My test shirt fits. I had just tried it a few days ago and it wasn't fitting yet, but this morning it met my criteria, when I sat down it fit around my midsection. Its nice because its smaller than my other shirts even though its an "XXL" -- it wasn't sized well.
Today was literally the first time I've ever worn it, from the day I purchased it it didn't fit. Its very satisfying that I can add that to my wardrobe. I have a couple of other shirts from that time that I'll check on as well.
Its a big milestone.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
I think I'm down another pound
Its hard to say because of the crankiness of my scale, but it showed around 132 or so. I've seen my reflection and noticed that it seems more linear and less pear like, but there aren't any hard signs of progress. Slow is good, though. No complaints.
I have a shirt that is the next size down that I put on every few days to see when it fits properly. Its very close but its not there. That will be a visible milestone.
Yesterday I went on a long walk and didn't have to cinch up my pants, which I had to do a couple of weeks ago, so that was almost a counter indicator. I'm certainly not gaining weight. I'm eating a little more but my appetite hasn't returned as before. I'm sleeping much better, fewer nights where I lay awake, although I had a spell last night. I'm also not as feeling as much of the stimulant quality from it.
This is how it should be really, just taking it a day at a time and slowly but surely making progress.
I did a check of my BMI today and it looks like I'll be in the 'obese' range until I get to around 200 pounds, which would then qualify me as simply 'overweight'. 200 pounds looks awfully good from this perch. It was the lowest I got to when I was doing Fen/Phen, I remember seeing the reading, and I stopped shortly after that and promptly put it all back on.
Morning sugar readings are 130/140 etc. Blood sugar is well controlled.
I have a shirt that is the next size down that I put on every few days to see when it fits properly. Its very close but its not there. That will be a visible milestone.
Yesterday I went on a long walk and didn't have to cinch up my pants, which I had to do a couple of weeks ago, so that was almost a counter indicator. I'm certainly not gaining weight. I'm eating a little more but my appetite hasn't returned as before. I'm sleeping much better, fewer nights where I lay awake, although I had a spell last night. I'm also not as feeling as much of the stimulant quality from it.
This is how it should be really, just taking it a day at a time and slowly but surely making progress.
I did a check of my BMI today and it looks like I'll be in the 'obese' range until I get to around 200 pounds, which would then qualify me as simply 'overweight'. 200 pounds looks awfully good from this perch. It was the lowest I got to when I was doing Fen/Phen, I remember seeing the reading, and I stopped shortly after that and promptly put it all back on.
Morning sugar readings are 130/140 etc. Blood sugar is well controlled.
Friday, December 3, 2010
I think I've turned the corner
This morning I woke up and was confident that I'd do well in the markets today. I believed that I would make money today, but more importantly I knew that I would be able to spot the opportunities and execute them, and I was sure that I had the discipline to get out.
Day trading: 8 trades, 6 winners, $30 gross
Forex: 2 trades, 2 winners, $26 or so
Futures: 1 trade, 1 winner, $25
Gross for the day:$80 or so.
I even traded a regular stock today in addition to the SPY: BBY, which I got 6 cents in. I watched it for a while before getting in, and had confidence in the trade.
The 2 minute/10 minute setup is my strategy, at least for now. I don't need to stray from it but instead grow deeper into it and gradually increase my size within that.
Something has clicked. I've strayed from the straight and narrow and paid, time and again. There is this tiny little circle where things work well for me, and if I venture outside that circle I get hacked by spinning blades. My discipline is getting better, I get tempted to try variations but am getting better at doing those as a paper trade, just to see.
It would be great to have a basket of setups and have a sense of the percentage of winners. I would love to know what sort of setups to use on hourly or daily forex or futures, there are such huge numbers there. However, scalping for pennies and a few pips and a point or less is working, and that is a foundation on which to build something.
I think I can do this. I have done it. I am doing it. This is really, really great.
Day trading: 8 trades, 6 winners, $30 gross
Forex: 2 trades, 2 winners, $26 or so
Futures: 1 trade, 1 winner, $25
Gross for the day:$80 or so.
I even traded a regular stock today in addition to the SPY: BBY, which I got 6 cents in. I watched it for a while before getting in, and had confidence in the trade.
The 2 minute/10 minute setup is my strategy, at least for now. I don't need to stray from it but instead grow deeper into it and gradually increase my size within that.
Something has clicked. I've strayed from the straight and narrow and paid, time and again. There is this tiny little circle where things work well for me, and if I venture outside that circle I get hacked by spinning blades. My discipline is getting better, I get tempted to try variations but am getting better at doing those as a paper trade, just to see.
It would be great to have a basket of setups and have a sense of the percentage of winners. I would love to know what sort of setups to use on hourly or daily forex or futures, there are such huge numbers there. However, scalping for pennies and a few pips and a point or less is working, and that is a foundation on which to build something.
I think I can do this. I have done it. I am doing it. This is really, really great.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
up $200 today after a disasterous day yesterday
My 22 point loss in the futures yesterday was a huge blow, and it wasn't the first time I've been blown out like that. I have this mental picture that I can trade the futures like I swing trade, where the intraday moves aren't important, but the raw numbers are just too large. Being down $1200 in a day is too much, especially when it looks like a correction may have ended. I had two other trades yesterday that were losers, another futures trade (which fortunately I stopped out on) and a currency trade that I got stopped on.
Today I've had 1 day trade, 1 futures trade and 2 currency trades that were winners, for a total of about $200 in profit.
Its so intoxicating to have a few winners and then start thinking bigger. And this isn't unwarranted, I just need to think bigger within the box by letting the existing trades run longer. The future trade I made this morning was good for a point, and its run 12 points since then, or half of my loss from yesterday. And yet, once I'm up a little I grab it. Confidence needs to turn into letting a winner run, not trying a different strategy, which was to go short a future and think I'll just check in on it in a few days.
I seem to have a winner with the 2 minute/10 minute setup, I need to stick with that and let them run, or at least see how well I can do over a longer term.
Today I've had 1 day trade, 1 futures trade and 2 currency trades that were winners, for a total of about $200 in profit.
Its so intoxicating to have a few winners and then start thinking bigger. And this isn't unwarranted, I just need to think bigger within the box by letting the existing trades run longer. The future trade I made this morning was good for a point, and its run 12 points since then, or half of my loss from yesterday. And yet, once I'm up a little I grab it. Confidence needs to turn into letting a winner run, not trying a different strategy, which was to go short a future and think I'll just check in on it in a few days.
I seem to have a winner with the 2 minute/10 minute setup, I need to stick with that and let them run, or at least see how well I can do over a longer term.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
back in the saddle
This game is about persistence. I just shorted a mini near 1204 close to the top of the range, with a hard stop at 1207.25, which was the high. This is a strategy. Simply buying or selling and waiting for it to work out isn't a strategy. I say that over and over to myself and hopefully its sinking in.
I also got back into the EUR at a higher place to short, and I got ahead enough to put a stop on entry, so I can't lose on the trade.
I also got back into the EUR at a higher place to short, and I got ahead enough to put a stop on entry, so I can't lose on the trade.
out for a 24 point loss
I couldn't take the pain, the Euro started shooting up and the futures started making new highs. This could be the end of the correction.
My euro short also stopped out, for no loss fortunately
The only consolation is that realization that the moves are there. I was just on the wrong side of it this time.
My euro short also stopped out, for no loss fortunately
The only consolation is that realization that the moves are there. I was just on the wrong side of it this time.
taking a beating on the futures today
I went short a mini at 1177 overnight believing that it would take out the most recent low. Now I'm down 23 points in it as it has roared on the 1st of the month.
I had several opportunities to get out but I've consistently seen that every position I've had in the futures ended up being a winner if I was patient. It might take several days but so far its been consistent, and this is sort of the test for that.
Scalping for a half point and all is great, but I see the bigger moves and want to be able to take advantage of them, and they require that I get comfortable with something that moves against me for a while. There is a lot of pain right now ($1000 down) but the futures have had a huge move in a short time and it will have to correct -- it always has.
What I'm going through internally is when do I thrown in the towel and say I missed it. I went short at the wrong time and the charts showed me that but I didn't use that as an entry rule. I have also gone short at the top of a move only to see it go another 20 points higher, after the elections, but at least in that case I was in the right position.
The bad part about holding this position is that I'm locked out of futures trading until this position clears. I transferred more money into the account so I can go short another contract when that clears but I can't go long because it would cancel out my short -- you can't be short and long a position in the same account.
This is really trying to learn swing trading for futures (or forex), where the dollars are quite large.
I took advantage of the peak to go short some EURO and am in the money on it and will just hold it. I set a stop at my entry so I can't lose money on the trade, and I want to just watch it play out over time.
I had several opportunities to get out but I've consistently seen that every position I've had in the futures ended up being a winner if I was patient. It might take several days but so far its been consistent, and this is sort of the test for that.
Scalping for a half point and all is great, but I see the bigger moves and want to be able to take advantage of them, and they require that I get comfortable with something that moves against me for a while. There is a lot of pain right now ($1000 down) but the futures have had a huge move in a short time and it will have to correct -- it always has.
What I'm going through internally is when do I thrown in the towel and say I missed it. I went short at the wrong time and the charts showed me that but I didn't use that as an entry rule. I have also gone short at the top of a move only to see it go another 20 points higher, after the elections, but at least in that case I was in the right position.
The bad part about holding this position is that I'm locked out of futures trading until this position clears. I transferred more money into the account so I can go short another contract when that clears but I can't go long because it would cancel out my short -- you can't be short and long a position in the same account.
This is really trying to learn swing trading for futures (or forex), where the dollars are quite large.
I took advantage of the peak to go short some EURO and am in the money on it and will just hold it. I set a stop at my entry so I can't lose money on the trade, and I want to just watch it play out over time.
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