Sometimes it takes a shake-up of some kind to elicit change. Recently, I may have accidentally done this myself…
Being efficient, effective, systematic and routined is at the core of progress. I whole-heartedly believe this.
However, it’s also a double-edged sword. Doing the same things, reinforcing what you already know to be true is self-limiting. After a recent discovery, this paradoxical issue has given me much to think about! Here’s what’s happened…
Stumbled on Significance?
As regular readers will know; this little funk (previous article) led me into this challenge (previous article).
Which has now led me to a little discovery!
At first, I thought it was just one of those days when the penny drops…
When you're in one of those moods…
Everything just seems to be going right today! pic.twitter.com/TVHk3FvIRT
— Caan Berry (@CaanBerryTrader) October 11, 2019
At one point or another, we’ve all experienced it. Mark Douglas (a famous trading author) refers to it as ‘Trading in the Zone‘.
You switch off, zone out and just do what’s right, methodically picking off the market tips over and over. Its a bit of a surreal experience sometimes, as the afternoon flys by in a blur only to end with an above-average result.
However, replicating this state and getting there isn’t half as easy. In the past, I’ve tried all sorts (including meditation).
Least Expecting it…
Despite all this, the answer to becoming finely tuned seems to have found me this last week – diet.
If someone had told me I wouldn’t have believed them, but by changing my food intake its had a profound impact on my mental state of mind. Its happened for more than a week now too!
I’m wondering how long it can continue? I’ve seen an increase in productivity of at least 30% (and I feel great). The only way to describe this feeling of alertness and focus is if you have seen the film above starring Bradley Cooper (Limitless).
Thank you to the followers that sent messages suggesting I try this diet out!
You can follow updates for the 90 day challenge here.
Over-Excited or Substantial Change?
The diet mentioned above is a ketogenic diet, with a little intermittent fasting thrown in for good measure.
I won’t bore you with the details as I’m by no means an expert. However, its worth trying out just for the feeling and increase in productivity… as for the fat loss, I’m not sure yet, its early days.
Earlier in the week, I managed to knock myself ‘out of state’ with a booze-fueled evening (instigated by a female). Its taken several days to get back into the flow so I don’t yet know how long this can go on for. If it turns out to be a longer-term substantial change, it’s quite something. Only time will tell…
For now, I’ve got myself some keto strips!
Related: See My Recommended Reading List Here
p.s. have you tried this and experienced these benefits? Keen to hear in the comments if you have…
17 thoughts on “Surprise Discovery to ‘Get in the Zone’ Faster…”
Very interesting, I have been reading a lot about fasting, ‘eating windows’ and the increased productivity followers of this way of eating experience. The evidence is quite startling, especially as we get older. I’ve only been eating like this for a couple of weeks but I feel clearer if you know what I mean. I’m not really sure how to describe it apart from just feeling better even though I didn’t feel particularly bad before I began IF. Keep up the good work.
Yes certainly affects moods and some other things too. I don’t know that I could sustain this forever… I like my beer and eating out etc. However, this has certainly opened up my eyes in several ways. A lot of it is just bad habits…
Not eating between 6 and 8.30 isn’t all that hard, worth doing. Especially for traders.
I’ve been Keto for a year and a half now. I’ve dropped 60lbs with 20 to go. The mood and alertness is fantastic. I don’t ever seeing myself going back to the carb filled crap eating of my past. Well done for sticking to it. Keep it going… you will reap the benefits.
Crikey Gary! That’s a long time.. full Keto?
How do you deal with it when you’re tempted to splurge on a takeaway or beer-up?
It sounds like now you are ‘fat adapted’ (burning fat for fuel instead of glucose/carbohydrates), you now have good access to thousands of calories of stored energy (i.e. body or dietary fats). So your energy during the day will be stable. Compare that to being reliant on carbohydrates consumed and only a few hundred calories worth of glycogen stores, and the difficulty of accessing your fat stores (too much insulin sloshing around your system can prevent fat burning!), and your energy goes up and down, leading to that classic 3pm slump.
My concentration is better since being fat adapted, and don’t know if you’ve discovered Dr Jason Fung’s videos on Youtube, as he explains the biochemistry very well in layman’s terms. It took me a good month to feel better on keto, but then again, I was well on the way to type 2 diabetes. Now, I wouldn’t go back, but I do find if I slip up, my ‘metabolic switch’ works properly now 🙂
Also, Intermittent Fasting is alot easier to do when fat adapted, due to the ease of access to your fat stores, and hence feeling less hungry.
Keep up the good work, it does get easier. Tape measure or bathroom scales will show progress!
Thanks I’ll take a look at those references, Lou. I don’t think I’ve been all the way in because I’ve slipped in and out with some ‘blips’. However I’ve certainly certainly felt different. I ordered some strips to test.
Hi Caan, keto levels are set to 20g of carbohydrates per day (this is strict, and only really doable if you lived on meat and a bit of vegetables), and it’s set that low because that guarantees everyone to go into ketosis. My opinion and on reading around this subject, I do think that the healthier your metabolism is, the higher the carbohydrates you can have, and still be in ketosis. Some people can get into ketosis at 100g carbohydrates a day! As for me, I’ve worked up to between 40g to 50g and I’ve kepted my weight off for over a year now.
As for keto strips, they don’t always show if you are in ketosis or not. The strips only show if you are excreting excess ketones, and in time when your body gets more efficient at using ketones, you can be in ketosis, yet the strips do not show this up. So don’t be disheartened. The way to judge is the mental clarity, lack of hunger, and generally feeling good when you are ‘in the zone’.
You will get good at reading your body signals (hopefully as good as reading the markets) and eating out, having beer is not a problem, so long the majority of the time you are eating healthily.
So it’s no beer or wine (ones that taste nice anyway), no pizza, hamburgers, chips, pasta, rice, roast potatoes, sandwiches, toast, crisps, takeaways, bananas, chocolate…I don’t think I could cope tbh, haha :0)
I wouldn’t blame you, Matt. At times I have gone sod it, just back in the wagon next day straight away!
Almond flour is a good substitute and extremely low carb, and I’ve made meat feast pizzas, various puddings and ‘chapati’ style wraps. Just need to think outside the box and get inventive! Google a recipe and put the word ‘keto’ in front of it. Plenty of ideas out there…
Been on keto for 4 months now. You WILL lose fat Caan, even whether you want it or not on this diet As for the effects it has on the mind, I found that after a couple of weeks that feeling of being in the zone moves into the background and doesn’t come forward if I don’t “remind myself” of it, meaning that for a minute or so I am mindful of my body, how good and nourished it feels without the crappy sugar spikes and lows. That usually does the trick for me.
Yes, I think the worst has to be surroundings… like when others near to you want a beer or takeaway.
I think its bit like the weather. Sometimes you will get that nice evening walk, when it seems like you got it all. Problem starts when next day its raining and you trying to figure out how can you repeat that feeling from last evening. So you start madness of free association: maybe if I eat same food? Or maybe its that trainers I got yesterday? Or a pair of new socks? But it just something independent, it may be there again one day, or not.
Possibly, some consistency to how this has gone though!
Good job, Caan.
You’ll notice that Vegans are quitting their way of eating (WOE) to became keto… Meanwhile Keto people are “stepping up” to the Carnivore WOE.
Soon you’ll be amazed to only be sleeping 5 hours and next morning not feeling any joint pain, no sleepiness, no brain fog… just the urge to get the job done (whatever that is at 5am, but true, you’ll need no more sleep).
I’ll recommend reading through Carnivore Nation Facebook group (I’m not affiliated) and others, for an extensive list of people who got cured from several chronic conditions like diabetes, psoriasis, joint pain or just lifelong obesity.
Keep up the good work.
I’ll have a look mate thanks for those mentions, appreciate it.
Some other things to consider for getting in tbe zone.
Wim Hof method (basically breathing techniques and ice baths)
Micro dosing Psychedelics (I know legallity but ya know)
Meditation,
Modafinil