D&F Board: Who are YOU?

I love this board! About 90% of my LIF posts around probably on the D&F board, actually.

I would love to get to know all you regular posters much better!! Please feel free to introduce yourself and of course a little about your diet and fitness routine! Maybe a few of your goals?

My name is Colleen. I'm 26 years old and live in East Meadow with my DH. I'm a Special Ed. teacher.
My diet pretty much is Weight Watchers. I follow the Points Plus system and it has worked for me- Lost 60lbs and have kept it off. I was just hired by WW this month!

I love excercising! I got really into running last year and ran 2 half marathons. I was looking forward more this year until I hurt my knee! In the meantime, I take classes at my gym, light running, stretching, weight lifting. I love HIIT--big fan of Tabata workouts. I actually love lifting weights and want to get stronger.

I love living a healthy lifestyle. I want to maintain my current weight (possibly even put on some extra muscle weight) and hopefully get back into running. Unfortunatly, my biggest weakness are sweets (I love dessert foods).

I love this board and getting new workout and food ideas!

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My name is Meredith. I am 32yo and I live with my DH, 2 DDs and my ILs in Wantagh.

I'm doing WW online and so far have lost 34lbs in a little over 3 months. I also started going to the gym in February. I love going to Zumba classes. I felt like I needed to do something else so I started Couch to 5k last week. Just finished the 1st week last night.

My first goal is to get down to 160lbs. I was around 160 when I got married and felt good. I know I'll still be overweight at 160lbs but I was happy then. Once I reach that weight then I'll decide if I want to go further.

My downfall is not planning. I can be very disciplined when I have my meals planned out. For instance last night we went to the Mets game. I didn't know what to eat so I had a hot dog and a few fries (like 4). I didn't enjoy it and then found out that they had a little market there where I could have gotten fruit or a yogurt parfait. I am also horrible about drinking water on the weekends. I drink water all day long at work but on the weekends I always forget to drink.

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Although I do not post too much, I do read the D&F board a lot.

I do not follow any particular diet. I try to eat healthy and if I notice a change in my weight I adjust my eating until it is back to normal.

I am an avid runner. I run between 45-50 miles a week. I was always a "runner," but only started doing higher mileage about 3 years ago. Running has transformed my body - JMO, but I think it is the best workout you can get and it is FREE!

I am currently trying to work on my 5K time. Last year, I PR-ed at 21:50 on a flat course on a perfect, crisp, spring day. I am running the same course in a few weeks and hope to do well again. I also PR-ed at a 15K in November - so I will be doing more hill workouts in preparation for that race, as the hill has killed me the last two years. I hate speed work, but my DH loves to remind me that that is the only way I will get faster.

ETA: My downfalls are sweets and ice cream. I love them! This is the one thing I cut back when I notice a change in my weight.

Message edited 4/21/2011 3:58:30 PM.

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Wow, this is going to be long!

All of my posts are usually on the Food and Recipes section (now poorly named Dining In and Out) because I love to eat and I love to cook. It is really sad how much of my life revolves around food!!

I now love the diet and fitness board because it helps keep me motivated to maintain an active lifestyle and discuss healthier eating habits.

For my diet, I count calories. If I want to continue losing weight, I aim for about 1200 calories, which is so hard! I am very, very short! I try eating mostly fruits and vegetables and lean protein. I would love to go more organic eventually. I try to stay away from foods with a lot of chemicals and preservatives and added unnecessary ingredients. I try to make unhealthy versions of food I like into healthier versions that still taste as good.

For exercise, I workout 5 to 7 days a week depending on my schedule and aim for 25-90 minutes a day. Right now, I do about 3-5 hours a week but I see my stamina and strength increasing. I do a mix of workout DVDs (abs, pilates, yoga, cardio kickboxing, strength training, toning, etc.) and going to the gym to do the treadmill. I walk fast on an incline with bursts of running.

My goal is the usual: to get back into shape and look the best that I can while getting stronger and more toned. I'd like to maintain an exercise routine as well. I usually start and then stop. I don't want to stop now. I was my thinnest (and i think best looking) at 100 pounds when I was 18, and after college, I gained a lot of weight. I also gained weight on my honeymoon and have been unable to lose it until now. I am currently around 121 pounds, and would like to shed the extra 21 pounds to be back at 100. As long as I am slowly losing and getting more fit, I will be happy. I want to be around 110 before trying to have a baby though.

So here I am, trying hard to lose the weight. Hopefully I can shed the 20 pounds and then get the chance to try and maintain that goal weight.

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Hi! I'm Jean and I'm 32yo. About 3 years ago I gained 20lbs. I really wanted to lose it and read so much about how running is great for losing weight. I started the couch 2 5k in April of 2009 and became addicted! In a year and a half I trained for a 5k, 10k, half and a full marathon, one of my proudest accomplishments! I also started going to the gym about a year and a half ago. I work out 5-6 days a week. I looooove the classes at my gym and I still love running!

And of course, I have this board to thank, since I discovered the couch 2 5k here!!

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I'll try to keep it short and sweet:

I'm Laura, 28 years old (29 in Aug), and live in Massapequa with DH. In my real life I'm a social worker. I also own an event planning company and work part-time for Weight Watchers.

I lost 46 pounds on WW 4 years ago. I started on April 29, 2006, hit goal on January 20, 2007 and lifetime on March 3, 2007. I immediately started working for WW as a receptionist and have now been a leader since Oct 2007 (almost 4 years).

I go to the gym usually 3-4 times per week at Lucille Roberts in Massapequa and take classes. I HATE working out alone or on machines, so the classes are a life saver for me. Sometimes I'll do the 30-day shred or P90x at home, but I generally prefer going the group classes.

Over the past few months I've put a few pounds back on, so I'm working toward getting them off again. Not only for my job (need to be within goal weight for WW employment) but also for myself and my sanity.

Message edited 4/21/2011 4:56:52 PM.

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I'm 31 and live with DH and DD in NJ - another DD on the way in July. I gained 45 lbs with my last pregnancy, but besides that I've never really had a weight problem. With this pregnancy I've been determined to workout a lot and stay in good shape...and I have. I've gained 10 lbs and really feel great so far. I'm not looking forward to when I have my scheduled c-section and can't workout for 6 weeks.

Working out is a big part of my life - and in the past few years my eating habits have been a lot better too. I feel healthier now then I did at 21.

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My name is Liza - I'm 37. This is going to be loooong....

Until my mid 20's, I had an eating disorder. I was anorexic as an early teen, and then began binging in my mid teens and blew up to almost 200 lbs. In college, I lost the weight by becoming an obsessive exerciser, but I would still binge - I was an exercise bulimic, pretty much.

I pretty much healed myself in my early 20's. I stopped binging, became a vegan, and started hiking more and rollerblading to get myself out of the gym, where I would really go crazy...., I did not exercise obsessively - but my eating still wasn't the best - so I was chubby - around 160 lbs at 5'5.....

When I was 26, my boyfriend and I at the time moved to Vermont. Vermont was an amazing state - his dad lived there, and I fell in love with it. I was surrounded by so many healthy and active people, that I started eating organic and falling in love with fitness not to make me "thin" - but because it was a fun social activity that everyone did up there.

I got into the best shape of my life, became a fitness instructor ontop of my regular job (I'm an autism and behavior consultant) and lived a fully active and wonderful lifestyle.

When I broke up with that boyfriend and moved back to NY, I became depressed, suffered adrenal burnout by eating and exercising unhealthily again - gained about 30 lbs

I was devasatated to see that after all those years, I fell back into the same patterns from 10 yrs before.

So now, I am very conscious about everything I do.

I met DH - who also is very active and healthy, started working out healthily again, and enjoyed kickboxing classes and spin. Then we got married, I got pregnant, and it took me a while after having Cailen to incorporate fitness as a lifestyle again. I hated my body post baby, but did not have the time or energy to devote to working out.

I DID work out, but not consistently, and not where I saw the progress I needed. Then I found Zumba and fell in love. I became licensed to teach, and lost weight, but I still didn't like what I saw in the mirror.

And then, one day, something in me clicked, and that love and passion I felt 10 yrs ago when I moved to VT came back. I just fell back in love with fitness. I started running again. trying new types of workouts, seeing the progress in my body. Challenging myself with races, then training for a half marathon - which I'll be doing May 1.

I realized I have no limits - I can still work on myself even with a full time job and a child, and I don't need to be obsessively in the gym to do it.

This is still a journey. I know I have an eating disorder despite all of my progress, but when I fell in love with fitness, I realized I wasn't a slave to something - I am bigger than my weaknesses, and what I do helps me feel stronger and in control of it... If that makes sense!!!

Re: D&F Board: Who are YOU?

Great idea for a thread

As for diet, right now I am not on one. I am BFing my daughter, and between that and working out when I can, I have managed to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy. I am actually petrified that when I stop nursing I am going to blow up. In the past, I have very loosely followed Weight Watchers, just to give me a general idea of how much I should eat in a day. Otherwise, I don't have a "stop" button...I would eat alllll day.

I have been running since I was 12-13 years old. For the longest time, it was just part of who I was. I ran track in middle and high school and cross country in college, and have continued to run (except for when I was pregnant) ever since. Even when I met some of my neighbors, they were like "Oh, you're the runner" These days, the time and energy to run is harder to come by. My choices are 5am (which is hard because my daughter doesn't sleep through the night) or 7:30pm, and I am just shot by then. So right now, I am kind of a weekend warrior...getting in 1 long run and 1 short run over the weekend, and then *trying* to run or do the stationary bike 1-2 other times during the week. I am hoping my kiddo starts sleeping better soon, so I can stop blaming her for my slacking off

Re: D&F Board: Who are YOU?

Awesome idea Colleen!

My name is Lauren. I am 28 years old. I have been interested in diet/nutrition/fitness since I as in college. Sadly, my journey to physical fitness started with exercise bulimia. I was never overweight but I am only 5 ft tall so any pounds that I thought were extra seemed to be an unbelievable amount. In college I began exercising obsessively (think 3 hours a day) and eating very little. I of course lost a ton of weight. I needed to go on birth control to bring my periods on and I put on almost 25 lbs. (on a 5 ft tall person this is TREMENDOUS) I was miserable. I joined weight watchers and dropped around 15 of those lbs. It then stopped working for me and I started working with a nutritonist. I really wanted to be in shape for my wedding and with his help I lost probably about 10-15 more lbs. I was very lean and I was the happiest I had been. The thing was, I was very scrawny and to many, I looked ill. So I decided to put on some extra muscle and am now working to lose some of the weight I gained in "bulking." It is a very difficult battle for me because I want to do things in a healthy way but my eating disorder issues still rear their ugly heads and I am continuing to work through them.

I LOVE to workout. I am a certified spin instructor and love running but I have IT band syndrom in both legs. My real favorite thing to do though is lift weights. I love doing high intensity workouts, boot camp and crossfit style workouts and TRX work. I love to push my body to the absolute max. There is nothing better to me than the feeling of a great workout! I work out between 5 and 7 days a week and I keep a really strict diet. My biggest weakness is pretzels!!

I have really enjoyed this board and I love all of the ideas and support I get! So thanks!

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Hey guys! I'm Janine. I'm 28 (almost 29) and I live in Queens with my BF.
I've been on the Paleo diet for a little over a month and it's been fantastic! I work out 3-4 times a week and my diet is the healthiest I think it's ever been!

My weight has been up and down for as long as I can remember. I've always been one who has to watch what I eat or exercise to maintain my weight. The last time I was happy with my weight was back in 2008. I look back at pictures of myself and feel like I don't even know who that person is anymore.

A lot has changed in my life the past two years that I'm sure contributed to the weight gain but I decided a few months ago to stop b!tching and do something about it. I joined a gym and got my eating habits in check. I cook every single night and started a food blog to share all the recipes I try that are Paleo friendly. It's become a bit of a hobby and I just love to cook now!

My body has changed a lot already and I'm feeling so good about myself lately but I still have not gotten on the scale. I just fear it. I don't really know what I weighed before or what I weigh now. I'll get there eventually but for right now, I just go by what I see in the mirror to make me satisfied. I really enjoy this board and reading everyones stories!!

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I am Julie, 30 y/o, married in 2004 to Ray. We have 3 kids... Landon is almost 3 years old and twins Kylie & Travis are almost 9 months old.
I was always active in sports... did XC, Winter track, and LAX in HS. Continued to run on and off through the years. Due to a LAX knee injury (left knee- tendonitis) I never was able to try for anything too long distance (like a marathon). I did take a few years off and did nothing! After having my first DC 3 years ago I started up running again to lose the baby weight. I only did treadmill at that time - worked f/t and had a baby. Then I got pregnant with the twins. After they were born got back into running again to lose the baby weight (I gained 75 lbs with that pregnancy!!). Started running 7 weeks post partum and was back into 5k races by 4 months post partum. Since I no longer work f/t (I work 2 days per week) I had more time than n the past to try to tran for longer distances. Was planning to run the LI 1/2 marathon May 1 this year, but injured my other knee (right side now) doing the Kings Park 15k in March. I was overall very happy with that race - my longest race ever plus being only 7 months port partum - finished in 1:26:21 (9:16 pace) but apparently pushed too hard and injured my knee, prob on the hills. After a month of rest with a few short runs, I am self diagnosing as IT Band problem but will be seeing a dr next week for official diagnosis. Unfortunatley there is no way I can run the LI 1/2 since I can't run through this pain. Unlike my left knee, which is pain I have been running through for over 10 years, this pain is different and the worst pain I've ever felt.. along the lines on labor pains... Iguess not as bad because if I stop moving the pain stops unline labor. But my point is I can;t run through it or even walk through it... so I am out for a while.
I allso completed 2/3 of Insanity earlier this year and have been doing the workout to supplement my running... so due to my knee I am unable to do insanity too. I am so sad and have never "craved" anything more than I do right now. I can;t wait to workout again.
Diet - I am not really on one since I reached my pre-preg weight and I think this is a good weight for me. I am trying to eat healthier overall and maintain the weight I am at now.... very hard to try to be healthier when I am addicted to candy bars, cookies, and any snacks made with fake cheese. But I am slowly making small changes in the right direction.

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I'm loving reading about everyone!! I feel like I actually know you ladies now on a more personal level!

Janine- great blog! Thank you for sharing. I already found a few recipes I want to try!

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i started with w.w. 8/2004, a year before i got married. for my wedding in 2005, i lost 25 lbs. then the next 4 yrs, it was up and down. dh joined w.w. in 5.2009. once he joined, the weight just started coming off. i hit goal in 11.2010 and i hit lfetime in 1/2011. i go to the gym between 4-5 days a week

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I'm Jessica (30) and live with DH and IL's in freeport. We got married in 2010.

I've battled with my weight since I was about 12 years old. I was a chubby teen and when I was 18 I joined WW for the first time and lost 30 pounts. I was only 10 pounds away from goal when I gave up. I battled my weight for a few more years and in 2002 I joined WW again and lost weight and probably looked the best I ever had. A year or two later I put on the pounds and then both DH and I joined WW and lost 20lbs. I looked and felt much better. Slowly the pounds started creeping on. In 2007 I suffered a loss. DH and I got engaged in 2007 and then I wanted to lose weight but it really wasnt coming off. I hate looking at my wedding pictures because I do really look like a white whale.
I started back on 3/7/11 with WW and have lost 12 lbs. I weigh/measure all my food and drink water like its my job. I'm not great with exercising. I find it too easy to give up. But last night I forced myself onto the treadmill.
I set a personal goal for myself to lose 5 lbs a month.
Dh and I are going away for Honeymoon 2.0 in December and Id really love to have a significant weight loss. 5 lbs a month would put me at almost 50 pound lost. (My personal goal was to lose 66 pounds and get into a healthy weight range.) I'm predisposed to diabetes and was diagnosed as prediabetic several years ago.

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Although I don't post that much, I always read this board so this is a great idea Colleen!

My name is Nancy, I'm 30 years old and live in Islip with my DH. I have always been active but a couple of years ago became more of a runner than anything else. I run 3-4 days a week and weight train 2 days a week. I am currently training for my 1st half marathon on May 1st. I don't really follow a diet but my weight constantly fluctuates so I try to eat healthy most of the time. Right now, I am working on trying to get the 10lbs off that I gained since I got married in Sept but mostly, I am just trying to stay as healthy as possible. This board has really helped with motivation and ideas so thank you all!

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I'm Lori and I'm 35. I've never been healthy or active. Honestly.....I hate to sweat and I'm lazy.

When I was a kid, I was super skinny...but after college, my weight started to become an issue. Right before I got married in 2004, I lost a bunch of weight with WW and walking regularly...and I felt great! Then I got married, and stopped trying (so cliche!) and the weight came back on. After a few years, it got bad, and I decided to do something about it....and was halfway to my goal when I got pregnant....soooooo I gained all of the weight back and then some.

Now that my daughter is almost 4, I realized that I need to be healthy for her, and if I ever want to have any more kids. So, last summer, I joined a gym and got a personal trainer. I've been going to see the trainer two times a week, and have just recently started the C25K (running for literally the first time in my life). I'm also doing WW online, which I just joined again recently.

I'm seeing slight changes, definitely have more muscle than ever before and have more energy. I'm still a work in progress....but my goal is to lost about 9 more pounds by the end of May for my daughter's birthday so I can be the same weight I was when I got pregnant.

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I'm Michelle and live with DH in Nassau.

My weight fluctuated my entire life. I was always active during the summer so always dropped weight then. In HS my weight pretty much stayed the same and then when I went away to college I put on weight. I lost some my junior year then put it back on my senior year. I started graduate school right after and met a friend that was doing WW so she encouraged me to join. I lost over 30 lbs and maintained that for years.

The year before we got married I started putting on weight and it just kept on going over the next 2 years. I put on over 60 lbs.

I am currently on WW and down 12.6 lbs. I am going back to my old good habits of when I maintained. I workout 5-6x a week. I do a lot of cardio and some strength training. I'm looking forward to getting back into my skinny jeans!

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What a great idea!

I'm Robyn - 30 years old, married.

I was at my heaviest in 2003 at 140 (I'm short) and did WW, getting down to 120. Ever since, I've fluctuated between 120-130. My body seems to like 127ish but I like 120!

I tried doing WW again since the point plus program launched but didn't have much luck (the old plan worked brilliantly for me). Admittedly, I have given up.

DH and I are going through a very rough time right now with the sale of our house - we had a buyer, went to contract, buyer expressed a desire to close early so we moved quickly to accomodate her and now decided to back out of the deal. It's turning into a legal mess! So as a result, we've been making cutbacks b/c we now have rent payments AND a mortgage. I have been miserable and not eating as well as I should be - I know how bad emotional eating is too but I can't help it! Luckily my weight hasn't gone up but it isn't where I want it to be either.

I am a huge fan of bikram yoga and had to quit in order to save $. As of tomorrow, I start a work study program at my studio so now I get to go back - free unlimited yoga in exchange for 5 hours/week of work. That makes me happy. I had plans to supplement yoga with a gym membership but now I can't spend the money.

I would love to lose but without being able to exercise the way I'd like to, I don't know how that is possible. I also don't know what I'm doing wrong with the new WW program.

It's been a depressing month!

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im copying some of this from a WW post I wrote..

My name is Marie, im 31 years old, I am married and we have 2 DD's and live in oceanside.

I have always been a normal weight. I danced my whole life, played some sports, exercised here and there but when i went to college all of that stopped and I put on a few lbs. I tried WW yearsss ago when I had like 10 pounds to lose (what I would do for that right now lol) anyway I wasnt really motivated, and I think too young to be bothered with measuring, meetings etc. etc. so I didnt really "believe" in it.

Overall 150 is my comfort weight and easily maintainable, i'm only 5'3" but fairly muscular and while I could/should probably go down to about 130 it would be much more difficult to maintain.

I didnt really pack it on until I had my girls. We went on our 2 week hawaiian HM, came home, got pregnant had DD1, barely lost the weight from her, then got pregnant (18 months later lol) with DD2. I only gained 5 lbs with my second pregnancy which is good, but thats just because I was already a huge chubba from not losing the first pregnancy weight.

After I stopped BF DD2 I actually gained MORE weight, ugh. Sooo anyway now that I am pretty much done with having another child its really time to concentrate on my body and put the work in and get it off, for so many reasons that we all have and also just because im ready!!!!!! I cant believe ive been this huge for 4 years.

I did the optifast program, which for me was 11 weeks of a liquid diet. I know its extreme and not for everyone, but I adored it. I lost 45 lbs on it. I now workout at least 5 times a week and I also love that too!!! Its been many years since ive loved working out lol. With working FT and having 2 kids I made excuses as to why I didnt have time, but now its part of my schedule, my routine and I make the time. I am really most proud of this. its my quiet time, me time, and I adore it.

I have about 45 more lbs to lose and have signed up for WW online. Everyone I know says that WW is the way to go for lifelong results and im tired of yo yoing. I love that I dont have to go to meetings and can track everything on my phone. I try to eat all my regular points in a day, but dont touch my plus points or activity points. ive been doing it for almost 3 weeks and have lost about 8 lbs. I think my body woke up once I reintroduced it to food.
I'm super happy, and really learning good eating habits again, im totally satisfied too! I'm thrilled to be on my way back to a healthy, active person and above all, a good role model for my two daughters!

Message edited 4/22/2011 11:47:06 AM.

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I'm Melissa and live with DH and our 2 year old twin boys just outside Raleigh NC. I read this board because I need some motivation! I know what to do, I just can't seem to do it!

Really, I think I grew up around someone that was addicted to food and learned bad, unhealthy habits. I am trying to break those every day. I will not say what I weigh now, but suffice it to say, I need to lose at least 70-80 lbs to be considered "average" possibly about 20 more to be "fit." I was a normal weight up until about 17 or 18. then I started bartending, eating crappy food, drinking, etc etc. Then I went to college and sort of maintained my plumpness. After I got married I gained a lot of weight. My husband loves to cook and loved to make French food, have garlic bread every night etc. Now he is eating better and doing p90X.

I take my kids for a walk every night, would love to start couch to 5K, want to start hot yoga and am considering the Paleo diet(thanks for the blog link J9) combined with WW since I need that reality check every week. For now I'll keep reading and trying to be inspired by all you go getters

Message edited 4/22/2011 12:04:43 PM.

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Hi! Good idea Colleen!

I'm 30 years old. I grew up thin and without any weight problems/concerns as I was dancing 3-4 days a week. Went to college where I finally got my appetite for food and put on about 20 pounds my freshman year. Lost the weight the following year but was so pleased that I could lose weight so easily that I kept going until I restricted myself with calories so much that I was down to about 95 pounds (I'm 5'5). Over the next 6 or so years, battled anorexia and bulimia off and on. I wasn't exercising at that time as I just didn't have the energy. Finally in the last two years I can say that I'm basically ED symptom free and am finally feeling healthy.

Phew--hard to get all that out. I am at a thin healthy weight and exercise about 3-4 times a week. I just recently (like, a week ago) got into running but also do a rotation of strength training classes, Zumba, and Pilates.

Message edited 4/22/2011 2:24:11 PM.

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