The other day I was in the queue at the supermarket and behind me was a mother with a young child. The kid was screaming and squealing and demanding chocolate in the most painful manner. The mother tried to placated him, but you could tell she was defeated before she even started. She had no conviction in her voice; she was just going through the motions.

I walked away, thinking what a stupid woman. Why didn't she just say no and mean it? Sure the kid would be upset to begin with, maybe stack on a tantrum for the first few supermarket outings but eventually he'd learn that "no" means no and would stop asking for treats. In the long run it would make the mother's life easy, be healthier for the kid and much gentler on the eardrums of other shoppers.

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy - always is when you are solving other people's problems. But, on the way to the car, it came back to me how trying to change eating habits is like raising a toddler. For me anyway, it's like I have this angry, tantrum throwing, very persistant child inside me that won't take no for an answer. I want it, and I want it now. I scream and demand and throw myself on the ground (mentally anyway - I'm not that far gone).

I can pull all kinds of tricks - avoiding temptation or distracting myself or substituting non-food treats - but in the end, I have to be able to tell myself "no". I have to say it with a firm and uncompromising voice. If I say it often enough and with enough conviction, then the the inner brat will shut up and maybe, eventually, might even start to grow up.