"Guilt-Free Eating" is consuming high calorie food that you tell yourself is okay to eat due to a reasonable excuse that you give yourself. Most commonly found to happen on the weekend at a picnic, watching movies, ball game, birthday party, holiday dinner, or any other event that centers around food. We find ourselves "Guilt-Free Eating" at any event we mark on the calendar because we know it is an upcoming good time with a lot of great food. Throughout this article, Team Fitness America will share the four top excuses that we hear on a daily basis that could potentially keep you back from reaching your fitness goals.

Our culture encourages eating as a social activity. Ever notice how most of us congregate around the kitchen at a gathering? Why is every event marked with food? We have birthday cake, lavish Christmas dinners, even a wedding has tons of food. It can be very difficult to navigate healthy choices and not stuff ourselves to the brim at these events.

Some of us will starve ourselves all week or all day knowing a big dinner or an event is about to happen. In our minds, this tells us that we really did not eat many calories today so it will be okay if we eat badly tonight. We give ourselves this excuse to hit up the buffet, splurge on wine and cheese at a mixer after work, have a few slices of pie, and even eat a whole pizza.

It is Friday, Saturday and Sunday after all. The problem is that Monday is right around the corner and you can even feel yourself start to get grouchy late Sunday night. That feeling is not just because a new work week is coming up, but instead a self-induced chemical imbalance that can potentially make you feel depressed. After all the excess eating over the weekend you will likely starve yourself on Monday with lettuce, water and maybe a cracker, if you are good, that is.

The top 4 "Guilt-Free Eating" Excuses:

"Tomorrow I will eat better to balance out the calories I just ate (at the party, dinner, event or over the weekend)."

Honestly, tomorrow’s diet change never comes. The change in your eating habits has to change today and right now. Everyday you tell yourself "tomorrow I will make a change" is just another day that your body has to succumb to the comforting desires that your mind tells it that it has to have. It makes the tomorrow even harder to reach if you keep putting it off. If you make a change today, everyday, then it is inevitable that you will lose weight from taking charge of your diet.

"Today is Friday! I will start my diet on Monday morning…I swear!"

If you are an "Overeating Weekend Warrior", expect to be held back from your weight loss goals week after week. This is kind of like starting a new diet tomorrow morning, but instead it gives you clearance to eat whatever you want the whole weekend with a fresh start Monday. All of that "Guilt-Free Eating" will create a whirlwind of excess water weight, stomach bloating, and sluggish depression issues come Monday morning. Have you noticed that on Monday everyone’s lunch looks healthy, but come Friday it is a whole different plate of food being ordered? That is the Weekend Warrior Syndrome. The permission to eat salad on Monday and because we were good all week, we reward ourselves with pizza on Friday.

Over the weekend you should go out and have a good time. It will get your mind off of work or family issues while relaxing your mind making you prepared for the upcoming week. Just remember to stay on track by focusing on eating and drinking in moderation. Never succumb to the concept that you will start again on Monday morning.

"One (doughnut, piece of cheesecake, bag of chips) won’t hurt!"

We hear this time and time again. Let’s face it; one doughnut, or any comfort food turns into two doughnuts, which turn into a dozen. One handful of potato chips ends up being the whole bag. If this isn’t you and you truly only eat one doughnut, or a handful of chips, then that is great. Out of curiosity though, how many other foods did you say that about today? The bottom line is that it all adds up calorie by calorie.

"I really don’t eat that much…really!"

Most people that are overweight are closet eaters, which we don’t like to face or admit, but it is a painful truth that it is always okay to look to food for comfort when nobody else is watching. The truth of the matter is that you have to be eating high calorie foods and you must be doing it when nobody is around. Unless you have a medical condition, which will understandably hold you back, there is no reason that you are not reaching your goals if you are watching what you eat and following a supervised fitness program within your home.

Beat the excuses by starting your healthy eating program now and start it today. If weekends are your weakness, start the diet Friday. This way when Monday rolls around, you are already 3 days ahead. If specific foods are the problem, avoid them altogether for one week, it will make it easier if you keep them out of sight. Do not overeat at food functions, eat before you go so that you are not starving and simply pick at the different selections. Above all, if you binge when no one is looking, do not eat alone. Plan all meals ahead and keep healthy foods on hand at all times.