10:03 a.m.: While a morning caffeine boost is, needless to say, a lifeline, as the winter months drag on, it’s of primary importance for my morning quaff to have warmth to it. I’m a rare soda drinker — if I opt for a fizzy beverage it’s of the alcoholic variety — and even that only happens after hours. When tasked with trying Diet Coke as my first taste of morning caffeine, perhaps it was my already feverish mentality, but each sip sent chills down my spine. The fizz made me feel bloated. Boy am I crotchety — and this is supposed to be my morning pick-me-up!
10:35 a.m.: Phew, finally done with that. The heart emblazoned on the bottle is far from indicative of my feelings toward the Diet Coke right now. But it does represent how my heart actually feels right now: bulging due to arrhythmia after all that caffeine.
12:15 p.m.: But it’s made me surprisingly awake, and not even craving another cup of something caffeinated, even at this time when I’d normally be dragging my feet to the coffeemaker for my second cup of the day.
2:01 p.m.: Well, there goes my buzz. This is what a crash feels like. To be fair, I haven’t touched another sip of anything else with caffeine in it, so it may not be the Diet Coke’s fault. But the warm beverage issue still stands — I need something to soothe my throat. Plus, my teeth feel gross on account of all that (fake) sweetener.
4:05 p.m.: Overall my Diet Coke did afford me the pick-me-up I needed, and it didn’t make me feel a whole lot different than drinking coffee. That said, I was just picturing all that syrup and carbonation doing a tune on my stomach before I had a bite to eat.
Lasting impression: I don’t think I’ll be choosing Diet Coke again as my first and only caffeine of the day solely because of its incongruity. But the caffeine content? Certainly comparable to coffee.