Starting to regret that second (or third or fourth) piece of chocolate pie at Christmas dinner? If you feel like your body may never recover from the damage done during the holiday season, take control with helpful advice from Scott Sayers, owner of Prevail Fitness.

What’s your best advice for people who want to “get back in shape” this year?

There is never a perfect time to start (there will always be that unexpected bill, extra shift at work, kids’ extracurricular activities, etc.). With this in mind, our best advice is to get started as soon as possible. Waiting only gets us further and further from our “get back in shape” goal.

What are some simple steps to get started?

Getting started is more a mental challenge than a physical one. You must understand that exercise and eating right, although cliché, is truly a lifestyle choice. Conquer the mental barriers and the rest gets a little easier.

What setbacks do people experience in trying to “get back in shape”?

And how can they overcome them? The most common setback is not being realistic about how long the “getting back in shape” process may take, which commonly leads to frustrations and, ultimately, quitting. To overcome this, understand that losing a pound of fat per week (fat, not weight), on average, is a fairly reasonable goal. So, if someone knows they have 50 lbs. to lose, they should aim for success in 50 weeks. It definitely can be done more quickly, but most people have ups and downs that really challenge their commitment and the speed at which success is achieved.

Do you have suggestions for some simple workout routines?

When someone asks me this, I typically tell them to hire a certified Personal Trainer. Their job is to develop a routine around your needs, schedule, limitations, etc. Beyond that, anything that gets you moving more than you are currently moving is a good start. So, walking for 20 minutes instead of sitting on the couch for 20 minutes is a good start.

What are some easy diet changes that people can make?

Diet cannot be emphasized enough. This is the key to real results. You want to lose more than a pound a week? Fix your food. I suggest simply start by eliminating a handful of things that are empty calories; soda (yes, including diet) and desserts are common starting points. Diet is all about willpower, and I firmly believe that willpower can be improved through training. Start with cutting back on soda then, eventually, cut it out altogether. Why? Because diet is willpower. Why try to trick the dragon when you can slay it? When I was personal training, I used to tell my clients that there are 168 hours in a week. If you are dedicated and work out an hour a day, 5 days a week, you’ve only accounted for 5 of those 168 hours. Not much at all. Nutrition comes into play all 168 of those hours. In other words, it is impossible to “out-train a bad diet” and get the kind of results most people want/need.

For more information about Prevail Fitness, at 205 N. 10th St., call 843-4500.

Tumbleweed Boutique Takes Root in Cabot

Up-cycled. Eclectic. Unique. These words describe the collection of items you’ll find at one of Cabot’s newest retail venues, Tumbleweed. The trendy new shop, located at 221 W. Main St., offers everything from distressed furniture and antiques to handmade jewelry and refurbished (and re-styled) clothing.

“It’s different than anything in Cabot,” says Stacy Osborn, one of the store’s co-owners. Stacy says she has dreamed of opening her own store for more than 20 years. Finally, in October 2012, all the pieces fell into place, and she and her partners opened Tumbleweed’s doors. Stacy runs the store with her best friend, mother, aunt and an old family friend. “Our personalities and our styles are all so different; it just molds really well. There’s something for everybody,” she says.

Stacy and her friend Ashley paint a large selection of distressed furniture for the store. They got their start painting furniture for themselves and family members, as well as creating pieces to sell on Craigslist. The old hobby now helps add to the assortment of items that Tumbleweed has to offer.

Stacy’s mother and aunt are renowned for repurposing clothing. They take sweaters, for instance, shrink down the wool, and create totally new items: scarves, pillows, throws, etc. They also take items like men’s suit jackets and jazz them up with things like denim, vintage fabric, neck ties and more. The results, Stacy says, are “fabulous.”

The ultimate goal for the store, besides showcasing a unique variety of styles, is to provide a fun shopping experience for women, Stacy says. “Everything’s so fast paced with children and everything, we just wanted an environment that [women] could enjoy and have fun,” she says. She also says they hope the store can host art and knitting classes in the future.

Tumbleweed is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.