Don’t give up after falling off the wagon.

We all do it. You go to a celebration dinner and you overeat. Everyone blows his or her calorie budget every now and then. What should you do next?

Weight management professionals say you should:

Relax (For a Moment), one meal is not going to ruin your program, as long as you exercise regularly and get back in the routine of eating healthy. You have to consume 3,500 calories in order to gain 1 pound of body fat. It is not likely that one binge will show up on the scale.

The problem lies in that for most Americans, it is not a one time binge. If you don’t think about your intake every single day, you will become overweight, say Allen Dollar, MD, chief of cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Don’t give up, too many dieters throw in the towel after a splurge. Instead of feeling defeated [saying oh well I blew it and say now I can eat whatever I want] you should give yourself a pep talk and say things like [let's get back on track; time to work out and get back on it].

If you eat more calories than you should at a party on a weeknight, consider that one of your “weekend” days and compensate for it accordingly.

Do not compensate by skipping a meal. If you skip a meal you are more likely to be extra hungry and overeat at the next meal. Experts recommend that you cut back during the day and eat a series of small meals packed with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables:

Wait until you’re hungry. Then have a light breakfast such as a bowl of low-fat yogurt and berries.
Mid-morning snack: A piece of fruit and an ounce of low-fat cheese
Lunch: A big salad with lean protein such as fish or chicken, or a whole-wheat pita pocket with lettuce and tuna or turkey
Afternoon snack: A cup of vegetable soup and an orange
Dinner: A piece of fish and plenty of vegetables

After a feast, your weight is bound to be up. It is likely due to the water retention brought on by excess salt during your binge. Weighing yourself will only make you feel defeated. One source recommends that you weigh every Friday when you are at your best.

Stick to your normal workout. It is not necessary to over work yourself, this will leave you burned out and more likely to not want to exercise anymore.

Be sure to track what you eat. Be sure to record everything that you put into your mouth. If you are writing it down then you are more conscious of what you are eating, Dollar says. There are many calorie-counting web sites and mobile applications to choose from.

The only way to win the game “is to be meticulous about your total calories for the week,” Dollar says. “If you don’t stay on top of things, you’ll slowly and subtly lose the battle. You have to be conscious every time your hand goes from a plate to your mouth.”