A silly guestion

oldandhealthier

I have been trying to cut down on drinking iced tea. I have to use sugar substitute since I am diabetic so can I count that in my water consumption. I have cut the tea down for just meals. Since it is little more than flavored water I was wondering. I know some might think this a silly inquiry but cut a little slack, I am not fully awake yet.:yawn: Sorry, can you count sugar free iced tea in your daily water intake.

MissSusieQ

im not sure what your question is.

jadethief

Yes, you can count it as part of your water.

ken_hogan

Good morning!! I'm not quite sure what you are asking??

kcoftx

You will get a lot of opinions here but the bottom line is it does hydrate you so you can count it if you want.

simonc14

I think you can count it as part of your water intake.

oldandhealthier

I have been trying to cut down on drinking iced tea. I have to use sugar substitute since I am diabetic so can I count the tea in my water consumption. I have cut the tea down for just meals. Since it is little more than flavored water I was wondering. I know some might think this a silly inquiry but cut a little slack, I am not fully awake yet.:yawn: Sorry, can you count sugar free iced tea in your daily water intake.

MelsAuntie

Sure, why not, it's water.

jsiricos

Iced tea may temporarily hydrate you, but it contains caffiene, which makes you pee, so no, I wouldn't count it as hydration.

Just like you, your cells need to bathe/shower in clean water.

Qskim

Shoot I see your ticker and I think you can ask any silly question u want lol! Congrats. Water yes. Unless the tea is doing something detrimental why change your consumption of it? Is it the sugar substitute you are trying to cut back on?

oldandhealthier

Sorry folks I went back and read my guestion after I pried my eyes open a little further. Thanks for the quick answers and now I think I will go back to bed.

summersbest

I was involved with two doctor supervied weight loss programs and both stated that any decaffinated drink counts towards daily water intake. ~

pittbullgirl

When I drink an unsweetened Icetea, I count it as my water It helps me drink more!

Also, I love lemon, lime or cucumber in my water. Give it a try!

oldandhealthier

Shoot I see your ticker and I think you can ask any silly question u want lol! Congrats. Water yes. Unless the tea is doing something detrimental why change your consumption of it? Is it the sugar substitute you are trying to cut back on?

My son in law was visiting and went on and on about the sugar sub makes you eat more. I just thought better safe than sorry.

MercenaryNoetic26

No need to cut down on iced tea. Just keep drinking your tea with or without sweetener. .

nikilis

theres no such thing as a silly guestion.

Kushy8

I would count it. I drink Crystal Light and I count that as my water.

ron2e

Iced tea may temporarily hydrate you, but it contains caffiene, which makes you pee, so no, I wouldn't count it as hydration.

Just like you, your cells need to bathe/shower in clean water.

Sorry bro science again. This from the Mayo Clinic (and there are plenty of other scientific studies supporting this) -

"Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day."

Yes you can count it as water, and if you're worried about caffeine, tea is much lower in caffeine than coffee.

lilbearzmom

I think studies have shown that even drinks with caffeine (in moderation) won't dehydrate you to the point of not counting it. Hell, I count coffee towards my daily intake.

HeidiCooksSupper

From the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661): "Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day."

Bottom line? Yes, your iced tea hydrates you.

McKayMachina

Iced tea may temporarily hydrate you, but it contains caffiene, which makes you pee, so no, I wouldn't count it as hydration.

Just like you, your cells need to bathe/shower in clean water.

Tea is not enough of a diuretic to counteract hydration properties.

Also, water in food alone is enough to maintain hydration for most people with sedentary or lightly active lifestyles.

ron2e

From the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661): "Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day."

Bottom line? Yes, your iced tea hydrates you.

Roundgal, not sure if it is "great minds think alike" or "fools never differ" with the two of us, see my post above yours :laugh:

Morninglory81

I count anything I drink In my water consumption. Ifit has calories I also log it in my food diary. That is just me. I also make sure for every not water drink I have I have at least the equivalent amount in plain old water.

kbhobson

As a Weight Watchers rule, they say if your tea is caffeine-free AND sugar-free, you can count it but has to be both. Otherwise, you can't. I am also a big tea drinker, but I would advise you to get away from artificial sweetners. They are terrible for you because of the aspartame. I would suggest either Stevia or Organic Sugar. Using these might keep you from counting as a water but MUCH HEALTHIER!

DebbieLyn63

Yes, you can count iced tea as water. As for the sugar substitutes, there are unsubstantiated claims that eating sugar substitutes make you want to eat more. I have found no science to back up this theory. It is only a theory based on anecdotal results from some people. Like the 'fact' that people who drink diet sodas weigh more than those who don't. Well, Duh! People who are naturally thin and active, don't have a NEED to drink or eat diet anything. Those who are overweight, try to control their calories by eating diet foods, but often don't understand the relationship with overall calories, and eating in moderation on a consistent basis. When I was in HS, my breakfast quite often was a candy bar and a diet soda to 'balance' out the calories.

Sugar sub use is a personal preference issue. It does not hinder weight loss for the vast majority of users. There are a few people who say that when they eat something that tastes sweet, it makes them want to eat more sweet stuff. But that is more a problem of moderation and self control. My husband was of that mindset a few months ago. He wouldn't eat a dessert that was 'diet' because it made him want to eat more. He has since learned, from watching me and from his own experience, that he can have one WW ice cream bar, and enjoy the treat, without wanting to finish off the whole box.

Now, on the other hand, eating actual sugar, that spikes your glucose level and insulin level, CAN certainly cause you to want to eat more sugar. Some people argue against the term 'sugar addiction', but it is a real, physical process in your body.

You must have carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar. So if you eat a 'sugar free' cookie or cake, then the other carbohydrates in the product can certainly raise your blood sugar and insulin levels and cause you to want to consume more of it after the sugar level drops.
So just because something is sugar free, doesn't mean it won't affect your blood sugar. You must look at total carbs in a food, not just the sugar content.

wtfusernameisnttaken

Is it home made iced tea or store bought processed iced tea? If you're making it yourself, and adding a reasonable amount of sweetener, then you should be fine. If it's store bought. NO. Store bought is usually going to have calories as they put additives and what not in it (depending on the brand) Just check and list it as a drink so you can keep track of the calories, etc in it. Water is water. Only count the water in the water consumption. Otherwise, it's not water.

ravenbard

I have always been told that you can't count coffee, tea in your water intake.. Water is what you count and not tea or coffee.. sorry Charlie.

DebbieLyn63

If I eat a donut, and wash it down with a glass of plain water, how is the body going to differentiate that water from say, a glass of ice tea with sugar in it??
Think about it for a minute.

Any fluid that goes into your body hydrates you. The other foods that you eat WITH the water or IN the water, may affect you in other ways, such as calories, etc, but it doesn't change the fact that you ingested X number of ounces of water.

Qskim

Coffee is my absolute..sounds like your tea is too. A part of your adherence. Don't change it. Don't worry about it. If you find it doesn't give you cravings then continue. I have a diet soda when I do crave and then I'm fine. Sometimes it's more effective than a piece of fruit. There are no absolutes when it comes to what we all choose to do to keep going day after day. Diets are conventional but life long commitment is flexible.