Learning to walk before I run

edinburgher

Work has been horrible this week and my diet has got out of control. I'm an emotional eater who eats when he is tired, bored, depressed, upset or tipsy! I also really like food  I have started trying to rein it in today and will manage to get to dinner on about 1300 calories before my evening meal.

I know what food is healthy and I can prepare it, it just takes time and inclination, two things that I am often short of. I also find that healthy food can actually a lot faffier to prepare than junk, usually as the energy density of the foods is lower.For example today, I had (high protein, lowish carb):

Breakfast - scrambled eggs, sliced chicken, strawberries, double espresso

Morning snack - small bag of puffed cheese "crisps", protein shake, small apple, double espresso

Lunch - mahoosive salad with about 1lb of veg, about 50g of Italian charcuterie, anchovies and some reduced fat houmous, caffeine free Diet C0ke

Afternoon snack - protein yoghurt, double espresso

Water - about 3l

A bacon roll, takeaway sandwich and chocolate would have been much easier! I really need to get back in control of this, I am only hurting myself.

Financially, anyone with even a passing interest in the economy will have realised that the stock markets are in freefall, with the US in a bear market. Without meaning to get too greedy, I remember the Great Financial Crisis and the two very disparate feelings of 1) being terrified that the sky was falling in and 2) wishing I had any spare money to invest. I didn't we were living in London paying off our student loans and saving for a house deposit. This time round it's different, as while I don't have huge amounts of cash on hand, I do have decent cashflow and access to plenty of money in the grand scheme of things. I've started making small top-ups to my SIPP as things continue to fall, because contrary to popular opinion, market timing has never done me that much harm. I'm not talking huge amounts, just £24 a day as things continue to get redder   I am hoping that if we ride this one out, the next bull market after they invent limitless clean energy will sort out our early retirement... Either that or the collapse of civilisation, definitely one of the two.

£72 paid into my SIPP (£90 after tax relief), £1.48 paid into my ISA and £1.48 OPed.

L9XSS

I’m with you on the economy, I follow the stock market daily and daytrade the market with my pension fund as and when I see fit, particularly EFTs. I’m cautious but have done OK, a lot more upside than downside. It’s helping me OP my mortgage which was always the plan with the 25% uplift from HMRC and utilising one of my SIPPs at 55 years of age.
im forecasting a bigger downturn as you say markets starting to move quickly. I think we are in for a long recession, not just the UK.

Cornish_mum

Hi Ed, sorry work is grim, the combo of that plus DD & new little DD makes the slipping of diet entirely understandable. I have been trying to lose 7kg for 11 years (DS related baby weight). 

We too are continuing to invest, the amount is governed by life factors rather than market timing and our choice of investments by ethical interests/long term demography consideration.  

Looking at the situation, I can’t see a turnaround for at least 12-18 months, I think we are likely quite a long way from the bottom of the dip. Also I suspect the recovery will be slower than after 2008 because of lack of global appetite for QE. I feel awful for people 5 years or less from retirement, who might be too exposed. 

edinburgher

@L9XSS @Cornish_mum -

Completely agree, think the world is in for a tough few years. The only reason I'm willing to buy into the fall is the fact that I have a long time frame of 18+ years for new purchases to recover. 

CM's comment re. Sequence of returns risk reminds me why I'm invested in a fund with lifestyling (not sure that's a word) 

Orangetoes

Feel your pain with the emotional eating! 

Alchemilla

Also feeling your pain with the emotional eating. The stress of little one is a good reason to slip.

I also eat when I experience (basically any) emotion!

edinburgher

After chatting with a very helpful coffee blogger, we are soon to the proud owners of a Sage Bambino Plus and Smart Grinder Pro.They were very knowledgeable and sent us a 15% off code for the Sage website, I used their referral link in return as a wee thank you for their time This was perhaps £15 dearer than the cheapest option elsewhere, but I'm happy enough to pay that for ordering direct for the manufacturer, simplifying warranty and servicing options etc.

£72.03 OPed, we're celebrating Father's Day with a lovely brunch platter that Mrs E ordered for me, a walk in a local park with the kids and a big steak for dinner, I am a man of simple pleasures these days

Suffolk_lass

Nothing wrong with simple pleasures. We don't do Father's Day here.

Whereas Mother's Day started as Mothering Sunday when I was a churchgoing child chorister and a simple bunch of violets went home with every child, Father's Day was an imported marketing thing as far as our household was concerned.

Karmacat

edinburgher said:

After chatting with a very helpful coffee blogger, we are soon to the proud owners of a Sage Bambino Plus and Smart Grinder Pro.They were very knowledgeable and sent us a 15% off code for the Sage website, I used their referral link in return as a wee thank you for their time This was perhaps £15 dearer than the cheapest option elsewhere, but I'm happy enough to pay that for ordering direct for the manufacturer, simplifying warranty and servicing options etc.

£72.03 OPed, we're celebrating Father's Day with a lovely brunch platter that Mrs E ordered for me, a walk in a local park with the kids and a big steak for dinner, I am a man of simple pleasures these days

That all sounds spot on, Ed - simplicity is also a direct purchase, as well as a local park and good food have a good day  

edinburgher

@Suffolk_lass - I'll take all the imported dad-based traditions I can find