If you’re on a diet, and you go off, it can be a double crisis. First of all, you may feel regret, disappointment, anger at yourself or the diet, and the sense of being a failure. It doesn’t feel so good.

So what’s double about this crisis?  Just this: What do you do now? Do you give up? Do you go on as if it didn’t happen? How do you get back the courage, the conviction, the belief in yourself, the hope, the confidence, the wherewithal to continue?

You can regain your balance and go on, but it takes a little work. The main thing is to NOT beat yourself up over the transgression. Remember, it’s not the end of the world, or the end of your weight-loss journey. On the contrary, it’s part of it! It’s always a part of any journey toward a goal—to make mistakes, to falter, to get off-track.

Avoid the double crisis. Pay attention to the after-a-cheat. Work with it, Decide what you need to do for yourself so you can get back on track. People who succeed do this all the time, and so can you.