Reading, lately {A Three Things Thursday Post}

I used to read books. Once upon a time, you know. Chick lit and memoirs (ah, Jen Lancaster, I love you). I sometimes got into historical books and biographies, and there was the obligatory running book.

These days, though, when the time comes to rest my butt, all I want to do is space out. Veg. Watch TV. Recently, it has been a marathon of "The Killing" thanks to Netflix. I finally made it through the first two seasons, which if you watch the show, you know why it's such a milestone. I hate to love that show.

But I digress.

As much as I say I don't have time to read, I have found myself wrapped in a few things lately.

1. OK, this first item isn't technically a book but I have been studying it. A lot.

The Bourbon Chase map! Our team captain is getting to the nitty gritty of things - like van and leg assignments - and we got to put in for our top picks.

When it comes to relays, it's important to be honest with yourself and your abilities. I am not going to pick the hilliest legs because a) I don't like hills; and b) I live in northeast Indiana where the best hills are on the golf course. I don't mind longer runs, though, so the higher mileage doesn't throw me. I asked to be runner 6 or runner 9, and I got penciled in for 6. I loved being a major exchange runner for Hood to Coast, so I'm amped that I will be for Bourbon Chase. Plus, when I'm done, the van is done. (Read: FOOD.)

2. Speaking of food, when I was advised to take a look at my carb consumption and the possible link to depression, I went in search of information - research or anecdotal. I had received positive feedback about Whole 30 and was then led to "Fitness Confidential" by Vinnie Tortorich. I am reading the latter but before my friend gifted me the book, I picked up "Wheat Belly" on audiobook from the library.

I am not here to support or dispel the claims in the book but I will say that I found it very interesting. It definitely made me re-examine the amount of processed wheat in my diet and the affect that it has on my physical and mental well-being. It is quite scientific in its tone, especially in the early parts, and I'm not sure I could have gotten through it in traditional print format. The audiobook was nice, and it came with a PDF of documents and recipes.

3. And, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I've been reading "The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti Diet." As the title suggests, this book is the anti-diet diet book. There are no menu plans or workout schedules. There's no list of safe foods or an even longer list of things that are forbidden. It's a book about getting healthy and, well, feeling healthy doing it.

The book is written by the authors of the popular blog Fit Bottomed Girls - Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead - and reading the book feels very much like reading the blog. The tone is conversational, the advice practical. So much so, and I don't mean this in a negative way, that the book feels a little bit like a Weight Watchers meeting. Your leaders - Jennipher and Erin - address a topic (from eating to exercise to well being) and offer solutions that could be applied without disrupting the whole family. Some of them, like WW, seem a bit "duh" but we have to remember that information wasn't always "duh."

Some of the things that stuck out to me were fighting with the scale and why you were doing it, which felt quite relevant to me personally; how to take compliments with grace and accept them; and 10-minute fixes.

The publishers of "The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti Diet" provided me with a copy free of charge for review ... and are offering three copies for me to giveaway. Enter using the widget below!

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