FYI- I'm no nutritionist, but if you decide to eat ribs and twinkles too, wait an hour in between... thats all I'm sayin, you know?

Not sure if this was addressed, but you've lost 62 lbs in total?

Big Mike 

Happy to report in last 10 days since my post I've lost 5 lbs, so it must have just been timing. I have now lost 25 lbs since starting the thread. Mike

Big Mike 

For the last 37 days I have had nothing to eat. I have been on a juice fast (some call it a juice feast). It means that I have been getting all my nutrients, minerals, protein and 100% of my calories from vegetables and fruits. Just the juice. I have lost 37 pounds in 37 days just from this alone (no exercising). Mike

Snoop 

Not sure if this was addressed, but you've lost 62 lbs in total?

I can't recall the exact amount, but want to say it was 52 or 55 lbs.

I am going to start juicing again this week. I am going to try to juice for 3 months this time, we'll see if I can make it.

Mike

Interesting. Just like trading, there are many different methods to achieve the same result.
Though I would recommend getting accurate measurements. Something that made a big difference for me - getting the true details of my body composition. I use DXA scan, though bod pod provides similar accuracy.
Most inactive "normal" bodyweight people would be surprised to learn that most are technically fat. Bodyweight usually does not tell the true story.

Big Mike 

I can't recall the exact amount, but want to say it was 52 or 55 lbs. I am going to start juicing again this week. I am going to try to juice for 3 months this time, we'll see if I can make it. Mike

This is not an endorsement of the expensive supplements sold by Life Extension, but I do take a few of them myself.

Three of the top candidates for most important anti aging supplements are curcumin, milk thistle extract, and resveratrol. Don't forget your Vitamin D. Most Americans are seriously deficient. And always remember: SUGAR IS THE ENEMY.

What's Hot in Nutrition, Dietary Supplements, Health And Wellness - Life Extension


Aderence to Mediterranean Diet, Recommended Food Score predict longer life

Review confirms glucose reduction benefit for cinnamon in diabetics

Vitamin D shrinks uterine fibroids in animal study

More evidence for resveratrol

Zondor 

This is not an endorsement of the expensive supplements sold by Life Extension, but I do take a few of them myself. Three of the top candidates for most important anti aging supplements are curcumin, milk thistle extract, and resveratrol. Don't forget your Vitamin D. Most Americans are seriously deficient. And always remember: SUGAR IS THE ENEMY. What's Hot in Nutrition, Dietary Supplements, Health And Wellness - Life Extension Aderence to Mediterranean Diet, Recommended Food Score predict longer life Review confirms glucose reduction benefit for cinnamon in diabetics Vitamin D shrinks uterine fibroids in animal study More evidence for resveratrol

Thanks for confirming, will now take my daily dose of resveratrol....

Zondor 

This is not an endorsement of the expensive supplements sold by Life Extension, but I do take a few of them myself. Three of the top candidates for most important anti aging supplements are curcumin, milk thistle extract, and resveratrol. Don't forget your Vitamin D. Most Americans are seriously deficient. And always remember: SUGAR IS THE ENEMY. What's Hot in Nutrition, Dietary Supplements, Health And Wellness - Life Extension Aderence to Mediterranean Diet, Recommended Food Score predict longer life Review confirms glucose reduction benefit for cinnamon in diabetics Vitamin D shrinks uterine fibroids in animal study More evidence for resveratrol

If you're into it, there's a supplement called Protandim that contains 5 "anti-oxidants" - they've been shown to increase expression of superoxide dismutase to one degree or another. That's the big enzyme responsible for anti-oxidation in mammals. You can just buy the individual ingredients of protandim and its way cheaper. see ingredients here: Protandim | Natural Ingredients

Do whatever the "doctor" says... DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY

Can Low-Dose Aspirin Cause Intestinal Injury and Bleeding?


Aspirin Increases Your Risk of Hemorrhage, GI Damage, and Several Other Problems

Routine use of aspirin has been associated with the following problems:

• Bleeding, especially in the gastrointestinal tract
• Duodenal ulcers, GI damage, and diverticular disease
• Increased risk of ER/PR-negative breast cancer in women
• Increased risk of kidney failure
• Cataracts, hearing Loss, and tinnitus

I hate to recommend anything that tastes good, however regarding antioxidants, oddly enough one of the most concentrated sources of all is CACAO (you know it as "chocolate"). Most chocolate is made in a way that destroys a lot of the antioxidants. You might want to look into cold processed chocolate. Example: (not an endorsement, I am not a vendor) Navitas Naturals Cacao Nibs Raw Chocolate.

Another antioxidant idea is to drink Yerba Mate instead of coffee.

Hey Big Mike,
Thanks for the really good thread, somehow I missed it till today. It sounds like you have made great progress. I recently changed my diet because my energy levels have been subtly dropping over the years. I have always been active and a lot of the time I ate like I was still in high school . I was 43 , 6'2" 210 lbs so about 15 lbs overweight but the real problem was energy level.

Since I started to learn how to trade I have been wonderfully obsessed by looking at charts, systems, reading, programming and trading. This has been going on 10 - 12 hours a day for 3 years now when I am not working my freelance job. When on my freelance based job I work 12 - 18 hr days.

Poor eating finally took its toll. Hamburgers, burritos, lots of pasta and unfortunately lots of frozen type dinners from the grocery store ( Albeit I was picky and only chose the ones that were making an attempt at a healthy meal.) mainly because I was too short on time to make my own meals. Something I gave up when I began learning how to trade. I used to cook a fair amount at home.

About 2 years ago I started by incorporating a high quality granola cereal or oatmeal for breakfast and a robust salad as, lunch, and then ate whatever I felt like for dinner, and this had little to no effect in bringing my energy level up.

Next step was incorporating a well researched vitamin and mineral routine. Too complex to get into here. Little effect except imune boost and now catch very few colds despite the excessive travel I still do.

Next step about a year ago . i committed to doing cardio 2 - 3x a week and I bought a juicer and had one of those a day and felt better but after a while just slid back into being tired a lot. Next in the interest of total disclosure I started drinking monster energy drinks as a desperate attempt to keep going at the long hours. This only lasted 3 weeks and I stopped that once I heard about a friend that had a stroke at 35 from too many energy drinks.

About a month ago after an honest evaluation and the realization that I was not going to start cooking again any time soon, I decided to try a local meal delivery service here in Los Angeles. You tell them what your goals are and they pick out your meals for you and deliver them fresh every morning. It costs about 30% more than what I was spending at the grocery store and eating out.

Its been very good for me. My reaction to it initially was unexpected. It was like I was living at home as a kid and had to eat whatever mom made, broccoli , kale, melon, fish twice a week, I didn't like the change at all. After about a week I began having Totally Mad cravings for my usual sins like donuts, hamburgers, potatoes chips peanut butter cups. It was really weird and surprising. I was even dreaming about junk food.

I have lost 13 lbs in a month. A lot of that was water weight form eating foods that were too salty. I was also guilty of eating till I was full. That was not my main goal though. I went in for a check up and everything is good. 13 lbs sounds like a little to much but the doctor said I am good. I have had an abundance of energy and am also sleeping much less. I usually really needed 7 - 8 hrs and now I am getting 5 - 6 and feel much much better.

My dog Jesse totally digs the new diet too. Turns out she goes bannas for Seared Ahi Tuna.

So anyway thats where I am now, food delivered, vitamin and mineral regiment, juicing, and cardio 2 - 3x a week, Feels good! Eventually when time frees up a bit I will return to cooking my own meals again. -- Westsider

westsider 

I recently changed my diet because my energy levels have been subtly dropping over the years... I have had an abundance of energy and am also sleeping much less. I usually really needed 7-8 hrs and now I am getting 5-6 and feel much much better.

@westsider, your journey here is a masterclass in discovering what trading diet actually works through systematic experimentation rather than theory.

What strikes me most is how you methodically tested each variable: first the oatmeal and salads (minimal effect), then vitamins (immune boost only), then cardio plus juicing (temporary improvement), and finally the meal delivery service that transformed everything. This is exactly the kind of disciplined approach that separates successful traders from the rest.

The science behind your experience is compelling. When we examine how diet affects trading performance, blood sugar stability emerges as the critical factor. Those frozen dinners and fast food you were eating cause rapid glucose spikes followed by crashes, directly impairing the executive function we rely on for trading decisions. Your new fresh meal delivery eliminates that roller coaster.

A few observations on what diet works best for trading based on current research:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (the seared ahi tuna Jesse loves) are crucial. Approximately 60% of the brain is composed of fat, with over half being omega-3s needed for memory and quick decision-making
• Protein-anchored meals provide steady tyrosine for dopamine production, which explains your sustained alertness
• The kale, broccoli, and other greens you initially resisted are packed with antioxidants that combat the mental fatigue from those 10-12 hour chart sessions
• Reduced sodium (the water weight you lost) decreases inflammation and improves cognitive clarity

Your discovery about needing less sleep (5-6 hours vs 7-8) while feeling better is a documented phenomenon. When the body receives proper nutrition, sleep becomes more efficient and restorative.

For fellow traders wondering which diet approach to consider: westsider's experience demonstrates that convenience matters enormously. The best trading diet is ultimately the one you will actually follow consistently. Whether that means meal prep on weekends, a delivery service, or batch cooking, removing the daily decision burden about what to eat preserves mental energy for the decisions that matter in the markets.

The 30% cost increase you mentioned is essentially an investment in your trading performance. When you calculate how diet affects trading outcomes over months and years, that return is substantial.

-- Fi
The body and mind are not separate instruments. A trader who neglects one while honing the other builds on an unstable foundation.