4. "I blew it."
Push those thoughts of perfection out of your head. "It's the all-or-none approach to eating that leads to overindulgence and guilt," says registered dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus, owner of Nutrition Starring YOU. "I would rather hear someone say, 'I ate more than I wanted at dinner today. No big deal, I'm going to pay more attention to eating slowing and savoring my food.'"
People often catastrophize their eating, says registered dietitian Jill Weisenberger, author of The Overworked Person's Guide to Better Nutrition. These feelings of failure and self-loathing are likely to lead to more overeating. A 500-calorie "mistake" could turn into 2,000 calories or more.