And how I maintained my weight all these years … drinking tea
All this noise about intermittent fasting has brought forth the question of what, exactly is fasting? In a world of so-called “cheat days,” are there cheat foods for fasting diets?
First: Will Tea Break Your Fast?
First of all, the basic answer is that tea does not break a fast, if it is black, white, green or any clear tea. That is, if you didn’t add cream, sugar, or my personal fave, soy milk. The truth is, there’s tea and then there’s tea.
What About Tea with Sugar?
You could put one teaspoon of sugar, 16 calories, and probably not upset the balance of fasting too much. But then there’s a heavier, caloric tea, with three teaspoons of sugar and thus 16 calories x 3, which is 48 calories in all. And then there’s another cup of tea in the pot, and … another 48 calories.
How Does That Compare with Soft Drinks?
A can of Coke, on the other hand, has 140 calories.
And if You Add Milk?
Then you’ve got nine calories in a tablespoon of milk, and if you’re me, you’re likely to put a quarter cup of whole milk in your tea, that’s four tablespoons and that is 36 more calories.
And Soy Milk?
Soy milk is a little bit lighter, at roughly 7 calories per tablespoon, or 28 calories for the quarter cup.
And Then There’s Serving Size
But wait! You’re using a big mug? You’ve got slightly larger measurement sizes, and your cup of tea with sugar is now getting close to 100 calories. At that point, can tea break a fast? Yes, tea will break a fast at that point. Definitively.
What is the Most Calories There Could Be in a Cup of Tea?
The thing is, the idea of fasting is that consuming calories starts your digestion and fires up the desire for more food. This concept is explained with more detail here at ideas.ted.com. But beyond the spacing of meals in a fast for ten or twelve or fourteen hours, there is the fact that “There’s no one way to do intermittent fasting.”
You Design Your Own Intermittent Fast.
My version of intermittent fasting, which has served me well over the years, is a no-snacks variety of fasting. That is, there is no going to the kitchen or the candy machine at 3. I eat at 6:30 a.m., at 11 a.m., and at around 6 p.m. Having a snack would be a cheat and when I’m “on the beam,” I don’t do it.
I do, however, drink tea with soy milk freely. Each cup has, to my reckoning, about 25 calories. And that’s not enough, in my case, to fire up the desire to increase eating.
My daughter said it best: “Maintaining your weight???? That’s why you drink tea all the time?” Yes, and in fact, I used to drink tea with sugar and it *still* worked, but I had to stop because the dentist said my teeth couldn’t take the constant all-day sugar bath.
Go figure. I’m not saying you can put sugar in your tea and still be “fasting.” Actually, what I’m saying is that the function of the intermittent fast is to consume fewer calories and to not engage your body’s digestive energy, which fires up your appetite. The biggest thing about maintaining your weight is finding an eating plan (notice I didn’t say diet) that works for you over *years.* That’s how long you’re going to be here, with any luck at all.
The Truth is, Drinking Tea is my #1 “Snack”
