My Starbucks Addiction

I don't drink coffee, I can't stand the taste. I don't drink pop, the bubbles hurt my mouth and throat (I know, I know... weird, but true). I can drink regular black tea, but I don't really enjoy it. I went through University and my early adulthood without drinking any source of caffeine.

Then one day, I discovered Chai Teas at Starbucks.

It was a slow growing addiction that took years to develop. In the end though I was buying a Venti Chai every day (sometimes 2) AND made my own at home as well.  I was probably drinking around 60 oz (~7.5 cups!) of tea a day.  That equals: 900 calories, 15 g of fat, and 360 mg of caffeine.

Thinking about Starbucks or driving by a Starbucks literally makes my mouth water.  I think about it ALL the time.  I don't just like the hit of caffeine, I love the taste as well.

A month ago I woke up and we had no Chai at home and I decided before I even got out of bed, I was going to start breaking this habit. Having Chai in the house just made things worse for me. I can't resist something when it is so easily available.  My only source was now actually going to a Starbucks. I dropped my consumption down to a Grande once a day (16 oz (2 cups), 240 calories, 4 g of fat, and100 mg of caffeine).

I was pretty tired and grumpy that first week.  It was hard.  It was especially hard on the weekends or the days I only worked an afternoon shift.  I was trying to drink my tea mid day so that I wouldn't NEED it first thing in the morning.  But drinking tea first thing was a habit I really missed.  When I finally got my tea for the day it was bliss.  I instantly felt better, more active and happier.

After 2 weeks of that, I cut myself down to one Tall per day (12 oz (1.5 cups), 180 calories, 3 g fat and 75 mg of caffeine).  I am now at the end of those 2 weeks.

In 4 weeks I only cheated twice - the day I drove to Cranbrook to go skiing I drank 2 Grandes (I told myself that I didn't want to fall asleep while driving) and yesterday I got a Grande instead of a tall (no reasonable excuse for this one, I think the thought of not drinking them regularly any more pushed me over the edge).

Today is the last day of daily teas and in fact, I just took my last sip. I will allow myself to get one on "special occasions" - i.e. when I meet a friend, or have a long drive or a particularly sleepless night.

But honestly, I don't want it to end and I find myself thinking of ways to prolong the inevitable (I can get a Short Chai, what about getting one every second day, what if I reduce the "shots" of chai mix (I've neglected to mention that for a few years, I've been getting an extra shot of chai in my orders), etc.).

I'm not sure if my addiction is to the caffeine, the habit, or the flavour.  When I look at how much caffeine is in coffee as a comparison, I'm drinking next to nothing. A Tall Pike Roast (i.e. regular coffee) at Starbucks has 260 mg of caffeine which is more than 3 times what I currently get. So you'd think that no longer drinking caffeine at this point would be a cake walk.  But it isn't.  I still feel a major difference after I drink a tea.

There are a few reasons that I wanted to stop drinking tea.

1. The Expense - A Venti Chai is just under $5 a day and this does add up.  Although as I don't have any other frivolous spending habits, this reason is not a major motivator for me.  I don't buy shoes, I don't buy clothes, I don't eat out, I don't drink alcohol much... I just drink Tea!
2. The Calories - 900 calories a day helps explain my expanding waist line!
3. The Addiction - It really bothers me to NEED a tea to function properly.  

This last one is what really gets me.  If I had never starting drinking caffeine in the first place, I would feel as good when I woke up in the morning as I do now after drinking a tea. 

So here goes nothing!

My next 2 weeks will be completely caffeine free (and please don't tell me there is caffeine in chocolate - there is, but it is really, really minimal and you can't tell a caffeine craving girl to give up chocolate too - that would push me over the edge!).  After that, I'll allow myself to have up to 2 "talls" a week but only when I NEED them.

I'm hoping one day my mouth will stop watering at the sight of a Starbucks.