many people worry that they’ve “blown” their diets after a single instance of overeating, not realizing that the absolute amount of fat that they can gain from a single meal or day—no matter how much they’ve eaten—ranges from negligible in the case of a single “cheat meal” (a few ounces) to mildly irritating in the case of a day of feasting (0.5 to 1 pound). Therefore, when you stumble (and you will), show yourself the same compassion and forgiveness that you would show a friend.
