What is what does you can't have your cake and eat it too mean?

The proverb "you can't have your cake and eat it too" expresses the idea that it is impossible to enjoy two desirable but mutually exclusive things.

It means that you cannot use something up and still possess it. The cake represents a valuable resource or opportunity. Eating the cake means consuming or using up that resource. Once you've eaten the cake, it's gone; you no longer have it.

The saying emphasizes the concept of trade-offs and the reality that choices have consequences. You must choose between enjoying the benefit of something and retaining it for future use. You can't have both. The proverb highlights the importance of making decisions with awareness of these trade-offs.