tragic starbucks addiction

I am absolutely addicted to Starbucks.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who think they have the same problem, but they are nowhere near as obsessed as I am. I guarantee it. I love being in Starbucks. I go there with friends, family or by myself to study, read, think, etc. Pretty much anything. I love Starbucks coffee. I love Starbucks pastries. I love everything about Starbucks.

Nearly every morning I wake up with a Starbucks craving. It is usually bad enough that I don't even try to fight it. I tell myself I'll just go and have plain coffee. Then when I get there I think of all the delicious things I can have that aren't plain coffee, and usually end up with something very high in sugar, whipped cream, and of course, calories. I can never resist the pastries, either. They always look so delicious. Especially when there's a new one I've never tried before. By the time I leave I've usually spent 700-800 calories.

Without Starbucks, it would be so easy to stay within my daily calorie limit. Instead, I keep on ruining it. I've even tried replacing meals with Starbucks so I won't go over my calories, but despite the high calorie count, their drinks/pastries are never terribly filling, so I end up getting hungry and eating an extra meal anyway.

Basically: I need help!!!! How to fight evil addiction??? Willpower does not work. I honestly feel like I can't survive the day without Starbucks. It's horrible.

Not sure if they have them available in your area or not, but the starbucks' in Seattle have yogurt-granola parfaits.  They are still clocking in at 320 calories per serving, but it's not terrible considering it's granola and yogurt (fiber?)...

Either way, don't believe the hype on their "low-fat" options.  Almost everything they sell at Starbucks is over 350 cals.  Check their website for all the nutritional information and maybe you'll stumble across something that's not terrible...

I had the same problem with the school cafe, basically, either just dont go or if you want just a coffee count out the right change for that one coffee and get it. leave your wallet behind. No matter how bad your craving is once you get inside, you can only afford your one coffee

I worked for Starbucks and now hate going there just based on my experience working there.

For the amount of crap knowledge the employees have to learn, and the time they spend on their feet, they are very very underpaid. This is especially true considering the price of the drinks (coffee, sugar, and milk are not expensive ingredients).

At the branch I worked at, the back kitchen always smelled like rotten milk. It was disgusting. Most people who worked there didn't regularly wash their aprons, so that means they would touch old milk and coffee on their dirty apron and then make people's drinks (I am compulsively clean, so I didn't fall into this category).

And my favorite reason to limit your 'buck's habit: they put little mom and pop coffee shops out of business everyday :*(

My home town is a very small town with some cute little privately owned coffee shops. Many people protested when they wanted to build a Starbucks, but up it went anyway. The little shops and their owners are now suffering. I guess that's business, but it just feels wrong to me.

Maybe try to curb your addiction by just allowing yourself to splurge once a week.  Get a regular coffee every other time you go, but once a week get a drink loaded with whipped cream and what not.  Or make it your treat to try every new pastry once.  That way you're not totally depriving yourself of what you really want, and perhaps it will help taper off the cravings.

I suggest going cold turkey -- no more starbucks.  It's not deprivation to not have starbucks.  I've never been in a starbucks in my life, and I certainly am not deprived.  <grin>

If it involves an addiction, as you have admitted it does, then indulging once a week is equivalent to a reforming alcoholic getting drunk once a week.  Not good at all.

Give yourself a reward for every day that you DON'T go into starbucks.  not a food reward, something else.  but it's in your best interest to buck the starbucks habit.

just try to take lil amount of money when you go to starbucks so that way no matter how much you crave for sweet sugary stuff you wont be able to buy it...

Oh My!!! I have help!!!

Folgers Cappuccino. That's it. Comes in a few different flavors...French Vanilla being the best...and...it's only 80 calories!! And...wait...it get's better...$3.99 for 23, count em....23 servings! Yeah!!!! You can save calories and money!

No, I don't work for the company, I am just getting ready to have my coffee treat and am really excited!!

manewell has a good point.  What about each day that you dont spend money at Starbucks you put it into a jar or savings account?  Once you lose the weight that will come off by skipping starbucks, think about how much you will have toward a new wardrobe?

Unfortunately, I too think Cappuccinos are great.  My personal approach would be to up my exercise to shave off more caleries per day?  Sounds good in theory anyway.  I need to take my own advice.  ::waiting for this MN cold snap to break:: Good luck ~ Lost Artist
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ooohh i luv the cappuccino idea nettiechick1! thank you!!

and the one about keeping money at home--yeah, I would be so much richer if I didn't go there!!!

will have to try this . . .:)

I too am a former starbucks employee so I feel I can offer a bit of advice.. even though I have mixed feelings about the company..
But as far as "healthy" drink alternatives, try the sugar free vanilla or hazlenut syrups.. they're not bad. If you love caramel machiattos, for instance, get it with sugar free vanilla instead of regular vanilla.  You can't really notice a difference. Or if you really like mochas or white mochas, try asking for only one pump of the chocolate syrup and a few pumps of a sugar free vanilla or hazlenut. While the chocolatey syrups are awful for you, a tiny bit doesn't hurt that much, and your drink will still be sweet and yummy.
All of the espresso drinks can be made with non-fat milk, and that's what the majority of the drink consists of... so that's obviously not too bad for you.
Now as far as frappucinos go, always stick with the light version. They can make every flavor of frappucino with a lower calorie base.. And skip the whipped cream at all times because that stuff adds so many calories and fat grams to an otherwise "okay" treat.
Whew, that was a lot. I hope I helped.
P.S. As far as the pastries go... DONT DO IT! I'm sure you know, those things are just awful. Maybe you could bring a filling breakfast alternative from home?

I think it's more than a bit ridiculous to compare starbucks to alcohol, but that's just me.

Besides, many serious addiction recovery programs involve slow tapering off, as complete lack off the specific substance or behavior all at once can cause a relapse that is much more serious than the original problem.

I think it is perfectly reasonable that starbucks could be your once a week treat, just like other people treat themselves with a cookie or slice of cake or big dinner once in a while.  We're not talking about crack or booze here, if it is truly that serious than I'd suggest seek guidance from your doctor.

I think you have to consider not going to Starbucks at all.  I'm not surprized that trying to replace meals with coffee and pastries isn't working for you.  Coffee (that's filled with cream, sugar, and sugary flavorings) and pastries give you a big simple carb rush, and then crash you, leaving you hungrier than before.

Decide what you really want out of life.  Some coffee and pastries, or a lean and strong you.  I don't think you can have both unless you decide to exercise like a fiend, and even then, Starbucks isn't going to give you good nutrition.

When I go to Starbucks I have a Vanilla Latte with skimmed milk which isn't quite so bad as the hot chocolates I used to have...!

As for food, I stay away from the food in there... I think the only thing you can have is willpower. And slowly moving yourself away from the habit of going to Starbucks every day.  

so dont go to starbucks. find somewhere to hang out with less temptation/sabotage.

maybe keep starbucks as a reward once or twice a month or whatever. dont!! deny yourself completely...just set a limit and stick to it.

I completely understand, I love Starbucks too. (I understand that they give their part-time employees health benefits which is rare nowadays, so I don't feel too guilty about supporting them as a corporation.)

I successfully gave them up a few months ago, partly because of the calories, and partly because I figured it was an easy expense to cut ($4 every work day = $80 per month!).

What I did was buy coffee I liked (instant -- I'm easy), and some flavored creamers (toffee-nut, vanilla), and some syrups (caramel, butterscotch) and started making my own special blend in the morning. I won't lie to you -- it won't be as good as Starbucks, but it was an acceptable substitute, and it was nice to be able to control the amount of sugar/calories that went in. I started out very sugary, and decreased the amount of syrup and creamer very slowly over time. These days I'm actually drinking plain green tea instead, and don't really miss Starbucks, although I will go very occasionally after a very short night's sleep on a heavy workday or something.

Interestingly, the last time I had Starbucks (Caramel Macchiato), it triggered "bad food" cravings for the rest of the day. I think it might have been the high amount of sugar... or I suppose it could have been psychological. In any case, I am even more wary of going back there now.

Mmmmm! Folgers Cappuccino! Good suggestion nettiechick; I love that stuff.

I also cant live without starbucks.  I have made progress though and now only get a grande non fat caramel machiatto with sugar free syrup.  Its right around 200 calories, much better the the 500 that are in the venti eggnog lattes.

i also love starbucks and genuinely LOVE the coffee frappucino-the light one tastes pretty much the same as the full fat one. For a tall size its only 120 calories and quenches my coffee craving. Try it and see if you like it, that way you could have it every now and then without going over your calories. but i also agree with the 'leave your money at home' approach. Its gonna be hard but you have to slowly get off the habit. also agree with the non-food rewards for when you don't go there.

hope this helps, good luck!

I personally was never offered health benefits as a part-time employee of Starbucks.... I was told you had to work full-time to qualify.

I don't agree with a lot of the company policies, as I noted in my comment above, but the main reason I don't go there is because the prices are outrageous. I'm sorry, in the end, it's still just coffee and milk and, in some cases, obsene amounts of sugar and fat. None of those ingredients are expensive and yet the prices continue to rise.

If it was expensive OR it was contributing to the downfall of a person's healthy-eating plan, it might be easier to justify. But both? Ugh.

I dont like starbucks coffee....but i LOVE my TIM HORTONS!!! I almost stopped cold turkey from eating it, but peopel bring us free coffee and donuts/muffins/ice capps on sundays when im at work and its really hard to turn it down...