I have been wondering why the weight isnt flying off me like it was last time. Im eating pretty good but have been getting frustrated b/c the weight loss is so slow. In almost 3 months I have lost 13lbs when I previously lost 30lbs the 1st month. Well last night I found the answer!

Too much sugar in my diet!!!! Although Im doing pretty good with "real" sweets it didnt dawn on me that my addiction to sweet tea was doing me in. I drink almost a gallon daily. Take a look at the numbers I came up with-it was astounding.

1 gallon of tea has 1440 calories in it and 192 carbs. I use 1 1/2 - 2 cups of sugar in it. I always bring a 32 oz bottle of tea to work (this is down from the 64 oz bottle I used to bring) that 32 oz bottle has 360 calories and 48 carbs in it. The tea has been putting me over my calorie intake nearly every day and my body isnt burning the carbs up which is turning into fat!!!

So now heres the game plan, I love sweet tea!!! I am going to start by reducing the sugar to 1 cup and add sweet n loow. Over the next week I'll slowly keep reducing the sugar amount and upping the sweet n low until I have no more sugar. Then I'll start decreasing the amount of tea I drink and increase water.

I have seen the tea mixes that dont have added sugar but I dont really care for them. The lipton green tea mix tastes pretty nasty to me.

Ive been drinking the Lipton Diet Peach Tea. Its 5 calories for an 8oz serving. Just mix it with water.

I guess Im weird but I dont like any sort of added flavoring or mixed anything. Like I hate flavored water, juices with 2 or more fruits added (strawberry banana, orange tangerine, etc) I hate peaches so peach tea wouldnt do good for me!!

Yeah, I understand that. I guess Im lucky then that I love it. lol. I love peaches too.

The only tea, I ever really drink is Twinings, Herbal Infusions. Camomile and Spearmint.

I used to have at least three teaspoons of raw sugar, Now I've cut down to One...

Which is good for me, for it still contains that slightly sweet taste, which I adore.

Iced Tea, is just way too intense and sweet.

I'm more or less an aquaholic, so I only drink about two-cups.

Best of luck, on ze cutting down the sugar in your tea aspect--!

Be careful with the artificial sweeteners. They are poison in my book. I used to use all that stuff, drink diet coke, etc. for over 20 years. Until I started having problems with my nervous system. To the point that the doctors suspected I had MS!! Long story short, I had to go to a neurologist and he told me to get that stuff out of my life. I did and two weeks later, once I got it out of my system, things started getting back to normal. I won't touch the stuff now. It's just not worth the health risks when using it long term.

I just use regular sugar, when needed. If you just cut back on regular sugar, a little at a time, you will get used to it. No need for artificial sweeteners.

Good luck.
Kathy

Hi ,
Kitkat, I agree with you alot. I don't believe in artificial sweetners either.

Cara...... I am another weirdo, I love water, I would go on a binge maybe twice a year and drink 4 cans of cherry coke, for 7 days and then stop, and also I would buy Arizona Ice tea (pre made), for Sunday's to drink with dinner, but stopped that when I started this journey and I don't miss it. I hope you are able to enjoy plain water, I have heard people who really don't like water, maybe you can add some squeezed lemon to water? Just a thought.
cheryl

We are a sweet tea family. I grew up with the stuff, and my own kiddos have as well. I sweeten with sugar (although I don't really drink it anymore) and my mom has always sweetened with sweet 'n low. While DH and the kids swear they only like it with sugar, they drink the tea at my mom's and think it tastes just like what we have at home, no different. I do drink tea a mom's, but I also used to drink about a gallon of tea daily at my own house with all that sugar in it and cut it out of my life when I started making changes last year. Personally, I've never had a problem with the sweeteners, but that's not to say that at some point something wouldn't develop. If you're concerned you may want to give splenda a try. It's more expensive, but it is a form of sugar so it may end up being the best of both worlds for you!

When I was growing up my family lived on iced tea made with saccharine. My dad still drinks a least a gallon of tea a day and has no health concerns. I think artificial sweeteners are very individual. I have no problems with Splenda and my sister swears it's poison and did all sorts of unpleasant things to her system.

If you do use Sweet-n-Low (saccharine) I recommend the stuff in liquid form. It's easy to use and you can measure it out carefully until you find your desired sweetness. Of course less would be best.

I have never tried the liquid form, I tried some pellets once and that didnt really work, I also tried the large cansters that claim you measure out just like sugar but that made a big mess in my tea jug (lots of foam for some reason) I like the individual packets. It may cost more but I know exactly how many to use.

i like my tea with thinly sliced oranges .... i use honey in my tea i like it .. maybe you can give it a try ?

I'm a fan of "sun tea"

You get a giant jar, fill it up with however many tea bags would work for you, and cold water. Slice up an orange and throw it in, and i slice up a lemon or a lime (or both if i feel crazy!) and let it steep out in the sun for an hour or so, then strain it and throw it in the fridge! yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmy I don't care for sugar in my iced tea but this gives it a citrusy taste and it's very refreshing!

hehehe if i'm honest i don't slice the fruit...i cut in half, squeeze and throw it in ~ i figure it's going to be strained so who cares

Congrats on finding the culprit. Liquids calories often do more harm than good. One of my former coworkers lost 100lbs, mostly by just cutting back on the regular soda.

I'm a water drinker myself. Once in a while, when I need flavor, I'll drink Crystal Light instead.

Thanks for the idea trazey, I'll defientely have to try that! Can I just add bottled lemon juice for the same effect?

sure, bottled lemon is fine, same with the orange - if you don't have a fresh orange around a splash of juice is fine! for such a big amount of tea it's not much added calories for the juice

hope you like it it's pretty yummy freezing cold