It’s Friday y’all and I need a Sabbath.  I know you have thought those same words. Ok, so maybe you have not said you needed a Sabbath but how about a vacation, a mental health day, a something away from the things that are currently going on.  This has been a long, drawn out week.  I loved it on many different levels because it seemed like I could get everything done that needed to be done.  But, on a completely different level because I got everything done I need a Sabbath.  Say it with me…Sabbath here I come.

In Genesis 2:2 – 3, God says “And on the seventh day God ended his work which He had made; and He rested won the seventh day from all His work which He had made.  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:  because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.

And in Exodus 20:9-11, God says “Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord you God: in it you shall not do any work, you nor your son, nor your daughter, you manservant, nor your maidservant, nor you cattle, nor you stranger that is within your gates:  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

These few verses are where God establishes the Sabbath day for all to observe.  But, when you turn to the New Testament and venture into Matthew, Mark, or even Luke, you will find the Pharisees confronting Jesus about his disciples picking corn to eat on the Sabbath and Jesus healing a sick man on the Sabbath.  In Mark 2:27-28, Jesus says “…The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:  Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”  And, as Jesus healed the man at the synagogue, He says in Mark 3:4, “…Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil?  to save life, or to kill?…”

In America today, we do not know when to slow down.  We want to run, run, run.  And, soon we are running on empty.  We can’t accomplish the many different things God has placed on our agenda because we have not rested.  While I was reading the Bourne book series, a central idea in Bourne warfare stuck out…sleep is a weapon against your enemy.  One must rest to be able to be on top of your game.  God says we must rest.  God made my body to demand rest.  Jesus said the Sabbath was made for me and you, not us for the Sabbath.  Isn’t that sort of a demand for us to utilize resting?

Join me.  Let’s stop running around in circles.  Let’s turn some of these cooler days into rest and relaxation days.  Let’s take some mental days.  I sure sometimes need them, especially when I begin to be short with those I love and those who are just being friendly.  That’s when I can see the Angel of Heaven looking at me and saying “My child it is time for rest.”

So jump on board, let’s go.  It’s time for us to rest before we bite someone’s head off.  Clear your calendar and snuggle up with the loved ones.  That’s your instructions for today.  Do it now, not tomorrow, not another minute.  Rest is needed to accomplish the all God wants to do with you.  And, now I go to take my own advice.  Rest is calling me and here I go.  And, all I can say to that is “THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY!”

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“Come out of the situation and look at it for what it really is,” she advised during an interview on “Good Morning America” on Thursday. “Love is so blind.”

Yes, that wall of silence Rihanna built after being beaten in February by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown has finally crumbled.

Her refusal to speak about what happened the night before the Grammy Awards in February — a leaked photo later revealed Rihanna had been shockingly battered — was out of shame, she told Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America.”

“There are a lot of women who experienced what I did, but not in the public, so [that] made it really difficult,” she said. “I just thought ‘Oh my God,’ here goes my little bit of privacy. Nobody wants anybody to know, and here I am, the whole world knowing.”

That photo, allegedly distributed by two Los Angeles Police Department officers, made a bad situation worse, she told Glamour magazine.

“It was humiliating; that is not a photo you would show to anybody,” the songstress said. “I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it’s my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women.”

To read more, click here

It was birthed from the experiences of slaves, and handed to their sons and daughters. When thousands of blacks migrated north at the turn of the 20th century, they brought their church with them, and it developed a deeply rooted tradition of activism.

Over the decades, black churches have helped change history in Chicago and in the country. Chicago’s oldest African-American church, Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal, played an integral role in the abolition movement. In subsequent years, black churches were at the forefront of civil rights, education, housing and health reform.

Today, the black church is addressing youth violence.

“African-American churches are still relevant,” said David Byrd, the youth director at Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn.

While at the black church’s center has always been a message of spiritual restoration, it has also had a multifunctional role in the community. Many churches conduct clothing drives, provide food to the hungry and offer financial counseling to their members. Today, churches are working to channel young people’s energies in productive activities, providing supervision and adult role models.

Byrd said his church offers more than 40 activities, including after-school sports, music and tutoring programs to 3,500 youths. “The doors of the church never close,” he said.

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PORTLAND, Maine- Voters in Maine have rejected an effort by lawmakers there to impose homosexual “marriage” in that state.

Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its liberal-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign. With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, proponents of traditional marriage had 53 percent of the votes.

“The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation,” declared Frank Schubert, chief organizer for the winning side.

Gay-marriage supporters held out hope that the tide would shift before conceding defeat at 2:40 a.m. in a statement that insisted they weren’t going away. “We’re in this for the long haul. For next week, and next month, and next year — until all Maine families are treated equally. Because in the end, this has always been about love and family and that will always be something worth fighting for,” said Jesse Connolly, manager of the pro-gay marriage campaign.

At issue was a law passed by the Maine Legislature last spring that would have legalized same-sex marriage. The law was put on hold after conservatives launched a petition drive to repeal it in a referendum.

The outcome Tuesday marked the first time voters had rejected a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature. When Californians put a stop to same-sex marriage a year ago, it was in response to a court ruling, not legislation.

Five other states have legalized gay marriage — starting with Massachusetts in 2004, and followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa — but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular vote. In contrast, constitutional amendments banning gay marriage have been approved in all 30 states where they have been on the ballot.

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Generally speaking, Christians are great people in a lot of ways. But sometimes, for some reason, they end up being less Christ-like and more crazy-like. The realm of  dating and male-female relationships is one of these areas. It seems that when conversations concerning the opposite sex come into the picture, Christians immediately make things more complicated than they should be and thus bring undue tension, drama, and stress into the picture.

I have devised a list of the five reasons that I hate dating Christians, or more accurately, the five things that annoying me most when dating Christians. And for all those super saved folks that think this is blasphemous, and will comment about how Christians should only date Christians (which I’ll agree with) please know that I’ll come back with another list next week, just to even things out, so go ahead relax. It’s ok. So, here we go… in no particular order:

1. Everything is about marriage. You can’t express any kind of interest in anyone without people immediately jumping to the “they’re going to get married” conclusion. Can we just take it one step at a time? I asked her if she’d like to have coffee, not if she wants to spend the rest of her life with me — I don’t even know her like that. You’ve got to take the time to get to know people first before you can accurately gauge whether or not they’re even marriage material, but too often, Christians seem to think that expressed interest implies that the research is already done. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. But let’s be on the safe side and not assume anything. A meal doesn’t always lead to marriage so enjoy your dessert.

2. There’s always more than meets the eye. There seem to always be ulterior motives. Can we just have fun hanging out and enjoying each other’s company without the pressure of adding titles and timelines to the relationship? Now, I understand that you don’t want to lead people on, but we don’t need to define the relationship before we’ve finished out coffee. It’s really not that serious. Why do I feel like we have to interrogate each other in order to make sure that they fulfill all the qualifications (see #4) that we think we need to have in order to obtain this perfect spouse.

In this area, sometimes a person’s friends are the relationship’s worst enemy. What I mean is that they can put a lot of unnecessary pressure and stress on the situation by creating a timetable of what they think should be happening by what date. That’s not to say that the other person hasn’t already done it, but the friends make it worse because they’re constantly asking questions about “when” and “why” and “why hasn’t such and such happened” thus making the person wonder and think about these things instead of just letting it happen organically.

3. You can’t just tell them “no.” Especially if you go to the same church. This is really more for the ladies, but should serve as a warning for the guys. Gentlemen, if you see a particular lady that you like, and express interest but it’s not reciprocated, learn how to respect her decision and still be pleasant and friendly to her afterwards. You might be a great guy and her a great girl, but that doesn’t automatically make the relationship work, or even mean there’s an attraction. Just because you two may match up all your qualifications on paper, that doesn’t mean that thing will just fall into place.

I’m not going into any depth on this, but… can the Elders, Deacons, and Pastors stop trying to hook people up? That is not a spiritual gift and you don’t have the worldly skills to do it, so please, do us all a favor and chill out. People notice other people they’re attracted to. We can even tell within the first few minutes of talking to a person if we want to know more about them, even in a friendship way, so please, don’t get offended because you think that me and your daughter should get married, but we’re just not attracted to one another.

4. They have way too many requirements. As much as we should be Christ-like and very accepting and caring about those that aren’t like us, whether in lifestyle or belief system, we, more often than not, do the exact opposite and ostracize the very people that we could help change.

How does this relate to dating? Most Christians have a list, perhaps 3 or 4 pages long of things they think they want in their mate. And while non-Christians do this too, Christians are so much worse with it, because they include spiritual stipulations that they personally don’t even fulfill. Men want a “Proverbs 31 Woman” but they don’t even tithe or have a consistent prayer life. Or women want a man that will lead them in the ways of the Lord, but get upset when he said he doesn’t want to have sex with you. Be realistic. Don’t expect anything of your mate that you don’t expect of yourself.

5. The “God told me…” situation. Christians are great at using God as an excuse for any and everything in their lives. We say things like, “God told me not to be friends with you because…” or, “God said I’m supposed to have this job,” when the reality is, that’s not the Father, that’s your flesh. I’m not saying that God can’t speak to us about situations in our lives, but more often than not, we use that as a means to get what we want and putting “God said…” in front of it makes the desire more legit.

Ladies. Gentlemen. Do not tell someone, “God told me that you’re were gonna be my spouse.” Please. It’s creepy and honestly, if you’re someone I’m not familiar with, it’s a little stalker-ish too. If God told you that, He’ll be telling me as well, and then we can talk about it.

Those are my five things. I could probably come up with more, but I want to hear from you — when it comes to dating Christians, what are the things that you can’t stand the most? What are the things that Christians do that they shouldn’t do? What did I miss? Thoughts?

But wait, before I go, I should say, make sure you come back next week when I balance out the scales and give you the five reasons I love dating Christians.

[For more from Stuart McDonald, check out his personal blog and follow him on Twitter]

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The holiday season can stress out the best of us. Often we get overwhelmed by the list of things we need to purchase or the people we need to see. It often becomes a time of the year where we look back at all the shortcomings and disappointments of the year. Here is a list of  tips I found  to be helpful.

1. Spend time with people who care about you and your well-being. A really good support system is the best thing you can do to cope with the holiday blues.

2. Celebrate the present, and accept that change is a normal part of life.

3. Volunteer your time in service to others. When you are helping or pitching in with something you will not think about yourself.

4. Understand that you cannot control your family members. They are who they are.

5. Eat and drink at normal rates and paces. Gorging on food and alcohol can make you feel awful the next day.

6. Don’t feel obligated to attend everything.. You are one person. No one will be angry with you if you cannot attend.  If they are angry than reevaluate your friendship.

7.  Don’t overspend. Stick to your spending limit. When January arrives it  will not come with credit card shock.

8.  Really take a look at what is going on in your area. Google holiday events and attend something fun. It’s a good way to meet people.

{For more from Oretha Winston follow her on Twitter}

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God uses bad leaders to force us to rely on His mercy and to teach us how we should act differently.

Three weeks ago, I surveyed Get Ready to Lead subscribers about the adults who influenced them growing up. Among other things, the survey asked: “Think back on a teacher who had a significant negative influence on your life and share briefly about who this person was, what they did that influenced you, and how old you were at the time.”

Of the 464 survey respondents, 345 gave replies to this particular question, and 287 usable stories emerged out of those replies. The stories shared were evenly spread throughout respondents’ schooling years: there were stories of bad kindergarten teachers, college instructors, and every grade level in between.

Two quick notes: First, we recognize that student complaints often have to do more with problems the student is experiencing than the teacher’s behaviors. We were sensitive to this in evaluating the stories and focused on ones that described objective wrongs supported by clear examples. Second, about 2/3 of those taking the survey were between the ages of 36 and 55 and seem to be ruminating on the long-term impact of bad experiences rather than nursing fresh grudges.

The Pain Adult Influencers Can Cause

Here in our offices, I asked Paige to take all 287 responses and organize them according to themes. After completing this task, Paige said: “This was the hardest two days of work I’ve had at Passing the Baton; so many of the stories were simply devastating.” As I read through them myself, I can hear the deep-seated pain. Here are just four examples:

* “A music teacher once mocked me for not being able to match a note. I was in 3rd or 4th grade. Now, I’m nearly 50. I still won’t sing where anyone can hear me.”

* “Our teacher/coach embarrassed me in public at a sports awards ceremony as she talked about how slow I was as we ran laps…I received the Most Improved award for ‘hanging in there, even though she always finished last.’ Wow…even today at age 39 that still hurts.”

* “My fifth grade teacher was one of the many reasons I chose to home school my children; I swore I would never allow them to deal with the injustice and favoritism that went on in her class. Forty-one years later I can still remember the humiliation and anger she directed my way.”

* “In middle school I had a teacher who wrote every student’s test scores on a chalk board and publically praised the high performers and belittled the low performers. As one of the low performers I was particularly hurt. I had not thought of this for several years and it still causes me to feel terrible and angry.”

These teachers may have been forgiven, but they’re certainly not forgotten. The lessons they taught through their negative performance have shaped both the resolve–and the insecurities–of their students for many, many years.

Top Five Harmful Things Bad Teachers Do

I would’ve expected to read more stories about teachers that were simply bad at their craft. However, poor teaching skills didn’t show up in the top themes. Instead, five somewhat unexpected themes emerged out of the 287 responses:

1. Humiliation (78 respondents): Made fun of students, ridiculed students when they gave wrong answers, and publicly humiliated students. These memories of awful embarrassment were the largest grouping of stories, by far.

2. Devastation (57 respondents): Expected students to fail, talked down to students in belittling and disrespectful tones, were sarcastic, criticized, and compared some to others who were more talented (esp. older siblings). In most cases folks recalled a specific instance, rather than a general memory, that wilted their confidence.

To read the rest of Dr. Myer’s list, click here

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Can you rel8 to this?

My Noah (pictured above) came to his forever home (in my heart) at the age of 10 months.  The minute I saw his face, I knew he was mine.  I would liken it to the moment a baby comes out of the womb and the doctors lays him/her on the mommy’s chest.  Less the gooey after-birth, it was as if the Lord laid him on my bosom and presented him to me.  The bond was instantaneous and it has intensified over the years.  The entire adoption was 9 months and some change – a full term pregnancy. And every up and down – physical and emotional that comes with bearing a child was present in my experience.  Not long after we met, I began to journal.  I knew it would be important to later share with Noah details of his experience and there is no better place than on paper to recall.

I want to share with you a few of those entries.  I hope you don’t mind:

~

March 20, 2005

Noah,

It’s been almost a year since we saw your face and chose you to be our son.  God is so incredible.  You seem to understand that.  It has been have an overwhelming pleasure being your parents.  You are the funniest little person alive.  We have watched you grow up right before our very eyes.  It’s hard to imagine life without you.  It feels like you came straight from our loins, although I know you did not.  I no longer feel like I am missing anything.

Today you are 20 months and 5 days.  That simply translates into a year and eight months.  To recall in numbers helps people understand where you are supposed to be developmentally.  You Noah have defied the odds.

Okay…

April 21, 2004

This was the first day that we laid eyes on you.  We had gone into the office of Black Adoption Parenting Research Center (BAPRC) because we had completed all that we needed in order to proceed with selection.  I was so nervous.  I didn’t know how long this process was going to take…a day, a month, a year…who knew.  Nana had told me that we would know you when we see you.  She was right.  We were flipping through many books with wonderful children in need of homes and we had yet to find you.  There was one final book that I decided to look at – although I was certain I had looked already.  As soon as I got to the page where you were, I gasped for breath.  “Who is this,” I asked.  Ms. Jones said, “Oh that’s little Devante.  I think he’s been chosen by a family already.”  I kept staring at you.  It had already happened.  You had jumped off of that page and leaped inside of my heart.  I grabbed Poppy’s hand and said, “Look at him.  This is our baby.”  Ms. Jones persisted that, “He has been chosen.”  I asked her to make a copy of his picture for us and to check out the details.  In the meantime, Poppy and I were done with our search.  I called Nana, Grammy and Audrey and had them go into prayer – quickly.  A couple of weeks later Ms. Jones called and left a message on our home phone.  She had good news.  For some reason, the family that she thought had chosen you hadn’t.  You were still available.  Glory to God!  She said that she would still get more detail but we could plan for a debriefing and finally a visit.  Talk about nervous.  In one day, God had managed to unit us.

Tuesday May 25, 2004

The first day we met you.  Poppy and I drove to San Francisco to Human Services.  We met Ms. Sykes, who was your caseworker at the time in the lobby and twiddled our thumbs until it was time to go upstairs.  When we got to the floor, my heart began to pound.  Poppy didn’t say much, but I knew he was excited.  The elevator opened and we exited, traveling down a tight aisle with open faced cubicles.  I peaked inside one and saw an Asian woman holding a little person.  My heart leaped.  I knew it was you.  Shortly after, Ms, Rosenburg escorted Ms. Lin in with you in a stroller.  Your cheeks were so full and red.  You weren’t wearing any shoes.  You had a head full of hair, a windbreaker jacket and some sweatpants.  Ms. Ellen took you out of the stroller and handed you to me first.  I could do nothing but hug you.  You hugged back.  She was instantly surprised.  She said that you were not fond of strangers.  When Poppy took you in his arms, you instantly kissed him.  That’s when it dawned on me to start taking pictures.  It was something to behold.  Poppy handed you back to me and we went on a little walk.  It was so RIGHT.  When we came back, Ms. Maxine wanted to hold you, but you weren’t too excited about it.  You became very fidgety.  She said, “I can’t believe this, he already knows his parents.”  They were impressed at how we had already bonded.  Ms. Ellen wrote down a list of things you like, eat, and schedules and gave it to us.  She said, “He’s ready.”  Then you began to cry.  You were sleepy.  She put you back in the stroller and pulled out a bottle.  That’s when I gave you your first bottle.  You weren’t holding your bottle independently, so I held it for you while you suckled.

The visit went so well that they said we could move forward with overnight visits.  I was so bummed because we were going to LA that weekend to a wedding.  I couldn’t stop thinking about you that weekend.  I took pictures of you and showed you off to everyone I could.

Tuesday June 1, 2004

I came to pick you up.  You wore a little Lakers sweatshirt and purple sweatpants that were a little snug.  I took you to Wilson Prep to meet everyone.  I then took you to our then home so that you could get familiar with it.  You took a quick nap in your new bedroom and by the time you awakened, it was time to get you back across the bridge to go home.  I knew that wasn’t going to last too long – me going back and forth across the bridge.  I was in love.

~

Now granted, much has changed since Noah’s arrival in 2004.  I now ride solo and Noah has limited visits with “Poppy.” No one could have foretold the story that now lays as the backdrop of our lives but the bond between mother and son is irrefutable.  Noah has my back.  When times have been tough, he has been so in-tuned to my pain – sometimes walking over to simply rub my hand and say, “Mommy…be happy!  You happy Mommy?  Be happy!”  At THAT moment, I was happy.  I’d weep – with joy.  He knows me and I know him and I’m so happy he is my first – yes I want more.  But this one thing is true, whoever that man is that is going to step inside of our nucleus, separate Noah and I so that my cleaving it appropriate and help us enlarge our family…boy howdy…he is going to have to be a special man because Noah is a special kid.  He is a dynamic person.  His appreciation for things uncommon is what makes him – him.  I can go on with his love for music and the arts, his ability to love HARD, etc…but being a parent is definitely the best thing in the world – especially to be Noah’s parent.  I love him.

To learn more about Ingrid Michelle, click here AND follow her on Twitter

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Patrick was slammed on the hood of a police cruiser and beaten with a billy club after deputies handcuffed him and tied his feet together. He was well aware of his attack being racially motivated because the deputies repeatedly yelled, “we don’t give a “F” about Obama.

The officer pepper sprayed me in the face as I yelled for help! Patrick recalls. I saw them closing in on me. Then the third officer came behind me and started choking me and telling me he was trying to put me to sleep.”

The following is a description of an attack that took place on September 17, 2009 during a traffic stop in Marrero, Louisiana (Metroplex of New Orleans). Patrick George, a 22 year old black man, was pulled over by three Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Officers the night of the attack. The officers charged Patrick with one count of injuring public records, two counts of battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest by violence. A week after the attack the DA’s office refused to prosecute Patrick on the first two counts, but is still pressing charges on resisting arrest by violence. During this attack Patrick suffered major lacerations to his face, eye and both wrists, as well as multiple orbital fractures and nerve damage.

I share this story not only to bring light to the situation, but also to highlight the reality of it as well. We hear of crime and violence on a daily basis. Although our hearts go out to the victims and their families, we never think it will happen to us or to someone we know.  However it did. Patrick’s parents are dear friends of mine and it hit close to home like never before. I wanted to give Patrick’s Mother an opportunity to share her heart, with so many parents, as well as citizens of the United States. I know this is not an isolated incident. And there are so many more that have not made it this far. So let this story be part of the fight for everyone who has had to endure this awful battle.

Hear the words of Marlo Best, a Mother fighting for justice for her child…

My heart breaks with every interview and opportunity my son is given to tell of these horrific events. My passion for justice gives me the courage to go up against wicked systems in this region of America; the supposed land of the free. Patrick and I lodged complaints with the Sheriff’s Office, Internal Affairs and the FBI; where we’ve been intimidated, talked down to and accused of being guilty. We were shaken but refused to give up.

We’ve reached out to the media in order to bring awareness and invoke pressure on these public systems to do what’s just and fair on Patrick’s behalf. It’s a long lived, deeply rooted, epidemic that’s been tolerated by this Sheriff’s Office for far too long. Since sharing our story, numerous citizens have told us their stories of abuse by the same Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies. I encourage citizens to make their complaints and follow through, no matter what. It’s the only way this criminal behavior will be deterred or stopped.

Links to interviews:

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Sheriff-Normand-and-mother-of-alleged-beating/F4ndGQRcN0y-XgKmQ0w88w.cspx

http://www.wdsu.com/news/21298088/detail.html

I solicit your prayers not only for this family but for every family who has faced an abusive situation involving the judicial system.  I believe Psalms 71:1-6 says it best for us all.

God Bless!

Psalms 71: 1-16

¹ In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
² Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
³ Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.

⁴ Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
⁵ For You are my hope, O Lord GOD;
You are my trust from my youth.
⁶ By You I have been upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.

⁷ I have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.
⁸ Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.

⁹ Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
¹⁰ For my enemies speak against me;
And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,
¹¹ Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”

¹² O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
¹³ Let them be confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.

¹⁴ But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
¹⁶ I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

Written by: Judi Mason for www.elev8.com

Contact Judi: judi@divaink.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/judimason

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Not overeating for the holidays is key and following some easy and simple rules will help you escape the traps of the holiday bulge.

1. Eat a light, healthy snack before parties

This will help you curb hunger and make better choices.  It is just like going to the grocery store hungry, BAD IDEA!  I have done it so many times and too many times made really poor food choices.  Remember we said this journey of weight loss is all about YOUR choices.

2. Limit alcohol

Alcohol has empty calories and packs on the fat and sugar which adds to your weight gain.  Most people don’t know how to have just one drink.

3. Bring a low-fat holiday dish to the party

If everyone was conscious in the food preparations, then the choices would be healthy and no one would have to feel guilty in eating

4. Keep minimal baked goods on hand this year

Narrow the choices down to a few healthy desserts and substitute certain ingredients like cane sugar vs white sugar.  Use real butter instead of margarine or vegetable spreads.

5. Try to eat a large salad before most meals.

This will help you feel full and help you to eat smaller portions

6. Substitute healthful ingredients

Stevia is a great sugar substitute

7. Make a goal with a friend to lose 5 pounds or to maintain weight during the holidays.

This is a great way to buddy up and hold yourself accountable to someone.  Journal your meals and choose wisely.

8. Holiday Time

Remember the holidays are truly only 3 real days (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.  Kwanzaa or Chanukah are 8 days

9. Fitness Check

Sign up for a 5k or fitness walk or other great event to keep your mind focused on fitness goals.

10. Reality Check

Finally, celebrate and focus on what the holidays are really about.  They are designed to spend time with family and friends and enjoy each other’s company

Eat well and have fun.  Be conscious of what you are eating and use food to fuel you.

For more from Latwanas Stephens, read her personal blog and follow her on twitter

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