Ukraine adventure

If you read my last blog post, you know that I was recently in Ukraine. I arrived in Kyiv on March 21st and was in the country until April 4th, visiting Kyiv (Київ), Lviv (Львів), Ternopil (Тернопіль), and Berezhany (Бережани). I went there because my sister Katie is a Peace Corps volunteer there and is about to finish up her service this coming June.

Berezhany Castle

Katie and me in Lviv

First things first, while many in the US and English-speaking world still refer to Ukraine (Україна) as "the Ukraine", that's an archaic and outdated phrase. Ukrainians dislike the phrase because it makes it sound like Ukraine is still some kind of region or a part of another country (Russia or the former Soviet Union), rather than an independent country. So yeah, just say Ukraine and leave "the" out.

Hotel Ukraine in Kyiv

In Ukraine, they speak Ukrainian, which is similar, but not identical, to Russian. Ukrainian uses a Cyrillic alphabet, so cities and places have transliterations into Latin-based letters for use in media and maps. Because Russian and Ukrainian aren't identical, many of the transliterations are outdated, still using the Russian pronunciation from the Soviet era. The most obvious one is the capital of Ukraine, most often spelled and pronounced as Kiev (KEY ev). In Ukrainian, it is Kyiv (Київ; pronounced KEY eev, sometimes said fast enough to sound like KEEV). I encourage you to find the Ukrainian transliteration of cities and places in Ukraine and use it instead of the Russian one!

Київ visible in the seats of Dynamo Stadium

Berezhany bus terminal

Ukraine uses the hryvnia (HER eev nya) as their currency, abbreviated as "UAH" in English or "грн." ("hrn.") in Ukrainian. They have a symbol (₴) similar to the dollar sign ($), but I never saw it used on any signs or publications. Signs always just used "грн." The only reason I found out the symbol was from looking it up online. For the duration of my visit, the exchange rate between the hryvnia and the US dollar was around 26грн to $1. That resulted in things being incredibly inexpensive for me, especially food. I marveled every time I checked my bank statement to see exactly how much I had spent on something like a meal for both Katie and myself. It was not uncommon for us to go out to eat and have a wonderful, filing meal complete with drinks and appetizers, and spend maybe $7 total. Bus and tram tickets cost 2-4грн. each, so about $0.06-$0.12. Subway tokens in Kyiv cost 20грн. for 5, so just $0.12 each.

Lunch in Kyiv during my first visit. 

Total was 154 UAH, which converted to around $5.92 for all that food

The flag of Ukraine is known as the "blue and yellow" or "yellow and blue". It's a simple flag with the top half azure blue and the bottom half yellow, symbolizing the blue sky and the yellow grain fields. I saw the flag frequently, but in different ways than we typically display the US flag here. Rather than have the flag fly on their homes, many Ukrainians have a small Ukrainian flag in their car. Every bus I rode had at least one small Ukrainian flag near the driver, sometimes more than one, and many cars did as well. Of course all government buildings fly the flag as do many businesses. Anyone who knows me knows I love flags, so was happy to see it displayed so frequently. I learned in studying a bit about the flag that during the Soviet era, display of the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag was banned, so that adds another emotional element to the display of the flag now. Interestingly enough, the flag of the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic is now banned due to its association with Russian separatists.

Ukraine flag on Castle Hill in Lviv

The other symbol you see everywhere is the "tryzub" (Тризуб), which translates to trident. Officially it is the State Emblem of Ukraine (Державний Герб України). It's also found on every government building and is easy to find on clothing and souvenir items. Like the bald eagle in the US, it is also seen on the top of flagpoles. I made sure to get a good number of items with the tryzub as I find it a classy, simple, and elegant symbol, on top of being unique and easily identifiable.

Ukraine flag at center in Lviv City Hall with the tryzub visible above and at the top of the flagpole

Tryzub on a government building in Kyiv

This is actually Katie's second tour of duty in Ukraine. She was first there from March 2013 to February 2014, but had to return home after violence broke out in the capital (known as the Euromaindan protests), followed by political instability and then open warfare with Russia in the east. Katie was never under any real threat because of that (Kyiv is nearly 8 hours from where she was working), but Peace Corps evacuated all volunteers in February 2014 and closed the program. At the time, it was believed "pigs would fly" before Peace Corps would re-open its Ukraine office. Well, it happened in early 2015 and Katie took the opportunity to not only return to Ukraine, but to the same school she had been at before. To commemorate that statement of pigs flying, there's a little picture of a pig with wings at the entrance to Peace Corps offices in Kyiv. The main difference now is Peace Corps Ukraine has three zones in the country. The east and south of Ukraine (including Crimea) closest to the Russian border is a "red zone" meaning it is completely off limits because of open violence by Russian separatists. A little further west of there and in the south is a "yellow zone" that requires significant permission for volunteers to travel to, mostly do to increased risk of instability and potential violence. Where Katie is in western Ukraine has no visible issues of that regard, nor did Kyiv.

Berezhany Market Square

Berezhany Lake

Katie planned my visit in segments. She said she did that to kind of "transition" me to where she was in Berezhany, going from modern Kyiv (Київ) to a slightly smaller city in Lviv (Львів), then a little smaller city in Ternopil (Тернопіль), and finally to Berezhany (Бережани), a town of about 18,000. Before heading back home, we spent a few more days in Kyiv, since my initial visit there upon arriving was only Sunday evening and part of Monday before we took the train to Lviv. We were in Kyiv on March 21 and 22, Lviv from March 22-25, Ternopil from March 25-27, Berezhany from March 27-April 1, and back to Kyiv April 1-4, wkith me leaving Kyiv early on the 4th (flight left at 5:45am, so I had to take a cab from our hotel at 3am!).  

Lviv Market Square

Ternopil Lake

As I said in my last post, when Katie first went to Ukraine back in 2013, I thought it would be really neat if I would be able to go visit her there, but figured it would never happen. Thanks for some fortuitous circumstances on my part and the generosity of family members (particularly my grandmother), it was able to happen. Not only was I able to spend time with my sister and see some incredible sights, but I was also able to meet some incredible people, Ukrainians and others! And surprise, surprise, everyone who knows Katie absolutely loves her! How shocking! HA!

Train ride from Ternopil to Kyiv

We did so much in each place, I'm going to do separate blog posts for each city. There were things I loved about every place. It's an experience I will never forget and am grateful I was able to have. Слава Україні! героям Слава!

Live from Berezhany!

Although I have a few more days left before I head home from Ukraine, I wanted to make sure I posted from here in Berezhany, the city in western Ukraine my sister has been living for the past year as a Peace Corps volunteer. She also served here in 2013-14, but had to leave earlier than planned because of the violence and instability that affected the country in early 2014. It's been a tremendous blessing for her to have been able to come back and finish her service, even a year later than originally planned.

I'm here as she winds down her time here (officially finishes in early June) so I can meet many of the people she has been telling us about for so long and to see the many sights here in Berezhany and in the rest of the country. I arrived in Kyiv (aka "Kiev") back on March 21st and have also visited Lviv and Ternopil before arriving here in Berezhany on March 27. Overall it has been a tremendous experience. Just today as I was walking up a somewhat steep hill here in town, I thought about back when Katie (my sister) first got assigned to Ukraine and I wished I could come visit but knew it could never really happen given my financial and work situations. It's amazing how things work out and opportunities are presented. In my case, it was a grandmother with airline miles she couldn't use and a brother who helped with some of the extra fees and even gave us some spending money for a combined Christmas and birthday present. Added to that, the Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) dropped in value comparable to the US dollar (currently around 26 UAH to 1 dollar), so I haven't had to spend a lot of money on much of anything here, especially food and souvenirs. For instance, yesterday we had lunch at a nice restaurant in town. We both had a fair amount of food and drinks and the total for both of us combined came out to around $4.71 on my bank statement. Even our hotel rooms and transportation have been ridiculously inexpensive once the conversion is made. My schedule back home also worked out with me gone for 2 weeks. Again, just a lot of things have come together for this to happen the way it has.

Katie is quite popular, especially when she has gum and/or stickers to pass out!

Tomorrow we head back to Kyiv by train via Ternopil for a few more days of sightseeing (we only spent a day in Kyiv before), and then my flight leaves early Monday morning. As nice as it always is to get home after a long trip, I will definitely miss Ukraine. It's a beautiful country with a rich history, beautiful scenery and architecture, and wonderful people. I hope I can come back to this place again sometime!

Type text or a website address or translate a document.

Cancel

Я люблю Україну, але особливо Бережани! (I love Ukraine, but especially Berezhany!)

Back to the future Part II

In reading my "YIR" (year-in-review) post, I noticed that I left out one really exciting even that happened in 2015, but in a way, I'm kind of glad I neglected to mention it because now I'm writing a separate post on it. The reality, though, is it needs a separate post anyway since it really started in 2014 and I never finished the blog post about that trip I had intended to.

Long story short, October 2014 was my Grandpa Ridinger's 90th birthday and we had all sorts of fun stuff planned to celebrate. For several years I had wanted to get a sweatshirt from my grandpa's alma mater, Miamisburg High School, which is located in Miamisburg, Ohio, just south of Dayton. I finally remembered to email the school in September 2014 and they were awesome about it, sending him a beautiful royal blue hoodie. My grandpa played football at MHS from 1937-1940 (graduated in 1941 at the age of 16). In sending the sweatshirt, they also sent info about the fundraising drive to build a new stadium at the school to replace their current stadium, Harmon Field, which opened in 1923 and was the same field my grandpa played on.

From the 1941 Miamisburg High School, "Mirus". Grandpa is top left, a 16-year-old senior class president. That happened because he attended part of his elementary years in a rural one-room schoolhouse and picked up on what the older kids were doing, so when they moved back into town, he was able to skip some of those grades.

Football team photo for the 1940 team (1941 yearbook). Grandpa is in the bottom row of individual pictures, second from right.

I asked the family if they would like to donate some money to the school in Grandpa's name and everyone liked it. We were able to donate $300 to the stadium fund, enough to have his name listed in the "Blue and White Club" section on the stadium fundraiser website. He seemed pleased with the sweatshirt and when we told him about the donation and showed him a printout of the website.

A week before his 90th birthday, I went down to Miamisburg, about a 3 hour trip from Kent. My purpose was first, to personally thank the athletic director for the gift, but also to see the field itself, attend a game, and then get some pictures of various places in town to show Grandpa and for my own record. I always prefer going somewhere over seeing pictures of it. It's part of making history, even family history, more real for me, being where important events actually happened. Anyway, I was able to get lots of great pictures and really enjoyed finally seeing Miamisburg, what I call my "ancestral homelands".

With the MHS athletic director at the game in 2014. Small world, his brother coached at Ravenna a little while back

My grandpa was born in one of these two houses on Sycamore Street in Miamisburg in 1924. His dad's family lived in one house and his mom's family lived right next door. The 1920 Census lists his dad in both houses. And yes, that's my car front and center! :)

Found this headstone almost as soon as we drove into the cemetery. Sara and William "Tiff" Ginter are my great-great grandparents. I looked in vain to find the marker for my great-grandma Esther Ginter Ridinger. She died the day after Christmas in 1938 when my grandpa was just 14. 

OK, so fast forward to this past October. I find out sometime in September that Miamisburg High School was planning a big ceremony to mark the final game at Harmon Field, scheduled for October 23rd. I asked my Grandpa if he would want to go and got the expected answer: no. By then he'd be 91 (it was just 4 days after his birthday), and the combined 6 hours of traveling, walking around, and dealing with crowds didn't appeal. I didn't expect him to go.

I mentioned it to my dad and he asked him again. By then I had just assumed I would go with my dad as representatives of Grandpa and had already communicated with the school about it. Their reply was interesting in that they made it clear they really wanted him to be there if at all possible as he would be the oldest attending football alum. Dad showed the email to Grandpa and with a little help from Grandma convinced him to go since I would be driving.

Well, we went. Not only did the weather cooperate beautifully (it was close to 70 degrees and clear the night of the game...when I went in 2014 it rained the entire game), but the way my schedule worked that day subbing, I was able to leave a little earlier than I had originally, so we made it to Miamisburg with plenty of time to spare, enough time to have a nice dinner before heading over to the stadium. The school was kind enough to make sure we had a place to park close to the entrance (which is quite the coveted spot...small parking lot as the stadium is in the middle of a residential neighborhood, not at the school). My sister and her family met us at the game as they came down from NW Indiana (about as far as we drove) to see.

Returning to his old stomping grounds with my grandma and dad. When my brother-in-law asked if being back brought back tons of memories, Grandpa simply said "no." My grandma explained "he doesn't look back." Even so, he seemed to enjoy the evening and said he was glad to come.

Most of the crew that came...my dad's face got cut off at the top...oops! 

The school invited all MHS alumni who had every played on the field, so there were hundreds of guests since that not only included all the football alumni, but soccer and track alumni when those two sports played there. The only alum there older than Grandpa was a lady who was homecoming queen in 1937 or something. As I mentioned, Grandpa was the oldest attending football alumnus, so he was one of the few individuals recognized during the halftime ceremony. I was able to walk out on the field with him and get several pictures from the sideline, so it was neat for me to actually get to walk on the same field (and let me tell you...it was a very thin and dusty field!) he played on so many years ago. It would've been cool to do that period, but being there with him made it even more special.

One view of the crowd on the field, divided by decade. You can see me just to the left of center with my Cleveland Indians bag!

Grandpa acknowledges the crowd when he was recognized as the oldest attending football alumnus.

Just me on the sideline with Grandpa in the background

With Grandpa heading off the field. I love that he wore his Kent State hat. As Grandma says, he doesn't look back too much, but he has been in Kent now 50 years and was at KSU for 20+ years as an employee (assistant dean of the College of Business) and even longer as a donor and supporter, even though he's not a KSU alum (actually is an alum of Otterbein College and Ohio State).

Not only was the game a huge deal because of it being the last scheduled game in the 92 year history of Harmon Field, but it also had huge playoff implications on top of the great weather. There were an estimated 8,000 people in and around the stadium. My best guess is the entire stadium (4 separate stands) seats MAYBE 4,000 people if that, maybe even less. Not only were the stands packed, but people lined the inner fence around the actual playing field, and there was a sizable crowd lining the outer fence. Although we didn't stay for the entire game, it ended up being quite the thriller. Miamisburg coughed up a big lead to Springboro only to score the winning touchdown with 12 seconds left. The win ended up earning them a playoff spot and an additional home game. The funny thing about playing Springboro was Grandpa mentioned in his day, Springboro wasn't much of anything, just a little crossroads. He was also impressed Miamisburg had beaten Xenia earlier in the season, something that never happened when he played there.

Touchdown Vikings! First touchdown of the game right as it happened!

Third quarter view of the main home grandstand

Panorama showing the setup and the crowd. This was taken just before halftime while they were assembling all the alumni.

Although it was pretty tiring for him (a lot more walking than any of us anticipated), my grandma said he said he was glad he went. She also told me later it took about three days of resting to fully recover. I'm glad we were able to do that with him. Having my dad, and my sister and her family there made it even more memorable and fun. I was more than happy to be able to provide the transportation too! The school was also a huge help, not only with arrangements for him, but also accommodating my sister and her family. Such awesome people. Just as we were about to leave, I went up to see if I could get a souvenir program. One left. When they found out I was related to the "oldest living football alumnus" they gave it to me free.  Just a really special evening and something I will always remember fondly. My hope next year is to go down by myself and do some more exploring of family history sites, and attend a game at the new stadium.

@jonridinger @MburgVikings So glad you could come and be part of such a special night! #weloveouralumni

— Miamisburg Schools (@BurgSchools) October 25, 2015

On the drive home, we stopped near Columbus to get gasoline and Grandpa gave me his card to pay for it. I filled up my Honda Civic tank, coming out to about 9 gallons of gas. I handed the card back to Grandpa and he basically said "Oh, you're not going to fill it up?" I explained it's only about a 10 or 12 gallon tank, so yes, it was full and it will get me about 400 miles (40 mpg on the highway). :)

Back to the future!

Every year I go into the new year with resolve to do more regular blogs, thinking my low amount of blog posts can't possibly get any lower than it was in the year ending. Well, after several successive years of blogging decline, I hope 2015 marks my "bottoming out" as far as blog posts go. Counting this post, I had all of three posts the entire year, with this my first post since May. As I've mentioned before, because of my daily journal writing, I guess I have a limit of how much I want to write in a day, though I've also noticed a general decline in that feeling of need to express myself on every issue I come across. There are plenty of posts I've started, but just never had the motivation to finish! That said, here's my 2015 in review for those who are interested. I definitely can't say I've had a dull year by any stretch!

Nieces in Tennessee

Niece and nephews in Indiana!

Probably my most significant "story" of 2015 was what I covered in my last post: my weight loss. I started it in late November 2014 and when I posted in May, I had just passed my 6 month mark and had lost 50 pounds. Well, fast forward to late December now and I'm still going strong in the program! I ultimately lost about 70 pounds total, bottoming out at 156.8 pounds in early September. Since then, I've been maintaining and "bulking", i.e. adding some muscle mass through workouts and continuing to monitor my macronutrients. The difference now is I'm not trying to lose weight, so I obviously have a much larger "budget" during the day. I'm holding steady right around or slightly above 160 pounds, which was my initial target weight. The new target is going to be around 170.

It's been a fascinating experience watching how people react to my weight loss. Just the other day someone remarked how I was "disappearing" even though I haven't really lost weight since September. Perhaps I looked leaner or it's just a case of having clothes that fit me better. Anyone who knew me before I started is fairly surprised to see me now, to the point some have politely asked if everything is OK, thinking perhaps I lost weight because I was sick. 

As for me, I definitely feel more confident in how I look and feel, but the real sense of accomplishment is that I actually did it and continue to do it. I had been thinking about doing something like this for years and just could never do it, so being able to look back and realize I did it is still a bit surreal. But yeah, that's certainly been the main highlight of 2015. At the onset of the year of the year I had just started the program and had lost 15 pounds.

Just before Christmas last year...I had lost about 10-15 pounds by then

Early December 2015 in Cleveland...got new glasses this year too!

Professionally, 2015 was much the same as 2014. I continue to sub regularly for two local school districts and a STEM academy, plus I worked the 2015 season for the Cleveland Browns up in the press box at FirstEnergy Stadium (still one more home game this coming Sunday!). While I have continued to keep my eyes and ears open for other opportunities (and applied for many), I have still, overall, enjoyed my time at all the schools I work for and with the Browns. The one change with the Browns this season was getting on the special events crew, meaning in addition to the regular home games, I also work special events at the stadium, mostly receptions and meetings that use one of the various club areas in the stadium. We also had two major concerts, one of which I won "Top Dawg" (best employee) at!

In "teacher clothes" 

At church I was called as Ward Mission Leader at the beginning of July. It's the first time I've ever had that calling, and has brought a lot of mission memories back. Overall it's been an enjoyable experience. Basically, I'm responsible for coordinating the efforts of the full-time missionaries serving in our ward (congregation) and the members of the ward.

After my first correlation meeting. We have one companionship of Sisters serving in the Kent area, and one companionship of Elders serving in the Ravenna area.

After a correlation meeting, they came to hear me sing the National Anthem at a KSU women's basketball game

Like 2014 and many years before, I have had several opportunities to sing the National Anthem at sporting events, and was even able to once again do "O Canada" before an ice hockey game in Cleveland. During the 2015 season I sang for three Cleveland Indians games. The first was on Mormon Night in June, then two weeks later I sang for the 20th anniversary of the 1995 team, so I was on the field with several members of that team. It was pretty cool right afterwards since we were all in the elevator together. My inner 13-year old self was absolutely thrilled. The 1995 team was one I followed very closely and knew every player, so getting to meet them...sweet!

June 19th game with the 1995 alumni behind me!

September 29th game

Lake Erie Monsters game on Halloween

As always, I had my share of travels to Indiana and Tennessee to visit with my siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, and even extended family! I also enjoyed some "random road trips" with my good friend Michelle, one to Cedar Point, one to Ann Arbor, Michigan, one to Detroit, and another to Indiana! My "big" trip in 2015 was driving down to Orlando and Tampa, Florida during Spring Break. I went there via Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and came home via Montgomery, Alabama, and Tennessee. I was able to visit Disney for the first time since 2006, but more importantly was able to see some of my family in central Florida and some friends I hadn't met in person before, including my trainer Josh in Tampa. It was quite the whirlwind trip, but so worth it and so much fun! Another fun trip I had, which my random road trip to Detroit was part of, was a quick trip to East Lansing, Michigan to see Air Force play at Michigan State with my former missionary companion and friend Will, who came from Oklahoma to see the game. Always great to see Will and I got to see another major college stadium in the process. Double win!

With Michelle at Cedar Point on July 4th!

 

With Mom and Michelle in Ann Arbor!

With my friend and trainer Josh in Tampa in April

With my cousin Bryce at Epcot!

With my Kirtland friends the Nowaceks, who now live in the Orlando area!

With Bryce at Epcot

With high school friends Lyniece and Sharice when I stopped in Montgomery, Alabama!

With Will at Spartan Stadium

In some of my trips, I included a visit to the local Major League ballpark to add to my list of MLB parks I have seen games at, though some were special trips just to see the game. This season I saw my first games at Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay), PNC Park (Pittsburgh), Comerica Park (Detroit), Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati), and Miller Park (Milwaukee). The trips to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were with my dad and were just for the game, while the other visits were part of trips I was already on. I'm hoping to add Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia) and Nationals Park (Washington, DC) to the list in 2016, if not more! And of course, I had plenty of visits to Progressive Field in Cleveland! Also, my trip to Milwaukee to see the Indians play the Brewers was my nephew Nathan's first MLB game ever!

With my dad at PNC Park in Pittsburgh after a lengthy rain delay

With Michelle at Comerica Park in Detroit

Brother-in-law David and my nephew Nate at Miller Park in Milwaukee

With my dad at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati

Overall, I can't complain about 2015. Sure, I'm still looking for that seemingly elusive full-time job with benefits, but in the meantime, I'm making do with what I have and taking advantage of the time I have to explore my interests and spend time with family and friends. I had to deal with my car getting hit just a few days after having it repaired for another accident where someone hit it, but I also enjoyed having visits this year from my brother and his family for Thanksgiving and my uncle and his family from Washington during the summer. Definitely excited for 2016 with at least one exciting trip planned in May, a new niece set to arrive in April, and more opportunities to develop myself professionally!

After my car was REAR ENDED and smashed into the car in front, which had a wheelchair lift. Geez. It was the third issue with the car in about a month, with this happening just 5 days after I got the car back from getting damage repaired from hitting an animal on the highway. Took a bit to get it all fixed, but eventually it was all taken care of

My grandpa and I enjoyed being tour guides in Kent for my uncle (who grew up in Kent but hadn't been back in years) and his family. So great to see them again!

6 months in, down 50+

Since late November, I've been following a diet mainly to lose weight. During the process I've been meaning to blog about it, telling myself I'd blog when I hit my first main goal, or after six months. Well, I just recently hit the 50-pounds-down mark, and on May 23 I marked six months, so now is as good a time as ever. I have to say, though, what I've been doing doesn't really feel like a diet in the traditional sense, mostly because what I eat largely hasn't changed.

Progress chart from the beginning. As you can see, weight loss isn't linear! 

Lots of ups and downs

My reasoning for even attempting this was very practical: I simply wanted my clothes to fit better and I didn't want to have to keep buying progressively larger pants and shorts. It's not that I felt like I was horribly overweight or unhealthy, no, it was simply my clothes were tighter than I wanted, so I knew I needed to drop a few pounds. But I wasn't doing it as a "challenge" or to show off on social media; that's a huge part of why most people I know largely didn't know and only noticed because I was obviously losing weight. It wasn't because I was posting my progress for the world to see or taking and posting endless photos of what I was eating. Heck, even my own family didn't know about it until I had been doing it for a few weeks and anyone else who found out did so because they asked if I had lost weight and then I explained how.

So, what exactly have I been doing? In short, it's a technique called flexible dieting or "IIFYM", which stands for "If It Fits Your Macros". What are macros? That's short for macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, protein, and calories. Basically, flexible dieting means you track what you're eating and try to stay within certain limits for those macronutrients, essentially a daily budget. Every day I make sure what I'm eating is as close to those "budget numbers" as possible. Most days I do pretty well, but some days it just doesn't happen for a variety of reasons. How much of each macro is determined by a percentage of calories. For instance, right now, my percentage goals are about 40% (150 grams) for carbs, 35% (120 g) for protein, and 25% (45 g) for fat. Right now I'm on a low-calorie run of 1,485 calories/day, but in the course of my weight loss, that number has varied at different times. The basic principle is that to lose weight, you have to operate at a calorie deficiency.

Within that budget, I eat pretty much whatever I want as long as I meet those macro goals for the day. I like that because it has allowed me to still enjoy the many foods I like and not have to miss out on things like eating out with friends and family or having something sweet. The difference is that I simply keep track of what I'm eating and limit myself to certain amounts based on my "daily budget". There aren't any foods that I all-out avoid or even foods that I only have at certain times. Doesn't mean I meet my goals eating candy and ice cream all day; but it does mean I get to enjoy those things on a daily basis while still losing weight. Amazing, huh? (note sarcasm).

The idea that eating something like a Reese's peanut butter cup will "make you fat" isn't based on any real science. It's all about the macros. Eating a whole bag of them certainly isn't recommended, but they in themselves won't make you fat or are "bad" for you. Having too many is the problem. That goes for anything. What's "bad" for us is too much of anything, even something as basic as water (drinking too much water, for instance, can lead to hyponatremia, a deficiency of sodium, which can be fatal). The problem with things like sweets and other high calorie foods is that we generally eat too much of them, which is easy to do, not that they're "bad" for us in any amount. I've been able to enjoy things like a Whopper from Burger King, a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, pizza, and even a Big Mac and milkshake from McDonalds with no problems. Not only that, but I still continued to lose weight even after eating them. Why? Because I made sure they fit in my budget that day. Simple as that. I have had something (usually more than one) sweet every day the entire time I've been losing weight, and I'm not talking about artificial sweeteners either, though I do have foods with them too.

Another common element in many diets that isn't really present in flexible dieting is that of a "cheat day," which is a day where someone who is dieting binge-eats all their favorite foods (often sweets). In flexible dieting, there isn't much need for that since you can work those things into your daily diet. If it's "not healthy" to eat sweets to the point they're completely absent from a diet six days of the week, why is eating them in major excess one day of the week "healthy"? Really, about as close as I get to a "cheat day" is Saturday when my budget just allows more flexibility so I can add a few extra treats like a Nestle Drumstick or a trip to Yogurt Vi for some frozen yogurt.

Background

Dated November 26, 2014, so I was all of 3 days into the whole thing. This was my 2nd day in the gym. I remarked in my journal that day that I was was excited to be getting in the habit of going after wanting to do it for so long. And look at that...I even have the super-sad "before" look for my beginning photo. HA! (I took this photo to prove to my trainer that I was actually working out!)

I had made some attempts previous to this on my own, mostly in attempting to get more exercise and/or at least eating more fruits and vegetables in my diet and making sure I was getting enough water. Each one of my attempts, though, ended up being short-lived. Why? Mostly because I didn't feel like I was seeing any noticeable results after a certain amount of time. I looked at getting a personal trainer too, but all of them seemed far too expensive for my budget and/or involved diet philosophies that I knew would make me unhappy, like giving up sugar, significantly reducing carbs, or something else extreme. I've always believed in the importance of balance in all areas of life, especially in diet, but it seemed no one out there shared my views. Just before I started this, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was never going to lose weight and to just accept the fact that my weight at the time was it; it was either be content as is or be miserable trying to lose weight and then potentially gain it all back. On top of that, joining a gym seemed prohibitively expensive with my income, so I tried as much as I could to do things without a gym.

My best attempt to at least be more active was in 2011 when I got into the habit of going for walks and even a little bit of jogging every day in the spring and summer. I would walk up to the high school campus and walk around the high school and middle school, then do a few laps around one of the two tracks there, both walking and jogging. I was getting about an hour in every day and really enjoyed it. Can't say I lost any weight, but I had no real way to measure it and was just going to go by how my clothes felt. Well, reality had some other plans. First, I got a pretty bad ankle sprain during a dance rehearsal for This is Kirtland! that kept me from walking for several weeks, on top of the show opening, which cut into my time. I had just started getting back into the habit and was even able to jog again when I had to get my gallbladder taken out in late August. Worse was it was done with traditional surgery instead of laparoscopically, so that put me out of commission for a few more weeks (I was literally stapled together) and I simply fell out of habit.

One thing my gallbladder removal and recovery helped me to understand was that even though I may not have been totally thrilled with my weight, I was healthy in terms of how well the rest of my body was functioning and I remember the doctors being quite pleased about how quickly my incisions healed and my prognosis for full recovery and adjustment without the gallbladder. They were quite surprised that I don't drink, smoke, or do any drugs, so that helped even more. Why was I healthy? Mostly from eating a fairly balanced diet (following the Word of Wisdom, also known as a "Mormon Health Code"). I certainly wasn't starving myself (and I told my trainer right at the beginning I'd rather be fat than starving) and I wasn't living on one food group more than the other; I just wasn't paying any kind of detailed attention to it. Even when I really started tracking my macros I noticed it wasn't a case of me not having a balanced diet, it was mostly a matter of how much and getting some more physical activity.

Some basic helps that have made a difference for me:

• Make sure you have a reliable scale to weigh yourself. I prefer digital since they give you a more precise measurement that's very clear to see. Sometimes the changes you make will only be in tenths, so it's important to be able to see that.
• Remember that the weight is only part of the success. Pay attention to how your clothes feel too. If they're feeling looser, you're probably on the right track even if the scale isn't showing much change.
• I weigh myself when I get up in the morning after using the bathroom. I try to be as consistent as possible, though when I get up depends largely on where or if I'm subbing. The more consistent you are, the more accurate your readings will be. 
• Remember, even if you're following everything perfectly, weight loss is not linear. You can see in my own chart that while the general direction is going down, it's a series of up and down up and down. 
• I weigh myself every day. Often I will check during the day for my own interest, but the log I have on MFP and that I send to my trainer are from that morning weight. That's my "official" weight for the day.
• I work out at least five days a week, though six is my ideal. I'm a firm believer in the importance of a rest day for a variety of reasons. My rest day is Sunday (those of you who know me will, I'm sure, be absolutely shocked...haha). I prefer to go to the gym in the evening around 8:30 so that it isn't as crowded.
• Get to know what a "serving" looks like. I've come to see how some serving sizes are ridiculously small and are clearly for marketing so the manufacturer can put low numbers on the box. Sometimes, though, you'll find that a serving is more than you thought. For instance, a typical scoop of ice cream is actually only a half serving! Yes!
• Along with serving sizes, make sure you have a kitchen scale to measure your food. That has been a big help in not only making sure I'm staying on track, but getting familiar with those serving sizes!
• I've been surprised how easy the whole process has gotten. You really do start memorizing certain numbers or what kinds of foods will fit a certain situation, even even measuring food out is routine now for any meal I make on my own. If you can't measure it, make your best guess and overestimate a bit if you're not sure.
• Going out to eat? Use a search engine to help. Many people have made websites that go through different fast food and sit-down restaurants and have examples of foods that are better for people watching calories, fat, carbs, etc. or options you can add or remove from certain dishes to help you meet your goals. MFP can help with that too. No excuse to damage or destroy your social life because you're on a "diet".
• Remember being "healthy" is more than just your weight, it's also your mental state. If you're doing a diet but are feeling miserable doing it, are you really all that healthy, even if you might be losing weight? Part of feeling well mentally is being able to have those "comfort foods", those foods you like to eat that make you happy. It's not about restriction, it's all about moderation and being reasonable.
• I use diet pop/soda as a "filler", meaning I use it when I'm feeling hungry and water just won't cut it but I'm not really able to add anything else because of my budget. That translates to having a diet pop once a day or less.
• Set realistic goals. What I've done with my trainer is set "major" and "minor" goals. For instance, my first "major" goal was to get below 200 lbs. I started at 230, so that seemed a ways off, so we decided a "minor" goal, based on how well I was progressing at the time, was to hit 215 by New Year's, which I did. Another "minor" goal was to be at 195 before my birthday so I could actually match the weight listed on my driver's license when I had to get it renewed! My next "major" goal is 175, which I'm very close to! Having those incremental goals has helped me notice that I am making progress and gives me a continual sense of accomplishment. It's kind of like taking time to sight-see on a large trip. It helps break the trip up and gives you something to look forward to!

In regards to a trainer and gym:

• First, yes, if at all possible, GET A TRAINER and JOIN A GYM. You do not need to join an expensive gym either. There are many options available in local gym memberships or chain gyms like Gold's, LA Fitness, etc. Within the various gyms available, they usually have different levels of memberships. For instance, I joined the regional chain Fitworks. They have a basic membership for $15/month which gives me access to the gym whenever they're open. Their higher membership fee includes additional amenities like childcare and bringing guests. Fitworks, like many gyms, also has their own personal trainers and group classes available. Like any PT, though, find out their qualifications! As I said before, trainers provide important guidance, but also motivation, accountability, and moral support.
• Be wary of any trainer or "fitness" person who works for a supplement company. I personally believe a trainer who is a supplement representative has a conflict of interest, no matter how hard they may try to avoid it. I don't think they're bad people or are even intentionally looking out for their sales more than their clients, but since they work for a company, they're more likely to have motivation for you to buy their products (ESPECIALLY if they work for a Multi-Level Marketing, or MLM, company) or join their "team". The vast majority of supplements aren't all that necessary from what I've found. It's not that they're bad for you, they're just not really helping you but are costing money. The only supplement my trainer recommends is whey protein and that's to help me meet my protein goals. He has never recommended a specific brand of protein, only letting me know what nutrient levels to look for. I could also meet my protein goals just from food intake, but that is often more expensive.
• Along with that, remember all personal trainers are not created equally. Make sure any trainer you hire has qualifications. At the very least, he or she should have some training, education, and experience in nutrition and physiology, particularly at the college level. Many personal trainers can be "certified" with very little training, so the "training" they recommend for you may be more along the lines of whatever the popular fad is or just a cookie-cutter "plan" they give everyone.
• Many companies have started giving their reps a more classy title like "coach" or "wellness representative" even though their reps likely have little to no serious training in nutrition or physiology. Again, be aware of that and ask for qualifications, just like you would for any professional. What makes them qualified to give you advice on how to work out and what to eat?
• It goes without saying to find a PT who is a good person too. Seriously, they need to be on your side and have your best interest in mind. They also need to be someone you feel comfortable asking questions to and discussing any issues or concerns. And they should always be able to explain WHY they want you to do anything they ask you to do. A huge part of my success is from the fact that my trainer and I have a good relationship. I know he's not some shill for a supplement company and my success is his success. And hey, we have tons of other things in common too, like sports and general humor. 

Me with my trainer Josh down in Tampa this past April. And no, he is NOT a Texas Longhorns fan! We had been chatting, mostly about sports (baseball in particular), on and off for almost two years before I learned he had a background in personal training. Most of the time, we correspond by text and I report my results via spreadsheet. For workouts, he sent me several videos to make sure I knew what I was doing. When I was in Florida this past April, we were finally able to meet in person and have two workouts, so I got even more pointers. I also constantly ask him questions about my workouts and the diet to make sure I'm staying on the right track. As you can see, the results are there! See his page at Beyond Fitness.

This probably seems like a lot, but it's really not that complicated; it just takes some attention to detail and consistency. The biggest reasons I like flexible dieting are because it fits my personal philosophy of balance and moderation in all things and still lets me enjoy the foods I always have. You shouldn't feel guilty for having something like ice cream or candy nor should you have to give them up (outside of a legitimate and medically diagnosed allergy or other issue). It's one thing to have too much, but no, eating a candy bar or having a Big Mac every so often isn't going to make you fat; heck, in itself none of those things will even result in weight gain for that day unless they're part of an overabundance of calories and other macros. There is nothing wrong with finding comfort in food and having something to look forward to; in fact, that's part of being healthy. Again, the real key is how much.

May 26, 2015, exactly six months later

I also like it because it doesn't involve spending a ton of money. Yes, joining a gym and hiring a trainer isn't free. Are they completely necessary for success? No, but they'll make your success far more probable. But you're not committing to buying regular supplements or investing in a "business". In terms of food consumption, I've actually saved money doing this because I'm eating less. But don't forget, the key to success is making it part of your every day life, not just some "diet" that you do for a few weeks or months and then give up and have to do again in a year or two.