reduce or quit. If I ever do, that will be a sad sad day.

[Miss Tick]

We brew half-caf to avoid headaches if there is a sudden cessation of coffee availability. To further complicate my calculation after the first lovely cup i switch to pouring myself half cups so they stay warmer. DH, the dear, tries hard to split the coffee evenly, but my focus tends to be "More, more, more!" Too much hassle to make a second pot, though. Anyway, I voted 2.

[Rachel]

I’m not sure how to vote, I don’t drink real coffee but I have a mocha every morning. Before pregnancy it was two cups, which is about the same caffeine as one cup of regular coffee. Then I would also have a can of Dr Pepper later in the day most days.

 

Now I’m down to one mocha per day (45 mg caffeine) and about one Dr Pepper per week.

[Mommyof1]

Hot tea in the morning. Every once awhile a grande mocha from Starbucks.

[creekland]

I detest coffee, but think caffeine is healthy for our brains - at least in reasonable quantities. 

 

At home I drink a regular sized mug of green tea each morning and I'm down to half a 16 oz bottle of caffeinated soda in the early afternoon.

 

When we travel it's usually all sodas because I also don't like cold or bottled tea.  I also don't limit sodas then as I sometimes need to stay up later in the evening and late afternoon caffeine does that trick nicely.

 

I just have to wean back down once we return home.  I'd be ok with the caffeine.  I don't like that much sugary drinks - well, I do like the flavor, but not what it could be doing for my health.

 

I wish I liked tea better.  I like some herbal teas, but those don't have caffeine.

[JudoMom]

I drink 3-4 large mugs of coffee each day. I think they're about 14 oz. And then there's the Coke Zero I drink at lunch. So, honestly, more than 6.

 

I also drink a good amount of water!

 

Caffeine is my one weakness ;).

[SparklyUnicorn]

About 4ish mugs of coffee.  I use about half of what the instructions say to use when making it.

 

 

[fraidycat]

Other: Some days I drink 12-24 oz. (1-2 travel mugs full) of black tea. Other days I drink zero.

 

I used to drink 1- 3 carafes full of tea per day, but I accidentally weaned off. It was not a conscious decision, but just a habit that became less habitual over time.

[Guest]

I have a hot beverage every morning; sometimes it is coffee, sometimes it is tea. It is nearly always caffeinated, but I only use sugar if it’s coffee. (Otherwise, it’s stevia.) I think if I were an ideal human being, it would not be coffee ever because I have IBS and really, coffee does me no favors. I have quit for periods of time before. Strangely enough, the main reason I have a coffee instead of a tea is entirely because I am so slow in the morning. If I want coffee, DH will make me one because he is already making his own. If I want tea, I’m on my own. (This is also why it is sugar if it’s coffee; if DH makes it, he isn’t going to make mine a special way and put stevia in it. He’s all about maximum efficiency and can’t be bothered with crafting it or anything.

[ScoutTN]

When I have coffee, I usually make 2 cups in the morning, but it is half-caf. 

Sometimes I have hot tea instead. 

 

I do not need the caffeine or get headaches without it. 

 

[eternalsummer]

You might ask, rather, how many coffee units of caffeine people have per day (a lot of people drink tea or coke or something instead of coffee).

[ktgrok]

Right now I'm having 1 cup that is 2/3 decaf and 1/3 half-caf and then any further cups are 100% decaf. The impact of caffeine on fertility is inconclusive but since I turn 41 in a few weeks, I'm erring on the side of caution.

 

Normally I drink anywhere from 3-4 cups of regular coffee per day.

Maybe that's why I'm subconsciously drinking more? I'm about to turn 42 and we are done having kids. Maybe this is my new form of birth control? No, wait. That's the teething baby. She's pretty good birth-control.and why I need more caffeine, come to think of it. Edited January 11, 2018 by ktgrok

[Catwoman]

You might ask, rather, how many coffee units of caffeine people have per day (a lot of people drink tea or coke or something instead of coffee).

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I have no idea what a “coffee unit of caffeine†is, and I’m too lazy to go look it up! :)

[eternalsummer]

Hah, fair enough!  I think it's about 2 cups of tea or a can of coke.  I am not sure myself!

[Catwoman]

Hah, fair enough! I think it's about 2 cups of tea or a can of coke. I am not sure myself!

:lol: That’s ok — I’m probably too caffeinated to do the math correctly, anyway!

[ondreeuh]

I am currently mostly caffeine-free. I stopped drinking coffee maybe a year ago, and as of Jan. 1 I have also stopped alcohol and soda (I realize alcohol is caffeine-free - just saying I changed what I drink). I get terrible reflux, plus I don't need the calories ... I sometimes drink tea - about half the time it's peppermint or a digestive blend, but the other half it is black tea (PG Tips).

 

I find that when I am in the habit of drinking coffee, I feel like I need at least a half-hour in the morning to sip my coffee and slowly wake up. When I quit coffee, I wake up energetic and ready to go! I've never heard anyone else say that, so maybe it's just me. But I can roll out of bed and be productive right away, which I didn't do when I was "waiting for my coffee to work."

 

I do miss the ... regularity that coffee brought. My system has always been a bit sluggish, and coffee helped. I once mentioned that to a friend and he was astounded - then he looked it up and discovered that for some people, it does indeed have that effect.

Edited January 11, 2018 by ondreeuh

[eternalsummer]

I am currently mostly caffeine-free. I stopped drinking coffee maybe a year ago, and as of Jan. 1 I have also stopped alcohol and soda (I realize alcohol is caffeine-free - just saying I changed what I drink). I get terrible reflux, plus I don't need the calories ... I sometimes drink tea - about half the time it's peppermint or a digestive blend, but the other half it is black tea (PG Tips).

 

I find that when I am in the habit of drinking coffee, I feel like I need at least a half-hour in the morning to sip my coffee and slowly wake up. When I quit coffee, I wake up energetic and ready to go! I've never heard anyone else say that, so maybe it's just me. But I can roll out of bed and be productive right away, which I didn't do when I was "waiting for my coffee to work."

 

I do miss the ... regularity that coffee brought. My system has always been a bit sluggish, and coffee helped. I once mentioned that to a friend and he was astounded - then he looked it up and discovered that for some people, it does indeed have that effect.

 

 

This is also my experience with caffeine, but it does take a long time for my system to be really out of dependency - weeks, generally.

 

At any rate, it makes biological/chemical sense, because when you sleep you go through caffeine withdrawal and when you wake up, you're in withdrawal (assuming you drink caffeine regularly, which most caffeine drinkers do) - so you wake up more tired than you would if your system wasn't dependent on the chemical.

[happi duck]

I answered other because I average 1.5 cups per day.

 

Everyday I have at least one cup and some days I have two.

 

I try not to go past two because getting jittery can affect my anxiety.