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The Solution to Sugary Coffee

January 11, 2016   23 Comments

Last week, I shared my goal for this month.

Starbucks Swap

I wrote about my addiction to Starbucks and how my New Year’s resolution was to get it under control (What should you eat for dinner?).

It is January 11th and I have made once-a-month trip to Starbucks already. What to do? Will I have the will power to avoid the place?

My take on human nature is that relying on my mind to keep me from ordering yet another Caramel Macchiato isn't going to work. I drive past Starbucks maybe once a day and every time I see it – I think about getting a drink.

I am not that strong.

What if there was something that I liked as much as sugary coffee drinks and so I wasn’t attracted to them anymore? Kinda like a new boyfriend (or girlfriend) that makes you wonder why you ever spent time with your ex-boyfriend. That loser! What was I thinking? The new guy is so much better. Why did I even like that guy?

I have found my new boyfriend – ahem- I mean coffee that will make me forget about Starbucks.

Meet my new Nespresso machine!


This baby cranks out an espresso coffee like no other coffee maker I have found. Is it expensive? Yes! Is it worth it? I think so.

The pods are about 75 cents each (ouch) but they blow my mind. I have one of these with a Medjool date as a treat – and Starbucks can kiss my…..tushy.

For the environmentalists out there, the pods can be mailed back to Nespresso for recycling (haven’t seen that with Keurig) and the shipping is FREE.

These are luxurious, sumptuous, packed with flavor and only 2 calories per shot. My new habit is filling me with joy and zero guilt.

I will say that I didn’t find this solution easily. It has taken me a while to realize that denying myself doesn’t work. What does work is replacing a bad habit with a good one.

How do you replace your bad habits with something good? Please share your successes or failures.


Other posts you might like:


What's For Dinner?

What Should You Eat for Dinner?

This is the time of year when people try to start anew. We are a few days in to 2016 and I have been sick in bed for days....


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First 20 Comments: ( See all 23 )

How about a light Frappuccino with sugar free caramel syrup. Light is also non fat. Delicious.

Good morning, Lisa. I love the reminder to exchange, not just deny. And I love our little espresso machine! With good fresh milk I warm in the mic it just tastes happy, yummy, and fulfilling! Good luck with this new habit!

Chocolate tea (Harneys) has helped me for an afternoon treat. I did have a guilty pleasure of heavy whipping cream in my coffee☕️☕️☕️!

Not clear whether you were trying to substitute a less EXPENSIVE or less SUGARY coffee drink.

I prefer tea, especially green tea. I can do without coffee, but if I'm going to drink it, I want it lightened & sweetened.

I avoid both the higher WW points of healthier sweeteners like agave AND unhealthy 'lighteners' like the over-priced, additive-laden flavored creamers.

So Delicious & Trader Joe's coconut creamers aren't too bad on points (TJ's costs less) if you don't use very much, but they're not very creamy, so I find myself adding higher points/worse-for-you powdered creamer...and as nutritiously/purely as I try to eat, I'm not ready to give up 0-point Sucralose, including sugar-free syrups (if I'm in the mood for a desserty cuppa coffee).

(I'm too cheap to ever have a Starbucks addiction, so thankfully that's one less problem for me. We have a Keurig, but even if I find pods for half-price - under 50c a cup - brewing a full pot is still cheaper!)

What do you add to your home brewed coffee to lighten and/or sweeten it?

I'm interested in what others, especially those on WW, use to lighten & sweeten hot beverages. When it comes to a flavorful brew, I'm admittedly willing to compromise healthfuless for lower points, lower cost, and more sweet creaminess!

What is your new daily habit? A black one-shot espresso? Hmmm. Was your goal to cut calories, caffeine and/or Starbucks expense? All of the above? Then mission accomplished, I think. I'm not familiar with those stats but it sounds like you're doing better :) My love of the bean began early. My Italian landlady used to have a demitasse every day at 4pm with a lemon peel & a drop of anisette. I was 11yrs old and she invited me in somedays...very tasty. I grew to love coffee, drank too much at work where it was free. Occasionally I'd stop cold-turkey because I didn't like thinking I had any type of substance-dependency. I would have a terrible headache for a week. Nowadays I enjoy one regular coffee with whole milk and one-half tsp. coconut-palm sugar each morning. For a REAL treat that is also healthy I have a ''Dandelion Caramel-Nut Teeccino'' with whole milk. Its naturally sweetened with dates. Everyone I introduce to Teeccino is amazed, its so delicious and satisfying. I don't believe I'm hooked on caffeine anymore, just the habit of holding a cup of something warm and comforting and that's a good habit.

For anyone interested in lowering their caffeine, calories and coffee-budget, here's a good daily OR treat alternative: http://teeccino.com/product/1027/Dandelion-Caramel-Nut-Herb…

I am addicted to Green Tea Lattes, so my fix was to start making my own. 1 tsp Matcha, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 cup water, 1 packet of Splenda. I double up on this if I really need the comfort.

Regular Dunkin Donuts coffee, with a sprinkling of cinnamon in the coffee basket before brewing. While coffee drips, I sprinkle cinnamon, one packet of Splenda, and a few drops of McCormick's maple flavoring in my mug. Pour coffee, mix in fat free half and half and top off with a swirl of fat free Redi-whip. Soooooo good. Take that Starbucks!

I have recently started drinking "Bullet-Proof" coffee, or my version of it anyway. I have had a Vertical Sleeve procedure, so I drink decaffe but I add a tbsp of Kerry gold butter(healthy fat), 2 tbsp of half&half, 2 tbsp of SF coffee syrup and a half scoop of protein powder (15 grams of protein). I blend it up in my mini blender. It's warm, frothy, and delicious!

I replaced coffee with Orange Cream ZipFizz years ago. It is a tube-filled powder with vitamins and caffeine. It is fizzy and delicious. Since I started drinking it, I can't remember having a cold: a dietician friend said it was very healthy. http://www.amazon.com/Zipfizz-Healthy-Energy-Orange-20-coun…

I fill the tubes with hygiene items, candy, bandaids, pencil/paper, toys, plastic gloves/caps, $1 bills, coloring page/crayon, encouraging quotes, love, whatever fits. Would appreciate empty tubes and ideas for filling them: send to the PO Box on my website, I will label them, fill them and get them to soldiers/homeless/needy/vets. Thanks in advance.

Curious if you'll start missing the Starbucks atmosphere (or were you just a drive thru gal). I'm too addicted to the place, the vibe, culture and the sugary drinks. 3 yrs ago during lent I gave up frapuccinos instead getting a decaf cappuccino with one raw sugar packet. I haven't gone back. Good luck and keep us posted.

In my coffee at home we use and Cuisinart grind and brew so we use whole beans. We like the flavored hazlenut vanilla from Sam's Club. I add a small amount of half and half fat free for creaminess and also some Califia Farms toasted coconut coconut almond milk. I also put a small amount of sugar free DaVinci caramel syrup. I have lost over 100 lbs at Weight Watchers. I figured out quickly in the beginning I was going to have to give up my coffee creamer if I wanted to lose weight. Even the fat free was way too many points. When I used the portion amount for a serving on the container, I couldn't even taste it in the coffee. I was using like 4 or 5 servings per cup!! Way too many points, needless to say. I came up with the above combo and really like it. My husband drinks it that way as well now. Pretty good.

Has anyone tried using Dairy Sweet Whey as a sweetener/creamer? Bob's Red Mill says it can be used as a sweetener (in baking?) I made home made mozzarella recently and the liquid whey (byproduct from cheese making) tasted surprisingly like fat free milk. Used it in smoothies and became interested in discovering more uses. Wonder if the dried whey would be concentrated enough to sweeten coffee? 1T has 30 cal, 5g sugar,1g protein.

Foam up some milk! Microwave 1/4 cup milk for 50 seconds (get milk good and hot) and use your simple hand held electric cake mixer on high for about 10 seconds directly into the hot milk for instant foam! It works with any type of cow's milk. Not so good with almond milk. Give it a try!

A confirmed Lipton girl; had been using Splenda for years and was finally able to give it up. Stevia gives me the shakes so that was a no go. Tea with a little lowfat milk is the new choice. I have developed a liking to Celestial Seasoning Apple Cinnamon tea, no added sugar, tastes and smells great. An occasional cup of coffee with skim milk as it seems to froth the best(homemade froth using a small whisk after heating the milk). Nearest Starbucks was snotty and unkind to a patron, no thank you! Very interesting discussion.

I love your solution and that hysterical analogy. And - since we're all environmentalists, I'd hope - I love it that the company offers recycling with free ship.

I switched to COLD BREW coffee that I make myself and always have it I the fridge. I always have around 6 varieties of sugar-free syrups around so I choose the syrup of choice for the day and add lots of coconut/almond milk or cashew milk. I can have 1 cup of these varieties of milkfor only 25 for cashew and 35 for coc/almond, and they're thick and creamy. I use starbucks coffee grounds and honestly I love my coffee and I can have it iced or heat it up in the microwave. You can do this with regular brewed coffee but cold brewed coffee is much smoother and less acidic. I love my healthy coffee drink and look forward to it every morning.

I forgot to mention I'm a weight watcher and my coffee is only one point because I end up using the whole cup of milk throughout the day.

I brew a pot of flavored ground coffee either vanilla or hazelnut and add unsweetened vanilla almond milk a few tablespoons of vanilla protein powder and cinnamon. No added sugar . I cut back on the added sugar after the new year and I swear it's helping with weight loss. My treat now is a sugar free vanilla iced coffee with some milk at McDonald's / DD/ Starbucks / Dutch Bros. I rather have a little real , or almond milk versus the artificial sweetener on a daily basis and then have artificial sweetened drinks as a special treat .

I usually get a blonde roast coffee at Starbucks and simply add nonfat milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon or chocolate or vanilla! I'm a gold card member so I get that on a typical Starbucks run and save the fun, sugary (and more expensive) drinks like a dirty chai or flat white for my free drink.

I had a similar experience when i was trying to go off fake sweeteners. First i switched back to regular sugar which was way less sweet per packet. Then i limited my packets to only 2. Finally i only let myself have creamer. Thats where im at now. But happy i have cut out several packets of splenda and sugar from my life. Havent had the fake stuff in over a year now. Baby steps! Good job with your change snack girl!

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