"Once upon a time..."

there was an evil (but extremely delicious and beautiful) Vanilla Bean Cake. Having been placed at the back of the shelf at Wal-Mart, Vanilla Bean Cake found herself on the "reduced bake goods" rack due to a very ugly "past sell by" date. Poor Vanilla Bean Cake...will she EVER be loved?

What is this? Here comes the newly thin and still LC'ing Keptewe. She needs something for dessert to serve to her family and doesn't have time to bake. Vanilla Bean Cake jostles to the edge of the shelf. Even though she is a little old, she is still beautiful with her thick layer of creamy, white buttercream and decorative flake of chocolate in the middle. Keptewe, initially, resists. But, after an unsuccessful foray to the bakery aisle to look for something that will not be so tempting (and will be cheaper)...Keptewe goes back to the discount shelf and picks up Vanilla Bean Cake. "Mission accomplished!", sighs Vanilla Bean Cake as she makes the trip home striking up a conversation with Reduced Fat String Cheese. "I am much more attractive than you, String Cheese....I'm pretty sure that I can get little Keptewe to eat me when we get home!"

Keptewe serves Vanilla Bean Cake to her family. Vanilla Bean Cake exceeds ALL expectations. She is rich and sweet and creamy. She cuts easily. Everyone LOVES her! Including, sadly, Keptewe who has indulged in the tinyest sliver of a piece. And so, begins the struggle! Unfortunately...more than half of Vanilla Bean Cake is left over. OH NO!!!! What will Keptewe do?

Bravely...Keptewe places Vanilla Bean Cake back in the fridge. It is then that Vanilla Bean Cake begins her evil and persistent attack. Every time Keptewe opens the fridge, Vanilla Bean Cake whispers, " Psst, over here. I am yum, yum, yummy! You could eat a piece of me...maybe you could even eat ALL of me and still be LC'ing. You could starve yourself for the rest of the week and you could eat me instead....I am SOOOO yummy!" Keptewe wavers. She slams the fridge door. What to do? What to do? Reduced Fat String Cheese knows he doesn't have what it takes to satisfy in this case so he doesn't even try. "Run away, Keptewe, run away and don't look back!!!", he yells, thinly. Somehow...and we don't know how...Keptewe manages to move away from the fridge. Maybe it is the thought of the self-hatred that she will experience if she caves on the cake? Maybe it is the thought of how happy she was in the JC Penny dressing room when she found out she could fit Size 10 jeans? Maybe it was the memory of the stomach churning, gut wrenching ramifications of the last time she ate too much "off plan" food? We will never know.

But...Keptewe doesn't stop there. She knows that she has only won one battle...the war still rages as long as Vanilla Bean Cake is still in the house. "I should throw you in the trash...you evil cake, you!" "Please noooo...don't throw me in the trash...at least feed me to the dogs?"

Keptewe's heart softens. Just because she can't enjoy Vanilla Bean Cakes"s forbidden delights, doesn't mean NOBODY should. "I will take you to Bible study tonight and share you with the gang.", she thinks. And so....she does. Everyone LOVES Vanilla Bean Cake. Vanilla Bean Cake tries one more time to tempt Keptewe. "You could have just one, little piece...since you are with everyone else...it will be safe." But Keptewe knows that isn't true and besides...it is the principle of the thing now. "No thanks, Vanilla Bean Cake. You ARE beautiful and you ARE delicious. But...not as beautiful as Size 10 jeans and not as delicious as the taste of "thin again". Thanks...but no thanks."

And, so ends the story of Vanilla Bean Cake who really was only being herself and wasn't really evil. Just like Keptewe...who is also being herself....which is a thin, "self controlled around food" person and who isn't evil because cake still talks to her!

Moral of the story?

LC'ing is for life. It really doesn't get easier but it does get sweeter...even without cake!