Iced tea = water??

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AudgePaudge
AudgePaudge Posts: 537 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so we pretty much live off of iced tea and water in my house...my question is can I count my tea as water? I make a gallon at a time and I add 1/4 cup of sugar to it.
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Replies

  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
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    You'll have to count those sugar calories, and the tea itself. And I wouldn't count more than 1 glass towards your daily water intake, because caffiene can help dehydrate you. Water = water, that's about the only way to count water.
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
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    Unless it's decaf? Then you can count it towards your water intake i believe.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    I drink decaf tea and coffee all day and always count them as water since I never drink plain water. (yuck!)
    If I am drinking non-decaf, I still count it but maybe half as much. I also track whatever I add to it... like creamer or truvia etc.

    I make protein shakes with coffee every day... so getting my coffee fix and my protein -- winwin.
  • allym42
    allym42 Posts: 9
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    I drink decaf tea and coffee all day and always count them as water since I never drink plain water. (yuck!)
    If I am drinking non-decaf, I still count it but maybe half as much. I also track whatever I add to it... like creamer or truvia etc.

    I make protein shakes with coffee every day... so getting my coffee fix and my protein -- winwin.

    That's a great idea! The taste of the protein shakes in milk gets really old!
  • AnaBananaChan
    AnaBananaChan Posts: 36
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    That's sweet tea hunny, and no I don't think you should. The actual brew counts for a few calories, especially after being chilled or if it's cafinated and adding sugar won't be good either. Substitute cold tea for hot tea for fewer calories.
  • rowbseat13
    rowbseat13 Posts: 147 Member
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    I only count water if it's water. I don't even count the Powerade I drink after a run.

    I really miss sweet tea... I gave up soda on New Years, and sweet tea got me through the rough spots of Mt. Dew withdrawl. Now I just can't justify liquid calories. :(
  • AudgePaudge
    AudgePaudge Posts: 537 Member
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    Hmmm...it's pretty controversial I guess. I'll just stick with my 8 glasses of water a day. BTW...My husband and I were soda addicts. I still cook the same foods for him, but I don't bring soda in my house anymore. Sweet tea is a lot better for us than soda. PLUS..! It's only 18 calories for a 12 oz. serving :happy:
  • LosingTheWeight2014
    LosingTheWeight2014 Posts: 173
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    My doctor told me that I can count anything that is Decaffinated towards my water intake.

    The only thing I ever add to my water is the Crystal Light packets (wal-mart version).
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Ok, so we pretty much live off of iced tea and water in my house...my question is can I count my tea as water? I make a gallon at a time and I add 1/4 cup of sugar to it.

    Yes, absolutely. You should track the sugar for calories as well, but as far as hydration (the only reason to track water) goes tea is as good as water.

    "Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5281046.stm
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Hmmm...it's pretty controversial I guess. I'll just stick with my 8 glasses of water a day. BTW...My husband and I were soda addicts. I still cook the same foods for him, but I don't bring soda in my house anymore. Sweet tea is a lot better for us than soda. PLUS..! It's only 18 calories for a 12 oz. serving :happy:

    There is no reason you can't count this as some of your water intake...its 99% water!
    Just track the sugar calories if you're adding sugar.. make a recipe for your brew of tea and add it so its tracked.
    If you had to track only plain water.. i would dead because I have't drank a glass of plain plain water in at least 3 years...
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    You'll have to count those sugar calories, and the tea itself. And I wouldn't count more than 1 glass towards your daily water intake, because caffiene can help dehydrate you. Water = water, that's about the only way to count water.

    This is a myth. Coffee, tea and most other caffienated drinks do not contain enough caffiene to dehydrate.

    "She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.

    "Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid. "

    (from same link posted on another response in this thread -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5281046.stm).
  • MistyDC29
    MistyDC29 Posts: 99 Member
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    I make mine decaf with splenda, so I count it as water.
  • FL_Nettie
    FL_Nettie Posts: 265 Member
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    Here's a recent article:

    http://nutrition.about.com/od/hydrationwater/a/waterarticle.htm

    "At least twenty percent of the water you need will come from the foods you eat. The rest will come from the beverages you drink. Water is probably the best choice; sweetened soft drinks and sodas have added sugar that adds extra calories. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial; just look out for added sugar and calories that you may not want. Fruit and vegetable juice are good because they have vitamins and nutrients (read labels, however -- vegetable juices may be high in sodium)."
  • wndrwmn12
    wndrwmn12 Posts: 6
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    I'm a sweet tea addict, too. Who knew that a McDonald's sweet tea was over 100 calories a cup?? Seemed harmless... anyway, I make "sweet" tea by the gallon at my house and substitute the sugar with Splenda. Yes, there's a bit of a learning curve, but the benefit outweighs any guilt so I don't miss it. I also checked this out with a nutritionist who works with bariatric surgery patients... they tell their patients that tea sweetened with Splenda does equal water! I say "Count Away!!"
  • AudgePaudge
    AudgePaudge Posts: 537 Member
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    OoooOoo...I can't decide now! :wink: Very good points, and good articles too! Thank you!
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Just avoid this one ... its one of the 20 worst drinks in america :)

    http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slide/worst-bottled-tea-0?slideshow=184612#sharetagsfocus
    SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
    240 calories
    0 g fat
    61 g sugars
    Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie

    Leave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert. The Pepsi-owned company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir,” is marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled. Just like this bottle of green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary ingredients: water and sugar.
  • KelliH729
    KelliH729 Posts: 208 Member
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    Ok, so we pretty much live off of iced tea and water in my house...my question is can I count my tea as water? I make a gallon at a time and I add 1/4 cup of sugar to it.

    I would say no...I drink unsweet tea and do not count that towards my water intake. The only thing I will count towards my water intake (other then actual WATER) is the crystal light type water add-ons that you put in water.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I would say no...I drink unsweet tea and do not count that towards my water intake. The only thing I will count towards my water intake (other then actual WATER) is the crystal light type water add-ons that you put in water.

    Just curious. Why would you count water with Crystal Light but not water with a teabag?
  • starracer23
    starracer23 Posts: 1,011 Member
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    As I have read/seen/heard - all beverages start out as water...it's what that is added to the water that isn't always great for you. I think you should be able to count the tea as water as long as you also count the sugar that is added. :)
  • pattytward
    pattytward Posts: 2
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    If it has sugar in it there are calories. I started drinking it unsweentened to cut my daily calorie intake. It's something like 8 calories with no sugar, 180 with sugar.

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