Drinks that are 0 calories...am i cheating?

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I've always thought about it, a big part of me feels i should stick to just water, but I crave tea and other flavored drinks.

Lately I've been drinking 1-2 glasses of Lipton Diet Citrus Green tea. It satisfies me and helps get rid of the craving. I always feel guilty after though, like I should be just drinking water and that would give me faster results even though the green tea is 0 calories and 0 sugar.

Any Ideas? Opinions?

Replies

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    I also enjoy a diet Snapple iced tea per day. I believe that like anything, as long as you practice moderation then you'll be fine.
    I wouldn't suggest you drink all citrus teas all day long every day, just like I wouldn't suggest someone eat cake only all day or eat peas all day everyday
    For Me, the key is moderation . everything in moderation.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Well, note that caloric listings on the side of boxes and such (at least in the US) are rounded. So a drink that says 0 calories may well be 3-4 per serving, but the government lets companies round, and sometimes they round down. Read these 2 posts, they give you every detail you need about accurate logging and calorie counting.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
  • sakurablush
    sakurablush Posts: 104 Member
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    Genuine question here - how does diet tea work? Isn't tea by default calorie free?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,595 Member
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    No reason to feel guilty. The body absorbs water from just about anything we take in.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
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    I drink no cal fruit flavor drinks, it satisfies if I want something sweet. I never felt guilt.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
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    If you feel guilty about drinking diet tea, I shudder to think how you'll feel if you eat a donut or a bowl of ice cream. :wink:

    Seriously, enjoy your tea. It's good for you.

    And remember...there is no cheating and no need to feel guilty. As long as a food or drink fits into your calorie goals, you're fine.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    Genuine question here - how does diet tea work? Isn't tea by default calorie free?

    This also makes me chuckle. But in our stores, it just means it is sweetened with artificial sweeteners, and therefore 0 calories. I live in NC, and the default is sweet tea.

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Genuine question here - how does diet tea work? Isn't tea by default calorie free?
    It's usually sweetened tea with a zero calorie sweetener.

  • LowCoffinLucifie
    LowCoffinLucifie Posts: 100 Member
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    Thank you everyone, I guess I just over worry sometime. I just really wanna make a change and I'm afraid of set backs.

    I'm sure it sounded like a silly question.. It's funny though cuz cakes or a donut are fine cuz I know they aren't the best choices but since they have actual calories I just not them down in my calories and. Accept them as part of my intake.

    I always worry it's those little things that actually satisfy that will get me in the end.

    Thanks for the feedback everyone.
  • LowCoffinLucifie
    LowCoffinLucifie Posts: 100 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Also in Texas or heck in the south where im from generally tea is sweet tea so if not diet it's normally got a lot of sugar in it.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I've always thought about it, a big part of me feels i should stick to just water, but I crave tea and other flavored drinks.

    Lately I've been drinking 1-2 glasses of Lipton Diet Citrus Green tea. It satisfies me and helps get rid of the craving. I always feel guilty after though, like I should be just drinking water and that would give me faster results even though the green tea is 0 calories and 0 sugar.

    Any Ideas? Opinions?
    Zero calories is zero calories. In terms of weight loss, it makes zero difference. In terms of hydration, they're equivalent (contrary to popular belief, the diuretic effect of caffeine is so minimal as to make basically zero difference). There's nothing wrong with drinking beverages other than water and they're not going to hinder your weight loss.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Point of interest, so you don't worry: if indeed you ran into a drink that has calories in stupid-low amounts like 1 or 2 or 3, and the box says zero, you are NOT gonna derail your weight loss efforts drinking it. I mean, you'd have to drink TONS AND TONS of that thing for it to even make a dent in your daily caloric intake (see those posts), so it's really nothing to worry about. And yes, tea is good for you, if only because it's soothing and delightful!