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A new mum has spoken out to inspire others after shifting her pregnancy weight - during which she said she gained two stone.

Sophie May, who attends a group at Indian Queens, has promised other slimmers that they can still enjoy their favourite foods while losing weight.

She added: "I joined Slimming World three months after having my beautiful daughter.

"During my pregnancy I had gained two stone and knew that I wasn't eating healthily.

"I love pasta and finding out that I could eat it and other free foods in unlimited amounts just made my day."

She continued: "I have completely changed the way I look at food.

"I am currently six pounds away from my target, having lost the two stone I put on."

Sarah Payne is also looking to inspire others with her slimming story.

She said: "For several years I have played in a band but would always avoid being photographed as I hated the way I looked and had no confidence.

"I dreaded getting on the scales when I joined, but I neednt have worried, everyone was so supportive and I left feeling motivated.

"Coming to group and sharing success is the highlight of my week. Losing weight has made my hectic life so much easier. I dont get out of breath as easily and I am no-longer tired all the time.

"Most of all though, I no-longer dread my photo being taken, and that has made performing so much more fun."

If youre looking to kick-start your 2020 by making a lasting change, local expert and Slimming World consultant Louise Tickner, has shared her top tips to make your new year weight-loss resolutions a reality.

Louise, who runs groups in Indian Queens and St Columb, said: "With the rise of trendy fad diets, people are often seduced by the promise of fast weight losses and take quick-fix routes to lose weight.

"However, these methods of weight loss arent sustainable after all, who wants to feel hungry all the time or give up their favourite foods indefinitely? Especially when that so often means that by February New Years resolutions are a distant memory.

"The fact is, theres no magic pill when it comes to weight loss and the best weight-loss plan is the one you can stick to.

"Our members lose weight by making small changes to the way they shop, cook and eat and filling up on free food foods that are low in calories but satisfying like pasta, lean meat, fruit, veg, potatoes and more so they dont have to go hungry or give up their favourite meals.

"We encourage members to gradually become more active and we provide great support along the way.

"Members develop healthy habits that they can keep up for life, so they can not only reach their target weight but stay there forever."

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Here are Louises top tips:

It is a huge misconception to think that you have to make dramatic changes and survive on lettuce leaves and carrot sticks in order to lose weight.

Members are encouraged to make small and simple swaps like switching from oil to low-calorie cooking spray and full-fat butter to low-fat spread, and swapping white bread for wholemeal bread.

Losing weight is much easier when you get in the habit of planning your meals for the week.

Pick meals that you know youll enjoy, try new dishes to keep things interesting and make a shopping list its hard to enjoy healthy meals if you dont have the foods you need to make them in your kitchen.

When youre losing weight, the importance of having a strong support system around you is absolutely vital. Our groups are fun and informative, and members never feel alone on their journey.

Everyone is in the same boat - your fellow members will have lots of tips, recipes and ideas to share; they will celebrate with you when youre doing well and pick you up if you ever have a difficult week.

But theres no need to run before you can walk. If the thought of exercise makes you sweat, dont let your fears steer you away from getting active after all, exercise isnt just about Lycra and aerobic classes.

We encourage our members to make simple swaps from taking the lift and using the car for short journeys to taking the stairs and walking to the shops.

Increase your activity levels gradually until you reach the recommended level of 30 minutes five times a week.

Having a visual reminder of your long-term goal is a great way to help you stay on track with your weight-loss journey.

Not only is it a great way to see the amazing progress youre making, its a good way to keep yourself inspired and committed. Members often recommend using measurement charts and progress pictures to keep motivated not only will they remind you why youre losing weight, they're fun too.

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New mum shares before and after photos of her amazing weight loss - Cornwall Live

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"People dont change because of facts. They change because of stories," says Dr. George Guthrie, author of Eat Plants, Feel Whole, a new book that guides readers through the transition to a plant-based diet. Dr. Guthrie, who has been treating patients with diabetes, heart disease and other lifestyle diseases with whole-foods plant-based diet recommendation, tells the story that sent him along this path, some 40 years ago. He has seen the impact on a person's health thatswitching from an animal-based diet to a vegan or plant-based diet can dofor someone, and has been eating this way himself for the past 40 years.

Dr. Guthrie was a self-described "fat kid" in high school, "I have always been interested in healthy eating because in high school, I had a weight problem. I was the short, fat kid. My mother worked in a hospital and since he worked closely with the doctors, she knew the importance of learning how to eat." So he switched his diet, learned to eat healthy foods and also to becomean "intermittent faster" for most of his adulthood (though it was not yet called that back then.)

The story that made him switch to become plant-based? "When I became a physician I had a patient who presented with metabolic syndrome and it was before we knew the whole concept of what was going on. Hehaddiabetes and hypertension and obesity. His sugars were over 200. And I said I will help you with your lifestyle but you have to change how you eat. And a year later he had normal sugar and lipids and blood pressure. I had never seen it happen before. It changed the trajectory of my career. I went back for my degree in public health. that was 35 years ago.

"I was not the first one. John McDougal was doing that, and when I was in medical school I also knew Hans Diehl a young doctor in health science and he took me to Nathan Pritikins program out in California in 1981.Now I tell people: Eat more plants and I try to move people into that direction. Obviously people are now paying attention because of the planet, but the majorbenefit is to you. I tell people: Eat more plants, you should try it."

"We created a graphic that is a matrix chart. The axis goes from left to right, from animal products on the left to plants on the right, and from the bottom-- which shows refined foods on the bottom and unrefined on the top. Our goal is to push people to the right upper quadrant -- unrefined plant foods. They dont have to be vegetarians or vegans but they have to eat more plants.

"That upper right is the healthy space, where they should exist. There is a space in the way upper right and we say this is therapeutic."

"Some people can move slowly but others need to move quickly. Moving to a plant-based diet can be therapeutic in treating diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension and obesity. It can reverse the whole metabolic syndrome. We recognize this is a problem when people live with too many calories in, and not enough calories out.

"If you eat foods that have too many calories in them, and not enough fiber in the food, and water in the food, you will gain weight. The more you add foods that contain the most fiber and water, the better, That is the whole food plant-basedapproach. And you get all the benefits on the body and the microbiome.

"Motivating people is what I do all day. When I was a young person I thought about: What am I going to be when I grow up? And one thing I knew I would never wanted to be was a salesman. So I went into medicine, and low and behold all I am doing now all day long is selling. Selling the diagnosis and selling the treatment and selling prevention.

"When they are ready to change its exciting. When they are motivated, its very exciting.

"When people are not ready to change getting them ready to change is a trickier business. Is this person ready? They will give you clues. Instead of spending time telling them what they should do, 'You gotta stop eating this and doing this and doing that,' I start telling stories.

"I say: Do you know this condition is reversible? There are studies that say it can go away. And I ask them if they are interested in hearing stories. Then I hand them Dr. Caldwell Esselstyns book on Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease, and say if you are ready, I will do it with you. And so its not me saying i

t to them. It's stories.

"The benefit is that I dont see so many resistant people as I used to. Perhaps the word is getting around, and then the joy of my practice increases. Because people want to change.

"I like to tell them to try The Full Plate Diet -- by Diana Fleming, who has a PhD out of Tufts. I tell them til fill up of their plate with high fiber and high-water foods and then use the remaining for other foods.

"When I talk about high-water foods, it's usually also high-fiber foods. Water doesnt have any calories, of course, so if we can fill our stomachs with high-water foods like fruits and vegetables, we can feel fuller on fewer calories.

"Generally working in a group is the most effective. Youdon'teven need a doctor to do it. Group process is extremely powerful. I started out with one patient who was able to make some changes. That whetted my appetite and my wife is a nurse practitioner and we moved up to the mountains of California near Yosemite, and she had nothing to do there, soshe got started on the CHIP project -- Coronary Health Improvement Project.

"Now it's called the Complete Health Improvement Project. The idea is you get a group of people together, and do this as an intense program, four days a week, for four weeks. Every day they get a video presentation, food presentations,sit at a table and talking together, communicating together. We watched this make a big impact in the community,It took people who were not interested in Plant-Based eating and made them think: Hey maybe I can do this. There is still a CHIP club up there in Groveland,

"But the powerful thing is the change that happens in peoples lives. People share their stories.Stories change behavior, facts don't. And those stories from early adapters change lives. Those people tell their stories and it changes lives.I've seen people get off their insulin pumps, and people who were very sick get well. Then they share their stories and it's powerful.

"Usually, people just don't know how to cook that way. The logical concern is: "How do I get enough protein?' For those of us in the business of helping people eat this way, we know its a non-issue. But the beef and dairy industryhas brainwashed us into thinking we need our protein and calcium from those animal sources. It's just not true.

Q. Whats a typical day of eating?

"Breakfast is a whole-grain cereal with fruit, and I try to have berries with it and nuts.

"My favorite bread is heavy German rye with more fiber than most bread has, and have almond butter on it or fruit on it. Today I had it with toast and almond butter with pineapple slices that I had cut up yesterday!

"Lunch in the doctor's lounge is not always easy. We try to focus on the plants and less of the refined things. Whatever plant-based food is around: Usually salads and soups

"Dinner is not much, for me.I don't know how much youre aware of this, but from the scientific literature, research tells us that when you eat is as important as what you eat.

"You've heard of Intermittent fasting? I have adopted this since I was young, but it wasn't called that then. But there is no supper prepared in my house -- no evening meal. If I am really hungry, Ill have a piece of fruit.

"People worry about going to sleep on an empty stomach. That it might keep them up. But when you are in a fasting state your gut makes beaucoup melatonin. You sleep better in the fasting state. If I eat too much (or drink too much), it really suppresses sleep. I tell patients the goal is to go to bed with an empty stomach. Its better for you.

Q. Timing of food matters? So what time do you eat?

"Breakfast at 7:30 or 8 in the morning, the second meal at 2 or 3 in the afternoon and that will be it for the day.

"Dinner is often about being social. But if you eat a lot of fiber and water in your food, that hangs around a long time. Not hypo-glycemic. I dont get hungry. Fiber and water work to keep you full. AndI dont really do any snacking. Always have nuts for breakfast. But no snacking after that.

"I never worry about calories. I don't really count. Instead of telling patients about that I tell them to lose weight: What one does is move to a whole food plant-based diet and then you dont need to count calories.Eat more, weigh less is one of the key marketing phrases of this kind of diet. Or as I like to say:Eat Plants, Feel Whole.

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How to Use a Plant-Based Diet and Intermittent Fasting to Lose Weight - 92moose.fm

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Lose weight, eat less junk food, and stick to a diet top plenty of New Years resolution lists, but many experts say that these goals may set unrealistic expectations and set you up for failure before February even hits. Instead, doctors and registered dietician say that a more sustainable approach to managing weight, feeling good, and changing eating habits is to focus on identifying which foods nourish your body and give you the proper fuel you need to live a great life. So to jumpstart 2020, we rounded up some of the best products to help you eat well and feel your very best.

[Photo: courtesy of EverlyWell]Find your food sensitivitiesSome foods that are generally considered nutritious may not be good for you specifically, thanks to food sensitivities that can cause headaches, joint pain, fatigue, and digestive issues. To identify which foods might be the culprits, you can start elimination diet test from scratch, which can take months or years to execute properly. You can also jumpstart that process withEverlyWells mail-in food sensitivity test($159), which requires just a small sample of blood. The tests, which are reviewed and approved by independent board-certified physicians, measure IgG antibodies in your bloodstream when exposed to certain foods and ingredients. (Its important to note that this test is merely for food sensitivities, not more serious food allergies, nor can it identify is someone is lactose intolerant.) You can then use your test results to start a guided elimination diet.

[Photo: courtesy of Peter Pauper Press]Keep a food journalResearch shows that for people interested in learning more about healthy eating habits, keeping a journal is very effective tool. During onestudyof nearly 1,700 participants, those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. Additionally, a food loglike this handy, self-guidedDaily Food Journal ($8)is crucial in helping to identify eating patterns and certain foods that dont make you feel good or cause bloating, digestive issues, headaches, and the like. If youre going to try an elimination diet, a food journal is key. The only time we wouldnt recommend using a food log is if you aresusceptible to obsessive eating patterns or food phobias; have a history of an eating disorder; or, if for any reason, a food log makes you feel guilt, shame, or fear. If thats the case, skip this step. Because keeping track of what you eat should make you feel mindfulnot bad about yourself.

[Photo: courtesy of Seedlip]Skip the boozeRegardless of how much (or little) you drink, anyone can all benefit from cutting back on alcohol, since consumption is linked to increased risk of cancer, heart disease, immunity issues, weight gain, muscle loss, and a slew of other not-so-fun side effects. But that doesnt mean your dry January needs to be joyless. The botanical spirits of nonalcoholic distillery Seedlip has become a hit with high-end mixologists. Now you can try them at home with theSeedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits Sampler ($107.50, set of 3). With only three ingredients (water, natural botanical distillates, and citric acid), these spirits are good for your health and surprisingly enjoyable for the palate. Beer lovers also have more alcohol-free options available to them, such asWellbeing Brew Cosnon-alcoholic craft beer($12), which only has 68 calories and contains zero grams of sugar. You can also try the award-winningnonalcoholic brews($12) of the breakout Athletic Brewing Company.

[Photo: courtesy of Sun Basket]But dont skip mealsSkipping meals is a bad ideathat can spike your blood sugars and lead to overeating laterand wreak havoc on your metabolism and immune system. If you find youre simply too busy to shop for and cook your own meals and you want to avoid eating unhealthily on the run, consider a subscriptions service like the Sun Basket meal kit($11.99 per serving for 2 people, $10.99 per serving for 4 people, regardless of frequency), which brings you a weekly box of organic and non-GMO ingredients to prepare your own meat-free or vegan meals. For people who are even more pressed for time,Sakara(starting at $239/week) delivers fresh meals, teas, and supplements that are completely organic, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and contain no refined sugar. No prep or cooking required.

Looking for more goodies and gadgets? Check out our handpicked suggestions.

Fast Companymay receive revenue for some links to products on our site.

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2020 New Year's resolution: How to eat better and master your nutrition - Fast Company

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The holiday party buffet table may have required more than one trip, and decadent sweet treats may still be found. Now that Christmas is over, the ribbons and bows have been properly disposed of. However, all those special treats have left you with a special gift - an extra few pounds that you wish you could return as easily as that sweater from Aunt Sue.

Plus, we still have to ring in the new year with plenty more celebration and food.

There are some traditional New Year's foods that are thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune. This tradition is not going to help shed unwanted pounds.

Many people in the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. Pork is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

It can be relatively easy to gain three or four pounds over the holiday season. You're thinking three or four pounds may not sound unreasonable, the bad news is that any extra weight gained during the holidays is typically not lost during the rest of the year. Research indicates that although the few pounds that many people gain between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the year will usually accumulate from year to year and can lead to serious health problems later in life.

Deciding to lose those unwanted holiday pounds by a eating healthy diet and exercising is the first step to getting in shape after the holidays.

It is important to take small and consistent steps to gain control over your weight and take charge of your health. If you are not normally an active person, do not start training like an Olympic athlete. Doing too much too quickly is just setting yourself up for failure. The best approach is to begin slowly and increase your efforts over time.

One great strategy to help you lose weight and improve your health is to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, but as an added bonus, they also supply your body with much-needed vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Another strategy to consider is cutting about 800 calories per week from your diet. This can be done either by eating less or exercising more.

Of course, the best thing is to combine less consumption with more exercise. When combined with exercise, eating smaller, healthier portions of food is a weight-loss method that is sure to pay off. Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise performed three or four days per week is sufficient to achieve noticeable improvements in your health.

If time is a constraint, break that 30-minute block of time down into manageable blocks of 10 to 15 minutes. When performed regularly, small segments of exercise are beneficial. Remember, you didn't gain those extra pounds overnight, so they aren't going to disappear overnight. Small, consistent steps are the key to shedding those unwanted holiday pounds.

For more information, or to schedule a program locally about financial management, nutrition, health and wellness, parenting education, or Oklahoma Home and Community Education, contact the OSU Cooperative Extension Service in Cherokee County by phone at 918-456-6163.

Heather Winn is a family and consumer sciences educator for the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service in Cherokee County.

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Intermittent fasting is all the rage these days. From celebrities such as Terry Crews to Jimmy Kimmel to Halle Berry, all have publicly spoken about the benefits of this method of dieting. Studies have also proven that this form of dieting not just benefits the body in a multitude of ways, but also improves longevity.

One of the most significant benefits of intermittent fasting is its ability to aid in healthy weight loss and improvement of muscle tone. This makes it a viable form of dieting based on the outcome that is intended. We give you six methods or plans of intermittent fasting that you can try based on your convenience and threshold.

As the name suggests, it is literally fasting every alternate day. In principle, when one follows this plan, they eat only on alternate days.

However, some people give themselves a 500-600 calorie limit on fasting days as a complete denial of calories may lead to weakness and discomfort, and not feasible on a long-term basis. A benefit of this plan is that an individual is permitted to eat anything they want on the feeding days, and still lose weight.

This is a plan where one eats normally for 5 days of the week and fasts on two non-consecutive days. It is a relatively easy method, to begin with, as it helps in developing the capacity to fast systematically.

On fasting days, one is permitted to consume 500-600 calories, much like the alternate-day method. Picking two non-consecutive days within the week, and consuming two small meals that add up to 500-600 calories, can serve as a stepping stone towards other stricter forms of intermittent fasting.

When one chooses this plan, they fast for 24 hours at a stretch, from meal to meal. This means, if one has dinner at 8 PM on Tuesday, they do not consume food till 8 PM on Wednesday. This can also be done from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch.

Much like the 16/8 method, solid food is not permitted during the fasting period, and only water and zero-calorie beverages are permitted. It is also advisable to follow this plan only twice a week. The sheer idea of a 24 hour fast can be intimidating, to begin with, and following it can be equally difficult. Beginning with the 16/8 method can ease one into this one gradually.

Following a strict plan may not always be necessary to achieve desired results, and this method of intermittent fasting is an example of that philosophy. Here, one simply skips a meal when they are not hungry or not inclined to whip up a meal for themselves.

Skipping meals may not cause any severe outcomes as the human body is equipped to handle a long duration of starvation. Therefore, a few meals are just an afterthought for the sophistication of human design.

It is one of the most common methods of intermittent fasting. As the name suggests, the feeding cycle during a day is split into two parts: A sixteen-hour fasting period and an 8 hour feeding period.

During the fasting period, only water or zero-calorie beverages such as unsweetened green tea of black coffee is permitted. When the 8 hour feeding period arrives, the entire calorie intake for the day must be consumed within this period.

"Fast and feast" is the underlying principle of this method. When one follows this plan, he or she is permitted small quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables during the fasting period. Following this, they have one big meal at the end of the fast. The feeding period is often a four-hour window within which the calorific requirements for the day are consumed.

Another accompanying principle is the stress on a paleo-style diet where the emphasis is on the consumption of whole grains and unprocessed foodforms of food that are closest to how they are found in nature.

Just fasting may not give you all the desired results. A nutritional diet enriched with all the vital nutrients that the body requires such as proteins, vitamins, and healthy carbohydrates and fats, among others, should form the core of the diet plan. Regular exercise coupled with a good diet, along with the intermittent fasting plan of choice, is the ideal way to derive the intended benefits for the body.

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BOYLSTON

Tower Hill Happenings: Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive. For information, visit towerhillbg.org or call (508) 869-6111. Tower Hill will be closed to the public in January.

Hope Lives Here: loss support group, organized by Boylston teacher Patty Inwood, meets at Hope Lives Here Headquarters, 1085 Main St., Holden, at 6:30 p.m. General Loss, Jan. 9 and 28; Addiction/Suicide Loss, Jan. 14; Child Loss, Jan 16; and Spouse Loss, Jan. 21. For information, contact Patty Inwood at hope@hopeliveshere.com or (774) 345-9080.

Open Space and Recreation Plan Committee survey: to ascertain the public's wishes for future use of open space, and the preservation and future acquisition of open space land in town, is available online at https://www.boylston-ma.gov, or in hard copy at the library, post office and town clerk's office. Deadline to complete it is Jan. 10.

Wachusett Reservoir Watershed Programs: Hike, Saturday, Jan. 18, 10-11:30 a.m., meet at Gate 8, intersection of Cross Street and Route 70 for a two-to-three mile round trip family friendly hike. Be prepared for cold weather and wind; dress in layers and wear winter boots. Dogs not permitted. Check the status at (774) 262-2809 or email Kathryn_Parent@Mass.gov. "Where is the Watershed?" Wednesday, Jan. 15, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., for an interactive photo presentation of trails and view around the watershed.

Council on Aging Exercise Programs: Boylston Town House, 599 Main St. For information, call (508) 869-6022. Super Seniors with Lena Scaplen, 9:30 a.m. Thursdays. Become a super senior with a full body workout. All levels. Tai Chi with Kristin Higgins, 10:30 a.m. Mondays. No experience necessary. Flex and Tone with Rebecca Reber, 12:30 p.m. Mondays. This class will use yoga blocks and straps along with a variety of stretching methods to improve flexibility, range of motion, promote circulation and improve strength. Zumba Gold with Rita Vazquez-Torres, 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays. This low-impact dance fitness program focuses on balance, range of motion and coordination. Yoga with Kristin Higgins, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. This slower-moving yoga class is for seniors and can be done both standing and seated. Walking Club, 1 p.m. Wednesdays. Call or email the COA for meeting locations.

Special Education Services Child Find: is an effort to identify and provide services to Berlin and Boylston children with special education needs. Direct written inquires to Karen Molnar, director of Pupil Personnel Services, Berlin-Boylston Public Schools, 215 Main St., Boylston, MA 01505, or call (508) 869-2837, ext. 1106. The Berlin-Boylston Public School System invites parents of public and private school-age children, ages 3-21, to contact the special education office for information regarding the special education screening referral process, eligibility criteria for special education and special education services.

Volunteers Wanted: Boylston Historical Museum, 7 Central St. Call Kim Foster at (508) 869-3125. The historical museum needs help setting up displays. Help and see interesting items from the vault.

WEST BOYLSTON

Watershed Hikes: All programs free, children must be accompanied by an adult. Reasonable accommodations available upon advanced request. Dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear. Dogs and domestic animals are prohibited on watershed lands, except service dogs. For information, contact education staff by email Kathryn.Parent@Mass.gov or call (774) 261-1809. First Day Hike, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., meet at Gate 22, Route 140. Learn the history behind the water supply. Slow pace. Saturday, Jan. 4, 10-11:30 a.m., meet at Gate 25, Route 140, start of Goodale Street for a two-to-three mile hike. Saturday, Jan. 25, 10-11:30 a.m., meet at Gate 22, Route 140, near 211 Temple St.

Integrated Preschool Applications: for the West Boylston Public Schools 2020-2021 school year accepted until Wednesday, Jan. 7. Lottery will be held Friday, Jan. 10. Half-day preschool for 3 and 4 year olds runs five days a week, 8:30-11 a.m. Tuition is $2,500. The full-day preschool for 4 and 5 year olds runs 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (with a half day on Wednesday, 8:30-11 a.m.). Tuition is $4,500. For information and applications, contact Haley Gaughan at (508) 835-4461, ext. 210, or haleygaughan@wbschools.com.

Beaman Library Adult Programs: 8 Newton St. For information or to register, visit http://www.beamanlibrary.org, or call (508) 835-3711. Monthly green living group, Fridays, Jan. 10 and Feb. 7, 1 p.m. Group will discuss a variety of topics; suggestions welcome. Mystery Book Group forming; watch for meeting dates or contact the library. Italian Conversation Circle, 10 a.m.-noon second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Dungeons and Dragons for Adults and Teens, 6-7:45 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays of the month (no meeting Dec. 26). Call the library to verify dates.

Senior Center Programs: 120 Prescott St. For information or to register, call (508) 835-6916. Blood pressure clinic, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. No appointment necessary; sign in when you arrive. Clinics are held the first Wednesday of every month. Fluid Motion with Gypsy, Mondays, Jan. 13 and 27, 10 a.m., $5 per class. Ask an attorney, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (second Tuesday of the month) with Nicholas Daviau. Chair volleyball with Marty, Wednesday, Jan. 15 and 29, 1:30 p.m., $3 per class per person. Movie Matinee, "Poms," Friday, Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m. SHINE counselor, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 9-10:30 a.m., call for an appointment. Caregivers Support Group, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (third Wednesday of the month). Podiatry clinic, Thursday, Jan. 23, 8-11 a.m. (third Thursday), call to reserve a time. Cancelled for January: Mindfulness meditation and Gentle Yoga; both return in February.

Happy Travelers 2019 Trips: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, Museum Day in Boston (MFA and Isabella Gardner). Cost is $99, which includes a $10 lunch voucher. Saturday, March 14, Boston Flower Show with lunch at Maggiano's and a stop at Boston Market. Cost is $109. Sunday, April 26,"Matilda the Musical" at the Stoneham Theater, with lunch at the Chateau Restaurant in Burlington. Cost is $133 per person. May 14-17, Ottawa Tulip Festival, including Canadian War Museum and Ottawa River Cruise. Cost s $739 per person, $889 for a single, $699 per person for three in the room. Sept. 20-30, Canyonlands, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Moab, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, Zion and back to Las Vegas. Call for prices and details. For information, call Gladys Merrow at (508) 835-4312 or (508) 612-5312, or email glady2@verizon.net. Fliers available at the West Boylston Senior Center.

Wachusett Watershed Recycle Center Information: 131 Raymond Huntington Highway. Hours: 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and 8-11 a.m. every first and third Saturday through February. Accepting all reuse, bulk, recycle and electronics (some with fee). The center welcomes bicycles, seashells, evergreen cones, small smooth stones, yarn, home goods, reusable furniture, crafts, sporting goods and appliances for swap or to be passed on to families in need. There is a fee for disposal of furniture, hazardous materials and appliances. Check http://www.wachusettearthday.org or town websites for updates.

Beaman Library Teen Programs: 8 Newton St. For information or to register, visit http://www.beamanlibrary.org, or call (508) 835-3711. Reading Glasses Collaborative Book Group for Millennials, 7 p.m. one Thursday each month at OConnors restaurant. Call for information. Dungeons and Dragons, 2-5 p.m. first and third Saturday of the month. Sign up at the library. Experienced or new players. Grades 6 to 12. Sign up by the day prior to the afternoon.

Ongoing Children's Library Programs: 8 Newton St. For information or to register, visit http://www.beamanlibrary.org, or call (508) 835-3711. Drop-in Story Time, Saturdays, 11-11:30 a.m. Mother Goose on the Loose, Tuesdays, 10:15-11 a.m. Stay 'n Play, Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Sensational Story Time, Wednesdays, 4:30-5:15 p.m. Books 'n Blankies, Thursdays, 9:15-10 a.m. and 10:15-11 a.m. A senior version is Thursdays, 11:15 a.m.-noon.

Senior Center Ongoing Activities: West Boylston Senior Center, 120 Prescott St. For information, call (508) 835-6916. Chair Yoga with Marty, 12:45-1:30 p.m. Mondays. Free. Quilting Club, 10 a.m. Mondays; an experience teacher will guide you through a project, call for information. Cribbage/Mexican Train dominos/cards, 1 p.m. Mondays. Free, and space for other days as well. Pool lessons with Joe, 1 p.m. Tuesdays. Free. Zumba Gold with Rita, 11:15 a.m.-noon Tuesdays. Cost is $3 per person, per class. Low-impact Exercise, with Grace, 10-11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Free. Gentle Yoga with Carol, noon Tuesdays. Not offered the first Tuesday of month. Free. Tai Chi with Sifu Gary, 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost is $3 per class. Country Line Dancing with Linda, Wednesdays. 11 a.m.-noon beginners; 10-11 a.m. intermediate. Cost is $3 per person. Painting with Janice, 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Cost is $10 per class. Mindfulness Meditation with Carol, noon Thursdays . Not offered the first Thursday of month. Free. Pilates with Jennifer, 11:15 a.m.-noon Thursdays. Cost is $5 per class. Bingo, 1 p.m. Thursdays. Wii Bowling, 10 a.m. Fridays. Free. Pitch with Toni, 1 p.m., Fridays. Writers Group, 1 p.m., first and third Fridays, open to anyone interested in writing. Mahjong with Judy, Friday, 1 p.m.

West Boylston Child Find: the schools wish to identify all West Boylston children with disabilities, ages 3 to 21, who may be in need of special education services and who have not graduated from high school. Additionally, the school district wishes to identify any children who may be currently homeless and therefore have certain educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act. Anyone who can identify a child with a disability or a child without a permanent home who is not receiving educational services, should have the parents or any interested person contact the West Boylston Special Education Department at (508) 835-3391.

Sew What: 5:15-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Beaman Memorial Library, 8 Newton St. "The Sew What" group is making simple quilts and burp cloths for infants in the neonatal units of area hospitals, as well as breast pillows, port pillows and large fleece blankets for cancer centers, as well as donations to local nursing homes. If interested, call Sue Smith at (508) 835-3711, ext. 229. To donate clean fabric or batting for this project, call the library at (508) 835-3711 to arrange pickup, or bring them in directly. To help if you cannot make the scheduled time, arrangements can be made to provide materials and patterns.

Caregiver's Support Group: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month; First Congregational Church, 26 Central St. For information, call (508) 835-6916 and ask for Lisa. Caregiver stress is highly prevalent. Most caregivers experience it, and usually feel lost when it happens. One of the most common features is feeling alone, with no one to speak with, no place to find answers. Peer run with occasional guest speakers and opportunities for support and service information.

Personal and Confidential Prayer: 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays (bimonthly); The Healing Room Ministry at Freedom Worship Center, 141 West Boylston St. For dates, visit http://www.freedomworshipcenter.us or call (508) 832-3322. The Healing Room provides personal and confidential prayer for emotional, physical and spiritual healing.

Volunteers Needed: at the Wachusett Regional Recycle Center. The center has opportunities for volunteering Monday through Saturday, at all levels of physical activity. If you share a passion for reuse, recycling and reducing the waste stream, and can spare several hours a month or even every week, visit wachusettearthday.org or call (508) 464-2854. Leave a message with your name and a phone number.

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UNION COUNTY, NJ The Gateway Family YMCA Winter Program Session registration is going on now at YMCA branches in Elizabeth, Rahway and Union and online at http://www.tgfymca.org. Winter programs begin January 2nd and include family wellness programs, youth sports, swim lessons, active older adult programs and chronic disease self-management. In addition, The Gateway Family YMCA is offering a membership special December 26 through January 15 including No Joiner Fee when joining in person or online for all membership types. The YMCA is also offering an Open House January 4-5, free to the community.

Providing a place where families come together in a safe and healthy environment, creating shared memories is at the heart of our mission here at the Y, stated Krystal R. Canady, CEO. Throughout the year we provide financial assistance to ensure that everyone has access to programs and services to ensure the Y is available for all.

We have a fundamental desire to provide opportunities for every family to build stronger bonds, achieve greater work/life balance, become more engaged with their communities, and have fun together, stated Melynda A. Mileski, EVP/COO. We provide programs to meet the needs of the communities we serve, including opportunities for our youngest members in childcare, swim lessons and parent/child programs, through the continuum of youth and teen programs in the arts or sports, through adult group exercise, chronic disease programs and adult social day services.

The Gateway Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening the foundations of community and stands For Youth Development, For Healthy Living and For Social Responsibility. The Gateway Family YMCA impacts the community by providing quality services to people of all ages, races, faith or incomes. The Y doesnt just strengthen bodies it strengthens people, families and communities.

For more information about programs and services provided by The Gateway Family YMCA, visit http://www.tgfymca.org or contact the Elizabeth Branch at 908-355-9622, Five Points Branch 908-688-9622, Rahway Branch 732-388-0057, Wellness Center Branch 908-349-9622, WISE Center Branch 908-687-2995 or Youth Development Branch 908-355-3061.

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More than a year and a half after two consecutive winter storms battered the region and left thousands without power for up to a week or longer, the executive branch has announced a $10.5 million settlement -- the largest ever for failure to follow a utilitysemergency response plan.

According to a release provided by the Governors office concerning the settlement,NYSEG acknowledged and admitted to 18 violations of its state-approved emergency response plans, and RG&E acknowledged and admitted to three violations.Company shareholders will pay $10.5 million to compensate customers: $9 million from NYSEG and $1.5 million from RG&E. The moneywill be usedto provide customer benefits at the direction of the Public Service Commission.

Nearly two years have passed since many of our neighbors were forced to live over a week without power. While we were fortunate many good Samaritans and benevolent businesses stepped up to volunteer and help our community, one thing is for certain - the management at these utility companies were utterly unprepared said Assemblyman Kevin Byrne. It is fitting that NYSEG shareholders will now pay the largest settlement in New York State history for failing to follow its own emergency response plan.

In the immediate aftermath of March 2018 Winter Storms Riley and Quinn, Assemblyman Byrne joined colleagues from various levels of government across the region demanding additional investigation and action in order to strengthen our regions storm response and address various failings from utilities.

Following the storms, Assemblyman Byrne participated in a number of public hearings and forums to investigate the utilities slow response times. This included attending both New York State Senate and Assembly Public Hearings that reviewed the regions storm response, providing personal testimony at the Department of Public Services (DPS) Public Statement Hearing in Carmel, and hosting a forum with then state Senator Terrence Murphy and utility representatives to provide ratepayers an opportunity to question the utilities directly about their lackluster service.

Additionally, Byrne served as a member of United Westchesters Executive Committee. This bipartisan coalition, led by co-chairs Assemblyman David Buchwald and Westchester County Executive George Latimer, assembled to find solutions to better respond to crippling storms in the future. United Westchester presented a report with specific recommendations which the DPS cited multiple times in its own investigative report.

Putnam County ratepayers were hit extremely hard throughout the duration of these two storms.

While we are glad that customers will be compensated, we hope that NYSEG has made the changes necessary to prevent future outages, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell said. This is a public utility and, as we have noted many times, our residents need to know that they can depend upon dedicated line crews to cut, clear and open the roads to reduce the stress on our volunteer first responders, police and fire departments.

Then serving as Chief of Staff to state Senator Terrence Murphy, Yorktown Supervisor-Elect Matt Slater attended multiple forums regarding the utility companies inadequate storm response. Yorktown was the epicenter of disaster during Winter Storms Quinn and Riley," said Slater. "Utility companies failed to properly communicate to customers and government officials . Considering our energy rates are the second highest in the nation, and rising, more must be done to hold the utility companies accountable to ratepayers. We should be getting more for what we pay, starting with adequate storm response.

According to the Governors website, the companies will also do the following:

In the near term, NYSEG will hire and maintain 20 additional employees with storm restoration responsibilities; additionally, PSC staff and NYSEG will review long-term staffing needs and requirements;

NYSEG will maintain at least 175 damage assessment trained employees, excluding employees who perform restoration work during an emergency event;

NYSEG and RG&E's Emergency Response Organization will form a group to develop a Storm Response Exercise program to include in-the-field activities and non-table-top storm response exercises, including testing their enhanced life-support equipment customer contact and tracking procedures, as well as communication and coordination with which will include municipal and county governments;

NYSEG agrees to retain a third-party consultant, subject to consultation with Commission staff, to audit and assess the companies' storm response training and training exercise programs and NYSEG agrees that shareholders will bear any incremental costs for the term of engagement for the consultant.

Additional information regarding the settlement may be found on the Governors website HERE

A copy of the Department of Public Service Report is accessible HERE

A copy of the United Westchester report is accessible HERE

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It's not easy to maintain your outdoor workout regimen during the Wyoming winter. Streets are snow-packed and icy andit can be too cold to stay outdoors for an extended period of time. But the good news is, there are some easy ways to burn calories outdoors if you're prepared.

We know this is obvious, but shoveling is a great workout. It burns roughly 223 calories for every half hour of shoveling. Shovel a couple of your neighbors' driveways for an extra workout.

There is seemingly an endless number of cross country ski trails all across Wyoming. Skis are usually affordable, just remember to pack as much winter gear as possible and some good boots.Skiing for an hour at 2.5 mph burns over 400 calories.

Half an hour of ice skating can burn about 250 calories. If you're good at it. If you're bad at it, you might burn even more because you have to pick yourself up so much.

Increasing in resistance training popularity, snow springs require heavy-duty winter gear and really good hiking shoes or boots. The idea is to run, jump, and play in a snow-packed area.

Don't you just sit down to sled? Yes, and then you have to get back up the hill... and again, and again. Or, try pulling your kids around behind a sled. The calories will shed right off, and you'll make winter memories.

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Gerry Jennings, a board member for Get Fit Great Falls, leads a group of novice cross-country skiers during Winter Trails Day, which is Feb. 2 this year.(Photo: Get Fit Great Falls)

Looking to feel better and have more energy in the new year?

How about adding a vegetable to whatever you are cooking? Or snowshoeing in the surrounding mountains? Or walking instead of driving to get where you are going?

Get Fit Great Falls has several ways to help with your goals of being healthier, and the best part is they are easy, affordable and fun. Thanks to continued funding from United Way, Get Fit has new events to pair with its ongoing efforts to help people get active and make healthy choices.

We are in the mindset of having a healthy lifestyle throughout the year, not just in January when you hit the reset button, said Erin Merchant, Get Fit Great Falls president. We want to help Great Falls residents make a behavioral change they can stick with rather than having a goal that only lasts a month or two.

Just Add a Vegetable is Get Fits latest idea on its mission to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Once a month, nutrition experts will spend the afternoon in the produce section at a local grocery store and talk to shoppers about adding a vegetable to whatever happens to be on the breakfast, lunch or dinner menu.

If they are making soup, they can just add some celery or carrots, said registered dietitian Susan Cooper. If they are making pizza, just add some mushrooms. Or maybe get creative and add chopped beets or kale.

We want people to focus on a simple change, to just add a vegetable to whatever they are making, she added.

So far, 2Js and Super One Foods have hosted Just Add a Vegetable events. Albertsons on 10th Avenue South will be hosting an event Jan. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Abigail Lichliter and Clark Carlson-Thompson, Get Fit Great Falls volunteers, paint crosswalks downtown. The effort aims to make downtown more friendly and walkable.(Photo: Get Fit Great Falls)

Along with learning how to combine veggies with the foods they already love, people can learn how to shop smart to minimize food costs, how to meal plan to minimize spoilage and how to introduce veggies to family members who fear them. Shoppers also can enter a drawing for a basket of fresh produce.

Another way Get Fit can help with your health goals is its annual Winter Trails Day, which is coming up Feb. 1 at Silver Crest Winter Recreation Area near Showdown. This is an opportunity for people of all ages to try out snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for free.

It starts in the morning and goes through the afternoon, said Jody Murray, Get Fit board member and prevention specialist with Great Falls Public Schools. The guides are people who are good at it and love it.

All the equipment is provided, though people need to register ahead of time. Registration opens Jan. 22 online at http://www.getfitgreatfalls.com.

Its very popular and fun, Murray said. There are 1, 2 and 3-mile hikes, a beginning cross-country ski tour and a kiddie snowshoe loop.

Along with the snowshoe adventure, kids can get another helping of exercise through Fitness, Food, Family and Friends or F4, a 2-year-old program that brings active play and nutrition information to the HANDS after-school program.

Last year, Get Fit partnered with HANDS in 13 elementary schools to offer the 8-week program, which teaches students about nutrition along with fitness skills that can be incorporated into fun games. Everything necessary for the program fit into a tote that traveled from school to school.

Each week, the kids take home a worksheet with the moves of the week, things that strengthen their legs and strengthen their core, said Murray, adding those skills are then used in games at HANDS. The sheet also has nutrition information, everything from making sure you are drinking enough water to trying to eat new fruits and vegetables. It gives them something to take home and get their parents involved with.

Pretests and post-tests have shown the F4 program is working, with more than 85 percent of the students either showing improvement or staying the same in at least half of the tested skills. This program was possible thanks to grants from United Way of Cascade Country, Montana Federal Credit Union, Benefis Healthcare and the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation. Now, each school has its own tote so HANDS can offer the program several times throughout the year.

A big focus for Get Fit is on kids because we know healthy kids usually become healthy adults, Merchant said. And we see that reversed statistically. If you are obese as a kid, you are more likely to be obese as an adult.

Park Pals is another way Get Fit works to keep kids active. Through this summer program, exciting science projects and physical activities are planned every weekday at local parks. The Great Falls Public Schools food truck partners with the program so kids can get a free meal before or after they come out to play.

In 2019, we were able to recruit volunteers from the AmeriCorps Vista program to help with Park Pals, so we were able to expand our number of parks, said Merchant. Adding more parks last year means serving more students and hitting more demographics.

As part of the Building Active Communities Initiative, Get Fit volunteers transformed Davidson Plaza into a temporary active space which included a ping pong table, giant checkers, grass, plants and benches.(Photo: Get Fit Great Falls)

Get Fit volunteers dont just want to improve its programs to get people to be active. They also are working to improve the parks themselves by making them more accessible and improve other spaces around Great Falls through the Building Active Communities Initiative, or BACI.

A few years back, some of the leading experts in this statewide initiative held a free training in Great Falls.

The trainers walked us around downtown and pointed out to us places that could be better, more connected and turned into spaces where the community could gather and be active, said Kim Skornogoski, a Get Fit volunteer and United Way's marketing director. After that training, we continued to meet and build our team, bringing on different partners and coming up with ideas.

One of the groups first efforts was transforming Davidson Plaza into more of an active space during the downtown summer sidewalk sale.

We had ping-pong table set up and large checkers on the ground, Skornogoski said. We took a couple of parking spaces and created a seating area with grass and put grass in the plaza itself. We brought in bands. We basically brought in different elements of what would be part of an open, active space.

Throughout the day, they asked people what they would like to see in an active space in Great Falls. Now they are trying to bring those ideas to life.

Another big project weve done is the crosswalk painting, said Skornogoski. That does a number of things people dont even realize. It inspires traffic to slow down. It also connects spaces. And when spaces are connected, people are more inspired to walk between them.

Several local organizations are involved with this initiative to create a more vibrant downtown. Get Fit is hoping that by changing the environment, people will change their behavior and walk more. The business organizations are hoping for a more active downtown so people will shop and enjoy the great restaurants. Partners like NeighborWorks are hoping an increase in activity downtown will decrease the amount of crime in that area.

All of these people have different particular goals as part of their organizations mission, Skornogoski said. But by doing these things, we all are achieving our goals. Its been really fun, and all of our efforts have been really well received by the community.

More crosswalk painting, including school crosswalks, is yet to come. They also are planning morestudies on how walkable the community is to identify problem areas in parks and downtown.

The other big goal is called wayfinding,Skornogoski said.The idea is if you have signage that points to the Rivers Edge Trail or a sign that says the C.M. Russell Museum is five blocks away, it will increase the use of those places and also encourage people to walk to them.

Like many efforts funded by United Way, Get Fits projects and programs are successful because of many organizations coming together to make things happen.

Its critical that we have so many great partners who are advancing the work together, she said. Get Fit is entirely volunteer-run, and we operate on a shoestring budget. For the last four years, United Way has provided around $5,000 in funding, which amounts to about half our costs for our different efforts every year.

Get Fit has brought many people together in the effort to create a healthier lifestyle in our community, and the efforts are working.

In the past, we never really measured how events like Summer Trails Day, Winter Trails Day and Come Out and Play with Abby Wambach were changing behavior, Skornogoski said. Now, being part of the United Way grants process, we are looking at the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in schools and seeing that investing in our kids is already paying off. Theyre eating more vegetables, getting more involved with sports and exercising more. Kids are actually changing their behavior.

United Way of Cascade County asks for money once a year. Money raised during its fall campaign supports 34 local nonprofit programs and United Ways community impact work. People can give monthly or one-time gifts through our website at http://www.uwccmt.org or can send donations directly to United Way at PO Box 1343, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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