Revisiting my Starbucks Addiction

I subscribe to a few minimalist blog posts and one them shared a link to a blog about a Port Moody woman who decided to do a yearlong shopping ban. The blog post was written after she had finished her year-long experiment and shared her learnings.

One of the things she gave up was a latte a day habit. I winced a bit when I read that. Yeah, $5/day does add up over time. She said it took her almost 9 months to get over that habit. In her words

The takeout coffee ban also had a huge win, as it was during this time that I finally started to feel like spending $5 on a latte was a huge waste of money. I just stopped valuing the drink and the experience that came with it.

Oh geez. I'm sitting in Starbucks as I write this... sipping my $3.62 grande hot chocolate. Yeah... so much for kicking Starbucks to the curb. I am a great rationalizer. Like a supremo-prime-expert rationalizer. I've been biking to Starbucks on weekday afternoons and rationalizing that I've just exercised and that I do great writing at Starbucks - ergo... I can justify/rationalize my Starbucks habit.

It came as a bit of a wake-up call to realize that getting over my Starbucks habit could take as long as 9 months. I don't know what I was thinking... that 66 days would be enough (the latest scientific number for how many days it takes to form a habit). When I gave up drinking Coke on July 7, 2009, it took me months and months before I no longer craved the sugar and the caffeine.

I've tried to give up my Starbucks habit several times over the last 6 months... sometimes for as long as a week but... it never lasted. I can always rationalize a visit... On top of that, I've put on a couple of pounds in the last 6 months... chalk that up to hot chocolate and beer - empty liquid calories. Yeah sure, they make me feel good... at least temporarily, but in the long run, I feel like crap.

I know what's required... a choice to stop... and self-discipline and committment to myself to honour my choice and my word. That's all. Sounds easy... so why is it so hard?

I've read a lot about forming habits... start small, be accountable, don't miss two days in a row, change the triggers, set up reminders, don't change too many habits at once. But really... it all comes down to the that initial choice/decision. I haven't really decided yet... because if I had... I wouldn't be here at Starbucks sipping a hot chocolate!

I'm going to be 50 in about 5 months... a milestone if there ever was one. When that auspicious day comes... do I want to be headed downwards (fatter, slower, more tired) or upwards (leaner, faster, more energy)? It's up to me...

Status of Kicking Sugar to the Curb

Well... what to say. I did pretty well in January and February, not so good in March and horrible in April! My goal was to limit by consumption of Starbucks hot chocolate and to reduce my sugar intake. I haven't been doing so well on either front.

I know that sugar is an addictive substance... and I seem to be living proof of that! I like my peanut M&Ms. If I don't go to Starbucks, I make my own hot chocolate, which has sugar in it... and sometimes even have two of those in a day. I come up with all sorts of excuses.

• I've been working hard
• I deserve a reward
• It's just one packet of M&Ms
• It's just one hot chocolate
• I'll turn over a new leaf tomorrow

A small part of the sweetener section at Superstore.

But tomorrow never seems to come. The funny thing is... I've been here before, many times actually.

I used to drink quite a bit of Coca Cola... up to 3 or 4 cans a day. Every once in a while I would go cold turkey and suffer the effects of caffeine and sugar withdrawal for a week. But then I would slowly start drinking Coke again - a can at 2 pm... then 1 pm... then 10 am and another at 2 pm. And so it would go.

I quit Coke many times... but always started drinking again. Until, one day, I did actually stop. It was July 7, 2009. It wasn't easy. I had cravings for months afterwards. I had trouble watching other people drink Coke. I would look at it longingly through the glass doors in the convenience stores. But... eventually... I got over the hump, and I've been good ever since. And that gives me hope.

Part of the problem with Starbucks hot chocolate is the ambience here. I like the comfy leather chairs. I like the sombre paint colours (brown, beige, grey). I find it all very soothing. And that is probably part of the problem. I'm not just addicted to the hot chocolate and sugar, I'm addicted to the environment at Starbucks. And the addictions go hand-in-hand. I've tried to come to Starbucks and have a tea... it's not the same. I have created a ritual with my Starbucks visits and deviating from that ritual doesn't satisfy me in the same way.

So, perhaps it is time to alter my morning routines/rituals. Particularly on the weekends when I am most susceptible to the siren call of Starbucks. I get up early, grab my laptop bag and head out at 5:30 in the morning. It is calm and peaceful here and I can get some writing done. But perhaps it is time to try something else... get up early, grab my camera bag and head out at 5:30 a.m. to get some cool early morning pictures. I used to do that... but I don't anymore. So, if I am going to eliminate Starbucks, I need to replace it with something else, something that is soothing and brings me joy.

Looking back over the last 6 years, all I really did was replace my Coke habit with my hot chocolate habit... replaced one sugar addiction with another. I suppose at some point, I just have to make the decision and stick with it. And be alert to the other ways in which sugar might try to sneak into my life.

Update on the Book-buying and Hot Chocolate Addictions

First the good news! I haven't bought a single book this year! That's a definite step-forward. I have been regularly borrowing books from the local public library and that keeps my book-cravings in check. The fact that the books have a deadline (3 weeks) also means that I am a bit more intentional about reading them. On the other hand, my tendency to read more than one book at once means that I sometimes have to send books back without having finished them. Sometimes that is due to the fact that I tried to read too many books at once. Other times that is simply due to the fact that the book wasn't all that interesting and I got bogged down in it.

It's also true that sometimes I put in too many requests and they all get delivered the same week and I find myself swamped in books. My eyes are sometimes bigger than my mind it seems. So many books - so little time!!

So, that's the good news. The bad news... well, although I have been able to keep my Starbucks visits down to the weekends, more or less, my hot chocolate addiction hasn't shown any signs of improvement in other areas. I have been making home-made hot chocolate using sugar, cocoa, milk and the microwave. Every morning, after the rush is over, I make my hot chocolate and savour it as I get into the routine of my writing. But... some days I want a second one... and sometimes I make a second one. Which is not good! The point of Kicking Starbucks to the curb was to: (a) save money and (b) cut down on the sugar and (c) lose weight. So far, I am only ticking the box on (a).

So... I've been doing a bit of research into sugar... and realizing that I am a bit of a sugar addict. As a result... as of Easter Tuesday, we are going to go on a serious sugar fast. Which means cutting out my weekday hot chocolates. Sigh... so sad! I did an experiment the last couple of days and instead of having my hot chocolate, had water with lemon in it. Not the same. Not at all. But apparently the lemon water will help my taste-buds to reset. Ugh.

A Bad Month for Hot Chocolate

So, how is my relationship with Starbucks hot chocolate? Well... there's been a bit of back-sliding. I had sort of thought that I would treat myself to a hot chocolate on the weekends (Saturday AND Sunday)... but it is a Tuesday and here I sit guiltily sipping a hot chocolate. Today's hot chocolate was a free one - an earned reward, but still. I am over my monthly limit.

As for the home-made hot chocolate... they definitely fill the void except... some days I have two of them! I think that I was planning to wean myself off hot chocolate during February and March. Well... I can say, February wasn't much of a weaning month!

I do notice that if I don't have my hot chocolate in the morning, I tend to be a bit cranky and have a headache that starts to develop. Ahhh... the joys of caffeine withdrawal. It reminds me of the days when I drank Coca Cola every day, several times a day. I went off the cola several times but never stayed away for long. Until I finally called it quits in 2009 and went cold turkey. The first year was tough but now I hardly think about it. I think I have finally kicked the cola habit. But... I'm wondering if I am not built for the weaning-method. Maybe I just need to quit the hot chocolate cold-turkey and call it quits for good. Which would mean I would lose my Starbucks time, which I genuinely like on the weekends. A dilemma...

I will see how March plays out... perhaps the trick is to wean myself off the weekday hot chocolates and leave the weekend ones in place. It's kind of annoying to be at the mercy of chocolate and sugar. I am a human being... I should be able to make these choices. Shouldn't I?

Update on the Hot Chocolate Situation

Soooo... how did I do with Starbucks in January? Pretty good actually. I spent less than $20 going to Starbucks, which is very good. I limited myself to weekend visits and stayed away on the weekdys. Which is super good!

On the other hand, since I was spending more time working from home, I found that I was craving a hot chocolate in the mornings. I tried a President's Choice powdered hot chocolate which you add to hot milk. Disgusting. So I bought the Starbucks boxed hot chocolate packets. Eight packets to a box... $9/box. Pricey. No doubt about it.

So a few blogs ago, I found a "DIY Starbucks Hot Chocolate" online. It seemed quite simple. Cocoa, sugar, milk, vanilla extract. Cheap too.... For $9, I could get a big tin of pure cocoa powder and make umpteen cups of hot chocolate. Way cheaper.

Yesterday I gave it a whirl. I think I used a bit too much milk but the final product was very drinkable - quite delicious in fact! It did taste a bit sweet to me... and I only used 1.5 tablespoons of sugar instead of the recommended 2 tablespoons. So  I will have to tweak the sugar down a bit. That's the beauty of making your own hot chocolate. You can adjust the ingredients to match your personal taste buds! Who knew.

I always thought making hot chocolate from cocoa and milk was a long, drawn out process requiring minutes spent stirring milk on the stove, trying to bring it to a simmer without burning it. Pffft... not required! Just nuke the milk in the microwave. Making a hot chocolate from cocoa, milk and sugar is super easy.

Now... I have to admit... my ultimate goal in kicking Starbucks to the curb (at least on weekdays) was twofold. One, I wanted to reduce the amount of money spent on my "habit". I think I've accomplished that. Two, I wanted to reduce my hot chocolate intake and lose a bit of weight in the process. Not there yet.

My goal for February and March is to gradually reduce my hot chocolate intake on weekdays. Ideally to nothing. I figure my tin of cocoa ($9!) can make 30 cups of hot chocolate. Soooo... that should last me for two months as I slowly wean myself away from the sugar, the caffeine and the ultra-licious "mouth-feel" of hot chocolate. Wish me luck!

DIY Starbucks Hot Chocolate

OK, I admit it... I am also a hot chocolate addict, at least when it comes to Starbucks hot chocolate. You can keep your Timmies hot chocolate. Ick. But Starbucks... mmm... the best hot chocolate!

Now, since the beginning of January, I have drastically cut my Starbucks time - no weekday visits. I still go on the weekends, because I do love the ambiance at Starbucks. Which is fine. But the weekdays are like a desert for me. Sooo... I've bought some boxes of Starbucks hot chocolate - 8 packets to a box. Yummy... but still a bit of the pricey side.

Last night, I had a bit of a brainwave. If I can make DIY peanut butter... surely it must be possible to make DIY Starbucks hot chocolate! A bit of searching on the internet and... I am not the only one to have this brainwave! Three different sites all gave the same recipe... so here it is:

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

So simple. Combine water, sugar and cocoa in a 16 oz microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until hot (depends on your microwave). Mix it well - you now have a mocha syrup. Add the milk to the syrup and zap it again in the microwave for 1 to 1.5 minutes, or until hot. Add that splash of vanilla extract and... voila... Starbucks hot chocolate. Or so they say. Reviewers of this recipe suggest adding 1/8 tsp salt or perhaps a dash of cinnamon or peppermint.

I have yet to try this recipe - going grocery shopping tomorrow and will report back.

Moving Forward often means... You can't go Back

I thought I'd post an update on my progress so far this month.

I have actually done very well on kicking Starbucks to the curb!

I went once last weekend and once this weekend - I am sitting in one right now, in fact. I went to the nearest Starbucks, which used to be my favourite one. I walked in the door and... they had gotten rid of my favourite comfy chairs in the corner. Shoot.

It had been the perfect seating area - it had an electrical outlet for my battery-challenged laptop. It had two brown leather chairs. It wasn't near any of the speakers which could be too loud sometimes.

As I walked in, I debated walking right out again and going to the other Starbucks. But I pushed through that, and now here I sit on an upholstered banquette with a table that is too high for comfortable laptopping. So my laptop is... on my lap.

There are 4 comfy chairs across the store but they are nowhere near an electrical outlet and so... here I sit, a bit disgruntled. I should have expected this - stores are forever changing their layouts, and I haven't been to this one in eons. I had moved on from this Starbucks and... they have too. We are no longer a perfect fit, which is kind of sad.

I suppose that is what happens in life. With coffee shops. With former co-workers. With friends in distant cities. We move on, they move on, and slowly we drift apart. It takes effort to maintain the relationship, the connection. Without any connection, the relationship can move on, beyond our comfort zone. The Christmas cards get shorter. The emails get more infrequent. So it goes. When we move on... we need to move forward, not keep looking back and holding on to the things, or the people, who have also moved on. Our direction may not match their direction. It did at one point... but there is no guarantee that we will continue to move in the same direction in the future. Let it go.

I also have to admit, this hot chocolate tastes overly sweet to me - not like I remember it. Another sign that my love-affair with Starbucks hot chocolate may be a thing of the past. I think I am ready to let go of this Starbucks.

Kicking Starbucks to the Curb

I like going to Starbucks at 5:30 a.m. I like the ambiance. The music. The comfy chairs. The decor. I like the fact that very few people are around at that hour of the morning. I can sit down in a quiet corner, plug my laptop into a wall outlet, connect to the free wifi and work away contentedly for several hours. My morning Starbucks visits are very soothing... but also fairly expensive.