Everyday Systems

i started following the program June 25th. so far, have done very good. one thing that really surprised me, no cravings for sweets. to me that is amazing. plan on buying a 2 liter of my one very bad addiction "coke" for the weekend and then throw it out sunday night. then it won't be a temptation during the week. so far, scale says 3 lbs loss, but you have to remember, my goal is to lose 100 lbs, but according to the statistics, i should lose about 150lbs, but i will be happy with 100lb. i know it will be a slow process, but hopefully it will be the last time i look at the weight i now am.

question, i know we are to use real sugar in ice tea, but i haven't gotten to where i can drink alot of water, and diet soda actually upsets my stomach, so i am planning on making iced tea and keep at work to drink during the day. i have also switched to ice tea when i eat out instead of coke, but, is it really better to put 8 packs of sugar in a lg glass of tea instead of equal?? i don't mind equal, but don't want to do the wrong thing. in the past it wasn't an issue because i was drinking coke all the time, but now that i will be drinking more tea, want to be sure.

thanks.

Hi! I saw that you were located in Missouri. I'm in Ballwin. Small world.
As for your question, I don't have an answer as I am new. Started June 14th.

Lucky you to not have sugar cravings. It's easy for me not to snack or have seconds. But now sweets, whole different story. I miss my sugar. I don't think I'm addicted to sugar, I just really, really, really, really love it.

Anyway, hello and good luck with the program. You will do great.

I bet you don't actually need 8 packs of sugar in your tea. Try less and see how it tastes. I know this is a regional thing, and where you are "sweet tea" is probably the norm. But FWIW, I put one packet of sugar in a "venti" iced tea from starbucks, and that works fine for me.

BSUDS

if there are 3-6 grams of sugar in your packets and your doing 8 that would be 24 -48 grams of sugar,

if that is for the whole day that might be ok but if that is for each glass and you are drinking several glasses throughout the day then you will end up racking up same amount of sugar as coke or more, I think a 12 0z can of coke has 45ish grams of sugar?

maybe use your equal or as Mistress Manners test yourself before you put eight packets in and see if you still really want that much.

I am not big on artificial sweetners they give me headaches but I know people who swear by them

BTW if you are measuring by teaspoon there is about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon

Blueskighs

That's a lot of sugar... about Coke level. When I say it's ok to put sugar in your coffee or tea, I'm thinking a teaspoon or two.

I would either switch beverage, see how it tastes with less, and if neither of those work then even (shudder) consider an artificial sweetener (you can always go half and half). Experiment a little. I'm sure you'll hit on something acceptable.

Reinhard

How about cutting back by one teaspoon per week? That way you will become used to drinking tea with less sugar gradually, in a number of weeks, and may not mind the difference as much. I live in the south, and when I get iced tea in a restaurant i ask for unsweet tea with a splash of sweet tea, and they are always happy to oblige......

to clarify, i meant use one less packet per glass for each glass you drink this week, use two less packets per glass next week, etc., etc.,.....

Thank you for the suggestion. I have been doing so good this 1st week, I didn't want to mess it up unintentionally. I will try your suggestions and see what works best.

Thank you for publishing your book and giving us hope that we can live like normal human beings again.

Some alternatives...

Sparking water. You get the carbonation without calories (but read the labels carefully - a lot of the flavored ones have artificial sweeteners or other bad things in them).

Water with flavorings. Lemon is nice, and oranges make a nice change. Think of the pitchers of ice water in fancy restaurants that have fruit in them.

Hot tea. I live in the south, but my office is over-air-conditioned, so I drink hot tea all year round. I go for herbal ones ("Zinger" are my favorite) and drink them unsweetened. (Though a teaspoon of sugar would be fine.) Zinger is good iced, too.

Juices - real ones, not "juice drinks." In moderation, of course.

I'm sure others will add to the list.

And I totally understand what a change this is. I grew up drinking sweet tea. In college, someone told me they didn't drink it, and I looked at them in shock and asked in all seriousness "what do you drink, then?" Now, I haven't had tea or coke in years, and honestly don't miss them. (Though a good micro-brewed type of root beer is a great S-day treat!)

Good luck!

Am I the only one who likes Unsweetend Tea? Maybe its a California thing...but I've never like sweet tea....

I like the suggestion of gradually cutting back a packets of tea.

But, KCCC has great suggestions too.

Think of all the calories sweetened tea has. Best to leave it as a treat.

Just my (humble) opinion.

I like Tea and Coffee both sweetened and unsweetened. It really depends on my mood.

My family RARELY buys soda anymore. My kids drink mostly water, milk and fruit juices and I usually drink water or coffee, and sometimes beer or tea, and RARELY iced tea or lemonade (off brand crystal lite equivelant for iced tea and lemonade) My main problem is snacks I think. I have to stay away from the beef jerkey and salt and vinegar chips until the weekend.

Anyway, I'd suggest trying to enjoy tea as a bitter drink. It can be quite refreshing that way. It's dificult, but you have to get the expectation of sweetnes out of your head.

I can't stand sweet tea. Having said that, I put a little sugar in my hot tea. But iced tea? Never.

I also drink my coffee black -- most of the time. When I make the cafe au lait type drink, I have to add some sugar.

Weird, I know.

Living in the South, sweet tea rules.
I used to CHUG TWO 32 ounce cups of syrupy sweetness in the morning at work back in the day.
Believe it or not, I drink plain unsweetened tea now during the week and in between meals even on the weekends.
However, if I go out to dinner on an S day and I don't have an adult beverage, I will have a glass of sweet tea with my meal and enjoy it immensely. Actually, in the last several weeks, I find it I enjoy it more than an adult beverage!
A wonderful friend introduced me to lemonade and sweet tea mixed together.
I am finding the longer that I am No Sing, S day treats may be a sweet beverage like tea or lemonade with my meal instead of dessert or a snack.
Why not save the tea you really like it for the S days....
Again, being in the South, everyone I know drinks lots of tea.
I noticed many drink tea with Splenda or Crystal Light during the week and will indulge in the real sugary stuff on the weekends.
Two different paths (mine being unsweet during the week and theirs being artificially sweetened and enjoying the real stuff on S days)...same overall results.

3aday wrote:Why not save the tea you really like it for the S days....

This is one of the ways I have noticed that my tastes have changed.
I still cannot stand unsweetened tea.
I love my sweet tea sweetened with Splenda,
and NOW, I've found that I don't like sweet tea that is sweetened with sugar At All.
Real...(with sugar) sweet tea now tastes disgusting to me. . .almost worse than unsweetened tea.
It is too syupy with an unpleasant aftertaste.

BA, I used to drink diet drinks and felt exactly the same way. Sweetener in my coffee seemed to dissolve better, and taste better at that time.

Now, I find all artificial sweeteners absolutely repugnant. I can barely remember the old preference.

It's what you're used to.

But with motivation, you can get used to something else.

KCCC wrote: But with motivation, you can get used to something else.

I have NO motivation at all to reduce my use of artificial sweeteners.
I love the taste of them, and they are good to me.
My take on the whole artifical-sweetener thing is:

• They taste good;
  They have zero calories;
  No proof exists that they cause health problems;
  In short, they are a "gift from God", and
  There are at least 59,000 more serious food problems. . .
  • . . . .including overeating. . . that need to be dealt with
    before even considering trying to change my use of artificial sweeteners.

BrightAngel wrote:

KCCC wrote: But with motivation, you can get used to something else.

I have NO motivation at all to reduce my use of artificial sweeteners.
I love the taste of them, and they are good to me.
My take on the whole artifical-sweetener thing is:

• They taste good;
  They have zero calories;
  No proof exists that they cause health problems;
  In short, they are a "gift from God", and
  There are at least 59,000 more serious food problems. . .
  • . . . .including overeating. . . that need to be dealt with
    before even considering trying to change my use of artificial sweeteners.

Sorry, BA... I did not mean "you" as in "you personally" - that was meant as a broad observation that people in general can get used to other things.

And it can go either way. I know people who have made the decision to switch to artificial sweeteners, and people who've made the decision to go back to sugar. At different points in my life, I've done both.

I do apologize for sounding as if I meant you - I didn't. I know you and I have very different takes on sweeteners, and that's okay.