Ever since I trained with my wife for the Nike Women’s Marathon a few years ago, I’ve loved drinking Propel. I’ve never been a fan of regular water (I always found it bland and tasteless, even when “fresh”) so never hydrated as much as I should. Propel changed that–virtually no calories, very little sodium (especially compared to other fitness drinks), and not overly sweet, but with just enough flavor to get me to drink a lot more more regularly (plus no artificial colors). Since drinking Propel regularly (post-race), I’ve cut down on soda dramatically, stay better hydrated, and found it easier to lose weight because of my water consumption.
So I was skeptical when I saw the “new” Propel popping up all over, “Vitamin enhanced with antioxidants”. I liked that they were making the bottles out of thinner plastic, but the calorie count was up (marginally) and the sodium count had doubled (I have high blood pressure, so this matters to me more). But I figured I would just avoid this new incarnation and stick with my good ol’ traditional version.
But last night, when I went to CostCo to pick up a few more cases, I found that the “classic” version was gone, and the only cases now available were of the new varieties. Similarly, I noticed that the new version of my precious elixir was slowly encroaching on the territory of the old Propel in all the local Safeways recently, too.
G-F’in-D-it! Why why why did you have to change something that was absolutely perfect the way it was? The final straw was that I decided, last night, to buy a few of the new bottles to see how they tasted. Bleah! You can definitely taste the additional sodium, and it has that “diet” aftertaste that the other one never had (except in some of the powdered varities, which I only use when I travel). So while I used to drink bottles and bottles of the old version, I have a hard time seeing myself doing so with this one. What was a fantastic tool in staying healthier and lighter has vanished. And why? So it could be more like all the other unsatisfactory alternatives (Vitamin Water, gatorade, etc.) already out there.
G-F’in-D-it!
I know, pretty weak tea as rants go, but it does represent a pretty major lifestyle adjustment in store.
I found that I was having “gastrointestinal difficulties” from the sugar alcohols in Propel, so I switched to Gatorade Low Cal (“G2”). Unfortunately it has a ton more calories and off-the-chart more sodium than your classic Propel
Yeah, I haven’t even made it through 1 24oz bottle of the new stuff, but I think that’s partly because my stomach isn’t cooperating with the new version (especially since it has some slight carbonation that the original didn’t have, either). :sigh:
I don’t do it with a straight face. It tastes great and makes me feel good so I drink it with a smile.
Diluting other stuff won’t solve the problem, I don’t think. For now, I’m hitting gas stations and drug stores to get whatever’s left of the old stuff, and then still trying the new flavors in case there are some that still work for me (the Black Cherry was actually pretty good), and then stocking up on the powdered variety because I know that might be my last defense against this unwanted incursion.
Gateraid did it to me. I really liked thier grapefruit flavored stuff, so of course they quit making it. Poweraid still has a grapefruit flavor, but it is not nearly as good.
It probably didn’t sell well, because they called it “Alpine Frost” or some damned thing, and nobody knew what flavor that was supposed to be. That and it looked a lot like semen.
Not Propel, but I miss Squeeze like hell. It’s gone from the shelves here in Chicago. I liked it after running or working hard in the yard in the summer. Like you, plain water did not quench my thirst after exercise.
I have cut out all high fructose corn syrup (well, as much as I can), so Gatorade etc are not options for me. Right now I am subsisting on caffeine free iced tea (not a mix). It’s not the same and I miss the dose of Vitamin C I was getting in the Squeeze (I’m not a big one for 5 servings of fruits and veg etc). Bah–stupid company (Tropicana).
I’ve become partial to lemon propel. It has some (small) amount of vitamins, low sugar and calories, and it tastes great. They’ve come out with new bottles and new labels, but I haven’t noticed any difference in taste or nutritional information. I’m also not seeing any carbonation in mine.
I used to drink the hell out of Vitamin Water. A friend who worked out and looked good recommended it for me. I would buy it by the caseload and always kept some at my desk at work. Fortunately, I had a big nook at my desk where I could store it.
They they f**ked the whole thing up my switching to the high fructose corn syrup. Ruined it for me.
I like tea, but I prefer to make my own so I don’t have to worry about what’s in it. But it doesn’t do great for re-hydration.
I have since taken to simply re-filling the same water bottles (only owned by me, before anybody starts cringing) either from the tap or from a filtered water dispenser.
Yes, my lack of prowess as a consumer has reduced me to tap water.
As a lifestyle-controlled type 2 diabetic, Powerade Zero grape and mixed berry are my workout drinks of choice. No calories at all, not too bad in the taste area.
Have you ever tried Da Vinci syrups? They are sold in the coffee flavoring sections at some stores, but I order mine online from a low-carb store.
I could never drink water until I started adding just a splash of either raspberry or lemon syrup in. It has sucralose (Splenda) in it, and a twenty ounce bottle of water with a splash of that stuff has very very little sodium, and insignificant calories and carbohydrates.
Other flavors are great in coffee. Can’t live without my white chocolate coffee in the morning.
Why is tap water something you are “reduced” to? We have a huge amount of infrastructure that delivers the cleanest, safest water in the world right to our house. It’s really quite amazing. Try living someplace without potable water and you’ll come to appreciate it. Anyway, learning to drink water is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It’s always going to be cheaper and healthier than the alternatives. Our soda-jaded tongues sometimes do have trouble with it, but you can train yourself to enjoy it. I was completely convinced I hated it and could taste the chemicals and whatever. Then I decided that I was just being fussy and I should drink from the tap. It worked- tap water has been my standard drink ever since.
Man, what I wouldn’t give for a tall glass of that sweet Oakland tap water…
What was a fantastic tool in staying healthier and lighter has vanished. And why? So it could be more like all the other unsatisfactory alternatives (Vitamin Water, gatorade, etc.) already out there.