The idea of Cheat Days doesn't make sense...

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  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,019 Member
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    Hi everyone, O.P. here...

    Thanks for contributing to a great discussion.

    I think I've learned that the idea of a "Cheat Day" or a "Cheat Meal" is largely a psychology tool that adds some humanity to a system that sometimes can seem austere and strict. Some are "cheating" to plan ahead for a special meal or day, others to forgive an unplanned excursion from their plan, and others to justify an otherwise guilty pleasure.

    All of this makes sense to me.

    Thanks for the input!

    Thank YOU for being a gracious OP! Those are hard to come by these days. You're the real MVP. ;)

    Yes I second this too - is good to see an OP come back and post that they have learned something from other points of view.

    As you can see OP a lot of it is semantics about the terminology and rest is just different approaches work for different people - as long as one eats in an average daily deficit, one will still lose weight.
  • happymommy321
    happymommy321 Posts: 60 Member
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    When I was in college I lost 56 pounds following a weight loss plan perfectly to a t. I had no wiggle room. I eventually burnt out, and here I am, 3 kids later, my starting weight almost 50 pounds higher than I started then. This time I am allowing a very rare cheat day and also allowing treats offset by exercising extra or keeping calories lower at other meals. I already feel like I can stick with it better this time. This IS about making a lifestyle change, which is why giving yourself some leeway every now and then is non only not harmful, but crucial, in my experience!
  • slynn1023
    slynn1023 Posts: 27
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    I make Sundays a "cheat day". it's a day me and my husband both have off so we like to go to dinner. I have my calories set at 1500/day, but my overall goal is to be under 1800. But on my cheat day I'm happy to stay under 2200, but honestly if I happen to go over, I really don't stress about it. There's been a few cheat days I've been at 3000, but compared to the 4000cal I use to eat in any given day, it's still an improvement. I weigh in every month at the doctor and as long as I've lost, I'm a happy camper.

    Also if I know there is an event coming up, lets say on a saturday, I will make that my "cheat day" for the week. On my cheat days, I try to eat a smaller breakfast/lunch so dinner and desert don't completely over-do the day.

    Edit: I also do not log my exercise, since MFP adds allowed calories to my day, I feel a false sense that I can eat more. Along wtih MFP, I keep a paper log, where I write in my daily exercise. :)

    69589407.png
  • StephanieKTerranova
    StephanieKTerranova Posts: 29 Member
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    Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

    I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

    I don't think we could be friends.

    I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

    Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

    As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

    But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

    "People who love to eat are always the best people."
    -Julia Child

    bQOgOqi.gif

    Yeah seriously wow well said. That's pretty much how I feel about it too. i don't think I could have said it better though.

    Why thank you.

    EricBowing234.gif

    So first of all that post was amazing! It deserves all the awards! And then you post a trueblood gif. I think were soulmates! Haha im jk but srsly let's be friends!
  • Carlywiese
    Carlywiese Posts: 51 Member
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    cheat day (for me) is typically a day where at the end of the day I get a treat for myself that i normally wouldn't get. I think people get the wrong idea because they here cheat DAY and thing the whole day your at McD's stuffing your face when its really a day thats still in your calories limits but your might get something that on an otherwise normal day you wouldnt get because it would mess up your macros

    This one right here.
  • shai74
    shai74 Posts: 512 Member
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    Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

    I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

    I don't think we could be friends.

    I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

    Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

    As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

    But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

    "People who love to eat are always the best people."
    -Julia Child

    best-post-award_by-wasakanet.png~c200

    That's fine, I don't need to be friends with you.

    I'm not disputing the ritual around food, I come from a big european family, I appreciate the social aspect of a meal. I'm also a great cook, and love to do so. I love a big steak and a glass of wine. I do however see no value in putting crap into my body that is going to make me feel terrible, and contribute to ill health later on. I don't see high sugar, highly processed, nutritionally absent rubbish as a "reward" or a "pleasure". But that's just me.

    And if my opnion on this topic "projects shame" onto you, then that says more about you than me. Sounds like you still have some unresolved issues. Your right to eat whatever you want does not project shame onto me, I couldn't care less.

    To be honest sounds like your the one that has issues to me. There's no projection of shame. Neither this poster nor any of the people who agree with her are ashamed of how they eat. You just think we are. And that's your problem.

    Um ... those were her words, not mine. Lol @ being called a zealot too, I'm the least obsessed with food I've ever been. Just because humans got clever and worked out how to pull certain things out of plants and animals, or synthesize them with chemicals, and do wonderful things to them in a factory, doesn't mean we should eat it. Using these foods as a treat seems ridiculous to me. If you disagree, then that's your right.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    my "cheat" days are either specific refeeds or I'm doing an eating competition. (these don't usually fit macros :laugh:)
  • TestingFun01
    TestingFun01 Posts: 89 Member
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    Everyday is cheat day.
  • focused4health
    focused4health Posts: 154 Member
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    Unfortunately, they would probably dry up very quickly once you open your mouth :bigsmile:
  • focused4health
    focused4health Posts: 154 Member
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    Unfortunately, they would probably dry up very quickly once you open your mouth 
    quote]
    This is a lifestyle change, right?

    No, I just want women to get moist when I take my shirt off
    [/quote]
  • AngelAura777
    AngelAura777 Posts: 225 Member
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    I like making home made healthy versions of my favourite foods instead of having a cheat day. If I feel like a burger I make a home made one with healthy ingredients or If I feel like something sweet I love making protein balls and use organic honey or stevia and 70% cocoa dark chocolate to sweeten them. Sometimes when my partner and I get time at home together (he works night shift and I work day shift) I dont mind having a chinese or takeaway meal with him sometimes as long as I dont keep eating junk food for the whole entire day or a few days and go back to eating normal im fine. Its when the cheat meal turns into a cheat day that ends up turning into a cheat week then a line needs to be drawn.
  • AngelAura777
    AngelAura777 Posts: 225 Member
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    http://www.mandatory.com/2013/03/18/this-is-how-you-make-a-15-pound-snickers-bar-and-a-lifetime-of-h/ If this is your cheat day then you have serious sugar problems lmao! check it out holy snickers!!
  • TRD66
    TRD66 Posts: 310 Member
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    It's a difficult notion to stick rigidly to something for the rest of your life. The majority on here are here for the purposes of losing weight, maintaining weight, or controlling a healthy lifestyle.

    The purpose of life is to live, so cheat days are like your body going on holiday. As long as it's not too regular then it's not going to harm your long-term goals.

    You gotta let your hair down once in a while.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,019 Member
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    Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

    I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

    I don't think we could be friends.

    I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

    Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

    As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

    But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

    "People who love to eat are always the best people."
    -Julia Child

    best-post-award_by-wasakanet.png~c200

    That's fine, I don't need to be friends with you.

    I'm not disputing the ritual around food, I come from a big european family, I appreciate the social aspect of a meal. I'm also a great cook, and love to do so. I love a big steak and a glass of wine. I do however see no value in putting crap into my body that is going to make me feel terrible, and contribute to ill health later on. I don't see high sugar, highly processed, nutritionally absent rubbish as a "reward" or a "pleasure". But that's just me.

    And if my opnion on this topic "projects shame" onto you, then that says more about you than me. Sounds like you still have some unresolved issues. Your right to eat whatever you want does not project shame onto me, I couldn't care less.

    To be honest sounds like your the one that has issues to me. There's no projection of shame. Neither this poster nor any of the people who agree with her are ashamed of how they eat. You just think we are. And that's your problem.

    Um ... those were her words, not mine. Lol @ being called a zealot too, I'm the least obsessed with food I've ever been. Just because humans got clever and worked out how to pull certain things out of plants and animals, or synthesize them with chemicals, and do wonderful things to them in a factory, doesn't mean we should eat it. Using these foods as a treat seems ridiculous to me. If you disagree, then that's your right.

    Yes,as you saw,most people disagreed with you and agreed wholeheartedly with the refuting point of view.

    I stand by my comment that anyone who compares having an Oreo as a treat to having a hit of Meth, is a zealot.
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
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    ok, i see your point.

    but... you need to look at the numbers. if i am in a 5600 calorie defecit for the week , and i eat an extra 500 calories one day, because i feel like enjoying myself and dont plan on denying myself everything every day for the rest of my life... i still have a 5000 calorie defecit. i am still doing pretty darn good AND i am enjoying myself. not only that but after a week of defecit, or two or three... i start to feel this gnawing hunger. and having a day where i eat at maintainance helps with that. even if i "cheat" by 500 calories i am still not gaining any weight. in fact, if i am 50 calories under here, 100 calories under there, 18 calories here all week long, i might still be at a defecit for the day, because your body doesnt only care about what you ate today...

    i guess what i am saying is.. it is about a big picture, not just right now. this weekend i am going out to chinese food because i have been craving it like a crazy person for a week, and i wont care because my big picture is great, and i give myself a break.

    having said all that... i honestly very rarely have to have a cheat day... every few weeks or so i let myself go over. only because i eat what i want every day and dont have any off limits foods... so i make things fit regardless of their status as a diet food. in fact i avoid diet foods for the most part, hate em. i live my life how i want, food wise, just in moderatin and with obsessive tracking because thats how i roll. and i plan ahead if i want a treat so i dont have to "cheat"

    and anyway i dont cheat. cheating implies a winner or loser, and see... in this game... i am a loser. ;P
  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 535 Member
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    This question comes up sometimes and it's a bit idiotic. Cheat day? You probably mean cheat MEAL, so we will go with that.

    Because on thanksgiving I'm not going to run around with my food scale weighing every little thing I put into mouth. Because there are occasions where it makes sense to not count. I think you're so hung up on the wording you miss the big picture. Food isn't meant to only be enjoyed in small portions your entire life. You aren't meant to be afraid of eating because on a certain holiday when you want to eat with your family you might go over your calories.

    Life is about living in balance. Most of us here have had the same problem. We eat too damn much. We like food. There's a social component to it along with just how good things taste. Food is part of life. But when we have that proper balance and only eat junk in moderation (or just eat in excess) then what is the problem? Specifically, what is the issue with eating what you want on Christmas with your family? Is the memory you want to have of that occasion one where you kept saying "no" to trying things your mom made because you just couldn't go over your calories? There are times that are meant to be care free. Be that! Life is balance
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
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    Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

    I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

    I don't think we could be friends.

    I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

    Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

    As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

    But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

    "People who love to eat are always the best people."
    -Julia Child

    I think I'm in love. *swoon*
  • stillhere1981
    stillhere1981 Posts: 119 Member
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    I try not to have a whole "cheat" day, but I'll have a meal where I just let myself eat. It's usually at a restaurant. I'll still try to forgo the bread if they serve it.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,932 Member
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    Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

    I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

    I don't think we could be friends.

    I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

    Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

    As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

    But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

    "People who love to eat are always the best people."
    -Julia Child

    I think I'm in love. *swoon*

    Agreed. Now, that is a quality rant, and one I can certainly get behind.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Options
    Once you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food (I've been good I'm going to have some oreos as a reward), you will no longer feel the need to "cheat".

    I can honestly say I look at a big mac, or a piece of cake, or a can of Coke and go "yuck" when I think about what's in it, how it will make me feel etc. I don't even see these things as food anymore.

    I don't think we could be friends.

    I'm so over the attitude that being a healthy weight requires one to consider food as nothing but "fuel" - that's bull$hit. Food is social. Preparing it is a hobby, an experiment, a delight for many. Serving food we prepare to those we care for is an act of love as old as humankind. And most of all, food is good. I derive a good deal of joy from a beautifully-prepared meal. Food delights me, comforts me, reminds me of places I've been and people I've shared a meal with. Food is nostalgia and community. I've been in some of the poorest villages in the world, and what did they offer me when I arrived? Food. We didn't share a language, but we communicated through smiles as we ate together.

    Food is only fuel? Ha. Look at your healthy friends - do they enjoy eating? The only friend I have who does not, who regards food as fuel and looks down on us mere mortals who actually enjoy a slice of cake, has been battling anorexia since she was 13. My friends who are a healthy weight (and always have been) are among the greatest lovers of good food I know.

    As I lost weight, and as I maintain (2 years now), I did not break any emotional chain to food. Instead, I learned to respect the emotional connection and remove the shame you and others with your attitude project on something that keeps us alive but also has the potential to bring us happiness. I don't eat to soothe emotions or cure boredom like I used to; these days my life is way too full to need food to fill that void. I certainly learned more about food as fuel, and if you speak to me when I'm training for a race, you'll see that my meals are planned more for performance than anything else.

    But to deny that food tastes good and has a purpose for human beings beyond mere fuel is, in my opinion, sad.

    "People who love to eat are always the best people."
    -Julia Child

    best-post-award_by-wasakanet.png~c200

    That's fine, I don't need to be friends with you.

    I'm not disputing the ritual around food, I come from a big european family, I appreciate the social aspect of a meal. I'm also a great cook, and love to do so. I love a big steak and a glass of wine. I do however see no value in putting crap into my body that is going to make me feel terrible, and contribute to ill health later on. I don't see high sugar, highly processed, nutritionally absent rubbish as a "reward" or a "pleasure". But that's just me.

    And if my opnion on this topic "projects shame" onto you, then that says more about you than me. Sounds like you still have some unresolved issues. Your right to eat whatever you want does not project shame onto me, I couldn't care less.

    I can't believe I'm responding to someone who just committed a cardinal internet sin - suggesting that others have "unresolved issues" after reading a post they disagree with - but here I go.

    I didn't say you projected shame onto me. I'm a self-assured grown-up, and no one projects anything onto me; I make my own choices. What I said, if you read with your thinking cap on, is that you project shame onto eating and food with your statement that "[o]nce you realise that food is a fuel, not a hobby, once you've broken that emotional connection to food." I'm not taken in by this idiotic comment; instead, I'm hoping that people just starting on MFP might understand that it is totally possible to still be healthy and not devote every calorie to maximizing micronutrient intake, that one does not need to give up every indulgence, that being perfect is the enemy of being good. But that's just me.

    And now I'm done with you.

    But I'm definitely not done with eating high sugar, nutritionally absent rubbish for "pleasure". In fact, I'm making the cake below for my husband's birthday next week and I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of pleasure from him after he tastes it ifyouknowwhatimean.

    salted-caramel-chocolate-cake-mld107719_vert.jpg

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