I've been dieting for years, and ever since the first day I started dieting, I've been searching and drinking 0kcal drinks. Why? Because water was really too bland for me. I was willing to give up a lot about my diet, but I couldn't stand eating bland food all day without a strong drink coming to my rescue.
I don’t think Pepsi Zero or Coke Zero tastes just like water. They are a lot bubblier and give you a sting in your mouth and throat when you take a sip, which makes a big difference.
Compared with Pepsi Zero, Coke Zero is more flavored, and therefore it can give you a strong first impression, granting you the excitement and stimulation that you generally hope to get when you drink a bottle of soda.
Pepsi Zero gives you less pressure to your taste buds. You can feel the gentler touch and satisfaction it gives you when the drink goes through your mouth and throat. It comforts your sore throat and empty stomach, which are quite easy to have if you are on a diet, because you’d be more vulnerable physically. It also creates less burps after you drink it.
They look and smell very similar. They are both black liquid filled in a clear bottle, drippy when fresh out of the freezer, harder and can be much more expensive than their regular counterparts to find, and are rarely on sale. And, for some, they are irreplaceable and definitely essentials.
Their family size bottles differ. For Coke Zero, its bottles are curvier and sturdier. Such design makes it easier for you to grip the bottle when you are chugging a 2-liter size of Coke down your throat, but the curvy parts can also rub against your hand, creating discomfort.
For Pepsi Zero, its design is almost one streamline from top to bottom. It won’t rub against your hand when you hold it. For me, someone who’s extremely impatient, I’d often grip the bottle too hard (and it has a softer structure, therefore more sensitive to pressure than Coke bottles), due to the fear of losing it.
I can’t forget about how many sleepless nights or weeping hours I’ve gone through with a bottle of Coke Zero in my hand. I often wander around my room with a bottle of Coke Zero in hand like a drunk man, since, like alcohol, Coke Zero have me the disturbance and fulfillment I needed. It has been in my life for the past 9 years. Wherever I went, there were always piles of 2-liter bottles of Coke Zero lying around.
When I first came to the Philippines, I was determined and desperate to find any soda that has 0 calories here. Thank God I did really quickly. On my first night in Makati, Pepsi was right on the shelf when I walked by the soda area of the supermarket. It was a lifesaver.
Something to share:
When I first arrived in Makati, Manila on Sept. 9, 2019, it was almost raining nonstop until last week. During that time, I reacquainted myself with a little trick I used to do a lot. When your sneakers are wet from the rain, you can stuff some newspaper in them, and on the next day, they will be dry, depending on how wet they got previous day. I learned this from my PE teacher when I was in junior high. A big shout out to Mr. Hsu.
