Brandee's Bookish Babble #36 ~ Combo Review/Share Time

Welcome to Brandee's Bookish Babble. There are many, many similar posts to this one - but basically I wanted a place to discuss bookish and/or blogging stuff and I needed a title. :) 

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I debated with myself quite a bit over how to or even whether or not to post this but in the end, it's about me and about a book so I figured what the heck! 

You know how sometimes a book just speaks to you? Resonates with you? Touches you? Inspires you? I think with non-fiction in particular - more along the lines of a memoir or self-help - you have to read it at that perfect time. It happened for me with The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - it's the reason I started blogging. And last year, it happened with Big Girls Do It Running by Jasinda Wilder. The name of the book has changed now - she's calling it You Can Do It - but y'all, her story impacted me and as a result, I lost 25 pounds last year. I wanted to share a few of the highlights from the book and the take-aways for me:

• Just Friends Chatting...
  Wilder writes in an informal and humorous way, like you're friends and you're hanging out talking over coffee. The way she explained her childhood food/weight issues, all the fads, diets, exercise routines, everything that she'd tried in order to lose weight and get healthy, as well as how she felt about herself after failing over and over again...it was real and genuine, and funny! I empathized with her. 
• Inspirational
  Y'all, at one time Wilder weighed over 400 pounds. To see how her "way" made a difference, not only for herself but also for her family was very inspiring.
  
• The Message
  What I took away from reading Wilder's story was that yes, my body was made for moving, and that food is fuel. When I first started, with the help of my fitbit, I made sure I moved every hour - typically walking my one flight of stairs ten times - and I got all my steps in daily. I started running again as well as doing toning exercises 5-6 days a week. And I starting looking at food a little differently. I knew I needed food to make my body move and to nourish it and my brain. But looking at it this way made me stop and think before putting something in my mouth.
  Today, I'm still running and doing different toning exercises 5-6 days a week and I have a healthier relationship with food. I have tried to limit my sugar intake (Wilder has removed sugar from her diet) but I haven't removed it entirely. I was more strict with myself in the beginning but now I occasionally have treats. I had a delicious birthday pie last week! And I like my beer! =) But I eat mostly fruits and vegetables as well as having protein in the morning and in the evening. And I've been able to maintain my weight loss. 

Wilder talks about how her healthy lifestyle has impacted her family, even making a difference in her son's autism. She shares exercises and recipes. And as I said, it's all done in a way that seems like you're friends sharing advice and support. I know I read this book at that perfect time and it made a difference for me. And so, I just wanted to share.

Are there any books you've read that inspired you in some way? I'd love to hear about them.