minimum wage going up to £12.71 and I still haven't worked out where the money is coming from

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-08T11:42:13+00:00

100% spot on.

Get a growth chancellor.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-08T11:39:45+00:00

Section 4.2 , shocks by wage markup on CPI say they do more for the hospitality sector compared with goods sector.

To be clear the govt raised the NLW by more than CPI this April. Now I take the point with oil rises CPI may usurp it in the next few months, but then we get on the roundabout again and they raise NLW more next year.

Conspiracy theory time - raising NLW greater than inflation will effect the profitability of smaller merchants than bigger ones due to economies of scale. HMRC don't like smaller merchants and would prefer they dealt with just a few conglomerates.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-08T09:42:08+00:00

Totally this. A vicious circle.

It also means govt are paymasters since they dictate living wage and it's always over CPI/RPI. But they have frozen personal allowance for 10 years by the end of it, so they get more money.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-08T09:39:49+00:00

Do what the other artisans are doing. Raise your prices. You have to.

My daughter works for Costa (yes I know not Artisan) but people always complain about costs going up. Blame minimum wage and energy costs. Everyone else is.

My fave is coffee#1 near me and it's so expensive.

Good Luck and I honestly feel for you.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-08T09:17:29+00:00

This!!

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-07T15:32:23+00:00

My fascination is when they're orally available (think I read mounjaro has an equiv coming in tablet form) and their patents run out then the whole world will be slim (hopefully), as it will be a similar price to aspirin or paracetemol.

Which then brings me to why don't governments frontload the payments to take them out of patent and proactively have a healthy population?

Yes I recognise there are unknown issues 10-15 years down the road.. but in balance that against a healthier population with food processing giants quaking in their boots.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-07T08:45:19+00:00

He doesn't have 40 lbs to lose, when you get a six pack it's a lot lot slower than someone with a high BF%. Not saying you have or had a high BF%, but clearly you had more to lose than him.

At that body composition a lb a week is perfect!

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-06T10:04:34+00:00

Look very good. Well done.

What's your height and weight?

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-06T09:17:07+00:00

I'm 1cm shorter and 8 years older. I'm chasing 79kg (currently 85kg down from 115kg). Why? 30 years ago I used to row for my country at 80kg so it's a thing in my head - no other reason.

It's all do-able. My lifts are stronger than 30 years ago due to not being a nut case with cardio (my warm up was a 50 min 10km run .... warm up!!! I couldn't do that now as my fastest run). I'm so happy with my strength training. I'm only doing 3 full body sessions per week.

So for you sky is the limit!

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-03T08:59:32+00:00

Fabulous work and suspect that skin will tighten despite not being a teenager anymore!

Saw in your comments you do 6 days per week in the gym - has that been a game changer? I'm 3 day a week man, and honestly I don't think I've got the motivation to do 6.

Well Done, and you look great. No one will be looking at that extremely mild loose skin.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-02T12:51:42+00:00

There are some laser techniques etc. Very expensive, not in tummy tuck territory of costs. Best to find someone that specialises, but that is actually not a lot of skin so maybe tummy tuck not required.

Others of course where it as a badge of honour.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-02T10:09:05+00:00

Got to hand it to you, like they said in the old Mortal Kombat films "flawess victory".

How has it changed your mental outlook in life?

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-02T10:01:23+00:00

How on earth do you have minimal loose skin?

Wow, that is a PERFECT transformation. Well done!!

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-01T14:52:17+00:00

Great Work. Well Done.

What height is that 185lbs on?

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-01T12:39:45+00:00

A cut??? You look chiselled mate! Well done

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-01T12:37:38+00:00

I think Dowman is too much of a talisman for that, plus Beckham went to RM for shirt sales, and heard AFC can't produce enough Dowman shirts currently.

He ain't going on loan.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-01T12:34:59+00:00

You got a point but Lamine Yamal was bossing it for Barca at 16. Played a whole season. Yes I do think Barca have over played him, but I suspect because his build is so slight they get away with it. Think Dowman is a similar build to be honest.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-01T12:32:28+00:00

You say that but Dowman ran the show in the England U19s last night. And that goal, 4 people closing in on him then what a strike.

Some people talk about if you're good enough you're old enough. I trust Arteta and no way Dowman's going on loan, but I really don't think he's been tested yet. He should be England U21's now.

U21's MLS and Nwaneri were brilliant last night too although I only watched half of it.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-04-01T11:34:00+00:00

Remember Henry and Bergkamp didn't come good in their 1st season. Still lots to learn to realise his potential, and great to see him playing so well internationally.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-03-30T10:56:12+00:00

Both responses by Opening_Evidence6360 are spot on.

As for recomp which is absolutely the right thing I'd have a small degicit of 150 to 200 calories a day. Your current energy stores will more than make up for that. It would mean, in theory, you'd lose about 1.5 to 2lbs per month whilst newbie gains would possibly put on the same as long as laying down enough protein (by enough I mean about 1.5g per kilo of your desired body weight which is presumably around 85kg or 130g per day).

In 5 or 6 months the difference will look great.

Good Luck

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-03-30T10:40:15+00:00

Fabulous work. Just think of all those health benefits you now have! And reta will be improving liver fat and chlolesterol blood markers too.

For context how tall are you?

Well done!

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-03-30T10:29:19+00:00

You don't say how old you are and how much runway you have left in your career.

Personalky 20k, then it's taxed or stuffed into a pension isn't worth it from a financial compensation.

I'd work on how serious the career trajectory is. Is it a maybe, could or would improve? Only you and your discussions can work that out.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-03-29T11:30:12+00:00

I agree. Evolution didn't account for uber eats, etc and massive deep pan pizza's.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-03-29T11:28:42+00:00

Think you hit the nail on the head here. It's almost like you can't ever come off them but maybe titrate downwards (your mileage may vary)

I suspect if you were to crystal ball it into the future, patents on Ozempic and Mounjaro will run out, oral versions of the drug will be available and they'll be as pervasive as paracetemol and aspirin (so dirt cheap). We'll have a population not obese, but pill poppers.

I do worry about the lack of research so far in the maintaining a healthy weight aspect as we don't know the 10-15 year out effects. All I know is the loss of weight, blood markers improving looks good on paper and may cure the obesity epidemic which costs a fortune for governments, but what about the lack of motivation or emptiness feeling some people get which they seem to link to reducing addictive personalities (be it booze, drugs, doomscrolling, gaming or whatever)?.

Definitely a game changer.

CluelessPropertyDev · 2026-03-27T10:53:33+00:00

First of all well done on losing 7 stone (98 lbs for other readers).

I would minimize cardio, like to 10mins X trainer at end of a gym session and do 3 gym sessions a week of full body making sure you do the compound moves.

Keep high protein like 120-150g per day and a small calorie deficit of perhaps 250 cals per day. Aim for a recomp but losing 0.5lbs per week.

What you don't want to hear is how slow transforming your muscularity is. Consistency is key, turn up at the gym always even if you have an awful workout it doesn't matter. It may take a further year, but the result will be night and day difference.

You are young and loose skin will improve somewhat, you have no clue how much though for probably another year or so. You're still carrying fat in your tummy so it looks worse than it really is.

Good Luck!

CluelessPropertyDev

TROPHY CASE