Tag Archives: fitness

November 30, 2025 · 12:50 am

Losing the Lard November Report

Sharp_Requirement803-Reddit

It’s the end of November, just after Thanksgiving with little time before Christmas, but I promised that I would report my progress each month on my efforts to lose the lard and get healthier.

The short report is that I have now lost 84 pounds – 29 of them since I moved to Thailand. There is about 77 inches less of me now. I think my goal is to lose around 6 more pounds. I want to see how I feel at that weight and then will make a decision as to whether to lose more or go to maintenance.

The thing that has helped the most since I moved to Thailand in April is that Brian and I eat two meals a day. Our heaviest meal is breakfast after working out at the gym. We treat ourselves to a chocolate drink or an iced coffee many afternoons a week. We eat pretty lightly at dinner. I’m not worrying so much about eating low carb these days. The food in Thailand is almost all full of carbs. Even if you’re trying to watch carbs it’s difficult. I’m controlling my portions. We order a meal that serves one. I eat 1/3 of that and Brian eats the rest. We may have a side of some fruit or a small portion of pistachio nuts with that.

I’m taking supplements to help my digestion. I let Chia Seeds sit in a full glass of water for at least 10 minutes in the morning and then drink it down. I take a tablespoon of olive oil. Before dinner I drink 1/3 of a bottle of probiotic liquid. Before bed I take a probiotic pill. This combination has been truly wonderful for me. This has solved digestion problems here, but it also has made me more regular than I have been in my entire life.

I’m exercising every day. I will never be an exercise enthusiast, but I realize how important it is to my health now. I walk a mile on the treadmill every morning, 7 days a week. I used to hold on to the bars on the treadmill for dear life because my sense of balance was impaired by my surgery in February. Now I can walk not holding on at all. I still have to correct at times, but basically am comfortable so that I can now increase my speed a bit as well as the incline percentage.

I do either yoga stretching or exercises for my arms with water bottles on alternate days for half an hour. I also do some daily balance exercises I found on the net, plus dance daily for several minutes to some really great music on my computer.

Problem areas:

  • My belly will be the last to go. I’m trying to include belly exercises, but I’m also reading that some of these may actually make my problem worse. Encouraging, right?
  • My sense of balance is controlled by my inner ear and my brain. My balance and hearing were both impacted by either the anesthesia or the fact that my heart stopped twice on Feb. 11th and had surgeries to install a temporary, then permanent, pacemaker. I am now wearing hearing aids. I’m adapting to wearing them, while re-training my brain and body is a slow process.

Otherwise, I’m feeling better. I have more energy. I’m feeling more sure on my feet. Brian says I’m stumbling less over the very uneven sidewalks and streets here now. My blood pressure has improved to the point I’m on half the dosage I started on back in April. I haven’t been sick in the 7 months I have been here. Soon, I hope, I can shop for jeans that fit and a few new tops.

Onward and downward – I hope!

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November 16, 2025 · 11:07 pm

It’s Monday, Nov. 17, 2025

Newest painted sketch.

This pampered lady took her clothes (the largest part of it) to the laundry. It will be ready to pick up tomorrow a little after 9:00. Can you believe that? I have never been able to take advantage of a service like this before and I am loving it! 😊

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The repair men are due here around 1:30 to 2:00 this afternoon to see if they can fix my door. I sure hope they can do something so I can just walk out of my condo and back in again any time I would like without having to text my son…

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I lost another bit of weight, and now am 7 lbs from my goal. I may adjust that once I get there, but it seems like a good weight for maintenance purposes. It’s in the healthy range for my height on the BMI chart. More importantly, I am FEELING better now than I have felt in a long time. The combination of eating twice a day, watching my portions, not eating between meals, and then exercising are finally coming together.

I’m walking on the treadmill, doing online balance exercises, old lady yoga stretches alternating with exercises with water bottles for my arms so I do each every other day. I’m dancing to wonderful music on my computer, just to be moving around and grinning like an idiot.

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I am getting started on sketching and hand painting Christmas cards for the locals here. This will take me some time, so I’m trying to work on the project a bit each day so I won’t feel rushed toward the deadline. I will be giving them to people as I see them, so the distribution will take some time, as well. What a happy way to spend time between now and Christmas!

I did a little research on Christmas in Chiang Mai, and discovered though most people here are Buddhist, they like the idea of giving and receiving gifts, Christmas decorations, music, and festivals, so there are several ways to celebrate. I’ll be sharing some of that with you in the coming month.

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I hope that this is the beginning of a really nice week for you.

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October 26, 2025 · 2:17 am

“Take Less of Me….”

“Give your all to me
I’ll give my all to you
You’re my end and my beginning
Even when I lose, I’m winning
‘Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh-oh”~ “All of Me” by John Legend

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This is a selfie taken just a few minutes ago. I’m going ahead and providing a progress report on my efforts to lose my lard for the end of October 2025.

This is my husband and me at “Lunch Bunch” at The Pizza Barn in Arkansas about a year and a half ago. At my heaviest (two years or more ago) I weighed 205.

As of today, I’ve lost 80 pounds and 85 inches. I still have about 10 lbs or so to go, but I can finally see the end goal and believe I can actually reach it.

I feel better now, since I’m finally in the normal, healthy range of the BMI chart for my height. I’ll make the final decision on where I want to maintain and concentrate more on fitness after I lose the next 10 lbs.

I don’t know if you can tell a difference or not. I can tell you I’ve had to alter the waist in my jeans 4 times now since I moved to Thailand in April. I will celebrate, getting two pairs of jeans that FIT when I reach my goal weight.

It’s funny. Although I’m pleased about the weight and inches loss, I’m wondering from time to time whether it’s better to have smooth skin filled out by fat or to be thinner with lots of excess skin and lots of wrinkles. I think of myself now as a Shar-Pei type of person…

Reddit

I will just concentrate on meeting my weight goal while continuing to exercise to increase my strength and stamina, plus regain my sense of balance since I lost it after being in the hospital in February. I’m walking a mile each day on the treadmill at the gym. I also do a session of yoga stretches one day and dance to really bouncy music with water bottles in my hands as weights with which I do exercises for my arms on the next day. My son, Brian, and I also try to walk to places that are close to the condo to get more exercise in.

It would be nice to meet my goal by the end of 2025. I’m not in any huge hurry. I’m trying to eat healthy things, enjoying trying Thai cuisine as well as eating “Western style” low carb meals. We’re eating breakfast and dinner each day, and I have an iced coffee mid afternoon. No snacks. I’m drinking lots and lots of water until I feel my eyeballs are floating. All this is working together to undo some of the damage I had before I moved here. I want to be healthy to be able to enjoy exploring this fascinating country!

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October 17, 2025 · 9:21 pm

Saturday, Oct. 18 – 2025

Just one example of beauty you see everywhere in Thailand.

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After a super busy day yesterday, Brian and I are enjoying a couple of recoup days. I will do my normal stuff, enjoying the fact that I can move from one activity to another at the time of my choosing, not feeling rushed or obligated, and maybe even sneaking in a nap or two if I feel like it.

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I did well at the gym this morning. I’m trying to retrain my brain to improve my sense of balance since my surgery in February. My loss of hearing at that time also certainly affected my sense of balance.

I now wear hearing aids that are absolutely wonderful. They are so comfortable that I sometimes forget I’m wearing them. I do take them out when I’m alone, just to rest the inside of my ears a bit. So – if you come to see me and I’m not wearing them – and I don’t put them in while you watch – it’s definitely a message to you…. 🤣😂

Now that my hearing is corrected, it remains up to me to retrain my brain and body to keep my balance, whether I’m walking on rough terrain, bumpy streets and sidewalks, or on the treadmill.

When I started going to the gym every morning in May, I held on to the handlebars of the treadmill tightly. I was STILL swaying, listing to the right or left, having to slow my speed, etc., really concentrating on keeping my balance and not falling on my head.

My retraining has slowly worked! Now I am walking on the treadmill without holding on to the handlebars at all. I feel much more steady, able to look around at what is beside the path on the video without losing my balance. I can even check what’s going on outside a bit. Occasionally the video will turn abruptly and cause me to have to recorrect, or I’ll lose concentration and finding myself ‘listing’ to one side or the other, but the daily practice is definitely helping.

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Ah, the life of a retired, spoiled lady! Now that my wash is on my drying rack on my balcony outside, my biggest decision is whether to work on my jigsaw puzzle or start painting a sketch after I finish my blog posts. 😁

Make this a great day!

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October 10, 2025 · 9:48 pm

Treadmill Travels

Daily Paws

As I walk on the treadmill each morning, I’m in awe of the videos on the treadmill screen. Someone I guess has a business of traveling to different locations and filming paths one can walk in each location. They do it with great expertise. You feel as if you are actually there, walking on the path, turning when they turn, walking up steps, over rocks, down slopes, across bridges – even off the edge of cliffs when the camera plays with your mind, giving you a gorgeous view before changing to another path.

I’m enjoying virtual vacations as I try to improve my balance, my steadiness, and my stamina.

There is a nice video about Hawaii. I usually have to research, using my memory of what I’ve seen, to figure out the location because it isn’t given on the video. Certain places like Hawaii are easy to figure out, though I can’t tell you where each location was.

This image was taken by Tasha Marie of Unsplash. (I’m trying to give you the FLAVOR of the images on the video, since I can’t give credit to the actual image makers.)

There is a gorgeous stretch of sandy beach, where you walk along, admiring the nice waves coming in on your left. The video moves you closer to the water as you walk, getting your feet wet, then finally walking in the waves a bit. It’s glorious. The only thing missing for me is sandpipers skittering across the sand on their long, long legs, making me laugh.

Mike Sirotin Photography

There is a lava field in one part of the video similar to this one. There are white markers along a ‘path’ considered safe to hike on. The lava field covers part of a road in one area of the video. It’s awe-inspiring to see what power nature has to change the landscape of our world.

This image is similar to a section of the video where you hike through heavily wooded jungle-type areas with sometimes very narrow paths. You can almost hear the call of birds as you walk.

Photo by 1234Kidswilltravel

Waterfalls large and small spill into creeks rushing beside your path as you walk, or off in the distance a bit, making you goggle at the majesty of nature.

I hope I’ve given you an idea of the expertise of the people who create and sell videos to gyms – and I guess they are available if you purchase your own treadmill to use at home.

They provide a distraction from the fact you’re exercising, if you’re a lazy person like me; they provide focus so that I can let go of the handlebars and concentrate on changing my balance as needed to stay on the paths; they show you places in the world you probably won’t ever get the chance to actual visit – led by someone who won’t let you get lost!

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September 30, 2025 · 12:48 am

“Losing the Lard” Progress Report

Noemar – @noemardau.bsky.social

I absolutely LOVE this mug. No words are needed. One look and you react.

The progress report for September 2025 is encouraging, though slow, as usual. My “Losing the Lard” project started a couple of years ago. I have hit every snag, bump in the road, pothole, plateau and stagnation possible during that time. I have become a master of making excuses for what went wrong.

Dying twice February 11th in the hospital in Arkansas, having to have a temporary, then permanent pacemaker installed, then moving to Thailand and having a baseline assessment doctor totally concerned about my sky-high blood pressure – with orders to take a medication, lose weight and exercise – finally ended that. No more excuses. I needed to quit opening my mouth, start seriously moving my body, and embrace the fact that I have been given a second chance.

Since Thai food has LOTS and LOTS of carbs, my low-carb plan has been a challenge. “Western food” as it’s known here, is much more what I would like to eat, but it’s a lot more expensive. So I have changed to eating two meals daily – breakfast and dinner – with an iced coffee or chocolate in the afternoons, and sharing dinner with my son – with him eating 2/3 of whatever we get an me eating 1/3. We are eating chicken, pork, rarely beef, bacon, salad stuff, fruit, eggs, nuts, and some veggies. We are drinking mushroom tea with some beef bone broth mixed in each morning.

I moved to Thailand in April. Since the assessment by the doctor, I have lost 23 pounds. I am walking on the treadmill daily at the gym, doing yoga stretches, and dancing to music with water bottles for weights daily, plus regular walking.

PROGRESS TO DATE – I’ve lost 78 pounds total since my heaviest, and there are 74-3/4 inches less of me than at my heaviest. I’m undecided whether I want to lose 10 or 15 pounds at this point. I want to be in the middle of the ‘healthy weight’ section of the chart. I want to feel stronger, more flexible, and handle the uneven streets and sidewalks here in Thailand with more agility. I need to improve the balance issue I’ve had since being in the hospital. I’m working on that at the gym by not holding on to the handlebars of the treadmill, forcing my brain and my body to keep correcting to not fall on my head. It’s amazing to me how much more trouble I have staying balanced when the video on the screen in front of me is following a really curvy path and going in and out of dark places…

It’s good to be able to finally see reaching my goal in the relatively near future. Working toward my goal makes me feel that I am doing something good for myself.

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September 19, 2025 · 10:14 pm

Happy Milestone

Harvey is behind the couch. The fat lady on the right end of the couch is me in May of 2013, according to the date stamp.

This was taken about a year ago when we still lived in Arkansas. I had lost weight; but as you can see, I needed to close my mouth and move a LOT to get things more under control.

I don’t know if you can tell any difference here. It’s hard for me to take a selfie.

Here’s a view from the side.

And here I am, looking at you.

The milestone is that I’m under 130 pounds today for the first time in years. When I saw the scales, I measured twice to make sure, then decided to go ahead and do measurements for the month, since I won’t change that much in 10 days.

I’m down 73 pounds from my heaviest weight and there is 74-1/2 inches less of me now than at that time.

I’m still trying to watch my carbs, but we are limited here because of several factors –

  • Brian is trying to work full time plus take care of his dad in the nursing home plus take care of his mom. He likes ordering food and having it delivered rather than our cooking together or me cooking at his place.
  • Choices for delivery are limited as to how far away they are and whether they participate in Grab Delivery. Also, Thai food is not low carb. We can GET low carb, but it’s more expensive and usually the food here is spicy.

I have decided not to worry so much about how many carbs I’m eating, but limiting my meals and my portions. We eat breakfast and dinner. Sometimes I get an iced coffee mid-afternoon. We share our order for meals, with me eating 1/3 and Brian eating 2/3.

I’m walking at the gym most every morning. I’m concentrating on balance by not holding on to the bars of the treadmill, but the main thing is the moving every day. I’m doing long sessions of old lady yoga stretches, breathing into the stretches so I feel really loose by the end of my practice. I’m putting on headphones and bopping to dance music on my computer while holding a water bottle in each hand, doing exercises for my arms and back.

I am finally able to see a new beginning sometime soon where I stop the concentrating on losing weight and start concentrating maintenance and on getting more fit. I figure that 10 or 15 more pounds will get me where I will feel the healthiest.

I am having difficulty REALIZING that my weight is down, even though I just had to take in my jeans again. I want to wait and get jeans that FIT when I reach my final goal. I got some sweatshirts recently, and Brian had to insist I not get the one I had in my hand. I was used to having to go really large to cover my bulk. I went down two sizes and they are still quite roomy over another shirt!

I am trying to make the most of my second chance at life by listening to my body, trying to get as fit as I can, and showing discipline in my eating. 😜

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August 16, 2025 · 9:57 pm

The Rain is No Joke

“Torrential Downpour” – Vincent Chen – Medium

The “Rainy Season” is really living up to its name here lately.

My umbrella is open, drying on the floor by my door, from when we were out.

Yesterday I sopped up water from my center window leaking. Today I noticed wet footprints on the rug under my dining table next to the window. I now have used a bath towel to sop up water that leaked down the wall and under the rug. I have a fan pointed directly toward the area with the floor cleaned up the best I can and the bottom of the rug drying. I also had some leakage in my art alcove.

We will have to wait until November, when the rainy season is over, to get the windows resealed. At another time, when we have saved up enough money, we will look into getting the floor repaired. The most damage was done when the previous tenants had my place. I’m just trying to keep things at the level they are now, rather than allowing them to get worse.

“Joke” – eatingthaifood – Mark Wiens

We had a really nice breakfast. I told you about this dish before, but we hadn’t eaten it since the first time, so I had to have Brian remind me what it’s called. “Joke,” or rice porridge, is kind of like a breakfast stew here. Rice porridge is the base, but then whatever you have handy goes into the pot. We had sliced sausage in ours this morning. Brian says it usually has a bunch of ginger in it, sometimes making it ‘too spicy or hot’ for a lot of people (including me.) Today it was nicely flavored. I loved it – and only drank my water as a drink – not a lifesaver. 😃

I found another article about using my treadmill workout more efficiently. I’ve already told you about the Japanese Walking Method which I’ve been doing, consisting of 3 minutes ‘slow’ walking followed by 3 minutes ‘fast’ walking for 30 minutes. (except I do 2 slow and 3 fast so that I have a couple of minutes to cool down at the end of my workout.)

Yesterday I read about the 12-3-30 Method which consists of walking 30 minutes at a speed of 3mph at a 12% incline. (Since I’m old and WORKING on getting more fit, I did a modified version of that.) I did my Japanese method for the first 15 minutes, increasing the incline 1% at 5 minute intervals. The second 15 minutes I set the speed at 4mph and just kept bumping up the incline 1% each 5 minutes. I ended up at 6% incline before I started my cool down.) We’ll see if I’m stiff and sore tomorrow. 😜

Chuckles – Pinterest

I finally broke through my plateau on losing my lard. This morning my BMI chart is smiling at me getting well into the healthy range. (I have been in the morbidly obese, then obese range for about 5 years now.) My BMI is 22 now.

I have lost 73 pounds since my heaviest now. (Almost 19 pounds since my initial doctor visit here.) I’m hoping she will see that I’m serious about trying to take care of myself, lose the lard, and get in better shape.

I hope that your day is a good one, giving you a big smile at least once.

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August 3, 2025 · 11:37 pm

Thoughts on a Monday 8-4

This is my new haircut. It feels good and is super easy to care for, with my just having to blow it dry when I shower each morning.

I’m having a quiet day today. I walked a little over a mile on the treadmill using my new ‘slow-then-fast-for-me’ walking method. (Japanese Walking). I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now. The video says that this method is much more effective for health than the ‘set-the-speed-and-walk-for-30-minutes’ method I was using before. It sure keeps me more ‘engaged’. I’m walking for a slow speed for 2 minutes, then fast-for-me for 3 minutes in 5 minute increments over and over for the 30 minutes, so I have a slow speed to warm up and one to cool down at the end.

Today is a quiet day for us, with nothing we HAVE to do, so Brian and I ate breakfast and talked a bit, and will meet again for dinner this evening. Otherwise, we are free to do what we want. Brian will work and I will play. I feel a bit guilty about that – but, having worked all my life starting with summer jobs at 14, I feel I that embracing my fun and sloth is a wonderful thing.

I’m working on painting some sketches I started recently. I’m also making progress (in fits and starts) on my owls puzzle. Sometimes I think I won’t live long enough to finish this one, which is truly challenging. You can’t tell what part you’re working on, even after studying the picture. I’m looking forward to the day when I can display the finished puzzle for you!😋

I’m exercising with Mike, from More Life Health on my computer. He gears his workouts on various parts of the body so that you can choose what you feel you’re missing from your other exercising, geared to seniors. I do one of his workouts several times each week. No special equipment needed and the site is free.

I’m reading a good book on my Kindle; enjoying finding things I think are great on the computer; writing blog posts I hope you’ll enjoy; doing my yoga stretches and other new exercises; and more. The biggest problem is deciding what I want to do when!

I hope you are finding things that give you joy in your day.

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July 16, 2025 · 12:51 am

Thoughts on Wednesday, July 16, 2025

This is a gazing ball that I covered in mosaic style to sit on in the middle of our birdbath in our yard in Arkansas. I loved the process, and it gave us joy for many years.

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I spent an hour on the phone with our insurance company last night. We hope that we are sending what they want today and that things will be approved soon.

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At dinner last night, Brian and I were discussing exercising – what we wanted to get from it. A few years ago, Brian did a bunch of weight lifting and exercising with a trainer and beefed up his muscles significantly. He gradually decided that he wanted to emphasize being healthy rather than concentrating on the muscles. When I told him I wanted to improve my stamina, particularly for walking here in Thailand; improve my flexibility, balance, etc., he showed me a couple of things he does every morning –

  1. He just stands in the middle of the room and moves his head back as far as he can, looking at the ceiling. (I will try this, but will be standing next to something for balance, as that will make me dizzy.)
  2. Another move is to reach up over his head with both arms, pointing them to the ceiling. He stretches up, up, and up again, breathing into it, then stands up on his toes, stretching even farther. He hears a pop or two. (I’m not sure what I’LL hear, but, again, I’ll probably stand beside a wall or my couch.)
  3. A third move is to stand with legs spread, balanced. Put arms over head, then bend to the left as far as you can. Straighten, then bend to the right. Repeat several times, breathing into it.
  4. Finally, stand with plenty of room around you. Straighten your arms out to the sides. Then turn one direction as far as you can, wrapping your arms around your body to increase the stretch as much as you can. Repeat on the other side.

I’m going to add these to my yoga practice each day, where I’ve already added the strengthening-my-back exercises my doctor showed me. Hopefully, these – along with my walking a mile on the treadmill at the gym each morning – will work together to help me meet my goals.

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July 13, 2025 · 10:45 pm

Thoughts on a Monday

Freepik

We had beautiful weather here in Chiang Mai this morning. I did my 30 minutes on the treadmill with no problem, doing two minutes at a slower speed and then 3 minutes on a fast one for me, then back again, over and over until my time was up. I’m am finding this keeps my interest more than simply setting a speed and mindlessly watching the hiking videos on the screen. I don’t know if it’s really more effective at getting me more fit or not. I’ll see if I’ve lost anything more when I measure at the end of July.

I’m finally getting to the place where I can see I might actually reach my losing the lard goal set so long ago. My motivation to eat smaller portions, MANY fewer carbs, no added salt, and drink plenty of water during the day has increased as I move closer to my goal.

This is a photo of me when we were still in Arkansas. I had already lost some of my lard here, but obviously needed to get more serious.

Brian took this photo this morning after we finished breakfast. I’m wearing some new shorts and a tee that I can use for workout or lazing around in my condo. You may not be able to tell any difference, but I FEEL better now.

I’m down 68 pounds from my heaviest. I still want to lose 20 to 25 or so pounds and see how I feel then. I’m happy that I can do the workout on the treadmill so much more easily. Brian notices that I’m more agile, less apt to stumble on the uneven sidewalks and walkways than I was and I’m walking faster. I’m still having a problem with the humidity here, but I’m going to get better at that, too.

We still have a pretty large to-do list from the move to do, but we’ve had to space some things out for various reasons. Having fewer ‘have-to’s’ is bringing up our spirits. Today is a day that we can’t do anything on our list, so Brian is at work and I have the day to play in my condo.

My laundry is drying on the drying rack on my balcony. I’ve straightened the condo so all is in the right place. I’m planning to enjoy writing a couple of blog posts, spend some time trying to make progress on my puzzle. I’m into a wonderful new book by Lee Child and his younger brother Andrew Child, called, “Sentinel.”

I’m having a blast choosing drawings I find on the net and trying to reproduce them in my sketchbook. Drawing is still one of my weak spots in trying to create art, but I’m improving a bit.

Have a wonderful day or evening! Find something that brings you joy!

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July 5, 2025 · 3:28 am

Evolving Exercise?

Freepik

Since I’m not EVER going to be an ‘exercise afficionado,’ – particularly since it’s a bit late to start at 78 – I’m trying to make the exercise I AM doing do the most for me.

I read an article recently (actually, my friend Marsha pointed it out to me) that the Japanese had done a study that showed that, instead of just getting on the treadmill, setting the speed, and walking for 30 minutes (1 mile) as I have been doing for about a month and a half now, it’s more effective if you start with a warm-up of a couple of minutes, then increase your speed as if you were going to miss a bus, be late for work, etc. for a few minutes, and then go back to slow, repeating over and over for the same 30 minute session.

I don’t really know if it’s really doing me much more good than what I was mindlessly slogging through before, but it keeps my interest and makes me FEEL like I’m doing myself more good.

I’ve been doing what I call, “Old lady yoga stretches” for quite a while now, hoping to keep myself as flexible as possible, improve my balance, loosen stiff muscles, etc. The problem is that I’ve been planning to do my session in the evening after dinner.

I’ve finally recognized a tendency to either shorten my session or just put it off altogether due to my innate laziness. SO – now I’ve changed to doing my session in the afternoon, when I’m still relatively fresh, not sleepy, and more likely to do a full length session, slowly, with intention. (Like as soon as I finish writing this post!)

Last, my doctor here in Thailand recommended three exercises for me to do to strengthen my back when I told her about my ‘mystery debilitating back spasms’ from which I suffered for about a week.

I don’t have weights, but I DO have 1 liter bottles of water. I’m doing two of the exercises using one of the bottles. I’ll increase that to two when this gets easier.

The first exercise is to stand holding the bottle close to your body with both hands in front of you. You twist as far as you can to the left, then back to the front, then twist as far as you can to the right and back again. I’m doing 20 reps.

The second exercise starts with you standing holding the bottle in front of you legs spread for balance. You reach as far as you can up and to the left, hold, then bring it back. Then reach as far as you can up and to the right, hold, then bring it back. I’m doing 20 reps of this one, too.

The third exercise is really a challenge for me. I’m combining it with my yoga stretches. I’m flat on my stomach on my mat, arms in front of me on the floor in a ‘V’ shape. Then I’m supposed to lift up my arms and my head and as much of me as possible from the waist up off the floor and hold.

Yeah, right.

I’m doing the best I can, but I’m barely able to lift anything from my waist up off the floor now. I’m looking at this as the same theory as the lady who created the yoga video for seniors. She said that it doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes. If you are TRYING to touch your toes, bend over as far as you can and breathe into it, you are doing the same good for your body as if you DID touch your toes. Your body is stretching toward your goal and will give a bit more each day. I’m HOPING that – if I keep lifting up as much as I can each day – gradually I’ll do better and better. The lifting and stretching will hopefully strengthen my back a bit at a time.

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June 28, 2025 · 9:31 pm

“Take Less of Me…”

Willie Nelson – “Take All of Me…” – Wikipedia

“All of me
Why not take all of me?”

I love this song by Willie Nelson. I immediately started humming it when I was weighing and measuring for my end of the month reporting on my efforts to lose the lard – except I sang, “Less of me – Why not take less of me?”

I’m finally entering a phase where I can actually see what might be the end of my efforts to LOSE and the beginning of maintenance. I’ve been at this a LONG time and I had honestly begun to doubt my ability to actually achieve my goal.

As of today, I’ve lost almost 67 pounds and 60 inches since my heaviest. Even though Lynn, my much appreciated and much missed massage therapist did what she could to make me taller, it didn’t work. So I’ve continued to eat low carb and exercise more. I’m now finally within sight of my goal to be in the middle to lower end of the healthy range on a BMI chart and to continue my efforts to get more fit and flexible.

I talked to Brian this morning at breakfast. He has been helping and supporting me, but has lately been getting further and further from strict low carb, trying to introduce me to nice food here, plus just pamper me. We have agreed to be stricter about the low carb, and that instead of each of us getting half of whatever we order, I’ll get one-third and he’ll get two-thirds. I would LIKE to get to my goal weight by my next visit to the doctor – in about two months. Brian and I have agreed that I’ll aim to lose 1 kilo a week (or 2.2 pounds.)

I’m walking a mile on the treadmill at the gym each morning and I’m doing yoga stretches (now in the afternoon) as well as 3 new exercises to strengthen my back.

I hope there will be ‘less of me’ at the end of July!

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December 17, 2024 · 10:15 am

Tuesday 12-17-2024

PsychoBitch Lou – via Deb Miller – Pinterest

Today seems to be one of challenge.

First, our ice maker in the fridge is on the fritz. It’s going VERY slowly, grudgingly spitting out a few cubes a day. We changed the filter, checked the water, made sure the ICE OFF button is NOT pushed, so I’ve now arranged for a repairman to come look at it. He can’t be here until the 30th, so we may arrange for some ice trays in the meantime.

Second, I’m going to TRY to get the smart light bulb my husband bought to work. I’m the most non-tech-savvy person you’ve ever met (although I DID get my smart watch to work again-HOOORAAAAAY), so I’ll give it my best shot.

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Keto Cheeseburger Casserole

We tried the recipe by Vered DeLeeuw of the Healthy Recipes Blog, and my husband pronounced it, “YUMMY!” wanting it to be added to our wonderful dinner list. I’ll make twice as much next time so we have lots of leftovers.

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Since I gave the memory boxes I painted to the residents of the retirement place yesterday, I now have room on my shelves to spread out what I’ve listed for sale on my Etsy site. I’ll reorganize that this afternoon.

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Big Stock Photo

I’ve told you, ad nauseam, possibly, about my efforts to lose the lard and get what’s left more healthy, flexible, and strong as possible.

I’m doing sessions of exercises with 3 lb weights in-between blog posts, trying to strengthen my arms and shoulders. I also do sessions with the weights to music provided through YouTube Videos of women doing “Fit Sticks,” exercises to catchy songs with drum sticks and humongous exercise balls to beat the sticks on while moving to the beat. It’s a fun thing for me to do, making me feel I have company. :0)

I found some chair exercises to try to strengthen my abdomen. I can do most of them, and am now doing at least one session of the 6 exercises daily. There are TWO exercises, though, that call for more strength in the arms than I have. I’m hoping the WEIGHTS exercises will one day enable me to do the remaining CHAIR exercises…

Finally, my half hour or so yoga practice daily allows me to relax (unless Monster Cat attacks my feet), and really stretch things out. I’m not folding myself into a paper airplane and flying across the room. I’m concentrating on stretches and breathing into each one, increasing my flexibility, throwing in a few exercises for my stomach, and hoping to strengthen my core.

I want to continue living in as healthy a fashion as I can. Low carb eating, losing the lard, and moving what’s left of me as much as is reasonable seems a good way to go about it.

Make your Tuesday a fun one.

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December 6, 2024 · 10:09 am

Character-Building Exercises

Indian Hills Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I whine from time to time that my efforts to lose the lard and get stronger are frustrated.

I’m into a routine now.

I’m eating low carb and monitoring what I’m eating and drinking on MyFitnessPal.com. This is a wonderful site with a free part that allows you to (1) set your goals (2) plan what you’re going to eat and drink ahead of time BEFORE you mess up, and (3) chart your progress with exercising, measurements and weight logs.

Womens Health

In-between posts on the blog to you, I’m doing short sessions of exercises with 3-pound weights, several reps of lots of different moves – some to the beat of music videos of ladies doing ‘drumming exercises’- and then I go back and write another post. This takes the ‘curse’ off of things for me. I have the weights on my computer counter right next to me, so it’s easy to stop, do a session, and then get back to what I was doing. I end up doing 4 to 5 sessions daily.

The Indian Express

I try to get in a session of “old-lady-yoga-stretches” – 30 to 45 minutes – every afternoon. I do NOT fold myself up into a paper airplane shape and sail across the room. I’m concentrating on relaxing, stretching my poor, aching body as far as I can into each position and breathing into it. I’m making progress because I’m stretching farther and able to relax into it better than I could when I started. I’m getting more flexible, looser, and my balance is improving. I can relax – unless Monster Cat decides to jump onto my feet and bite them.

Getty Images – Health

If the weather permits, I try to take at least a couple of walks around our yard daily. At one point, I decided I would walk down and get our mail every day. Doesn’t sound like much, does it.

Well, we live on top of a ridge line in Arkansas. Our driveway is 650+ feet from the house down to the road that runs in front of our property. It is graveled and STEEP. I tried to do this, but almost fell on my head several times trying to walk down, and then, even stopping several times to bend over and try to catch my breath, it felt like Mt. Everest to this old lady. Once was enough.

Now I walk out to our shop, around it, past our old veggie garden area, back to the house, around it, and do the round again. If the weather is nice, I put my gardening gloves on and carry my pruning shears so I can stop and cut something down while I’m out. (The woods are continually trying to recapture the land we took when we built our home 37 years ago now.)

Deviant Art

Finally, just for giggles, my husband helped me get our old Wii Fit to work again after several years. I stopped using it years ago due to my general laziness and it’s predilection for snark when I got on to measure my weight and when I tried to do the activities. I’m ignoring that and talking back to it now. :0)

I whine because even with watching what I eat like a hawk and pushing myself to move the lard daily, I’m having trouble meeting my current interim goal. I just bobble with 2 to 3 pounds over and over rather than actually meeting my goal and being able to set a new one. It’s aggravating, to say the least.

I guess it’s also character-building, because I AM sticking to my eating and exercise plan and I WILL – EVENTUALLY – reach this interim goal of 45 pounds off from my heaviest. Right now the result is 44 pounds down and almost 44 inches less. I. AM. DETERMINED.

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November 20, 2024 · 10:05 am

Wednesday 11-20-2024

americasbestpics.com

Other than not “waking up rich,” I’m doing pretty well this morning.

THE DAY’S PROJECTS –

THING ONE – I’m going to move warm weather clothes and shoes OUT of my closet upstairs and move cold weather clothes and shoes IN. This is a bit more work than it sounds. Because I’m finally being moderately successful in losing my lard, I have several sizes of clothes. I’ll need to gather warm weather clothes that are now too large for me to wear to give to the Veterans Thrift Store the next time we go. I’ll need to try on old cold weather clothes to see what is wearable and what isn’t.

THING TWO – I cook in batches, trying to be sure there is enough for at least two meals for my husband and me, and more, if possible. This results in a lot of storage and labeling of lots of individual meals in the freezer for us. My collection of plastic containers is stained with tomato-y stains. I’ve done everything, including sand blasting (just kidding) to get the stains out, but to no avail. Some of the tops are splitting. I finally ordered two groups of containers – one round, one square with lids that MAY arrive today. If they do, I’ll do a reorganization of at least two large pull-out drawers in my kitchen. Having new, unstained containers may not seem like a big thing to YOU, but it’ll be a real gift to me. Out with the old – in with the new! :0)

EXERCISING AND LOSING THE LARD –

India Times

I’m definitely starting to feel stronger and looser with my exercises. I’m using weights to gain upper body strength. I stop between blog posts, between emails, etc., to do a set of exercises with the 3-pound weights, and then go back to what I was doing. The fact that I don’t have to designate a time to do these results in SEVERAL sessions each day with the weights – some with videos with music – so I can bop along with ladies doing other stuff – all of us keeping time with the beat.

In the afternoon I do a good half hour of old lady stretches with yoga. I’m able to stretch farther and hold the poses longer than before. I still can’t fold myself into a paper airplane, like real yoga people do, but it’s good for an old lady like me. It’s making me more flexible, eases any pain I have, and having a strong core will keep me able to do what I would like for as long as possible.

Finally, when Mother Nature is smiling on us, I walk out to our shop and then around the yard, usually with a pruner and gloves so I can snip things as I go. I’m still on baby steps on walking, since walking a bunch tends to make my hips hurt until I sit a second, but I’m improving. My ‘kind-of-smart’ watch keeps track of steps and reminds me it’s time to exercise or drink another glass of water. Did I tell you my eyeballs are floating by the end of the day?

NEW FIND – I found a new social media site two days ago. It’s called “Blue Sky.” So far, I’ve found some interesting people. I’m reading a lot, following the people who interest me, chatting with some. It’s fun. You might like it, too.

LINDA’S CRAFTINESS – Hand-wood-burned and painted one-of-a-kind wood slice Christmas ornament. I will personalize it for you with the year and a name on the back to create a cherished keepsake at no extra charge. $14.00 with Free Shipping. See this and other Christmas offerings on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

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November 17, 2024 · 9:36 am

Sunday 11-17-2024

Riekie – Rhonda Pelletier – Pinterest
giphy.gif

SPECIAL DAY –

My husband is having a birthday tomorrow. He doesn’t want to TALK about it, DO anything about it, or even THINK about it. Last year he was hyped because turning “80” had panache. 81 is simply old. I think you can FEEL him frowning. I’ll just try to make his day as pleasant as possible and let it go at that.

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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS –

One-of-a-kind set of 4 hand-wood-burned & hand-painted wood slice Christmas ornaments. I will personalize each with the year and a name on the back of each to create a cherished keepsake at no extra charge. 3.25″ in diameter and the slices are about 1/2″ thick. natural beige hanging ties are attached. Only one set available. $44.99 with Free Shipping at HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy. Use the link to see this and other Christmas decorations.

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Indian Hills Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy

BUILDING HABITS WITH INTENTION – My idea of exercising with my 3-pound weights in-between blog posts, or other activities on the computer is working well. I stop often, doing a good set of exercises right beside my computer with the weights, then put them down on the counter and get back to my computer. I did this 5 times yesterday, getting in a good amount of exercise during the day.

I’m rounding this out with my yoga stretches, even though Monster Cat has decided that I’m teasing her by getting down on the floor on the mat. She crawls under the end of the mat, then leaps out and attacks my foot, then dashes under the mat again. Yesterday I brought my foot down on top of her, letting her know that I didn’t appreciate her efforts while I was trying to relax.

She retaliated later by jumping into the empty cardboard box we usually keep for her in the middle of the floor. (I put it up on the sofa when I’m doing my yoga.) She played around in it and then attempted to jump out of it and pulled the whole box down with her to the floor – on top of my head and outstretched arms. My husband died laughing, but did retrieve the box and move it to the foyer, enticing her to follow him so I could finish my stretching.

When the weather is cooperative, I take at least a couple of walks during the day, out to the shop and around the yard, sometimes with pruning shears in my hand. This combination of weights, yoga, and walking is making me feel as if I’m doing a good thing for this old body.

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PLAYING IN MY ART ROOM –

Yesterday I added the wooden key chains I’ve made to my Etsy site. I created a new section called, “Small Unique Gifts” to list them and other small gifty things in the future. There are custom orders, such as the name designs above, and I’m offering to put a large initial, initials, or a name on the back at no extra charge. $10.00 with Free Shipping.

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I hope you’re doing fun things today. Enjoy every minute.

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October 31, 2024 · 5:01 pm

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Nourish, Move, Love

I sound like the older-than-dirt Rice Krispies commercial when I exercise. I’m drowning that out with earphones plugged into my computer where I listen to “Ladies Drumming” exercise videos where they use drumsticks to beat on exercise balls on platforms just below chest level to some fun music. Instead of their equipment, I’m holding 3-pound dumbbells and doing exercise moves I’ve learned elsewhere, keeping up with the beat. It makes the movement ALMOST fun. I just finished doing two of the videos before I was feeling it in my neck and shoulders.

I did quite a bit of walking (for me) when my husband and I went to do errands this morning. I’ll walk more before dinner.

Now I’ll go do a session of old-lady stretching yoga that will nicely fill out my exercise for the day.

I’ve tweaked my eating by adding the protein shake my doctor recommended daily, plus eating Zero Net-Carb Mission Tortillas, one for lunch and another for dinner, adding 14 grams of fiber daily. I’m drinking more water in-between.

I’m almost to another milestone for me – one of my interim goal marks, and I hope to be able to claim that by the end of this week.

I splurged, though, today, because my husband wanted to stop at our local grocery so he could get a chicken/mashed-potato-bowl for lunch. I caved and got two chicken tenders. I ate one with lunch today and will have the other tomorrow. This allows me to realize that this is a lifestyle change for the rest of my life, not just a ‘diet’ that will end at some point, and that small splurges from time to time add motivation while keeping me from feeling deprived.

We enjoyed delicious BBQ ribs from Stu’s Clean Cookin’ last night. I divided the rack we bought into two pieces. I put one in the fridge to eat last night and the other piece in the freezer for another time. When it was cooked, I divided it again so we both enjoyed 4 ribs with a side salad. My husband had a roll and I had a tortilla. Tonight we’re eating some leftover “Simply Keto Chicken” by Suzanne Ryan.

If you need a laugh, you can picture me on the floor, snap, crackling and popping my way through my yoga stretches while Monster Cat either tries to bite my toes, sit on my stomach, or walk under me as I stretch up on my hands and knees…

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October 15, 2024 · 10:20 am

Tuesday 10-15-2024

Ayse Cakan-Pinterest

Good morning! I’m having a slow start getting to my blog this morning. I had a note on the chat program from our son, asking me to open a PDF file. It’s from the IRS, saying he owes them money. Since our son lives across the world from us, I wrote the check, signed the form and will mail everything later today or tomorrow. Our son pays us back right away, so it isn’t a big problem.

I started a new account on Facebook two days ago because I wanted to read a new blog there. Someone hacked my account years ago and Facebook wouldn’t help me, so I closed my account. I started looking at things there, joined a few local groups, tried to find some of my old friends, commented on a few posts, etc.

I received a notice in my email later from Facebook saying my account was suspended because I hadn’t followed their rules. They didn’t point to anything, so I have no clue. I appealed the decision, saying if they would let me know what I had done, I would make every effort not to repeat it. I haven’t heard anything since, and I’m still suspended, so you MAY be reading the words of a ‘terrorist,’ though, from what I’ve read elsewhere, Facebook allows THAT…

Montgomery Child Care Association

We don’t have anything scheduled today. I’m hoping that things will be quiet around here. I’m working on a couple of signs in my art room, have ideas for two more, and am getting supplies gathered to try to paint some new stationery and/or note cards.

Freepik

I’ve been trying to walk more, to add to my weights videos and my yoga stretching. I ordered a competitor of the Fitbit watch. I don’t need the brand name and all I really want is for it to track my steps so that I can keep track and try to increase it each time. I should get it Thursday, I think.

Source Unknown

I’m on a bit of a plateau on my efforts to lose the lard since I started the protein shakes. I’m tweaking what I’m eating otherwise. I’ve read that eating too much protein can knock you out of ketosis, but I’ll keep doing this until my body has a chance to settle. It’s important that I increase the protein, so the tweaking and increasing movement will continue, hoping for the best.

The weather here has gotten so much cooler in the mornings and nights that not only have we turned off the a/c, but we wait to open the doors until closer to lunch time. What a welcome difference! Monster Cat is a bit ticked because she likes going out on the back porch. In the early evenings there are some bunnies running around and she fantasizes about catching them and eating them. Amber enjoys lying on the tiles right in the doorway to catch the nice breezes.

Our terrific tree guy wasn’t able to take the stray pup who has been visiting us. I didn’t see the pup yesterday, though, so I’m hopeful he’s moved on.

Hope your Tuesday is a fun one.

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October 13, 2024 · 9:23 am

Sunday 10-13-2024

Carol Larson-Pinterest

Today is supposed to be the last day of unusual heat for October. We’re due for a cold front tonight with much cooler temps tomorrow. HOOORAAAAY!

Meanwhile, we hired a wonderful tree guy who worked in the heat all day yesterday and will do it again today, trying to cut back trees or branches that look like they’ll dump into our driveway at the next severe weather or the coming snow and ice storms this winter.

We’ve maintained this ourselves for the almost 37 years we’ve been here, but we’re both too long in the tooth for chain-sawing and hauling branches to the side and dumping them off the edge of the driveway anymore.

He’s actually climbing the trees, lopping out the parts of them that cut off sunlight to the driveway, so we’ll have better melting of snow and ice.

He’s also going to clear out a bunch of the weed trees that are impeding our view across the back yard. He said that if he doesn’t finish today, he’ll be here after he finishes his regular work tomorrow. He is a really nice guy and takes what he’s doing seriously. We’re lucky to have found him. (As usual, the guy we found before him doesn’t have a working phone anymore.)

I finished these in the last couple of days and listed them in my Etsy shop.

I’ve started a couple more. My husband has been calmer and has been working on computer stuff, rather than what could be dangerous projects, so I’ve had more time to relax and play in my art room. It’s really great and I THINK that, plus music and reading are keeping me sane. :0)

I’ve tweaked my program for my health by

  • increasing my protein (I’m drinking a Premier Chocolate Protein Shake daily, plus eating some cottage cheese during the day),
  • taking the new med that is supposed to protect my kidney function, plus
  • continuing to increase drinking water daily and
  • losing more weight, plus
  • doing my weights videos and yoga stretching.

I’m having to really tweak my eating and drinking log on MyFitnessPal.com. I’ve decided to ignore the protein part of my macro since my doctor wants me to increase it, but I’m trying to watch everything else. I dropped some things I’ve been eating, substituted things, and moved other things around, but I was able to come up with a good combination for today. I love this website and would be lost without it.

I hope you’re doing well and having a fun weekend.

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October 1, 2024 · 9:17 am

Celebration!

Calvary Baptist Church of North Lenoir County

Yes, I’m definitely in celebration mode this morning, “tooting my own horn”, dancing around the room, grinning from ear to ear, dancing with the animals, dancing with my husband (who was very encouraging). I FINALLY REACHED THE 40-POUNDS OFF INTERIM GOAL!!!!!

Giphy.gif

WOO HOOOOOO! I’ve been trying to get to this goal for so long that I actually weighed myself several times before I really believed it. :0)

I hauled out my really old NutriSystem weight loss bears so that I could document the GREEN 40-pounds-off bear. (He has “40” embroidered on his chest.) I’ve lost track of how long ago it was that I earned him. The minute I quit eating the prepared NutriSystem meals, though, I began gaining it back. It just wasn’t sustainable for me.

Now I’m eating low carb, plus trying to cut down on salt, plus trying to drink more water, plus trying to exercise on a daily basis. This is something I can stick with and control, tweaking when necessary, reassessing goals as I go.

I’m a little past halfway now, I think to my ultimate goal- again assessing as I go. The overall plan now is to lose another 30 pounds or so and improving my blood work. I have now set my next 5-pound interim goal.

I will set my sights on the next NutriSystem Bear (50-pounds-off) when I reach the next goal.

Onward and Downward!

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January 9, 2022 · 10:05 am

Fitness

sent via email by a friend.

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