In your opinion...Sweet Tea?

Tigress312

Okay friends...what is your opinion? I LOVE sweet tea...I have been avoiding it b/c of the sugar and calories in it. I have been in quite the funk b/c of it. I decided today that I was going to drink it and not add it to my food journal. If I begin to exercise more, then It will help to balance the extra calories from the tea. I know I am trying to rationalize this, but after 3 weeks, I am ready to give up. I think I can stick with it better If I can do it this way. Thoughts?????

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/mcdonalds-sweet-tea-large-13163774

280 calories and 69 carbs

JuliePete

I recalculated my homemade sweet tea. I had the conversion wrong from cups to teaspoons. It is 135 cal for a 16oz glass. Which is only 67.5 cal for 8oz. Just to set the record straight, I do usually count it.

cherryObebe

These are the only dangers of Stevia I could find:


Reproductive Difficulties

Stevia, or the singular stevioside, at least in some studies, seems to affect the male reproductive organs. This was the conclusion of a group of European scientists in early 2006.

•The study showed that when male rats were fed high doses of stevioside for 22 months, sperm production was severely reduced, the weight of the seminal vesicles declined, and there was an increase of cell proliferation in their testicles. In time, this could easily cause infertility or other reproductive problems.
•In another study, female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol. Here the scientists found that the female hamsters had fewer and smaller offspring.


Cancer

There have also, at least in preliminary studies, been links to cancer.

•In the lab, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound. This, in turn, may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells' genetic material, or DNA.
•Scientists are divided on the issue of the cancer link, and remain adamant that further testing, studies, and reviews need to be conducted in order to resolve the issue.


Energy Metabolism

Studies indicate that large amounts of stevioside can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates in animals and disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. Scientists are particularly worried about this development, especially as it pertains to children.

"A small number of older and controversial rat studies found some association between high consumption and decreased fertility, lower birth weight and cancer. However, more recent research including a 2006 World Health Organization analysis found no evidence of negative health impact. Additionally, no health issues have been noted in the indigenous populations that have used stevia for generations or in Japan, where it is a very common and legally accepted sweetener used for decades."

Source: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-truth-on-truvia/

The information you posted is 'old' information. The information I posted is from an article that is talking about stevia based Truvia. Truvia is not 100% stevia. I personally use Wisdom Naturals SweetLeaf Vanilla Creme in my coffee and it is great!

Good luck!

kristydi

Don't lie to yourself. If you drink it, log it. If your exercise balances it out the great, you'll see that when you log the tea and exercise. If not then you'll know and be able to adjust either your tea intake or the amount of exercise.

I feel you though. I love sweet tea. I used to drink a gallon in 2 days, and that's only counting what I drank at home. If we ate out, I ordered sweet tea and drank several glasses. These days I treat it like a minor treat and I've conditioned myself to enjoy half sweet and half unsweet mixed. I don't keep it around the house anymore because the temptation to drink a ton of it is just too much.

lipglossjunky73

When I have a craving for something like that, I save it for my Friday evening treat. I love chai tea, frappucinoes, things like that. I will ONLY have it either Friday evening, or on the same day as a big race where I know I burnt at least 800 calories. That is it. Extra treats during the day are not necessary.... They taste good, but killer on your goals.

Athena413

Make tea and sweeten it with stevia or xylitol. DON'T use splenda, sweet and low, equal, or anything like that - they're not good for you at all because they're chemically altered and cause your body to retain weight. Stevia and xylitol are both natural extracts and taste pretty good. Xylitol tastes more like sugar, but it takes more and is more expensive. I prefer stevia. Most whole food stores carry it. If you MUST have regular sweet tea, try making it not quite as sweet as you normally would, but log it no matter what. If you're not honest with yourself, you're not going to reach your goals.

Renee2GetFit

I'm a huge lover of sweet tea. I still have maybe one glass a night, but I no longer add sugar to it when I make it at home. I make unsweetened tea and use artificial sweeteners and it takes just fine. This had also been healthier for my family too. Same thing at restaurants or fast food places, if I feel the need to get a tea, I order unsweetened and add sweeteners. Do not deprive yourself of something but make sure you always add it to your food log. Good luck and enjoy you a nice glass of tea!

Tuffjourney

Thanks for the response. Unfortuanately, I cannot use artificial sweetners. Ever since I had my gall bladder removed, they really "mess me up". I konw that is probably TMI, but wanting you to know where I am coming from. I haven't tried the stevia and don't know much about it.

I had my gall bladder removed this March, I drink a pitcher of Iced tea a day. I use Torani's flavoring. I use sugar free peach and or mango and or raspberry and it is wonderful. If not sweet enough, add sweeteners. But it is sweet. The sweeteners have not bothered me since my GB was removed.

tamheath

Have you tried Crystal Lite teas? I used to be a big sweet tea drinker, but, wow...... the calories & carbs. I slowly switched to drinking Crystal Lite. They have "Sweet" Tea, Sweet Tea with Lemon and, my new fave: PEACH Sweet Tea. Yummmmmmmmmm. Zero calories. Counts as water. You can add one to your bottle of water, or you can make a pitcher. It ain't McyDy's sweet tea, but once you get used to it, it's a fine trade! :drinker:

missikay1970

McD's sweet tea (and coke) was my DOWNFALL. i can attribute the difficulty i am having right now in losing to THAT! (ok, and food )

dont' kid yourself hun...if you drink it, log-it. sweet tea has TONS of calories, well, i'm from Texas and WOW it's probably worse than a coke! LOL i had to quit altogether on coke & sweet tea. it makes me crave more food. the more sweet tea i drink, the more sweet tea i want! and the more food i want, too! i drink unsweet tea, which in my hometown is sacreligious!!! it's not delicious, but it has zero calories and quenches my thirst in 110 degree weather.

i don't use aritificial sweeteners, never have, never will. would rather go without altogether.

bcattoes

If this is the only way you can stick to it, then do it. But sugar is not good for you. Even if you exercise off the calories, it's still not healthy. So, just keep that in mind and drink in moderation.

HMonsterX

I weened myself off sugar and onto Hermasetas sweeteners, and I've never felt better!

I drink 8-10 cups of tea a day, so going from 400-500 calories down to less than 100 was a huge help!

melsinct

Why lie to yourself? Log it if you ingest it- period.

If you have room in your calories for one sweet tea a day, then drink it. If not, don't. However, don't kid yourself that sweet tea isn't chock full of calories. Lying and withholding info from your food log only hurts you. Be honest and find room in your day to give into the craving once in a while!

Donna_T_B

Personally, I'd rather go without than to vilify my tea with artificial or non-real-sugar sweeteners. *shudders*

Real sweet tea has real sugar in it!! Drink it, enjoy it, log it, and move on!

graysmom2005

The calories in sweet tea and soft drinks is just off the charts in calories and sugar. Thinking of how long it would take me on the elliptical to burn off one glass of sweet tea is easily enough for me to walk away. I just drink ice tea with a no-cal sweetener. Or I just drink water. The calories...for me...just aren't worth it at all. I would certainly log it. I've seen members here drink almost 1000 calories is soda a day. Yeah...that's going to make a difference!

Lesliecs

I was addicted to McDonalds Sweet Tea until I found out 1 large had 280 calories! I love love love it..... but I'd rather use those calories to eat something healthy and filling. I now make iced tea at home and sweeten with Splenda...... but after reading some of these posts, I think I'm going to try Stevia. Have never used it, but appears it's getting some good reviews.

With that said..... I agree with other that if you are going to drink it, you should also log it, just like you would anything else.

lvfunandfit

Why wouldn't you log it? You have to stay accountable. If you consume it then put in your diary. Replace your sweet tea with a protein shake. Same amount of calories but high in protein and low in carbs with no sugar. Protein helps curb cravings. Make your own tea and use Truvia or agave nectar to sweeten it. I used to need sugar in my tea and I weened myself off using less and less. Now I drink it completely unsweetened.

Kikilicious84

If you want it...drink it...and log it.

If you omit certain things from your log I think eventually it will hinder progress because it will go from not logging sweet tea to not logging a donut.

Sweet Tea is delicious...I'm a southerner and I like my tea....ssssssssweeeeeeeeetttttttt! lol Splenda wouldn't cut it for me.

Good luck!

SheriffJen

I was addicted to sweet tea. A glass here and there adds up to a lot of sugar. I stopped cold turkey, and it was tough. I now drink unsweetened and I'm used to it. I never was a big water drinker, so this helps me drink something with no sugar, but still beyond water.
If you do drink it, log it. If you start to justify why you don't log it, then you'll try that with something else you really love and miss eating and it grows from there. Just log it so you know where you are each day. You may have room in your calories to have a small glass with no issue.

Pollywog39

I'd add vodka and enjoy it even more... then log it.

GOOD ANSWER!

and avoid any sugar substitute - even Stevia is very highly processed (who knows what the heck they're putting into it, too?) Unless you're diabetic, a person can have real sugar.