For The Love of Cake

This baby shower cake was probably one of the most
enjoyable cakes I've eaten this year. ** 

I love cake. I really do. It’s so good.  I probably think about cake at least once a day. If I could eat cake, with mounds of frosting every single day I totally would. So moist and creamy. Buttercream frosting lacing my taste buds with sugar and goodness. Ahhh.  If I could create my own paradise it would include a beach, and an unlimited supply of calorie free, yet equally delicious cake.  Don’t even get me started on the ice-cream, cake’s significant other. Separate they are both dazzling, together they are a exquisite.

                I remember the first time I turned down a cupcake. It still spins in my head to this day.  I don’t find myself in many situations where cake, or cake products are being offered. In fact I try to avoid these like the plague, because it is so hard for me to walk away from cake.  Occasionally my boss  or teammates will buy gourmet cupcakes for the team . When I say gourmet, I mean the type of cupcakes you see on TV.  Tall, fluffy, soft, sugary, delicious. I could go on and on. They also weigh in at close to 1,000 calories a pop. Yep that is over half of my daily calories. On one single t cupcake.

      On this particular day, about a year ago my boss walked around the cube farm with that beautiful black box allowing everyone to choose their prize.  I thought long and hard about what kind I was going to take, but then it dawned on me. I didn’t need this cupcake. I would be okay without it. Yes I would have to watch everyone else enjoy theirs, but I would end the day with the satisfaction of knowing how strong I could be against my urge for cake. What benefit did eating this cupcake serve me?  I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it would be like a test. It would push me to the edge, but if I could get through my shift without touching a cupcake I could go celebrate at the gym(sadly this is how I reward myself, it’s crazy I know, but it helps), and know that I wasn’t spending my gym session just burning off the frosting. 
 
        As he got closer to me my heart began racing. Could I do this? Could I really turn down a monster cookie cupcake? Two of my favorite deserts put into one joyous masterpiece. My mouth became dry. This was harder than I imagined. Everyone around me was savoring their prizes, eyes rolling into the back of their heads with each mouthwatering bite.  It was my turn. I didn’t even look into the box. I shook my head real fast and looked away, avoiding all eye contact.  I had done it! I turned down a cupcake and didn’t even look back. Were the next few hours of listening to my colleagues describe which flavors they had gotten to each other torture? Slightly, but not nearly as torturous as the type of gym session I would have put myself through had I eaten it.  That night at the gym I had an excellent workout, and I knew it actually counted towards my weight loss, it wasn’t just to burn off a single cupcake.  

      I’d be lying if I said every time I’d been offered cake or cupcake since this day that I’d turned it down. Let’s not get crazy, but I can count the number of times I have had either since then. 4.  It would be rude not to eat cake at weddings.
 
       I was offered a doughnut today. I ate it. Sometimes our weaknesses are going to win, but I will be strong for the rest of the day and everyday going forward. One moment of weakness will not define my journey.  The key to success is allowing yourself some room to “cheat”, because never eating cake or a doughnut again is Ludacris,  but also knowing when to say no.