If you’re tempted to give in and have the sabotaging thought, “I’ll make up for it later by eating less,” remind yourself, “Making up for it later just doesn’t work because there’s no guarantee that I’ll actually be able to get myself to eat less later on. It also doesn’t work because if I overeat, I reinforce my giving-in muscle and make it more likely I’ll overeat the next time, and the time after that. It’s important to continually reinforce the habit of eating consistently. It’s not about the calories, it’s about the habit.”