Starting in mid-April, I switched over to the Paleo lifestyle (whole-foods, gluten-free plus a bit more) and have never felt better. Because of this, I went for a few months without my favorite hot drink, the Chai Tea Latte. After all, the chai latte is packed with sugar, and the milk proteins don't always agree with everyone's constitution, so I figured it was best to not have it. After a while, I went back to having a tall one every once in a while, both because I really like them, and I wasn't looking to lose any weight, so a little sugar really wasn't the end of the world. Mid-September, some beastie took me over and I wanted one of these every day. Even if I didn't get one, I wanted one, BAD. Luckily my blood sugar is pretty steady at this point from being Paleo, so I didn't have any major bad effects, no sugar lows, no weight gain. But having that craving really got to me. So for the entire month of November, I swore off Starbucks.

It took me about 2 weeks solid to kick that deep craving, and by that time, I only had a short time left until the month would end. Today is December 1, and yes, I did have my chai this morning (venti, whole milk, no water.) Did I enjoy it? Of course. Do I feel great after it? Not really. As a matter of fact, I have a tiny headache. Will that stop me from having another? Again no, but I'm not going to let it get crazy again. So I took a little time pondering what makes that Starbucks habit so darn strong. You'd think it was that sugar craving, but I think that's only a tiny part of it. Here's my rundown:

Reasons for the Starbucks habit: 

• Sugar: I would think this would be the main issue, but I really wasn't craving other sugary things. If this were the catalyst, I would assume that fruit and other such items would curb this a little. No such luck.
• Warm drink: Certainly on a cold morning, there is nothing better than a warm drink in your hand, and in your belly. It really warms you up from the inside out. But a cup of hot tea or bone broth takes care of this pretty easily. So although the warmth is nice, it's not the main factor either.
• Break in the day: It is certainly nice to stop in the midst of a regular schedule and just shift it up a bit. A pitstop on the way to work or on the way home is a nice break to a schedule that can be a bit monotonous. This is once again a small factor, but one that could be supplanted by other types of breaks: a short walk, some stretching or other movement, reading a book, anything out of the ordinary. After all, when this is a habit, it quickly becomes part of the schedule.
• Doing something for myself: Between work and the kids, I spend a lot of time doing things for others. I think a part of the Starbucks appeal is the same reason I enjoy going out to eat - it's nice to have someone wait on you for a change. I love going inside, ordering, and having my drink given to me just the way I like it (yes, I'm one of those with a modification list a mile long,) enjoying my drink and throwing away the cup afterwards (no dishes.) But again, this can be taken care of by doing other things for myself: scheduling quiet time, getting a manicure or massage, anything that is just for me.
• Habit: I think this is really the crux of the whole thing. All of those little things: sugar, warmth, a break, and 'me time' become the perfect storm to create a habit. And once you get in the habit, it takes some serious thought and decision-making to grind it to a halt.

Just as you can begin a good habit by linking a behavior to an existing routine, an undesireable habit happens the same way. A stop at Starbucks on the way between places, say work and picking up kids, or dropping them off and going to work can begin in an innocuous manner. But do it a few times in a row, and the thought creeps in there whenever those two events are linked. Anything that throws off either precipitating event seems to limit that craving/habit. 

So it took me 2 full weeks to get out of the habit. I'm going to be careful not to feed that beastie too often. Have you kicked a habit? And did yours develop in a similar way?