u/Bjorn_Nittmo

Hey y'all,

I’ve been doing the "middle of the night" strategy, where I take the Oral Wegovy tablet around 2am, and then go back to sleep for 2+ hours to maximize absorption.

I was looking at the attached Reddit-famous clinical chart and noticed something that seems to contradict the standard "sip of water" advice if you're fasting long-term:

According to the data for a 120-minute fast:

Taking the pill with 4oz = 120mL of water actually resulted in a higher drug concentration in the blood.

(Taking it with 50mL = 1.5oz at that same 120-minute mark was less effective.)

It looks like the "tiny sip" rule is crucial if you only wait 30 minutes -- but if you're waiting 2 full hours, more water actually helps it absorb better.

My question for the group is:

For those of you who take the tablet 2+ hours before breakfast, how much water are you using?

It seems like the 120mL/120min combo is the "gold standard" for effectiveness based on this study. Curious to hear your experiences!

TL;DR: 54yo retiring with $1.8M but worried about overvalued stock market and a potential "lost decade." Is a 67/33 stocks-to-bonds split a safe "Goldilocks" zone, or too risky given current valuations?
______

Hey y'all,

I’m looking at pulling the trigger on early retirement at age 54½ and wanted to get a sanity check on my asset allocation.

The Stats:

• Portfolio: $1.8M
• Target Annual Spend: $70,000 (~3.9% SWR)
• Time Horizon: 35–40 years.
• Location: Florida

The Allocation:

• 40% VTSAX (Total Stock Market)
• 27% VTIAX (Total International Stock)
• 23% VBTLX (Total Bond Market)
• 10% VTABX (Total International Bond)

The Logic & The Anxiety:

I currently have a 67/33 Equity-to-Bond split. With the U.S. CAPE P/E ratio hovering around 40, I’m concerned about a potential market crash early in my early retirement or, perhaps worse, a "lost decade" of 0% real returns, like the 1966–1982 'sideways' market.

I've seen the data on how high valuations often correlate with lower forward-looking returns. With US stock valuations so high, I'm hoping the 37% international tilt plus the 33% bond allocation should act as a safety valve.

Questions for the Sub:

1. Is this asset allocation too conservative or too aggressive for someone in my situation?
2. Should I consider a more exotic asset allocation for my early retirement, like a Bond Tent or a 'Rising Equity Glidepath'?
3. Are Total Bond Market funds the best place for my 33% bond ballast, or should I split some into TIPS to protect against stagflation?
4. With high CAPE in the US, would an even higher over-weighting to International or Emerging Markets make sense, due to better relative valuations?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

TLDR: 54-year-old retiree weighing the health care cost of staying in Florida on subsidized ACA for the next 10 years, versus moving overseas and buying Expat Health Insurance.

Hey All,

I’m currently 54½ and thinking about retiring from work.

I'm looking at the decade between now and when I qualify for Medicare at 65. I’m trying to decide if it makes more financial sense to stay in Florida and leverage the ACA, or pull the trigger on a move overseas (Southeast Asia? Central America?) for 10 years.

One thing I’ve been crunching the numbers on is health insurance. I’m hoping those of you who have made this move (or decided against it) can check my logic:

Option 1: The Florida "Subsidized" Path

• Income Strategy: Keep MAGI under ~$62k to stay eligible for Premium Tax Credits (I think I could do this easily).
• Cost: Estimated $580–$680/month for a Silver-tier plan.
• Pros: Guaranteed issue (no medical underwriting), covers pre-existing conditions, and I stay near my current network.
• Cons: Very high deductibles and the "subsidy cliff". (If I go over the income limit by even $1, the premium could triple.)

Option 2: The Overseas Expat Path (e.g., Cigna Global/Allianz)

• Coverage: Worldwide Excluding the USA.
• Cost: Estimated $350–$500/month for a comprehensive international plan.
• Pros: Lower monthly premiums and significantly lower out-of-pocket costs for day-to-day care (out-of-pocket visits at international clinics in Southeast Asia are often ~$100).
• Cons: Medical underwriting (they can exclude pre-existing conditions), and I have zero coverage if I’m back in the states visiting family.

Savings Versus U.S. Health Insurance: Looking at the premiums alone, the move only saves me roughly $2,000–$3,000 a year. Though the real "savings" might be in the cost of the actual care. (In Florida, a $600 premium still comes with a $5,000+ deductible. In Asia, that same premium usually covers you from dollar one or has a very low deductible.)

My Questions for the Group:

1. Do my numbers above seem approximately correct? I haven't actually gotten formal quotes on expat health insurance yet.
2. For those in their 50s, have you found that medical underwriting for expat plans makes them a lot "riskier" than the ACA?
3. Are there any hidden costs I'm missing in the "Worldwide Excluding USA" plans I'm considering?

Any insight is appreciated!