Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

LadyWithAPlan

I am also impressed with my SIPP growth @KajiKita -  a mix of  getting clear on tax benefits of SIPPS in  HR tax  years so adding all money made over the £50k into my sipp when SE, now using my company to pay into my SIPP, not buying a home and keeping monthly bills down, and nearly £13k of market growth. 
I hardly put anything into my SIPP April 24 to Jan 25 (only £1k) due to my late invoices but I then  added over £6k from Feb 25 to March 2025  but kept it as cash and invested slowly as I watched the markets react to the Orange chaos  -  my sipp cash I have been  drip feeding it slowly over the last 3 months so I caught a lot of that rally and bought a lot at the dip. Lucky timing.

KajiKita said:

I pour small amounts of snack foods e.g. nuts, into teeny tiny bowls / dishes then close up the bag tightly and put it back in the cupboard in the kitchen - I’m not sure exactly what these bowl things are but it does help to control my consumption of them. 

Good luck with the date. I’d be upfront with him about who you are and what you plans and dreams are. If he’s interested he’ll tag along for the ride, if he’s not then ‘the rubbish will take itself out’ … 😉

very wise on the nuts.
The chap in question does know I am going away etc so I am surprised he wanting to take me out before I go, my friend says he has been banging on how great I am .. hmmm we will see - we organised date on phone on Wednesday and text yesterday but he has yet to contact me re the date tonight ... if he doesnt, I am ok and wont mention it

EMS this morning and the standard 5 mile round walk trip in the sunshine. So ate breakfast as soon as I got home at 10ish. Breakfast was a starter of organic spinach with apple cider vinegar and splash balsamic (which I love as a way to start my nutrition my body craves it). Then a GF beefburger (no bun) with my first attempt at that shaved cauli salad - cauli, marinated cucumber, organic tomato and more spinach, red spring onion, fresh herbs  and made a sauce with vinegar and dijon mayo.
The tomatoes were a bit watery and i didnt add the pistachio or chickpeas as I have a chicken to roast for lunch as I defrosted it yesterday and my friend is cooking me a late lunch


I walked past Morries on way back from gym as I need a new filter jug as mine has split - am using those filters KK suggested. The replacements in Sains were £32 so just need a faux version. However I keep buying more food/YS stuff every time I am in a supermarket so decided to not go in

Queen_of_the_Hive

LadyWithAPlan said:

Queen_of_the_Hive said:

Hey @LadyWithAPlan may I ask how you measure your visceral fat? I've just bought some new bathroom scales and they have this measurement. Mine is 16 on this scale so a bit to work on hey! 

Well done on the wins and MB. 

Visceral fat I gather is best measured on those pro fat readings machines you get on gyms. I used to use Boditrax in my gym and the place where I do the ems has a similar high tech reader.
However maybe your home scale is good enough - if you have a starting point then watching the Visceral fat go down is good enough  

FOOD/Nutrition/Exercise
I am back in the EMS studio and my core is really showing the results of doing a plank whilst being electrocuted There is still a layer of fat on the bottom half of my belly but  I am  4.5kg down from my heaviest weight last month and now back on eating super well. So clothes fitting and feeling much better.
I also danced at the festival and hit for 31k steps on Saturday (!)  as well as EMS Friday and Sunday...

Tried making my first omelette in the airfryer (pre fried mushrooms, onions, bacon) then added it all into a silicon loaf tin and cooked for 8 mins... served with lots of salad. Dinner for myself and my friend who currently helping me with the sidehustle stuff was airfried marinated salmon with bak choi, oyster mushrroms, pepper and also I heated some chickpeas witjh harissa spices and cumin/chilli and boiled it down and it was lovely and healthy
I am also on days I am not going out getting back to eating last meal and no snacking after 6pm. Done it the last 2 nights, I go to bed earlier and I wake up the next day feeling great and leaner.



Tx @TallGirl and Pennies 

The last weekend days  have been expensive ones,  a round of three cans of vodka/mixer at the  Saturday festival  were £26.99 and 3 x GF chips came to £30... the tickets were free as I had won 4 at £93 each plus Booking Fee.. However none of us was getting drunk at £9 a small can each...
Lunch last Friday turned into then a long day and evening out with friends... so I have not drank since Saturday and been keeping my expenses low.
I did for the first time ever check the half price elec that the Scottish energy company does suddenly at the weekend (11-4) so I waited to do my washing within the time frame.

SIDEHUSTLE HEAVEN
I now have THREE white boards plus a sticky yellow note white board all in operation ahead of my side hustle - dealing with various areas. I feel much better for having it all clearly in front of me I can check, tick off and add where I need..
Plus I have checked and already have some paid signups - I am very pleased at this.
There are lots of little fiddly things I need to sort, however I am super organised and can now see clearly.   I always feel where I feel 'tension' or 'slight fear' is a reminder I need to triple check everything as opposed to a reason to stop. I am also chanting for real success in reaching people and helping them.
I also have a wish list of things to do and a must do ..so actually happy I have not got much standard work on.
PLUS I have emailed various places and offered them a short version (90 min) talk on my programme

I have been promised money this week from the large invoices, there is work to be done only I can really do well and be trusted and I made it clear I am not adding to my invoice levels without some serious payments. I will keep you all informed..

WINNING
Just won tix to my favourite local festival - been really trying hard so pleased about that plus tix to a podcast - think my BIL will love it.
I definitely have the comping bug back again

VINTED - my £25 cash came thru on the sale. I will transfer it out and pop into my Tt isa. Now to add a few more things..

Thank you! I think there maybe one of those bodytrax machines at the leisure centre gym. 

Impressed with the steps count! Festival sounded fun. 

Also very impressed on the SIPP! Go LaPlan, 

Whiteboards - love it! Have one that is a bit too blank!

Well done on the diet - your aceing it! Mine not so well but keep trying.. 

LadyWithAPlan

@Queen_of_the_Hive Tx! Yes I am on a LaPlan mission to reduce stress and get things moving forward by more white boards 

I am feeling so much better for dropping the nearly 5kg - got another 5 at most to go 

Courgette

Hello, coming out of lurkdom to say hi! Very impressive weight loss/sipp/side hustle. 

Quick question- what does EMS stand for?

LadyWithAPlan

Courgette said:

Hello, coming out of lurkdom to say hi! Very impressive weight loss/sipp/side hustle. 

Quick question- what does EMS stand for?

Happy to hear from you ! 
Ems  is electrical muscle stimulation you have straps on you so when you do a squat it’s like you do 70 .. 
i have a referral code for a free full 20 min session - they across the country  - dm me if you want it and to see if they are by you (I get free sessions if you then signed up ) but the first full session is free 

I started it as a friend of mine mid pre menopause suddenly looked better than she ever had ..(known her since her 20s)  after 6 months of it - you do one or two. Sessions a well. 

I can really feel my old body is back and I feel strong - still a bit  more fat to shift but last 5 kg

dawnybabes

I second it, it’s amazing, it’s totally changed my shape and I can feel muscles where they weren’t before ! 

LadyWithAPlan

dawnybabes said:

I second it, it’s amazing, it’s totally changed my shape and I can feel muscles where they weren’t before ! 

Glad you getting such great results! 

My friend who I often holiday with (so sees me in a bikini) said last time we went swimming that my bottom has literally lifted upwards ! 

I really feel it in my Abs they have totally come back 

chicken stock again 
after the success of the ‘throw all the greens and no longer uber fresh salad leaves ‘ into the FR corn fed chicken stock soup success I did a similar soup yesterday 
I am determined to empty my freezer so I can turn it off whilst away so lots of frozen green veg thrown in there - plus edamame , fresh spinach etc - I then blended it - lots of cumin and onion powder . Yes it’s hot to be having soup but super nutritious and filling 

the freezer has a fair amount of left often bean meals so need to get through those as well so I am refusing to buy any food unless it’s sparkling water and greens 

edinburgher

 I am refusing to buy any food unless it’s sparkling water and greens 

What an epitaph! Well done on the using up.

I had 0% fat Greek yoghurt, protein granola and stewed apples. Sweet if dull.

LadyWithAPlan

edinburgher said:

 I am refusing to buy any food unless it’s sparkling water and greens 

What an epitaph! Well done on the using up.

I had 0% fat Greek yoghurt, protein granola and stewed apples. Sweet if dull.

This sentence is unlikely to ever happen again ..and with the obvious proviso  of tasting stuff at the very fabulous London food festival thats starting ) 
Just got some FR chicken breasts out but the freezer despite being defrosted a couple months ago (maybe March)  is a lot of YS bacon, GF sausages, more YS chicken, a fair few HM fakeaways involving beans and beef ... very wintery foods. plus frozen veg and berries.. 3 GF potato waffles and some frozen (not in shells but in muffin) whole eggs - I am trying for first time - not sure how to use those but where there is a will... (and google) . Plus various HM GF bread slices.. 

I do normally have a vegan protein shake a day but need to get the real food eaten... I love Greek yogurt and granola but am dairy sensitive and get obsessed with GF granola so cant have it in the house..
I have eaten nearly all the nuts.. I am not buying more.

Cornis* Sea*** hair stuff - review
Been using for maybe 3 weeks. I will say it gets incredibly sticky on my hair, the shampoo does not lather  -  this may be the level of gunk it all leaves on my hair - by the 3rd wash  every time  I use all 3 products my hair always  feels  awful and looks a bit greasy at the roots but thicker. elsewhere . so every 4th time at latest  I need to use another shampoo to make it clean.
so today I used my Klorane  shampoo (love) to get it cleaned - I need to every 3/4 time using this Cornish stuff . I am using only a bit of the conditioner and serum (less than instructed). However my hair is looking thicker and great today -  so not planning to send it back. Anyone else use it?


Whiteboard warrior
They (my whiteboards) are saving my bacon, so much admin in various stages and waiting on others, Tech stuff, logistics. I am basically using my own La Plan version of all project mgt tools that exist  - I have had 2 lots of friends say how incredibly motivating and inspiring it is watching me dream up and  build this huge side hustle project, however I am in the middle of it so also feel tired but I am not feeling overwhelmed. Just getting through it step by step. 

I have agreed to pay for use of projector so now need to build some animation graphics (!)  - ages ago  I bought 'Motion' a Mac software with other FCPX etc as a package  so I have a feeling I will be throwing some graphics and logos in and playing with stuff on the plane.. I  self taught  myself movie film editing - its easy, however  I have a feeling animation could be an absolute pain - having never tried  but its all about opening the vision.. and my project up and i have some amazing base graphics and logos.. I am looking at it as a playground
If I cant get anything sensible after a few hours playing (and also figuring out what elements work best)  I will pay someone . but understanding the basic tools will get me thinking on what is possible and then the experts perfect it

dawnybabes

I believe you can do anything if you want to !