I can't resist the cake

About 10 year ago I worked in a gym where one of the admin team would bring in cake or chocolate daily. 

I like both of those things. 

Put in front of me I would have to negotiate with myself every time. 

Both to want something and not want something at the same time is a defining part of the human experience. 

I most often went with the part that wanted it, in all honestly he's often more fun... 

I didn't and don't really fear fat gain, I just don't connect overconsumption of food with fat gain - I don't believe it's that simple. 

Anyway, I really hate energy slumps, general lethargy and difficulty concentrating. The cake and the chocolate do this for me. 

I decided to stop. 

I knew willpower wouldn't work because willpower effectively means,

Your ability to override the stronger part of your brain. 

I don't have that and neither do you. 

However we both have the ability to work with this part of our brain. 

Here is what's going on: 

1. My brain loves sugar I want to take it when its available because we have a story of 'rationing' that is often past to us from childhood. Who knows when the chance might be there again? 
2. My brain hates to turn down gifts for fear of lost of connection with the offerer. Again, a belief passed on from childhood. 

The brain will always present these challenges unless we give it a system or answers in advance to make it feel safe and stay quiet. 

To the first, the brain wants to know that it can have sugar. Rather than resist we can place it into a specific context. "I have chocolate on a Friday night while watching a film" for example, when I know I will be sleeping afterwards. 

To the second we create stories. Fasting, Vegan, Paleo - these are stories we use to define ourselves. Ultimately very few people in our lives actually NEED to know how we choose to eat yet I'm sure you can name people that fall into each camp that you have never even dined with. 

These stories protect us from the fear of judgment from the cake provider. 

Create a story. 

"I'm fasting" 

"I don't eat cake at work because it knocks me out."

Simple. Constant. Quickly learned by others and your own brain.

If you want to change an action then create an identity that doesn't allow for that action and start living by it.

Define
Refine
Align