What can I tell you, I have a lot of things to chat about and no nice way to weave them all together. I’m still not drinking coffee, remember? I’m not convinced my brain is functioning at 100%.
My cup does not runneth over. Unless you count herbal tea. AND HERBAL TEA DOESN’T COUNT.
So. No caffeine. Wanna know how that is going? LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT WITH ALL OF MY EXTRA ENERGY…ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz. Actually all kidding aside, I am very happy to be doing it, because it is clear that I have been super dependent on caffeine. I’ve been bitching month over month here on this site about how hard it is for me to get 8-9 hours of sleep per night even though I knew that would be more ideal. Well guess what? Take away my coffee (even though I was only drinking it until noon) and now I’m sleeping like a baby! I’m also feeling a lot more rested in the morning, which is (not really that) surprising. It took 3 or 4 days to get there (and those mornings? Well, let us not speak of those mornings) but now that I’m here, I like it.
I have been drinking a ridiculous amount of herbal tea, but hey guess what is in herbal tea? Water. Aaaaaaaand it is water that doesn’t dehydrate you the way coffee does! Win! So I have been feeling exceptionally hydrated lately which has been different. Rather than get out of bed, go straight to the coffee pot and drink only caffeinated beverages until noon, and then panic about hydration and drink a metric ton of water until I work out — instead I’ve been coasting along feeling fabulous and hydrated all day. Well the fabulous part goes until I get sleepy. Decaffeinated Life would be so great if I could just sleep 9 hours per night and take a mid day nap. HA!
In the end though, all of these things are good things. Of course they are all also terrible things because I was hoping to quit coffee and see absolutely no positive effects so that I could just go back to drinking it whenever I wanted. But it seems that will not be the case. Groan! Not sure what I will do when the month is over, but I definitely can’t go back. I guess I will wait to see what my skin has to say since that was the point of this whole crazytown charade.
******
Speaking of skin, I’ve been using the Clarisonic for about two weeks now (only for one minute per day, as directed, with the sensitive skin brush), so while I am not ready to completely formulate my opinion, I do have some thoughts and they are as follows:
1. My life has not changed at all. Internet, you lied.
2. The parts of my skin that looked pretty good (cheeks, forehead, etc) definitely look better. I will definitely agree to this “glowy” thing that everyone keeps talking about.
3. BUT…the parts of my skin that looked bad? Well, they still look bad.
4. Also, my face does not “feel cleaner.” I am a person who suffers from adult acne. I was definitely already cleaning my face pretty damn well. The Clarisonic does not give me a “cleaner” feeling.
5. I do feel like my moisturizer soaks in better.
Unofficial review complete.
Overall Summary: THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON WHETHER YOU ARE WORTH $100, CLARISONIC.
Obviously, I will keep you posted!
****
Completely unrelated, yet still important, I need to tell you some cool things. Please understand that I am very uncool.
Cool thing # 1: I ran seven miles on Sunday. SEVEN. In a row. On purpose. For the record, I had never done that in my life before. And it felt pretty freaking awesome! The thing is, when I started CrossFit I could not run 100m comfortably. On Sunday I RAN SEVEN MILES COMFORTABLY. Well, let’s not split hairs about the word comfortable because there was a lot of huffing and puffing and thank god I did it with Sarah because OMG, she told me stories the whole time while I gasped for oxygen! But I did it. So it still counts as a check plus in the Rad Column!
Cool Thing # 2: I never have time to watch marathons of fun television shows because I don’t have that much free time in the evenings after work, working out and cooking dinner so if there is any tv watching at all it is usually something that both Garrett + I will watch which generally include: Monday Night Football, Real Housewives of Some Place, Iterations of Top Chef, Football on Thursday nights, or Other Sundry Reality Shows.
At the same time, the other morning I was sitting on the couching drinking my piping hot cup of Not Coffee thinking, man there is nothing good to watch on tv at 5am. (Garrett’s at work so I don’t watch our shared DVR programs.) Wish there was some great show to be engrossed in that came on at 5am.
And then it came to me: YOU LIVE IN THIS CENTURY AND CAN STREAM SHOWS FROM NETFLIX 24 HOURS A DAY. So, 5am to 6am is now the TV Power Hour while drinking my Not Coffee. I can catch up on all the silly marathons of television programs that I want MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAA. (What the hell took me so long to put that together???)
So far I’m getting caught up on Revenge, and last week I started Sons of Anarchy. The latter I had to check out because for last week’s Ass Whooping Wod A Thon at CrossFit we were put in teams and had to dress up as a characters from a TV Show or movie. Our team chose Sons of Anarchy, so I at least had to know a bit about what was up. I wore a neck tattoo that looked like a hickey. It was classy.
Anyway, the TV Hour has changed my life! Which is a lot more than I can say for the Clarisonic, but there is still hope.
Ah! I’m the same on the Clarisonic! I got the Mia for my birthday two years ago and I was super disappointed. I also have adult acne (rosacea? I don’t know…), and my skin seems to react better to milder exfoliation. Over-exfoliating actually makes my acne worse.
I did get the super-sensitive brush for the Clarisonic, which made it *better*. But I still don’t get the “ah, my skin is amazing, all I want to do is touch it!” experience that seems so universal.
Good luck 🙂
yesterday, i did not have coffee all morning and it was unbearable…i am just not ready to give up my cup of joe…paleo lifestyle has taken all my other vices so i am clinging to my morning coffee…as long as i can…once upon a time i said i would never give up bread or dairy and look at me now!!!
about your skin…i have a thought, which is strange since i am a reader and a stranger but a few months ago i started using oil to clean my face and my skin has never been better. i never have had positive comments about my skin but now i get them often…and i am 40! in the shower, every other day, i use a vitamin e oil…i slather a bit of oil on my face and rub it in, especially around my nose and hairline….then i use a washcloth to scrub it off. On alternate days i just use a washcloth to scrub (gently). I don’t even need a moisturizer, just an SPF cover. You should try it…can’t hurt.
wow, that sounded bossy…not the intent!
Ha! Not bossy at all, I totally get it. I’ve tried Oil Cleansing a few times and it gives me a rash (ON MY FACE, OMG) so I have stayed away from it, but with The Skin Care Experiment I am potentially going to reintroduce it. Either way, I’ll definitely update how it goes.
I’m on day 4 of no coffee…actually I was a creamer drinker with a splash of coffee and it is killing me. I had the same hope that you did that I would see no positive effect but even on day four I see a dramatic improvement in how I am feeling….I should be happy about this but instead I am mad so I feel you pain:(
So true! I’ve even noticed that I am less irritable at work (and in life, of course. ha!) and it is pretty dramatic. I am sad to attribute this to caffeine, but it kind of makes sense. I was drinking A LOT and hello, it’s a stimulant — not surprising I was always a bit on edge. It’s definitely helped me slow down and chill out (mostly because I’ve been so dang SLEEPY at first) but now that I have…it’s kind of nice 🙂
Holly, inspired by the changes you’re making, I decided to step up my game and I’ve also started using the oil cleansing method. Granted, I do have pretty clear skin, but I also have extremely sensitive skin and had been dealing with some weird-under-the skin-bumps-that-occasionally-turn-into-an-awful-breakout on my jawline. After cleansing with oil TWICE, these little buggers were completely gone! And my skin is super moisturized and supple, which is nice. I feel like I can get ahead of the anti-aging skincare routine at 27! I should mention that I cheated and ordered an oil mix from Crunchy Betty.
I’ve also been taking a fermented cod liver oil/butter oil combo and I swear I’ve seen an improvement in my energy (not as tired, especially after work), my eyes are brighter (again, especially after work – staring at a PC screen all day), my skin is softer… the list is endless. I’m so on-board that my very skeptical boyfriend is now taking it too – and he’s taking the liquid version (gag – I’m taking the capsules). That alone speaks volumes!
I gave up caffeine over four years ago and have never gone back! It’s the way to be! (I do drink a few decaf lattes per week and since I don’t drink any other caffeine, the amount in a decaf affects me. Crazy!)
Ok, more importantly, I need to know how you like Sons of Anarchy because it is such an awesome show!!!! I’m always trying to convince my girlfriends to watch it and they are skeptical, so what do you think??
On a different note, I gave up caffeine for a month almost two years ago and pretty much never looked back. If I go to Peet’s for the very occasional latte, I have to get decaf and even that makes me too jittery, but overall I love not relying on caffeine. It’s hard because, like so many non-paleo foods, it tastes great but ultimately makes me feel bad 🙁
You might have already done this, but have you washed your face the normal way and then wash it again with the clarisonic? Just one day as a test. I wear a lot of foundation to cover my adult acne and tried this test. Even after i did my normal wash, the clarisonic brush was covered in foundation the second go around. Not sure if you wear makeup. If not, then you might be right that it’s not getting your skin any cleaner.
AMaaaazing with the no caffeine. I’m on my 4th Whole30 in a year, have NO problem eat paleo, but I gave up caffeine for ONE day and threw in the towel.
HOW did you make it through those first few days??
Also, you may have posted about this before…but have you tried the Oil Cleansing Method ( I learned it from Cavegirleats.com) and it really did change my life :).
Ahhhhh – i just read your reply to someone else! Ooops!
Did you stop the coffee because of the caffeine? Coffee is my comfort drink but I don’t think I really need the caffeine, so I’ve been thinking of trying “decaf”…
I am kind a bummed you don’t rave about the Clarisonic, because I heard so many good things and am seriously tempted to give it a try. What exactly does it promise? Just cleaner skin? Less breakouts?
So much about this post made me laugh.
And ahhhhh those Housewives.
Tell me you are watching Miami? Is it not SO MUCH BETTER this season????
Oh man, the Clarisonic thing is super disappointing! I was going to ask for one for Christmas but now I’m not so sure…HMMMM.
I’m not giving up on it yet, A’Dell but two weeks in I would say only so-so. If it turns magical, you will be the first to know!
Long time reader-first time commenter..:) First of all, your story is very inspiring & I love to read about what you’re eating! I just had to throw in my two cents about my personal experience with Clarisonic.. I also suffer from adult acne & oily/dry skin, it’s a GREAT combo. I have found that although on a daily basis, I don’t notice huge differences with my skin while using the Clarisonic, overall, i have a lot less blackheads/clogged pores. If I stop using it for awhile, then I start to break out on my chin/jaw area pretty badly, with noticeable blackheads. To be fair, I have been using the Clarisonic for about 2 years now, on & off, & I just now realized this cycle. I also wear mineral makeup(Alima brand) & without the Clarisonic, my makeup never completely came off. I always noticed this when I would be at a hotel using their white towels..leftover makeup-YUCK! I started using Evan Healy products last winter when my skin was so dry it was flaking, & haven’t stopped since. They have a Blue line specifically for sensitive/eczema/sun-burned skin. It’s helped my skin so much. My advice is don’t give up on the Clarisonic just yet, it took me some time, but it helps my skin a lot, in small ways 🙂
That’s probably true — and I’m not giving up on it just yet! But the way everyone talks about it you would think it cleans your house and cooks you dinner too! 🙂 I’ll keep using it though. And that Evan Healy site looks fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! Thanks for passing the info on!
I agree that there are some CRAZY positive reviews for the Clarisonic that make you think you will wake up looking 30 years younger with perfect skin. Soooooo not the case! 🙂 I forgot to mention-if you’re on FB, Evan Healy has a page, where she actually responds to your questions directly. It’s kind of nice if you’re overwhelmed by the sheer variety of products she makes. Just wanted to share! 🙂 🙂
Okay, so, I like my Clarisonic a LOT, but agree with what you said. It makes the good better, but the bad stays bad. I’ve battled acne my whole life. Diet changes helped, but didnt clear it up entirely. Honestly, the one product that has well and truly worked has been the Rodan and Fields line for acne control. RF did proactiv. I was STUNNED at how well it worked for me. It clears up beautifully and because it is a face wash, toner, acne treatment and then lotion, you get 2% sacylic acid in each step. My friend actually sells the stuff and I was skeptical at first, but after using it, I am in love. I highly highly highly recommend. If you want any more information, feel free to email me!
Congrats on running 7 miles! I absolutely despise running, but you make me want to attempt some sprints or something. Sons of Anarchy is sooooo good, I hope you like it!
WE ARE SO AWESOME.
(Except I had to walk yesterday and I think I walked maybe 4 miles total (it was 3.5 hours, damn!) and my knee and hips are so sore today. Like, more sore than running seven miles. So that’s stupid.)
Sons of Anarchy is AWESOME.
Just thought i would chime in about the clarisonic. i know someone who had acne who bought and used one and her skin flipped out, like 10 times worse than before. so she went to a dermatologist and was informed that the brush creates tiny tears in the skin and distributes and deposits bacteria all over your face into those tears. NOT GOOD.
Yeah, I have heard this too! I am not having that experience (um…yet?) but I guess I just thought it was worth rolling the dice? We’ll see what happens…
Pingback: Hunger Strike