Sweet Tea, Bad or Good?

midnight_storm
midnight_storm Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so I really like making sweet tea(and drinking it, of course!), like, I -LOVE- making sweet tea. If I could do something drastic to show you guys how much I love making sweet tea, I would do it. In a heart beat.

My question is: Is it a good or bad idea to drink sweet tea everyday, especially while trying to losing weight? Or is it a IIFYM kind of a thing? Is it completely redundant to drink a drink that the only 'nutrition' it's giving you is sugar?

When I make my sweet tea, I make a whole gallon, and I only add 1 cup of sugar. This amounts to 90 calories per 8 oz, or since I pour a tall glass 180 calories per 16 oz.

Also, any idea on how to keep it sweet but omitting some of the sugar? Whether it's replacing half of it with a different sweetener, or maybe a specific type of sugar? Or something?

Replies

  • jimshine
    jimshine Posts: 199 Member
    I loved it too. What I did was slowly reduce the amount of sugar until it was gone and adapted to the taste along the way. Now I can't stand it sweet.
  • MissMormie
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
    That is a LOT of sugar. I'm not sure how much of that you drink over a day, but I'm going with bad. You're putting in about as much sugar in your tea as there is in a glass of cola.

    How about you slowly reduce the amount of sugar in your tea? That'll help you more than substituting the sugar for something else. I know it'll taste weird to start with, but you might actually come to like it.
  • dsalveson
    dsalveson Posts: 306 Member
    Go for it as long as you can control it and make it fit within your goals.

    You may be interested in this... http://capellaflavordrops.com/sweet_tea_flavor_concentrate13ml.aspx

    Basically they're calorie-free flavor drops that are super concentrated so you would only need 2-5 drops to flavor 16oz of tea. You could play around with the recipe and see if you could get away with using less sugar if you use the drops. I've never tried the sweet tea flavor, but I've tried quite a few others and I'm a big fan; they're a great way to jazz things up without adding extra calories and they don't taste artificially sweet.

    Good luck!!
  • loriq41
    loriq41 Posts: 479 Member
    Don't drink your calories and sweet tea along with soda are the worst things!! I admit I used to go to McDonalds EVERYDAY and get a sweet tea..I cannot believe I did that. You are better off putting those calories to better use. I noticed when lowering my sugar that I was less depressed..just a thought! :)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    IIFYM or your budget then I suppose it's alright. I wish I had the budget to add that many empty calories!
  • midnight_storm
    midnight_storm Posts: 33 Member
    Thank you for all your replies, I will probably use less and less sugar as time passes, and I think I want to try those drops.

    1. My sweet tea has 24 g of sugar(per 16oz) and Coke(16oz) has 31 grams.
    2. Besides sweet tea, I usually only drink water, and honestly, I could probably drink a whole gallon of my sweet tea(720 calories for all of it) and still be under my calorie goal(my calorie limit is 2450).
    3. And it definitely fits my budget! $1 for 80 tea bags, plus less than $3 for the sugar, and the water I get for free. For under $4, I can make a month's worth of tea, at least.

    EDIT:
    Sorry, I'm actually editing this post for misinformation I gave in the first post:

    8oz of my sweet tea is 45 calories(12g sugar) and 16oz of it is 90 calories.
  • midnight_storm
    midnight_storm Posts: 33 Member
    Go for it as long as you can control it and make it fit within your goals.

    You may be interested in this... http://capellaflavordrops.com/sweet_tea_flavor_concentrate13ml.aspx

    Basically they're calorie-free flavor drops that are super concentrated so you would only need 2-5 drops to flavor 16oz of tea. You could play around with the recipe and see if you could get away with using less sugar if you use the drops. I've never tried the sweet tea flavor, but I've tried quite a few others and I'm a big fan; they're a great way to jazz things up without adding extra calories and they don't taste artificially sweet.

    Good luck!!
    How long do the drops usually last, like if I had 2 16oz glasses a day?
  • oiseau17
    oiseau17 Posts: 142 Member
    Go for it as long as you can control it and make it fit within your goals.

    You may be interested in this... http://capellaflavordrops.com/sweet_tea_flavor_concentrate13ml.aspx

    Basically they're calorie-free flavor drops that are super concentrated so you would only need 2-5 drops to flavor 16oz of tea. You could play around with the recipe and see if you could get away with using less sugar if you use the drops. I've never tried the sweet tea flavor, but I've tried quite a few others and I'm a big fan; they're a great way to jazz things up without adding extra calories and they don't taste artificially sweet.

    Good luck!!
    How long do the drops usually last, like if I had 2 16oz glasses a day?

    Capella flavorings are awesome (although I haven't tried the sweet tea)! I think the bottles are 13 mils or so... There's approx 20 drops/mil and if you're using 5 drops per 16 oz you could make about 52 glasses of sweet tea for $3.29 + shipping :) Worth a shot!
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
    IIFYM or your budget then I suppose it's alright. I wish I had the budget to add that many empty calories!

    meeee toooo...I would have to do 3 hours of cardio a day to fit that in...
  • midnight_storm
    midnight_storm Posts: 33 Member
    IIFYM or your budget then I suppose it's alright. I wish I had the budget to add that many empty calories!

    meeee toooo...I would have to do 3 hours of cardio a day to fit that in...

    All I have to do is go for a 15 minute walk to burn off 90 calories! But then again, I am bigger.

    I think once I get down to the point where 90 calories is no longer less than like a half hour of anything I'll cut out more and more, but right now, I -always- have a deficit from my mfp goals, so I think 90 - 180 extra calories will be okay for me, at least for a while.
  • midnight_storm
    midnight_storm Posts: 33 Member
    Go for it as long as you can control it and make it fit within your goals.

    You may be interested in this... http://capellaflavordrops.com/sweet_tea_flavor_concentrate13ml.aspx

    Basically they're calorie-free flavor drops that are super concentrated so you would only need 2-5 drops to flavor 16oz of tea. You could play around with the recipe and see if you could get away with using less sugar if you use the drops. I've never tried the sweet tea flavor, but I've tried quite a few others and I'm a big fan; they're a great way to jazz things up without adding extra calories and they don't taste artificially sweet.

    Good luck!!
    How long do the drops usually last, like if I had 2 16oz glasses a day?

    Capella flavorings are awesome (although I haven't tried the sweet tea)! I think the bottles are 13 mils or so... There's approx 20 drops/mil and if you're using 5 drops per 16 oz you could make about 52 glasses of sweet tea for $3.29 + shipping :) Worth a shot!

    I get paid in a week, and I am definitely ordering some! Thank you so much!
  • SnowWhiteFanatic
    SnowWhiteFanatic Posts: 129 Member
    I am a iced tea crazy fanatic!! I don't need it super sweet. I used to use equal packets but then I came across liquid stevia sweetener. It's all natural and no calories or fat. I use a half a squeeze and I'm good. I get the skinny girl brand at Walmart. You would probably need more squeezes of it at first but it's delicious.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    90 calories of sugar is robbing your body of 90 calories of good food nutrition.
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    As a British person, I am confused by your cold tea.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    You must be from the South. Ever since we moved to Detroit from Georgia, people look at my mother like she's crazy when she asks if the tea is sweet or unsweet in a restaurant. lol.
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    I think it's a waste of calories. You could have eaten something more filling with 180 cals like an open sandwich with turkey bacon and egg or a savory oatmeal. I wouldnt suggest to have it everyday, maybe once a week but not everyday, the sugar content is high. Even if you compare it with coke, which obviously is loaded with sugar and a bad stuff to compare it with since in my opinion you're comparing it to the worst because you're kinda in denial that your beloved sweet tea is bad for everyday (I know the feeling, I used to drink coke everyday but I've completely stopped for two years now), it's still a lot, if you compare it with good ol water, it's A LOT. Sugary drinks is what I blame for my stubborn belly fat :/ Just my opinion though. Sucrose really holds back weightloss. Just eat a banana or a pineapple or a mango if you want something sweet. :) you dont want your workouts to go to waste dont you? :) and as for the "it fits my budget" line, dont you think you can buy something else with that money? Well I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I understand that you love the tea so much, I had the same attachment with cocacola but now I realized it's a good thing I stopped because I would have been struggling to lose even more weight than what I am trying to shed right now :)
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Are you losing weight while hitting your macros? If so, drink your tea.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    Sweet tea is a really, really big deal to Southerners. I have no more of an in-depth explanation for it than that. :smile:
  • fishermanmatt
    fishermanmatt Posts: 308 Member
    Anything is okay in moderation. I agree with others that say drinking calories is a waste. Soda, beer and sweet tea are special occasion drinks for me instead of the norm. Also know that even though you have the extra calories now, as you lose weight they decrease and you won't have as many to blow on something like tea that has very little nutritional value.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    Another option for tea is the brand "Republic of Tea." They have so many amazing flavors. They satisfy a sweet craving with next to no calories -- 0 to 3 so far as I've seen.
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    I lost 125lbs having sweet tea with dinner most night. I hit my macros and micros with an overall nutritious diet and it fit in my calories. I have been maintaining for a year and still drink sweet tea. Good luck!
  • Awesomers
    Awesomers Posts: 144 Member
    As a lover of sweet tea (I am also in the south), I am sad to admit that I can't drink it like I used to. I could sit and drink an entire gallon by myself. Now, sweet tea is for special occasions or for days where I've got extra calories. I quit drinking it and cut my soda intake dramatically and have lost 7 lbs. I can't argue with you about quitting tea, because it's amazing. So, I say drink it as long as you can budget it in to your daily intake! :-)
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    Pretty much what the first guy said. I still love some sweetened teas, like a summery strawberry iced tea, but I drink it unsweetened now. I prefer hot tea to cold tea.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    sweet tea = very, very, very good.

    just keep an eye on your daily/weekly calorie intake. this may mean scaling back how much of it you drink, but you can still drink it. i do.

    the only thing that matters is that calories in < calories out. what you eat (or drink) is irrelevant*.

    * - assuming you don't have an unusual medical condition that requires limiting certain foods/drinks.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    It is delicious, so it is good. But as BB said, you have to scale it back because the calorie content, depending on how sweet you like it, can really take away from the nutritious foods you also need.
  • dsalveson
    dsalveson Posts: 306 Member
    I think it's a waste of calories. You could have eaten something more filling with 180 cals like an open sandwich with turkey bacon and egg or a savory oatmeal. I wouldnt suggest to have it everyday, maybe once a week but not everyday, the sugar content is high. Even if you compare it with coke, which obviously is loaded with sugar and a bad stuff to compare it with since in my opinion you're comparing it to the worst because you're kinda in denial that your beloved sweet tea is bad for everyday (I know the feeling, I used to drink coke everyday but I've completely stopped for two years now), it's still a lot, if you compare it with good ol water, it's A LOT. Sugary drinks is what I blame for my stubborn belly fat :/ Just my opinion though. Sucrose really holds back weightloss. Just eat a banana or a pineapple or a mango if you want something sweet. :) you dont want your workouts to go to waste dont you? :) and as for the "it fits my budget" line, dont you think you can buy something else with that money? Well I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I understand that you love the tea so much, I had the same attachment with cocacola but now I realized it's a good thing I stopped because I would have been struggling to lose even more weight than what I am trying to shed right now :)


    16oz OP's sweet tea- 90cal 24g sugar
    average banana- 110cal 19g sugar
    average mango- 136cal 26g sugar

    The mango and banana each have 3g fiber, but based on the nature of the question I'm assuming OP's nutritional needs are being met elsewhere in which case the nutritional benefit of choosing the fruit over the tea would be negligible at best. Yes, of course he could eat a banana instead, but he doesn't want a banana (or an egg sandwich). He's looking for a way to incorporate a moderate amount of something he loves into his diet and still lose weight.

    It was probably a good choice for you to give up Coke if the only alternative was consuming so much that it kept you from achieving your goals, but if OP can fit his tea in his calories without compromising his other nutrient needs I see nothing wrong with that. It certainly has absolutely nothing to do with his workouts going to waste unless he's over consuming in general.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
    how much of this sweet tea are you drinking. Like what the others said that is a lot of sugar. I prefer my tea almost always unsweetened. If you are willing to spend some money there are naturally sweet tea ingredients that have very very small amount of sugar but still relatively sweet. Like what the others posted above, decrease the sugar little by little until you don't need the sugar part anymore. Tea on itself is very good for you minus the sugar.
  • midnight_storm
    midnight_storm Posts: 33 Member
    Wow, a lot of posts! Thanks guys for responding!

    1) I am, in fact, in North Dakota. I was raised in Georgia for about 3 years, but I never really liked Sweet Tea(or any tea, for that matter). I got into hot tea when my friend bought me a tea set(pot and cups) and I got into Sweet Tea when my other friend kept wanting Sweet Tea and I finally looked up how to make it, and I fell in love with it when I made it!

    2) Currently, I am not drinking it. I'm just trying to figure things out(I like to plan a head). But I know for sure I wouldn't have more than 2 glasses a day, and I want to limit myself to only 1 glass per day, as a treat coming home from work, or something like that.

    3) And yes, my macros are, for the most part, getting met, only really going over with my sodium(but that's because I babysit for my sister and she has packaged foods and stuff that contain sodium, but then again, that might just be an excuse :P ). Every once in a blue moon I'll go over my protein, and then more rarely I go over my calories. But like I said, usually I still have an abundance of calories leftover.

    4) As for my calorie limits decreasing as I lose weight, I know. That's also why I thought I would cut back my sweet tea intake once it takes longer for me to burn 90 calories(because things change as you lose weight). I figured once it started to have more of an effect, I would just have a glass every other day, or maybe just go with 8oz daily instead of 16.. Or maybe continue to drink 16oz, but add benefiber or something similar? I guess that's a bridge I'll cross when I get there.

    Thank you all for your input! I'm sure I won't be drinking it -everyday- since I know from past experiences I rarely make a new batch of sweet tea the same day I finish the old batch. But I will make sure to monitor my macros and make sure everything fits. I really love my sweet tea :P

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