Rationalize Much?

"Sometimes we formulate rationalizations that allow us to act on our desire for reward. Thoughts like 'I deserve this' or 'I'll only have a small piece' are strategies for easing our discomfort about behavior we know is not in line with our goals." (page 201)

I've been doing this type of rationalizing for the past year or so. I lose a few pounds and then feel like I "deserve" to relax in my healthy eating for a few days/weeks and gain part of it back. So then, because I'm fancy like that, I get to lose those very same pounds again, until I lose enough to "deserve" another break from healthy eating.

Another thing I do, is I convince myself that eating such-and-such won't cause me to gain any weight, since I'll only have a "small piece." But calories are calories. And when you eat an excess of 200 here and 500 there, eventually those calories add up to 3,500, or one pound.