u/bigbankmanman

I am a 34 year old woman trying to lose weight. I have been tracking my calories and exercising regularly. My problem is that after a good workout, I feel like I earned a treat. Nothing huge, maybe a small pastry or an extra serving of dinner. But I know I am probably eating back most of the calories I just burned. I read that exercise is for health and the deficit comes from food, but my brain still tells me I deserve something after putting in the work. How do you break that cycle? Do you plan your treats in advance? Do you just ignore the hunger and drink water? I do not want to stop exercising but I also do not want to undo my progress every single time I work out. Anyone else struggle with this mental block?