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6/1/2015 - Riding Our Own Bikes, Together!


Crimsann

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Not much to report - had a few NSV's which will make me continue eating this way instead of going back to my normal eat what ever I want, whenever I want. I did have less stomach issues, unfortunately not much weight loss if any - can't remember if I weighed either 245 or 250 - if 250 then 5 lbs, but if 245 nothing. Clothes are feeling a little less looser.  Unfortunately did not take measurements or pictures - I think I went into this try to make it the whole 30 days but didn't have much faith in myself, so I guess that is another NSV - finishing!!!  I actually am typing this after putting in a blackberry dessert that my daughter wanted me to make - would love to try it, but not really sure I will. So I guess that is another NSV - don't have the sugar cravings like I used to - that is a big one - If I passed a McDonald's during the day I would get a sweetened tea (limit one a day), but now I am drinking unsweetened tea.  My friends are floored with that one.  Overall I am happy with the results, but really hoped for more weight loss, but what did I expect with no exercising….Overall a great experience and will continue and try to add exercise.

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So first question out to the group...thoughts on something easy I could make for a work carry-in tomorrow that wouldn't scream Whole30 but actually be totally compliant? 

 

I considered making some cauliflower rice, jazzing it up a bit by mixing in some orange and purple cauliflower with the standard white.  I'm thinking that could stay warm in a crock-pot pretty easily and it's something I won't mind eating on later if it doesn't get eaten up. 

 

But I'm taking ideas if you have them!  I'm hoping some of you are thinking about this in regards to festivities this weekend and might already have some ideas.

 

I took Belly Dance Beet Salad to a work potluck once, and I took Sweet & Salty Broccoli Salad once -- both were hits. The Clothes Make the Girl has a bunch of salads that aren't your typical leafy green salads, if you want to take veggies. All the ones I've tried have been good.

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I am a little sad that I did not see many NSV or lost much weight compared to my mom. I lost 5lbs and my mom lost 21lbs! I have some mixed feelings about this program. It did wonders for my mom (which I am truly happy about) but not for me.

I can say I am happier in a time where I have been under a lot of pressure and stress. So that is a huge plus. 

I will stay positive because I learned a lot about food and my eating habits (which is the main point of the program).

 

I would like to try it again next month. Any suggestions to ensure more results?

 

Maybe next time, keep a log of your food/sleep/exercise over in the Whole30 Log section, and invite feedback, or head over to the Troubleshooting section and list a few days' worth of food/sleep/exercise and see if anyone has any suggestions.

 

Stress will definitely keep weight from coming off, so if there's a way to lessen the stress, that would be helpful. If that's not possible, be sure you're getting plenty of sleep and keep eating well, do something active but don't over-exercise -- in other words, try to get everything else in your life as good as possible to help make up for the stuff you can't get dialed in right now. You may find this article helpful. Sometimes there's just other stuff going on in your life and even really good, squeaky clean eating just can't fix everything.

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A late day 31 entry for me, as have been at a wedding tonight.

 

I lost 5 lb, and several inches, which I am pleased with. I am even more pleased with the feeling that I can control my sugar dragon and that I don't have to eat sweet things every day. My energy levels are good and consistent through the day and I look well. I wake up feeling refreshed and ready for action. I feel pretty mellow even when I have a difficult day, and it's coming more naturally.

 

I have had some cake tonight (it was gluten free) at the wedding, but am not planning a re-introduction of cake in general!

 

I now need to try and add in more exercise...

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Yes! We did it but this is just the beginning for so many of us.

Going this weekend to reward myself with mani/pedi and new workout clothes!!!

I'm down almost 9 pounds and fine if I don't lose another pound.

But I want to feel this great for the rest of my life.

SO MANY NSV's.

-I feel so lighter

-I actually sleep

-have been migraine FREE

-stomach bloat is no more

-comfortably in a size 6 and really could go down one more size

-all my clothes are loser but didn't do measurement so unsure of total inches loss but my body is obviously leaner

-have yet to get tired of eggs(vegetarian)

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It's been so great reading through everyone's victories...can't say it hasn't also made it a teeny bit more tempting to check that scale...but I'm holding out. 

 

I did treat myself to a couple new Fitbit bands yesterday as a treat for completing the official W30.  I love the French Bull design I usually wear, black and white is my favorite color...anyone caring to argue that black and white is not a color will be as blue in the face as my pic before I agree, fair warning...but it will be nice to have some colors to mix it up with. 

 

I should also, in full disclosure, mention that I do plan to go the slightest bit off plan over the holiday weekend but only in that I'm going to try one of those SWYPO things where all the ingredients are compliant but it's totally banana ice "cream".  I would not have done this during my first W30 because I do believe the rules are there for a reason, but I decided that for me this was a nice way to ease up and do something totally fun for the holiday now that I've decided to keep to the plan for awhile longer.  I won't be making it every weekend and stocking my freezer with it, this is a one-off.  I've actually debated this with myself for awhile because I feared it might be me still making food a centerpiece of a holiday to want to do something fun.  The more I thought about it though, the more I realized for me that way of thinking is pretty much saying food is bad and that's not a mindset I want.  I feel comfortable with the idea that good clean food can still be fun for special occasions.

 

It's starting out as one of "those days", I had to work late last night and never got to make my carry-in dish so it's for the best that I have to run back home and pick up all the stuff I forgot.  Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm sorry I didn't get to use any of them yet but I've now got a list going for the next office event!   

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Had a glass of wine last night, just cuz. Enjoyed it and was perfectly happy after just one glass! Pretty sure that has never happened before. Still feeling great today. Moderation, gotta keep reminding myself of that!

 

So... we have a soda stream machine, used it a lot when we first got it, this year - not so much. I started using it last week for sparkling water and added mint leaves, cucumber slices, or a few berries crushed up to give it a little more flavor. It has really helped take the boredom out of water!!

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@Ruby we are so on the same wavelength!  I have it on my to-do list for this weekend to get my Soda Stream back out and try some new things now that I have more of a taste for the less sweet water. 

 

Water is my number one personal crusade for July because it's one thing I did not tackle last month and it was easier to start right up while I'm still working out how working out is going to work out...so to speak.  LOL!

 

Being me...I went looking for an app and found Plant Nanny which cracks me up.  I meant to do this yesterday evening and didn't get around to it. 

 

I would like everyone to meet Ivy!

 

ivy.jpg

 

Ivy is the adorable digital plant whose very existence depends on my ability to meet my water goals for the day. 

 

Oh the poor dear thing. 

 

I will try and do weekly updates on how she is thriving....or not so much thriving as I hope the case will not be.

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Hi all, have a nice Holiday weekend, I'm off on a trip with my canned salmon in tow, lol.

 

In the spirit of wanting to lend support to those in our Post-30 family who have had "Meh" results, just wanted to share this encouraging info from one of the Daily Emails a few days ago:

 

"...what if, by the end of your Whole30, you just didn’t feel the magic? It can be easy to be discouraged when others are reporting over-the-top results, and you’re feeling like yours are just ho-hum. Pants still fitting about the same? Symptoms still present? Energy still up and down? All is not lost, we assure you—here’s why your Whole30 was not a waste of time.

  • Context matters. Your diet, lifestyle and health history in the years leading up to your Whole30 play a huge role in what happens during this month. For example, years of yo-yo dieting makes optimizing your metabolism so much harder, and will take you that much longer of “staying the course” to see results. Longstanding medical conditions don’t always disappear because you’re taking a pass on bread, and you can’t always expect to fix a lifetime of hormonal, gut, and immune system disruption in just 30 days.
  • It starts with food… But food isn’t the only factor. If your diet is perfect, but you’re still only sleeping 6 hours a night, your stress levels are through the roof, and you’re either sedentary or perhaps exercising too much, well… no amount of dietary intervention can compensate for those factors. (Read our Whole9 Health Equation for more information.)
  • Lifestyle factors can’t fix everything. Even if all of your lifestyle factors are in line, that still may not be enough. There are plenty of medical conditions, hormonal situations, and gut dysfunctions that require medical intervention (like supplementation, or even prescriptions) to correct.

 

You've got two different options to choose from -- and a third that may be a good idea, regardless of whether you keep going or call it done.

  • Option 1: Extend your Whole30. Many people report their “magic” kicking in around day 45 or 60, so maybe your body and brain just need a little more time on the plan.
  • Option 2: Proceed with the Reintroduction Schedule. On Day 31, go ahead and reintroduce some off-plan foods, as we’ll outline here. Maybe, just maybe, that will help you realize how truly good you do feel now—and remember how not-so-good you were feeling before the start of your Whole30.
  • And in either case you may want to seek out an expert. You may just need more help than our forum or Whole30 Daily can provide. Consider scheduling a consultationwith someone on the Whole9 team, or set up an appointment with your local naturopath or functional medicine doctor to dig even deeper into your particular health context.

Regardless, there’s one more thing we need to point out… you are not the same person as when you started. Maybe you were looking for massive weight loss, boundless energy, or the disappearance of your migraines… and that just hasn’t happened yet. But we guarantee, something has changed.

 

Think about the little things—your sleep; your mood; your hair, skin, or fingernails; how your clothes fit (far more important than scale weight); your cravings, your hunger regulation, your relationship with food. We promise that if you evaluate all of these factors (and more), you’ll identify some that have decidedly changed or improved with your Whole30 experience.

 

We’d consider that a success—and so should you."

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@Ruby - OMG! I've been making "Stuff" all along, but just didn't know what it was called - lol! I made some the other night, and didn't even think about it until I was looking at your recipe, and realized that's what is was. It was a different combination that what I usually do, but it turned out great!  It was diced chicken, sweet potato, summer squash, green beans, onion, diced tomatoes, home-made chicken broth, and seasoned with oregano, fresh basil, garlic, pink salt, fresh ground black pepper, and just enough red pepper flakes to give it a little kick. Total comfort food! Have to be careful not to make this too often!  :)

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Happy 4th to the Americans here (which includes me!!). I have yet to reintroduce anything non-Whole30, but my husband found 1 bottle of my favorite beer at our neighborhood grocery (they don't even carry it, so it's definitely a sign from the universe, right?) so I'll be toasting independence tonight with a frosty beer (plus Brussel sprouts and NY Strip).

We watched "Fed Up" last night on Netflix. Wow. It was such a powerful documentary on US obesity and the food industry. I'm proud of all of us for shaking up our food intake for 30+ days and battling our sugar dragons.

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Happy 4th everyone.

 

I am slowly reintroducing certain foods and did not have any problems until last night.  My husband made the coconut shrimp with

the dipping sauce and within an hour I had heartburn.  Everything was Whole30. Shrimp, almond flour and coconut. So it's either the

coconut or the pineapple in the dipping sauce. This was the first time this month I used pineapple and fresh coconut. So will try to test the pineapple again. Will probably have my first glass of wine tonight to toast the 4th.

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Hi all, I'm back from a holiday weekend road trip... had a rough time, even though I didn't reintroduce anything (at least not knowingly!!). Spent two days with GI weirdness and kidney aches/pains, which I have never had before. Not sure what it was from, the only possibility is that my homemade batch of mayo may have gone bad? ...there's nothing else I ate that could have triggered this, as far as I know. 

 

Totally fine now, *whew*! Anyway, this will delay my reintroductions another day or two, because I want to be feeling ship-shape for at least 3 days before eating something off-plan.  

 

Hope everyone is doing ok!  : )

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I got so much done this weekend, and I'm paying a bit for it today...could have used just one more day.  Ideally a day in which my niece doesn't drag me around like the trained Auntie I am.  She had so much fun though...

 

faded.jpg

 

The banana ice cream was a hit with her, so I had at least one person to share with.  I thought it was better right after it was blended in the soft-serve stage...freezing it overnight seemed to let it oxidize a bit too much and it picked up more of an icy sorbet texture rather than the creaminess I noticed while making it so I'm a bit sorry I didn't try it then.  Sometimes it doesn't pay to be "good".  I would totally make it again though and I have these frozen green figs in the freezer right now just whispering about being an ideal blend in.  No worries, I've got ear plugs if I need them! 

 

The rest of the feast was a bit tough, my sister's mother-in-law made homemade hamburger buns and a creamy cucumber salad, which I felt a bit bad about not trying.  I didn't get my hands on the "menu" soon enough to notice that the only veggies were either corn or hiding in a pasta salad, so I ended up with protein and no pie.  Good reminder that not everyone sees veggies as a requirement.  LOL! 

 

I'm all set for another week, food wise, though still trying to work out what to serve for this coming weekends gaming marathon.  I've got some ideas though and still plenty of time to plan.  Lunch this week is a grilled chicken chimichurri salad which I have high hopes for, though everything else is pretty much standard fare.  Still working on trying new things each week even if this one doesn't rank high on the adventur-o-meter. 

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Hi Vozelle - welcome back, sorry you weren't feeling well. Here's to a good week and successful re0introductions!!

 

Crimasnn - your niece is such a cutie!!

 

Brought a cole slaw and a beet/orange/fennel salad to a party over the weekend. Didn't eat much else as it was all off-plan. Good thing these salads had a lot of flavor. A few people had never tried fennel before, so I was the ambassador of new food!

 

Went for a 30 mile bike ride with friends yesterday! That is an all-time record for me! Did 11.5 miles Friday. Hard to find nice (level) places in western Pennsylvania, USA. The hills will tear you up!

 

Hubby is changing jobs - we are celebrating with a trip next week to an all inclusive in Cancun for 6 nights. The challenges will abound!

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You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men, right? So much for staying on track with re-introductions. We knew we wanted to re-introduce something on Saturday, and decided on wheat, which might not be the best idea, but it covers a lot of territory, and especially for a holiday weekend - so we started with donuts from the bakery, and also had home-made bread over the weekend. Then we were invited to a picnic by a friend who is an avid hunter, so there was wild-game - something DH and I both enjoy - so we decided not to ask, and just enjoy in small quantities. The odds that the bear meatballs in barbecue sauce were compliant was small, so I scraped off most of the sauce and just enjoyed the meatballs. Thankfully there was fresh veggies and fruit, and I took a tossed green salad and compliant salad dressing, and avoided the salads with the (probably) non-compliant mayo. There was a raspberry/blueberry pie that needed to be sampled though - and you know - wheat! (Probably non-compliant oil or shortening, too, but who's asking?) 

 

Anyway, the good news is that, so far, no apparent reactions for either me or DH. The other good news is I had my Dr appt this morning, and my triglycerides are down significantly, and even though my LDL is still high, the LDL/HDL ratio is within normal parameters. Also, liver levels are the best in years, and within the normal range. Baby steps. I keep telling myself, baby steps.  :)

 

Tomorrow was supposed to be dairy, but it happened inadvertently when I bought a sandwich from the cafeteria at work today because I forgot my lunch (distracted by appointments), and wasn't paying attention to the fact that there was cheese on the sandwich. Oh, well!

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@Ruby - Thanks, and congrats on the long bike ride! That is awesome. I rode around some of those not so-flat-parts of Pennsylvania myself in my 20s… Good memories. Have a wonderful trip to Cancun.

@DonnaB - Congrats on the lab results, great NSV there! Yeah, a Holiday weekend is a pretty challenging time to try to do proper introductions… How nice that you didn't have any major ill effects. I am feeling a little nervous about reintroducing anything, but will start tomorrow.

@Crimsann - Niece too cute! You mentioned being "good" by not eating the fresh banana ice cream... but it didn't have non-compliant ingredients, right? Did you mean not eating a snack between meals? Or a "dessert"? Just wondering… I tend toward being overly strict and rigid at times (I'm a really good rule-follower, LOL) and I'm fighting the "Good vs Bad" Dragon right now. In fact, it's part of what's making me a little hesitant about reintroducing anything. I ate a compliant snack yesterday to tide me over between two small meals, and my internal reaction was, "Oh my God! I just ate a snack! What's going to happen now?!". Then I laughed at myself and smiled. Just wondering if you were feeling some of that too...

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@Vozelle....yup, you got me being a bit too "follow the rules".  I was being "good" by not tasting it off the scraper which is kind of silly but I'm still doing a fully compliant (ingredient wise at least) Whole30 and I had said I would make the SWYPO ice cream but only for the Fourth so it felt like cheating to taste it on the third.  I intended to make it ahead and freeze it overnight, but didn't anticipate that it would be better fresh.  It was still pretty good  the next day though and I had a single scoop instead of pie, just as I had planned but looking back I was kind of shaking my head at myself for still being so strict. 

 

In fact, I've been reviewing that reaction myself today while I plan my game weekend menu and considering another "cheat" along the same lines...all compliant ingredients, not so compliant intention...by making waffles for Sunday morning using coconut/almond flour. 

 

Maybe it's just a way to dip my toe back into things without actually doing any real reintroduction yet.  I'm intrigued by what I've been reading about these waffles being less sweet and making good breakfast sandwich material.  I'm still in experiment mode as much as anything while trying to stay within the lines for awhile longer.  If I start reintroducing now I feel like I will miss out on some of the learning curve, but I keep having to cross "goat cheese" off my grocery list so we will see how far my cheats stray, LOL! 

 

I'm so proud of DonnaB, as a former not so carnivore myself I would have been much more likely to lick the sauce off and leave the bare bear behind.  :P

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@Crimsann - Nice to know I'm not alone in having overly-strict tendencies! Guess we better watch ourselves. I wanna hear how that waffle thing goes! I am a former not-so-carnivore too, BTW... so I'm considering doing a pescetarian-vegetarian-lighter-protein-hybrid type of Whole30 next, to see what happens. Would probably start in August.

 

LOL, I just saw this in the Day30 daily email, I guess it kinda applies to us! :

  • Fear of less healthy foods = ride your own bike. If you’re afraid to come off the Whole30 because the idea of eating bread or ice cream terrifies you… it’s time to ride your own bike. Don’t be afraid of off-plan foods! Remember, you’re in control now, not your food choices. Follow the reintroduction schedule carefully, and know that you’ll always have the Whole30 to fall back on, if things start heading down that slippery slope.

: )

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I definitely needed that kick to ride my own bike :) I waited until yesterday to official try a re-introduction. I just hate to rock the awesome boat :)

 

I chose dairy. I stopped at my favorite local coffee shop/bakery and enjoyed the most glorious cappuccino. Oh man, I'd missed foamy milk. After reading the forums about dairy problems, I was super worried about reactions, but I'm glad to say all systems are fine. I also had a slice of gouda at lunch and some plain full-fat greek yogurt at dinner. So, dairy is all good with me evidently.

 

I plan to try wheat later in the week.

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I would be really interested in reading about what you come up with for a pescetarian hybrid Whole30, I was really surprised how rarely I reached for seafood during our June adventure.  I guess that has always been my go-to meal when eating out, but I didn't realize how rarely I cooked seafood at home.  Definitely an area I should look to expand my kitchen expertise into. 

 

My biggest problem with doing seafood as a consistent protein source would be my aversion to canned tuna.  Not sure that isn't mostly mental, my inner nine-year old going "icky!"  I think I would need all of July to run down enough recipes and take-along options to make that work even going lighter on protein all the way around, but it would be a really interesting challenge. 

 

I will totally report on the success/fail of the waffles...possibly even with pics.  I've found a couple recipes and the reviews all swing wildly from "best waffle ever" to "fell apart on the griddle, huge mess to chip off".  I think, having read a couple variations, I've got an idea how to sub things around for the most likely success but I'm way out on a limb here not having ever used coconut or almond flour in baking to date. 

 

http://paleomg.com/almond-flour-coconut-waffles/

 

This is the recipe I'm going to start from I think, though I'm going to be using some mashed banana instead of the coconut sugar and additional coconut milk as most reviews said the batter started too thick for them.  You might get a kick out of her blog, just from the little I've seen she has a rather quirky sense of humor which will not appeal to everyone, possibly not even always to myself.  You will likely get a real sense of that just from this single post alone.  I like her attitude though and how she talks about eating clean mostly but totally her own way.  I have a feeling I'm going to be looking to her site for some recipes on the days when I'm ready to throw the whole idea up against the wall and walk away.  Not all Whole30 by a long stretch, but primarily Paleo so some common ground and appropriate for reintroduction phase I would think. 

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@crimsann - I'm drooling over here. That recipe sounds delish and I have 95% of the ingredients...so yep, that's what I'm making for dinner. hahaha.

ps - that blog made me laugh out loud. Thanks for posting!!

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Well I'm back from a long weekend camping trip. Up until Saturday night, I had been 100% Whole30 compliant. I decided that I would try out modified S'mores with my family. (Chocolate is one of my weakest spots - I could eat chocolate & peanut butter for days). I made sure to have the darkest chocolate I could possibly tolerate and with the least awful ingredients. I found something at Whole Foods last week. It was a good experience roasting marshmallows with my kids - which is what I wanted more than anything. I didn't want them to see Mommy terrified to eat something "off plan;" instead I wanted them to see self-control - that I was able to eat something a little indulgent but not overdoing it. I had 1 chocolate & marshmallow s'more Saturday & Sunday night. And guess what? The world didn't cave in. I've been so nervous about reintroducing anything that I've been a bit paralyzed to the point that if nothing compliant was available, I would just skip eating - which is also not good. Going 10 hours not eating isn't really good for me. But that's it so far as non-compliant foods are concerned.

 

Still waiting on my blood work to come back so no news on that front. We have a big family vacation coming up in less than 2 weeks so I know it will likely be very difficult to stay 100% compliant so I'm just simply not putting that kind of pressure on myself. My husband and I agreed that we want to stay on track for our health but that should we decide to do something, it will not become a habit. We're really trying to stick together on this. He even bought a juicer and had it shipped to his parents house so we can have our morning juice together! 

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@Efab....awesome!  You can trial run it for me and see what works about it and what doesn't.  I'm hoping to get in at least one trial run myself since I'm planning to serve them to a mostly innocent bystander.  Some of these recipes may take a "village" of us experimenting with and sharing results to get just right. 

 

@WholeSue...you know I was just thinking last night that I can't believe it's been over a month with not a single bit of chocolate.  I haven't yet found myself craving anything not even chocolate to my surprise, but there are some things I do think make life a little, dare I say.....sweeter!  S'mores with your kids pretty much sums that up.  It kind of reminds me of how they talked about some foods being compliant but only within context except in reverse.  So coconut flour was fine for Whole30 if it was used in breading on chicken but not if you were making, oh let's say waffles to be totally random here.  Maybe melting for a candy bar is not compliant on it's own for some of us, but doing so post-Whole30 while enjoying a perfect summer moment with your kids makes it totally compliant within that context.  LOL! 

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