Overthinking: Making JUDDD Work for ME

     In my initial JUDDD forum, I was often accused of overthinking the process.  As-is, it's a totally calorie counting regimen, but I needed more structure.   From the get go, I was also paranoid of regain.   Maintenance is something I've voraciously studied, and at the same time, worked at fine tuning exactly what my mind/body need for this lifelong journey.
     "Just tell me what to eat!"  I often hear people say.  They want a diet plan they can follow and go on autopilot.  Isn't it better to eat the healthy foods that you're currently craving, fitting them into a bare bones outline, making it fit us individually?

     JUDDD the Jeneric way was quite simple:  500 calories (almost no carb); 2200 (100 g protein, filling the rest in healthy choices, including an "unhealthy" dessert if you so choose).

     Diet programs all have one thing in common:  they curtail calories.  If they curtail carbs, they're basically really sneakily curtailing calories.   Yes, curtailing carbs helps with satiety, protein helps keep the metabolism stoked, but the bottom line is calories, whether we want to admit it or not.  There have been studies proven to show that eating within a specific window does burn more calories, BUT... the percentage is too minimal for me to concern myself with adding another "rule".  What's 1-3%?  Forget it.  I don't need another restriction.  Keeping my calories low and protein up, is enough of a restraint, and it's worked for me.
     I established my pattern of very low carb on down days, with 100 g protein on up days through trial and error.  My rules are that simple.  However, I have taken a day, here and there, and eaten nothing but junk on an up day.  It's not something I do weekly, because the aftermath of a higher carb up day makes the following down day harder.  Carb overloading revs my cravings, which is something I'm always trying to prevent.  Carb restriction is a tool I use to control cravings.  It doesn't control the scale one iota.
     Enjoying holidays, even going overboard with calories/carbs, in the large scheme of things, it doesn't make things worse if it's compensated for afterward.  The afterglow of a bigger-than-average eating day spills over into the next day or two, paving the way for easier down days.
     I believe it is important to overthink this process, to make JUDDD work for you, in order to learn how your minds/bodies work.  To go on autopilot may work for awhile.  I often express to DH that I can't understand why so many balk at counting calories.  We balance our checking accounts, so what's the difference?  He is quick to point out that most probably don't.  Ahhh... there in lies the difference in personalities, perhaps.
     We often think of our diet in terms of our daily calories.  However, I plot out my menu and calories like a checking account:  If we overeat today and the scale doesn't reflect that tomorrow, I assure you, the scale will play catch-up in time.  By the same token, undereating may not show up on the scale tomorrow, but it will eventually reflect the work we've put into it.  It really is mostly math.