By Michelle McIvor

You heat up a deep-dish pizza after a stressful day and polish off a double-fudge brownie when no one is looking. Whether it's chocolate or chili fries that brings you high-cal satisfaction, comfort foods can play the devil on your diet.

Luckily, there are ways to bounce back from a binge without feeling like you've blown it. "Splurging on comfort food is not bad behavior," says Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, director of UPMC's Weight Management Center. "You just need to be able to barter calories and know how to indulge during one meal and then monitor the next more carefully."

Find out how with Fernstrom's tips >>