Sure, Jill Reading likes to look good, but she loves feeling good even more. That’s why the 35-year-old Churchill Downs executive has kick-started a new diet and exercise plan with the intention of getting red carpet ready in time for the Kentucky Derby.

“I just want to feel good about myself,” said Reading, director of marketing for Churchill Downs. “When I’m feeling strong and I have a lot of endurance and feel like I can keep going and going and going, that’s when you feel the world is your oyster.”

The goal is to lose about 10 pounds and increase lean muscle mass. To accomplish this, Reading is currently working with personal trainer Missy Burge of OutFit Louisville.

“We do circuit training with her,” Burge said. “Every time we meet, I mix it up. It’s a combination of intense cardio spurts with core and resistance training.”

Reading said she realizes she’ll always be a curvy gal; she’d just appreciate being less so.

“I’m never going to be stick thin, but I do not want to have a bubble butt anymore,” she said. “I want it to be small and firm and there we go.”

Additionally, Reading is refining her diet.

“From a food level, I have a lot of work to do. I really am a foodie. I enjoy really great food. I workout just so I can eat,” she said with a laugh.

To take the guess work out of planning her meals, Reading opted to use Home Cuisine, a local business, after a couple of her coworkers shared their delight with the service. Owner Sandy Pike creates a variety of meals for her clients, labels them and then either delivers the meals or clients pick them up. The convenience is key, Reading said.

“I’m too busy to even want to think about it,” she said “If I have to do it myself, I’m going to cheat, I’m going to give myself bigger portions, I’m going to buy stuff that’s not right for my current diet. I’m making this foolproof.”

Last Saturday, Reading enjoyed an apple blueberry crisp with vanilla yogurt for breakfast, a turkey salad with dill, celery, grapes and an apple for lunch, and roasted salmon with red skin potatoes and green beans for dinner.

“It was really, really good. The salmon was a nice hearty portion,” said Reading, who is on the 1,200-calorie-a-day plan. “Hopefully now with the change in diet, I’m going to see some results fairly quickly.”

Burge said she thinks Reading will be pleasantly surprised.

“Jill is tackling both aspects: diet and exercise. I’m excited for her,” Burge said. “She has a great game plan to help get her where she wants to be by Derby time.”

In addition to whipping herself into shape, Reading hopes to end the constant battle with shedding those last 10 pounds.

“I don’t know if it’s just psychological, but for some reason, that’s the point that always trips women up,” she said.

Reading never had an issue with her weight – until she married.

“I gained like 40 to 50 pounds,” she said. “I was at that weight for probably a good two or three years until I noticed and was like, ‘Oh my gosh! What did I let myself do?’ ”

Reading dropped most of the pounds she’d packed on, but now, she said, “I’m starting to see another creep in the weight. I’ve just got to get my butt back in gear, stop being lazy and get back on track, no pun intended.”

The Voice will publish monthly updates on Jill Reading’s progress as she works to be red carpet ready. She’ll also blog about her quest at voice-tribune.com.