Ketogenic diets: Yay or Nay?
warmxintentions
Posts: 43 Member
I have seen a few a people lose weight on ketogenic diets such as atkins...has anyone had success with this, and if you did, any tips?
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Replies
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Nay. Not for me! I was miserable for the six months I was low carb. I put the weight back when I stopped. I then discovered that just calorie counting accurately was all I needed to do. Happy dance!7
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Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Nay. Not for me! I was miserable for the six months I was low carb. I put the weight back when I stopped. I then discovered that just calorie counting accurately was all I needed to do. Happy dance!
Ditto, mine probably leans more towards Keto, but not on purpose. I like to eat a lot of proteins and I try and avoid carbs in baked goods and treats. I don't pay much attention to fats unless they are going to kill my daily calories.2 -
Yay for me.
I have been on and off keto for over 5 years. I'll stick with it for a while, then start missing carbs and return to old fashioned CICO.
I restarted keto today actually, because I was sick of feeling hungry all the time eating carbs. In the past, I've been most successful in weight loss while following strict keto. I achieved my lowest weight ever while doing keto. So I've decided to pursue it again and stick with it this time.
Benefits of keto (that I've personally experienced)
- Waaaay less hunger and very gradual hunger feelings.
- No bloating/gas.
- More stable energy levels.
- Better breath!
Cons of keto
- Missing carbs. Delicious carbs.
- Constipation (can be easily fixed up with some Magnesium supplements)
- Challenges eating out with friends - finding restaurants that have meals that fit into your diet.
- More expensive grocery bills.
If you have any other questions, let me know.7 -
Yay for me.
I have been on and off keto for over 5 years. I'll stick with it for a while, then start missing carbs and return to old fashioned CICO.
I restarted keto today actually, because I was sick of feeling hungry all the time eating carbs. In the past, I've been most successful in weight loss while following strict keto. I achieved my lowest weight ever while doing keto. So I've decided to pursue it again and stick with it this time.
Benefits of keto (that I've personally experienced)
- Waaaay less hunger and very gradual hunger feelings.
- No bloating/gas.
- More stable energy levels.
- Better breath!
Cons of keto
- Missing carbs. Delicious carbs.
- Constipation (can be easily fixed up with some Magnesium supplements)
- Challenges eating out with friends - finding restaurants that have meals that fit into your diet.
- More expensive grocery bills.
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Super helpful! I think I'm going to give it a 30 day trial and see how i feel!1 -
warmxintentions wrote: »Yay for me.
I have been on and off keto for over 5 years. I'll stick with it for a while, then start missing carbs and return to old fashioned CICO.
I restarted keto today actually, because I was sick of feeling hungry all the time eating carbs. In the past, I've been most successful in weight loss while following strict keto. I achieved my lowest weight ever while doing keto. So I've decided to pursue it again and stick with it this time.
Benefits of keto (that I've personally experienced)
- Waaaay less hunger and very gradual hunger feelings.
- No bloating/gas.
- More stable energy levels.
- Better breath!
Cons of keto
- Missing carbs. Delicious carbs.
- Constipation (can be easily fixed up with some Magnesium supplements)
- Challenges eating out with friends - finding restaurants that have meals that fit into your diet.
- More expensive grocery bills.
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Super helpful! I think I'm going to give it a 30 day trial and see how i feel!
You should! 30 days should be plenty to decide if you like it or not.
The first week can be rough - "keto flu" is common, as your weight weight is flushed out and your electrolytes can become imbalanced. Supplementing with extra sodium, potassium and magnesium helps A LOT. I supplement with "Nu-Salt" (a sodium-free salt substitute - full of potassium) and Magnesium Citrate tablets. You can mix potassium salt and table salt into your drink (Mio is tasty) or some bone broth to replenish your electrolytes.
Expect to lose around 3-5lbs in the first few days - that's water weight! It will slow down quickly.
Calorie counting is still important. The nice thing about keto is that fat is FILLING, so it's easy to naturally stick to your deficit. But counting is still the goal, it is possible to overeat on keto.
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Im nervous to try it out...i will miss my carbs, but not my fat haha its a trade off im willing to make.0
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warmxintentions wrote: »Im nervous to try it out...i will miss my carbs, but not my fat haha its a trade off im willing to make.
It's really not too hard. There are many substitutes you can make. It's easy to make keto cheesecake, cake, bread, buns, bagels, pizza... You can do a lot with almond flour, coconut flour and sugar substitutes like erythritol and stevia. They won't taste exactly the same but they're not bad.
The main things I miss are sushi, REAL pizza, pasta, poutine/fries. I'll sneak in a cheat meal once or twice a month to deal with those cravings.
My favourite keto meals are: bacon & eggs, quiche, chicken wings, steak, cheesy cauliflower/broccoli, bunless hamburgers, berries & whipped cream, cheesecake, sausage & peppers, jalapeno poppers.
Here are some good recipe sites:
ibreatheimhungry.com
https://www.ruled.me/1 -
I've been eating keto on and off as well since 2015 and for me it's the easiest way of eating to lose weight. I'm actually starting it back up today because I've been feeling crappy eating way too many carbs recently. I've also done IIFYM but do find myself hungry more often. I often hit up the two sites listed earlier. There are great recipes there for when you're craving something but need a low carb alternative.3
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I've been keto for most of two years. It's all plus for me. Maybe inconvenience, but that really is nothing compared to avoiding gluten as a celiac. I do miss sweets a bit but the less I eat them the less I want them. Eating sweets, and to a lesser extent any carb, tends to drive the cravings. I'm okay once I've been away from them for a few days.
Pluses:
Better BG
no reactive hypoglycemia
better skin and nails
better energy and sleep
less joint pain
improved cognitive skills
fewer stomach issue or BM issue
fewer headaches
less gas
less hunger
less cravings
lose slightly faster than expected
I don't find my grocery bill is more because the volume of food I eat is less. Plus I rarely by prepackaged and processed/ultraprocessed foods (beyond meat being wrapped and eggs in a carton).warmxintentions wrote: »Yay for me.
I have been on and off keto for over 5 years. I'll stick with it for a while, then start missing carbs and return to old fashioned CICO.
I restarted keto today actually, because I was sick of feeling hungry all the time eating carbs. In the past, I've been most successful in weight loss while following strict keto. I achieved my lowest weight ever while doing keto. So I've decided to pursue it again and stick with it this time.
Benefits of keto (that I've personally experienced)
- Waaaay less hunger and very gradual hunger feelings.
- No bloating/gas.
- More stable energy levels.
- Better breath!
Cons of keto
- Missing carbs. Delicious carbs.
- Constipation (can be easily fixed up with some Magnesium supplements)
- Challenges eating out with friends - finding restaurants that have meals that fit into your diet.
- More expensive grocery bills.
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Super helpful! I think I'm going to give it a 30 day trial and see how i feel!
Make sure you increase your sodium to at least 3000-5000mg per day. There's 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of salt-many find they need close to a tablespoon of salt per day.
If your electrolytes (sodium, magnesium and potassium) get low you'll experience, fatigue, headaches, stomach or BM issues, brain fog, muscle aches and cramps. Drink broth, salt most food, add salt to water or use salt tablets and it will turn things around within a couple of hours.6 -
I can't do it myself but more power to you if you can!1
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I've been keto for most of two years. It's all plus for me. Maybe inconvenience, but that really is nothing compared to avoiding gluten as a celiac. I do miss sweets a bit but the less I eat them the less I want them. Eating sweets, and to a lesser extent any carb, tends to drive the cravings. I'm okay once I've been away from them for a few days.
Pluses:
Better BG
no reactive hypoglycemia
better skin and nails
better energy and sleep
less joint pain
improved cognitive skills
fewer stomach issue or BM issue
fewer headaches
less gas
less hunger
less cravings
lose slightly faster than expected
I don't find my grocery bill is more because the volume of food I eat is less. Plus I rarely by prepackaged and processed/ultraprocessed foods (beyond meat being wrapped and eggs in a carton).warmxintentions wrote: »Yay for me.
I have been on and off keto for over 5 years. I'll stick with it for a while, then start missing carbs and return to old fashioned CICO.
I restarted keto today actually, because I was sick of feeling hungry all the time eating carbs. In the past, I've been most successful in weight loss while following strict keto. I achieved my lowest weight ever while doing keto. So I've decided to pursue it again and stick with it this time.
Benefits of keto (that I've personally experienced)
- Waaaay less hunger and very gradual hunger feelings.
- No bloating/gas.
- More stable energy levels.
- Better breath!
Cons of keto
- Missing carbs. Delicious carbs.
- Constipation (can be easily fixed up with some Magnesium supplements)
- Challenges eating out with friends - finding restaurants that have meals that fit into your diet.
- More expensive grocery bills.
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Super helpful! I think I'm going to give it a 30 day trial and see how i feel!
Make sure you increase your sodium to at least 3000-5000mg per day. There's 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of salt-many find they need close to a tablespoon of salt per day.
If your electrolytes (sodium, magnesium and potassium) get low you'll experience, fatigue, headaches, stomach or BM issues, brain fog, muscle aches and cramps. Drink broth, salt most food, add salt to water or use salt tablets and it will turn things around within a couple of hours.
Thank you! Btw ur biceps alone give me motivation! Haha1 -
I've been doing it since November 2016, and I'm loving it so far. "Just" counting calories wasn't easy for me to sustain because I was always hungry and obsessed about food. Now, I feel more carefree about food, I don't need to count calories to lose/maintain, and I have more energy.1
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codename_steve wrote: »I've been doing it since November 2016, and I'm loving it so far. "Just" counting calories wasn't easy for me to sustain because I was always hungry and obsessed about food. Now, I feel more carefree about food, I don't need to count calories to lose/maintain, and I have more energy.
Thats what I'm counting on. I dont want to obsess over everything, but i do know that macro counting with this is important at first. Ive tried everything but this.1 -
codename_steve wrote: »I've been doing it since November 2016, and I'm loving it so far. "Just" counting calories wasn't easy for me to sustain because I was always hungry and obsessed about food. Now, I feel more carefree about food, I don't need to count calories to lose/maintain, and I have more energy.
But you need to count carbs, and while you're obese I'm sure you can inadvertently create a deficit but when you cry plateau don't think you are exempt from the energy balance equation simply because you cut a food group lol6 -
First, Atkins is not a ketogenic diet. Just sayin'...
Do some research before jumping in. Take a look at Whole30.com. It's technically not keto, but it's close.
And google "Ketogenic diet". There is a ton of info on it.
Do your own research and take advice from MFP forums carefully and selectively.
Good luck.2 -
vikinglander wrote: »First, Atkins is not a ketogenic diet. Just sayin'...
Do some research before jumping in. Take a look at Whole30.com. It's technically not keto, but it's close.
And google "Ketogenic diet". There is a ton of info on it.
Do your own research and take advice from MFP forums carefully and selectively.
Good luck.
I don't understand how a diet that includes all kinds of squash, potatoes, and fruit is close to keto. I mean, someone could do Whole30 and keto at the same time, but if you're just following the program as written, it isn't close to what I understand keto to be -- minimizing carbohydrates and maximizing fat.8 -
I googled keto and atkins was the first thing that popped up, but i continued searching and now have a better idea0
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vikinglander wrote: »First, Atkins is not a ketogenic diet. Just sayin'...
The induction phase of Atkins is 100% keto. Then it moves on to incorporating more carbs, I believe.
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I like ketogenic diets and have been in ketosis for a few weeks at a time when dieting on low calories and no carbohydrates.
Personally I don't think a no carb, high fat diet is compatible with real world day to day life. A sustained calorie deficit will suffice.4 -
all that fat is not good for you.... I have been on low carb/ketogenic diets for many years because its an easy diet and you can eat some fatty yummy foods..... but i ended up with medical problems from it.... type 2 got worse.... I have been on plantbased diet for several months now and am healthier than i ever have been... blood sugar normal, blood pressure normal... off 2 different bp meds.... lost about 30 pounds...... sleep better.... your body might be able to handle all that fat.. and a real keto diet is about 80% fat.... feel free to holler at me anytime you want...... think real hard about it....2
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warmxintentions wrote: »I have seen a few a people lose weight on ketogenic diets such as atkins...has anyone had success with this, and if you did, any tips?
they lose weight because they are in a caloric deficit. you still have to have a deficit even eating keto.if not its like any other way of eating,eat too much you gain,eat the same as you burn you maintain.5 -
So glad I found this thread. I have been on Keto for 3 years and only lost 35 pounds. I say 'only' because some of the people that I have connected with have lost upwards of 100 pounds in a relatively short period of time. I'm 58 years old and started with insulin resistance. Last week I had just about had it. I was not enjoying the diet anymore, got sick of eating bacon and eggs every day for breakfast but most of all, I got sick of worrying about every little carb that was in anything I wanted to eat - that plus figuring out what has more protein that I need, what has not enough fiber and what has too much fat. It just got stressful. As one of the other posters above noted, there are definitely good things about the diet but there are bad things too. Some of my relatives have used MFP for calorie counting and exercise and lost weight - lots of weight. CICO is the way to go for me. I am incorporating some of keto into this diet and that is to not restrict fat yet staying within 1500 calories a day. If I like something that has fat in it, I will eat it but not junk food. Junk food is out! Just good wholesome foods like real butter and cream. These things are very satiating for me, after all, I have over 120 pounds to lose... So, wish me luck, I'm about to embark on a new journey and once again so glad I found this thread!!
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willnorton wrote: »all that fat is not good for you.... I have been on low carb/ketogenic diets for many years because its an easy diet and you can eat some fatty yummy foods..... but i ended up with medical problems from it.... type 2 got worse.... I have been on plantbased diet for several months now and am healthier than i ever have been... blood sugar normal, blood pressure normal... off 2 different bp meds.... lost about 30 pounds...... sleep better.... your body might be able to handle all that fat.. and a real keto diet is about 80% fat.... feel free to holler at me anytime you want...... think real hard about it....
keto works for many people,you cant say all that fat is not good. there is no proof that its not. I dont do keto due to health issues so I have to eat low fat, a real keto diet is not about 80% fat, some eat lower fat percentages and still are able to be in ketosis. also losing weight will help with blood sugar and blood pressure issues in some people as well,some it may not. I say if someone wants to try it and can do it,then more power to them. its just another way of eating for some it will be sustainable for others it wont.5 -
common sense question??? will you be healthier eating cheese mayo bacon fatty burgers..eggs.. cream... meat meat and more meat... ad butter butter and coconut oil.. olive oil.... and motor oil......or... lots of fruits, vegetables... more fruits.. beans... seeds... nuts (little)...... common sense would tell you the whole foods consisting of fruits and veggies and beans will be so much better for you... and your heart... i have done every diet known to man... and the plantbased by far is the most healthiest.... there is no doubt you can lose weight on teh keto but it is just not healthy for you over a long period of time........ just sayin....
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The whole "fat is bad" mantra that dietitians espoused for many years was based on a couple bad studies and has been repeatedly proven to be wrong, in literal hundreds of studies since. Hell they were even wrong about dietary cholesterol, it really doesn't have hardly any impact on your blood cholesterol, humorously enough, turns out... carbs do, lol.
I will say if you're diabetic, ketogenic diets are especially nice. a1c of 9.5 and fasting blood sugar of over 200 and now i'm in the "non-diabetic" range now *all* the time and off all my diabetic meds. If you're diabetic you should read Dr Bernsteins Diabetes Solution: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316182699
The best diet is the one you can stick with. For some people that's keto, for others its cico, for others south beach, or atkins, or whatever... its all about finding what you can make into a life change vs a diet. If its not a life change, you won't stick with it and you will regain the weight and associated health conditions.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »willnorton wrote: »all that fat is not good for you.... I have been on low carb/ketogenic diets for many years because its an easy diet and you can eat some fatty yummy foods..... but i ended up with medical problems from it.... type 2 got worse.... I have been on plantbased diet for several months now and am healthier than i ever have been... blood sugar normal, blood pressure normal... off 2 different bp meds.... lost about 30 pounds...... sleep better.... your body might be able to handle all that fat.. and a real keto diet is about 80% fat.... feel free to holler at me anytime you want...... think real hard about it....
keto works for many people,you cant say all that fat is not good. there is no proof that its not. I dont do keto due to health issues so I have to eat low fat, a real keto diet is not about 80% fat, some eat lower fat percentages and still are able to be in ketosis. also losing weight will help with blood sugar and blood pressure issues in some people as well,some it may not. I say if someone wants to try it and can do it,then more power to them. its just another way of eating for some it will be sustainable for others it wont.
charlie, I guess we have read different articles about keto.... may i suggest you watching some videos by Dr. Michael Greger or goto his web site www.nutritionalfacts.org ( i think thats the address)... i have watched hundreds of hours of both sides of the fense... our bodies are all different and different things work for different people.... my personal opinion is that all the fat is not good for us and that doctor and that site will give you specific studies and factualy information that is science backed.. not just someones opinion..... life goes on..0 -
The whole "fat is bad" mantra that dietitians espoused for many years was based on a couple bad studies and has been repeatedly proven to be wrong, in literal hundreds of studies since. Hell they were even wrong about dietary cholesterol, it really doesn't have hardly any impact on your blood cholesterol, humorously enough, turns out... carbs do, lol.
I will say if you're diabetic, ketogenic diets are especially nice. a1c of 9.5 and fasting blood sugar of over 200 and now i'm in the "non-diabetic" range now *all* the time.
The best diet is the one you can stick with. For some people that's keto, for others its cico, for others south beach, or atkins, or whatever... its all about finding what you can make into a life change vs a diet. If its not a life change, you won't stick with it and you will regain the weight and associated health conditions.
I would love to have that conversation with you sometime... would be interested how you got that A1c down.... im still having trouble with that.... hope we can talk some....
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willnorton wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »willnorton wrote: »all that fat is not good for you.... I have been on low carb/ketogenic diets for many years because its an easy diet and you can eat some fatty yummy foods..... but i ended up with medical problems from it.... type 2 got worse.... I have been on plantbased diet for several months now and am healthier than i ever have been... blood sugar normal, blood pressure normal... off 2 different bp meds.... lost about 30 pounds...... sleep better.... your body might be able to handle all that fat.. and a real keto diet is about 80% fat.... feel free to holler at me anytime you want...... think real hard about it....
keto works for many people,you cant say all that fat is not good. there is no proof that its not. I dont do keto due to health issues so I have to eat low fat, a real keto diet is not about 80% fat, some eat lower fat percentages and still are able to be in ketosis. also losing weight will help with blood sugar and blood pressure issues in some people as well,some it may not. I say if someone wants to try it and can do it,then more power to them. its just another way of eating for some it will be sustainable for others it wont.
charlie, I guess we have read different articles about keto.... may i suggest you watching some videos by Dr. Michael Greger or goto his web site www.nutritionalfacts.org ( i think thats the address)... i have watched hundreds of hours of both sides of the fense... our bodies are all different and different things work for different people.... my personal opinion is that all the fat is not good for us and that doctor and that site will give you specific studies and factualy information that is science backed.. not just someones opinion..... life goes on..
while everyone IS different and our bodies are different,studies have proven that high fat and cholesterol dont have an impact like once thought on people who dont have certain health issue . for people like me who have familial hypercholesterolemia,we cannot process fats and cholesterol so high fats/cholesterol in foods for us,does have an impact on our health.
keto has been around for a long time. and for many people it has improved their health markers, keto was originally for people who have seizure disorders and they found that it helps most people with diabetes,insulin resistance,pcos and other health issue. so what if he is a dr? drs go through very little training when it comes to diet and nutrition. he was featured on dr oz so to me that cuts his credibility right there.
Im not going by opinion either, I am going by scientific studies proving that high fat for a lot of people causes no issues. even healthy people who are vegan/vegetarian can have health issues including heart attack,stroke,etc.
while plant based worked the best for you. doesnt mean that it will for others,or that you wont have health issues crop up someday,you may or may not. there are also no proven studies that I know of that plant based diets are superior to any other type of diet.6 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »willnorton wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »willnorton wrote: »all that fat is not good for you.... I have been on low carb/ketogenic diets for many years because its an easy diet and you can eat some fatty yummy foods..... but i ended up with medical problems from it.... type 2 got worse.... I have been on plantbased diet for several months now and am healthier than i ever have been... blood sugar normal, blood pressure normal... off 2 different bp meds.... lost about 30 pounds...... sleep better.... your body might be able to handle all that fat.. and a real keto diet is about 80% fat.... feel free to holler at me anytime you want...... think real hard about it....
keto works for many people,you cant say all that fat is not good. there is no proof that its not. I dont do keto due to health issues so I have to eat low fat, a real keto diet is not about 80% fat, some eat lower fat percentages and still are able to be in ketosis. also losing weight will help with blood sugar and blood pressure issues in some people as well,some it may not. I say if someone wants to try it and can do it,then more power to them. its just another way of eating for some it will be sustainable for others it wont.
charlie, I guess we have read different articles about keto.... may i suggest you watching some videos by Dr. Michael Greger or goto his web site www.nutritionalfacts.org ( i think thats the address)... i have watched hundreds of hours of both sides of the fense... our bodies are all different and different things work for different people.... my personal opinion is that all the fat is not good for us and that doctor and that site will give you specific studies and factualy information that is science backed.. not just someones opinion..... life goes on..
while everyone IS different and our bodies are different,studies have proven that high fat and cholesterol dont have an impact like once thought on people who dont have certain health issue . for people like me who have familial hypercholesterolemia,we cannot process fats and cholesterol so high fats/cholesterol in foods for us,does have an impact on our health.
keto has been around for a long time. and for many people it has improved their health markers, keto was originally for people who have seizure disorders and they found that it helps most people with diabetes,insulin resistance,pcos and other health issue. so what if he is a dr? drs go through very little training when it comes to diet and nutrition. he was featured on dr oz so to me that cuts his credibility right there.
Im not going by opinion either, I am going by scientific studies proving that high fat for a lot of people causes no issues. even healthy people who are vegan/vegetarian can have health issues including heart attack,stroke,etc.
while plant based worked the best for you. doesnt mean that it will for others,or that you wont have health issues crop up someday,you may or may not. there are also no proven studies that I know of that plant based diets are superior to any other type of diet.
im telling you that the study based science based information is on that site.... I have done both diets... and i know what works for me... that is what i always try to get across to people I always say it several times in my words.. i think.... its all in what works for you.... i agree there.... heck I might have that crap you got... all that fat just about killed me...... and im old... (64) and our bodies change over the years..i did the keto, well back then it was called Atkins..... it worked wonders for me... but now my old body just cant handle the fat.... so i eat all that beautiful, colorful food and feel great and my doctor is amazed i have got off all the meds I have stopped taking....life is a great ride!0 -
I've been in ketosis since March and have lost 24lbs so far. It's high fat at the start to help with satiation but now that i'm fat adapted I don't need to maintain the high fat levels because I don't feel hungry that often. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I used to be a carb junkie and at the beginning I craved carbs but that quickly disappeared and now I love this way of eating. I'm a definite 'yay'!5
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