Sweet Tea...my sad, sad vice

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willowbird35
willowbird35 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I don't have any vises, to speak of. I am not a collector of anything. I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't buy shoes. (laugh) But my one and only weakness is sweet tea. I practically grew up in the South, and while we are rich on traditions, especially in cooking, I have managed to scoot away from most of the typical southern food traditions. I am not big on fried foods, I don't over salt anything, and don't ever add pork fat to anything I am cooking. Those are often traditions most think of when they think of southern cooks. But, boy, do we love our sweet tea. And we love it S.W.E.E.T. It's my downfall. I drink it every single day. I have tried the artificial sweetener route, but not a big fan of any brand of fake sugar. I tried to - as a suggestion from a nutritionist - to do half real sugar and half artificial and even that was hard to swallow. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to break this cycle? Do you have a food/drink addiction that has kept you from getting to your weightloss goal? I know that the dreaded sweet tea (or candy crack, as I like to call it) is a real problem for me as I have gotten older. I am not fond of sodas and I absolutely destest drinking pure water, though I know it's so good for me. That tea....that blasted tea.... it's my sad, sad vice.

Replies

  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Mio has a sweet tea flavor.. you just squirt a little bit into your water. It tastes pretty good but it's definitely not SUPER sweet like you may like.
    Might be a somewhat comparable option for you. :P
  • ritalef
    ritalef Posts: 93 Member
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    How much sugar do you put in your tea? At 15 calories per teaspoon it's not huge, unless you drink it all day:)
    Maybe try using just a pinch less every week until it is next to nothing. I went from double cream in my coffee to black over a period of time and am still in shock that I drink it black now.
  • kehuizenga
    kehuizenga Posts: 151
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    I have made my own sweet tea by brewing a pitcher with two tea bags and then add 1 cup of sweetener while it's still hot so that it dissolves then drink over ice or when cold. I think it tastes a lot better than adding the sweetener when it's cold.
  • willowbird35
    willowbird35 Posts: 3
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    That's a great idea! I may have to try that!
  • willowbird35
    willowbird35 Posts: 3
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    I have what are, I believe, one gallon pitchers. I use 1 1/2 cups sugar in each gallon (we have two).
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    I guess over time you just get used to the flavor of sweetners.
  • HeatherSanto
    HeatherSanto Posts: 138 Member
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    Maybe you could sub with Sugar in the raw. Its still sweet, but its not as bleached out as the white. You can't tell the difference baking with it and my hubby switched to using it since he likes his drinks sweet too. I just have to make sure he measures it.
  • shellyhef1
    shellyhef1 Posts: 33
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    Girl, I am right there with you. Tetley tea bags, boiled up, then almost two cups of sugar for a gallon. It is poison, but it is so good. I am completely aware of the fact that I drink a majority of my calories. But it is hard to change!!!
  • MelissaW1978
    MelissaW1978 Posts: 37 Member
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    I have the same problem...I'm also from the south. I get one small sweet tea from Wendy's everyday...it's 100 cals. I used to drink much more...this is an improvement for me. I sip on it all day. I figure 100 cals isn't so bad....I would love to give it up though. I don't really have any other major vices either. McDonald's large sweet tea is my favorite, but that's wayyyy too many cals so I only get those on rare occasions.
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    Mio has a sweet tea flavor.. you just squirt a little bit into your water. It tastes pretty good but it's definitely not SUPER sweet like you may like.
    Might be a somewhat comparable option for you. :P

    I totally love the Mio Sweet Tea... great option to try, even if you don't end up liking the flavor.
  • Dawners98
    Dawners98 Posts: 120 Member
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    I LOVE sweet tea and I make iced tea in an iced tea maker, and then add Splenda as I drink it. I know some people say Splenda has a chemical taste to it, but I've never noticed. You can put as little or as much as you like and I think it tastes great!
  • BABetter1
    BABetter1 Posts: 618 Member
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    How much sugar do you put in your tea? At 15 calories per teaspoon it's not huge, unless you drink it all day:)
    Maybe try using just a pinch less every week until it is next to nothing. I went from double cream in my coffee to black over a period of time and am still in shock that I drink it black now.

    This. I am also from the South. When I was a kid, I remember my dad wanting to lose some weight. We were drinkers of the super SWEET tea. So, my dad decided we would slowly cut back the amount of sugar we put in the tea every week or two, by about a quarter of a cup each time. Surprisingly, it was hardly noticeable. And, in time, we dropped it down quite a bit. Now, I can't even stand to drink it super sweet. Actually, I don't drink anything except water these days because I like to eat my calories more than I like to drink them. But, even before I began my lifestyle change a few months ago, I could not stand to drink super sweet tea. I had to water it down. Red Diamond sweet tea was even a little too sweet for me. You can do this. Just give yourself some time to do it gradually.
  • glacier81
    glacier81 Posts: 62 Member
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    I found McDonalds has decent sweet tea and I wish I hadn't!! I'm not from the south, but I could drink good sweet tea all day long! So good! But I think with anything you're going to have to drink it in moderation :(
  • YellowSaturn
    YellowSaturn Posts: 23
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    [...]almost two cups of sugar for a gallon.

    This. So very much this. It was my vice, too, and about a gallon a day with two freakin cups of sugar. I finally just had enough and forced myself to cut it back. I got used to it after a few days of "EW!!!". Then I'd cut back again, until it was completely unsweetened. This was before I joined MFP ... and the only major change that I made in a period where I dropped 15 pounds in just a few weeks. (Seriously, sweet-tea-a-holic, and I can see now that it was obviously a big part of my problem.)

    A week ago I found (when cleaning the kitchen) a bottle of Mio. My bf works for Kraft, so we had gotten some coupons for it awhile back that they handed out, and I guess we never used it. I stared at the water bottles at my feet, and then opened one up and tried it.

    I literally have not had a drop of tea since. I had no idea I could drop it just like that. I haven't tried the sweet tea flavor (didn't have it last time we were at the store) but the fruit punch is awesome. Going to look for the sweet tea flavor again next shopping night!
  • BeckZombie
    BeckZombie Posts: 138 Member
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    Hmmmm, have you tried using Truvia? I've had it a couple times and have never noticed a weird taste.

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