I wa told that I couldn't have Crystal Light in my water. Has anyone else had this happen to them? I dont see a problem with it because it is 5cal and nothing else. Has anyone had Crystal Light hinder their weight loss?
Who told you this, and what was their justification? Did your doctor say this, a leader of your weight loss program, or just some random person?
I do drink Crystal Light. I also drink tea (caffeinated), diet sodas, and tap water (bottled water is often just someone else's tap water). I drink no more than three quarts of fluids (and all fluids "count") on my doctor's recommendation (if you're on blood pressure medications or any medication that can deplete your body of electrolytes like sodium, drinking too much water can be dangerous).
There are a lot of people with a lot of ideas about water drinking (and what does and doesn't "count").
My mother was hospitalized for water intoxication (water poisoning) a result of drinking too much water, in part because she wasn't "counting" coffee as water. Her Weight Watcher's leader was telling the group than when they drank coffee, they not only couldn't count it as water, but that they needed to drink an "extra" cup of water to compensate for the diuretic properties of coffee. This is completely false. Coffee is not so diuretic that it doesn't contribute to your water needs, so 8 oz of coffee might be equivalent to 7 oz of water, but it doesn't require any compensation. Even most alcohol is not so dehydrating that it doesn't contribute to water needs. In the middle ages, no one drank water, because water wasn't safe. Even the children drank beer (usually "softer" less fermented, and therefore lower or no alcohol beers). Beers were safe, because the water was boiled - but people didn't know why beer was safer, they just knew it was.
Some folks argue that only water with nothing in it "counts," but the fact is all water has "stuff" in it, with the exception of distilled water. Distilled water is NOT recommended for drinking, because it can leach minerals from the body.
Many people oppose the use of artificial sweeteners, and suspect that besides causing potential health problems, believe they may increase hunger or sweet cravings. Some people avoid them because of adverse effects they report (like headaches), others avoid them on principle.
If you're counting calories, or limiting food in some other way, artificial sweeteners are probably not going to inhibit your weight loss (this is supported by the research), so do what you feel is right for you, and consistent with your beliefs.
I've certainly heard that too. I've also read somewhere that your body reacts as if it had eaten real sugar when it tastes artificial sweeteners (which starts a metabolic cycle which increases cravings and otherwise makes it harder to lose weight).
That said, I love raspberry ice Crystal Light and it's one of the few (only?) Frankenfoods I absolutely rely on. It satisfies my cravings for sweets and I drink a lot of it (my other staple drink being tea, which water purists also nix). Without it, I simply do not drink enough. With it, I do. As far as I'm concerned, end of story.
I would say try to do without it. I'm sure you're better off if you can. But it is possible to lose weight without giving it up.
When I attended my food class at MRC the instructor said we could not have Crystal Light. We needed to drink plain water. I literally gag when I drink plain water. I dilute the crystal light enough where it is just a taste of it in the water. I was confused because when I received my meal plan it stated I could have soda (Diet Rite). If I can have soda, I should be able to have crystal light right?
Personally, I agree. However, Crystal Light and similar products are usually sweetened with aspartame (Nutrasweet) and some folks oppose this sweetener more than others. Diet Rite is sweetened with a blend of sucralose(Splenda) and Acesulfame potassium (Sunett).
I believe you have a few choices.
Ignore the advice and see how your progress goes with Crystal Light. If you're doing well, don't sweat it.
Find a drink mix that is made without nutrasweet.
Buy unsweetened drink mix like Kool Aid and sweeten with your own non-aspartame sweetener. Walmart has their own brand of sucralose (it's in a yellow bag much like the Splenda bag).
Just an FYI tip, when you blend two or more different artificial sweeteners, it can amplify the sweetness, so you can use less sweetener to get the same level of sweetness (any combination of aspartame, sacharine, sucralose, Acesulfame potassium).
I drink at least 64 oz of water a day and sometimes a tad bit more. I drink Crystal light here and there as well as Diet Rite, Tangerine--My counselors told me that Crystal light was fine. See this is what is starting to bother me, some counselors say one thing, some say another- I say drink it, if it does not hurt you ( which I dont see why it would) then continue to drink it. Let us know how you are doing
If you are drinking them in moderation--maybe one serving of CL a day--or even two--I think it's probably okay. Artificial sweetners are definitely noted for stalling weight loss. I agree in my experiences they do.
You might want to try instead Canada Dry with Mandarin Orange flavor in it. There are no sweetners in it. There is also a Lemon Lime variety. If you have a Trader Joes or Whole Foods near to you, check out the drink mixes made with Stevia or Xylitol--excellent stuff. You can also just purchase the Stevia and make your own "crystal light" at home.
ETA: I also wanted to mention that when I first started my water drinking last summer I didn't like it either. I would add a twist of lemon, lime or orange to it. It made it a little easier. Good luck.
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 03-09-2009 at 03:49 PM.
ours want you to have 64 oz of plain water. you can have crystal light if you wld like but it doesn't count as part of your 64 oz of plain water they require. I don't think that 5 calories and 0 carbs *right?* are going to hurt your loss and I think some centers say it's ok because they realize that some people just won't drink plain water all the time.
I don't count the sprite zero i drink occasionally towards my water intake *usually don't even finish half a bottle before I put it up anyway* and i don't like anything with aspartame. too much of a chemical quality to it and lots of people say that it turns to phamaldihyde *sp* in the blood stream which kinda puts the thought of drinking embalming fluid in your head if you hear it more than once.
I don't have a problem drinking plain water by itself. my best friend, on the other hand, is so spoiled that she gags at the THOUGHT of drinking water. I keep telling her that nobama isn't gonna fix the economy before dr pepper closes!! I'm so nice.....
I have noticed that when I drink full caffeine tea that I slow down a little bit and I have noticed that I'm cycling. lose more on the weekends when I'm eating out and lose less during the week when i'm at home and measuring so I think i'm retaining water from the weekend salt content and occasional caffeine intake during the week and dropping that water over the weekend or something. *shrug* everyone's different.
I felt like I was retaining water today---odd---not my time of month, done with it ( thank goodness ) I asked my counselor tonight about Crystal light again, she said after I get my 64 ounces of water in I can drink some Crystal light- so on that note, I am going to enjoy my one or two glasses of CL every couple of days.
At my center, they said that I could have up to 16 oz of no caffeine, no sodium, and no cal drinks starting on day 5 and increase it to 32 after day 11. They were clear though that it was not to replace the minimum 64 oz. of water we have to drink on the program. Our HNS don't even count for overall water intake. I'm not sure if the artificial sweetners are the reason, or if they just want us to get in the habit of drinking regular water and only use things like diet soda, crystal light, etc. in moderation. I know my mom hates water and will drink like a gallon of crystal light a day and while that is better than soda, I do wonder about all the artificial stuff and how that may affect her.
If you are having trouble getting the 64 oz of water in, you could probably add a few drops of lemon juice (we are allowed up to 1 tsp a day). That may help a little!
I'm not defending aspartame, but mythbusting is a bit of a personal obsession.
Aspartame does break down into a few molecules of formaldehyde, but what the scaremongers aren't telling you is that what is breaking down into formaldehyde is a common amino acid. So bananas, milk, chocolate and thousands of other very healthy, very natural foods break down and in the process form trace amounts of formaldahyde, and it would be very difficult (and unwise) to avoid all of the foods that do this.
Personally, I think it's the warning on the label, that has inspired much of the fear of aspartame (warning..... contains phenylalanine).
Phenylalanine is a common amino acid that a small number of people cannot (from birth) digest. It's called PKU, and was once the leading cause of preventable mental developmental disability . Children born with this condition (which all babies are tested for at birth), require a special diet at least until brain development is finished. A woman with PKU has to go back to the diet when she is pregnant (ideally when she is wanting to become pregnant) in case she has passed along the defective gene to her child. The problem is that the diet is so reputably horrible, that it is often said that "if it doesn't taste disgusting, it's not allowed." Many women choose not to have children, simply because the diet is so difficult to stick with.
I think the warning on the can scares people, because they don't realize that many natural foods are at least as dangerous to someone with PKU, but only processed foods, not natural foods must be labeled with the warning. A glass of milk may be as dangerous, or even more so, to someone with PKU as a can of diet Coke (but their doctor has already warned them about milk and the thousands of other foods they cannot have).
For what it's worth, I have two Crystal Lights a day (mixed with my protien pack - Rasberry Lemonade and Mixed Berry are my favorite) and have lost 37 pounds in 90 days. I do drink water the rest of the day, though, so maybe I am getting close to my 64 oz. in addition to the Crystal Light.
If anyone finds out that it does, in fact, hinder weight loss, please let me know because maybe I could have lost 47 pounds instead! lol
My Center Said The Same Thing. I Use To Drink A Lot Of Crystal Light Each Day But The Center Said I Had To Have 64 Oz Of Water And Couldn't Count Crystal Light As Part Of It.
When I attended my food class at MRC the instructor said we could not have Crystal Light. We needed to drink plain water. I literally gag when I drink plain water. I dilute the crystal light enough where it is just a taste of it in the water. I was confused because when I received my meal plan it stated I could have soda (Diet Rite). If I can have soda, I should be able to have crystal light right?
Well, the soda is in addition to the plain water you're supposed to drink - not in place of it.
Bottom line, plain water is healthier. I don't necessarily buy the part about "your body processes it differently" - because water pretty much never hits your kidneys without having been mixed with something else, even if it's just your digestive acids. But I also feel like too much of the artificial sweeteners isn't a good thing (I know I don't feel good if I've had too much aspartame). But if it takes a little Crystal Light in your water to get it down, and it isn't affecting your weight loss, then just don't tell them - but if you find your loss stalling, it might be something to consider eliminating (the Crystal Light - not the water ). Or maybe a touch of lemon or lime (I know they tell us not to do that too, but it's better than not drinking enough water). I like the True Lemon & True Lime, just a packet in my 32 oz of water gives it a touch of flavor.
They tell you that you can't add lemon or lime to your water!? What's the rationale for that?
I can agree or at least consider the possibility that plain water is probably a healthier choice than most other beverages, but the idea that it has to contain nothing else, even completely natural, nearly calorie-free ingredients... ok that's starting to cross into "mumbo jumbo."
A lot of these ideas about water have become like an out of control game of telephone. Research into origin of the recommendation for 6 to 8 glasses of water, is shrouded in myth and mystery. Apparently, there was a journal article several decades ago, in which the authors (kidney specialists, I believe)estimated that the average person needed "the equivalent" of 6 to 8 glasses of water - but they also noted that most of the fluid needs actually could and did come from foods (and in fact could come exclusively from foods).
Somehow, this apparently got twisted into the recommendation that everyone needed 6 to 8 glasses of liquids over and above solid food.
Then came the recommendation that liquids weren't good enough, only non-caffeinated beverages counted.
Then non-caffeinated beverages weren't enough - it had to be water (then only pure water).
Soon, it wasn't enough that caffeinated beverages didn't count, then they had to be compensated for with an additional glass of water (and now, you'll sometimes here two glasses being recommended).
Ah, but caffeine in beverages (not those in pills and drugs) is not enough of a diuretic to "cancel out" all of the water, so most of the water, does indeed count. As the kidney specialist called in when my mom was hospitalized for water poisoning said, "If coffee was dehydrating, people who drank coffee as their only beverage would die of thirst (and they don't.)" My mom was told by her WW leader, not only that coffee didn't count, but that it must be compensated for by an additional glass of water (and some were saying two glasses of water). "Compensating" for her coffee pushed her into water poisoning, because drinking all that extra water washed too much sodium out of her blood (a potentially lethal situation - my mom was in the hospitalized for a week as they tried to get her blood "undiluted"). She was limited to 2 quarts of liquid - and that included every ounce of liquid in her food - so juice counted, coffee counted, soup counted, even a fresh orange counted).
It just drives me absolutely nuts that these water myths are getting crazy out of hand. It's become "common knowledge," with even doctors believing it without question - but when asked why they believe it - or where they learned it, they can't answer. It's just "common knowledge."
Finally, there's been some recent research debunking the myth, but it's not stemming the tide of the myth. It's too small a voice saying "this stuff isn't true," and too loud and too many voices perpetuating and even exagerating the myths.
(Sorry for the rant, but having my mom almost die because of these wild myths that pass for common knowledge, has made me a bit peevish on the subject).
Crystal Light Vs. Water
I'm so nice..... 
) I asked my counselor tonight about Crystal light again, she said after I get my 64 ounces of water in I can drink some Crystal light- so on that note, I am going to enjoy my one or two glasses of CL every couple of days.
). Or maybe a touch of lemon or lime (I know they tell us not to do that too, but it's better than not drinking enough water). I like the True Lemon & True Lime, just a packet in my 32 oz of water gives it a touch of flavor.
