A silly guestion

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  • ron2e
    ron2e Posts: 606
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    From the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661): "Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day."

    Bottom line? Yes, your iced tea hydrates you.

    Roundgal, not sure if it is "great minds think alike" or "fools never differ" with the two of us, see my post above yours :laugh:
  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
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    I count anything I drink In my water consumption. Ifit has calories I also log it in my food diary. That is just me. I also make sure for every not water drink I have I have at least the equivalent amount in plain old water.
  • kbhobson
    kbhobson Posts: 3 Member
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    As a Weight Watchers rule, they say if your tea is caffeine-free AND sugar-free, you can count it but has to be both. Otherwise, you can't. I am also a big tea drinker, but I would advise you to get away from artificial sweetners. They are terrible for you because of the aspartame. I would suggest either Stevia or Organic Sugar. Using these might keep you from counting as a water but MUCH HEALTHIER!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Yes, you can count iced tea as water. As for the sugar substitutes, there are unsubstantiated claims that eating sugar substitutes make you want to eat more. I have found no science to back up this theory. It is only a theory based on anecdotal results from some people. Like the 'fact' that people who drink diet sodas weigh more than those who don't. Well, Duh! People who are naturally thin and active, don't have a NEED to drink or eat diet anything. Those who are overweight, try to control their calories by eating diet foods, but often don't understand the relationship with overall calories, and eating in moderation on a consistent basis. When I was in HS, my breakfast quite often was a candy bar and a diet soda to 'balance' out the calories.

    Sugar sub use is a personal preference issue. It does not hinder weight loss for the vast majority of users. There are a few people who say that when they eat something that tastes sweet, it makes them want to eat more sweet stuff. But that is more a problem of moderation and self control. My husband was of that mindset a few months ago. He wouldn't eat a dessert that was 'diet' because it made him want to eat more. He has since learned, from watching me and from his own experience, that he can have one WW ice cream bar, and enjoy the treat, without wanting to finish off the whole box.

    Now, on the other hand, eating actual sugar, that spikes your glucose level and insulin level, CAN certainly cause you to want to eat more sugar. Some people argue against the term 'sugar addiction', but it is a real, physical process in your body.

    You must have carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar. So if you eat a 'sugar free' cookie or cake, then the other carbohydrates in the product can certainly raise your blood sugar and insulin levels and cause you to want to consume more of it after the sugar level drops.
    So just because something is sugar free, doesn't mean it won't affect your blood sugar. You must look at total carbs in a food, not just the sugar content.
  • wtfusernameisnttaken
    wtfusernameisnttaken Posts: 192
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    Is it home made iced tea or store bought processed iced tea? If you're making it yourself, and adding a reasonable amount of sweetener, then you should be fine. If it's store bought. NO. Store bought is usually going to have calories as they put additives and what not in it (depending on the brand) Just check and list it as a drink so you can keep track of the calories, etc in it. Water is water. Only count the water in the water consumption. Otherwise, it's not water.
  • ravenbard
    ravenbard Posts: 51
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    I have always been told that you can't count coffee, tea in your water intake.. Water is what you count and not tea or coffee.. sorry Charlie.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    If I eat a donut, and wash it down with a glass of plain water, how is the body going to differentiate that water from say, a glass of ice tea with sugar in it??
    Think about it for a minute.

    Any fluid that goes into your body hydrates you. The other foods that you eat WITH the water or IN the water, may affect you in other ways, such as calories, etc, but it doesn't change the fact that you ingested X number of ounces of water.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
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    Coffee is my absolute..sounds like your tea is too. A part of your adherence. Don't change it. Don't worry about it. If you find it doesn't give you cravings then continue. I have a diet soda when I do crave and then I'm fine. Sometimes it's more effective than a piece of fruit. There are no absolutes when it comes to what we all choose to do to keep going day after day. Diets are conventional but life long commitment is flexible.

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