Tracker as enabler

As I weighed out my food for tomorrow's lunch tonight, I couldn't help thinking about whether or not the tracking is actually helping. My meals are very reasonable - I am keeping them nutritious and yet still satisfying. After half a year of religiously tracking every morsel, I don't think I need to track my meals anymore to keep them in line.

My big problem is the evening snacking. I stay up late preparing for the next day of work, typically to 2 am or later, and I get hungry. And I'm tired and lazy and weary of behaving well, and more often than not I indulge in a snack that's much less healthy than my meals. I'm not sure whether the tracking is keeping that in check or I'm using it to justify my snacking.

Since I do well during the earlier part of the day, by the time I get the night-time rumbles, I still have calories to spare. But knowing that often gives me free rein to use up my allotment with a piece of fruit and then indulgence in salty crunchy things. Am I using the tracker as enabler? I'm a little confused tonight. Also does not help that it will be another late one for me. No rest for the wicked!