What You Should NEVER Do After You Cheat!

Your name doesn't have to be Tiger Woods to be labeled a cheater. The holidays can destroy your diet, especially when there is so much out there to tempt you. But how you react directly after you screw up big time can have major consequences that can bring your diet to a screeching halt if you're not careful.
Here are the three things you should never do after you've cheated on your diet -- so you don't sabotage your results later on.

Don't starve yourself. The first gut reaction most men -- and women as well -- tend to have after they've eaten something they shouldn't have is to immediately deprive themselves of food afterwards. Trying to correct the mistake of eating too much at one meal by eating less than usual for the next few meals (or days) only makes your body think that it's starving. Once it enters that mode, it immediately begins to store whatever few calories you do consume as body fat while it slows down your metabolism to conserve energy. Eating way less than normal can also increase your risk of binge eating as well, making you more susceptible to pigging out unnecessarily in the future.

Don't punish yourself for failing. Many dieters react to slipping on their diet by eating even more afterwards. Why? It's the old "I've already blown it, so I might as well start over next week" theory, which is a huge mistake. That's because some dieters may unconsciously cheat on their diets simply so they can justify to others why they might as well throw in the towel. Instead of beating yourself up over your mistake, just move on as soon as you mess up. If you still feel guilty for your food crimes, then set it in stone that if you slip up, you have to do some sort of additional exercise to make up for it (such as running an extra two or three miles that week).

Don't count calories -- count meals instead. Eating one bad meal is nothing in the grand scheme of things. If you actually add up all your meals and snacks throughout the week (assuming you're eating 5-6 smaller meals/snacks a day), one bad meal will barely make a harmful dent in your diet, especially if you plan to eat wisely for the remaining 30-40 meals/snacks throughout the week. The next time you cheat, always step back from the situation, then try to put in perspective how it's your eating habits throughout the week (not just for that meal) that ultimately decide if you'll reach your weight loss goals.

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.