Productivity Hacks

[BG2008]

I have mentioned a few times here that I started eating Keto and it had helped me lose a ton of weight.  Lately, I have gotten more into fasting and I am currently trying out OMAD (One Meal A Day).  Since I am the cook in the house, I just find eating 2-3 meals a day a chore and a bother.  Meal prep, eating, taking a break, having insulin spike, and fluctuating energy levels.  It breaks up my day.  Eating more meals also means that I am more likely to go over my 20 grams of net carbs a day.  I tried a 48 hour fast last week and I was astounded at how much more work I was able to get done.  I am thinking about the following:

 

1) Eat 5 times during the week ==>> more uninterrupted work windows ==>> more productivity and less dishes to clean (which I hate)

2) Helps with being in Ketosis which I find to be very helpful for concentration and likely blood work. 

3) Coffee helps a lot - I had my cold brew since 10-11AM and it's been great (Captain Obvioius)

 

Does anyone have similar experiences?  Anyone care on sharing productivity tips?  I have been grinding for the last 4 hours and it feels great to get so much work done.   

[Gregmal]

I've found drinking a lot of coffee in the AM, and seltzer/water in afternoon helps reduce appetite and keeps me focused/fuller. I believe Jack Dorsey has endorsed and adheres to a similar approach as you described above as well, when it comes to fasting/eating 1x a day.

[Vish_ram]

The best of all is meditation. When I used to do for an hour a day, it was just bliss all day.

 

Nowadays I do for 30-40 mins and it is still great.

[Foreign Tuffett]

I have been eating similarly (low carb verging on keto, periodic fasting of up to 48 hours, black coffee in the morning) and my thoughts are nearly identical. The amount of time fasting frees up is incredible.

 

My experience has been that response to carbs is very individual, and can vary widely even among immediate family members. I tolerate carbs poorly and have been eating low carb almost continuously since way back when Dr Atkins was still alive.

 

 

[Castanza]

Working from home was a bit of a change from the office. More distraction that can eat away at your time. I started using an app called Tomato Timer a few months ago after I continually caught myself being less productive. Changed my work pace and helped to keep me on track. I’m probably more productive than when in the office and will probably continue to use it once (if we ever) we go back.

 

Also, I have been busting my ass three nights a week doing rucks. Exercise is important for mental health and productivity. It helps you feel accomplished through other means. The nights when my wife works I take a pack and load it up with 50lbs of sand pills I made. Head to a nearby trail that’s 8 miles out and back and start humping. I backpack a lot throughout the year so this is really just added training. Also really helped me improve my cardio. Getting closer to my 5 mile 40 minute goal.

[BG2008]

I have been eating similarly (low carb verging on keto, periodic fasting of up to 48 hours, black coffee in the morning) and my thoughts are nearly identical. The amount of time fasting frees up is incredible.

 

My experience has been that response to carbs is very individual, and can vary widely even among immediate family members. I tolerate carbs poorly and have been eating low carb almost continuously since way back when Dr Atkins was still alive.

 

Being Chinese, I love all types of carbs, rice, noodles, pasta, bread, etc.  Heck, I love food in general.  But carbs will literally sap hours of productivity from me.  I am amazed how I used to get work done in HS.  The sheer amount of carbs that I use to eat is terrifying and I am surprised that I am not diabetic.  I mean literally a 1/2 to a whole quart of rice for lunch and dinner.  I would almost pass out after lunch everyday.  Protein and fat do not affect me the same way.  But I have notice that feeding in general takes away at least 2 hours of productivity due to preparation and the stupor/need to veg. 

 

Ha, I need to look into Rucking. 

[BG2008]

The best of all is meditation. When I used to do for an hour a day, it was just bliss all day.

 

Nowadays I do for 30-40 mins and it is still great.

 

Any youtube video, books, tutorials?

 

[BG2008]

Working from home was a bit of a change from the office. More distraction that can eat away at your time. I started using an app called Tomato Timer a few months ago after I continually caught myself being less productive. Changed my work pace and helped to keep me on track. I’m probably more productive than when in the office and will probably continue to use it once (if we ever) we go back.

 

Also, I have been busting my ass three nights a week doing rucks. Exercise is important for mental health and productivity. It helps you feel accomplished through other means. The nights when my wife works I take a pack and load it up with 50lbs of sand pills I made. Head to a nearby trail that’s 8 miles out and back and start humping. I backpack a lot throughout the year so this is really just added training. Also really helped me improve my cardio. Getting closer to my 5 mile 40 minute goal.

 

Any YouTube Video Tutorials etc?

[Guest cherzeca]

I have done OMAD off and on...hard to have maintained when you had 6 of family in house during covid and socializing was done primarily at each meal. I am a big fan of OMAD and of drinking coffee in morning and water in afternoon.  I feel more lucid and "on my toes" when I have an empty stomach. wont do keto since I am a long time veggie/salad eater/gardener and right now I have great veggies up the kazoo.  so yes, keeping food at bay helps with work focus for me.

 

I am a long time TM practitioner but I must admit, its primary benefit for me hasn't been productivity but rather mind wellness...I am much more able to let "microaggressions" slide, as much of TM is just recognizing and releasing. 

 

interesting thing is I cant make a to do list on computer, has to be on a legal pad...old school.

 

but the benefit of this thread is really for people to monitor their own schedules/habits etc and experiment to see how it affects productivity.  no one size fits all.

[Vish_ram]

I had a real hard time sitting for more than 15 mins before attending Vipasanna.

 

Go to dhamma.org, book for a 10 day course. There you’ll be asked to do 11 hour meditation for 10 days. It is a good reset of your brain. They give you free food, accommodation etc. I wish I got this advice when I was in my 20’s.

 

The best of all is meditation. When I used to do for an hour a day, it was just bliss all day.

 

Nowadays I do for 30-40 mins and it is still great.

 

Any youtube video, books, tutorials?

[Castanza]

Working from home was a bit of a change from the office. More distraction that can eat away at your time. I started using an app called Tomato Timer a few months ago after I continually caught myself being less productive. Changed my work pace and helped to keep me on track. I’m probably more productive than when in the office and will probably continue to use it once (if we ever) we go back.

 

Also, I have been busting my ass three nights a week doing rucks. Exercise is important for mental health and productivity. It helps you feel accomplished through other means. The nights when my wife works I take a pack and load it up with 50lbs of sand pills I made. Head to a nearby trail that’s 8 miles out and back and start humping. I backpack a lot throughout the year so this is really just added training. Also really helped me improve my cardio. Getting closer to my 5 mile 40 minute goal.

 

Any YouTube Video Tutorials etc?

 

I don't use their gear (not sure why anyone would pay those prices) but they have good instructional videos for loading a pack properly etc. In short, keep the weight high in the pack and close to your body. Use poles if you have bad knees.

 

https://www.goruck.com/keep-training

[Guest cherzeca]

I had a real hard time sitting for more than 15 mins before attending Vipasanna.

 

Go to dhamma.org, book for a 10 day course. There you’ll be asked to do 11 hour meditation for 10 days. It is a good reset of your brain. They give you free food, accommodation etc. I wish I got this advice when I was in my 20’s.

 

The best of all is meditation. When I used to do for an hour a day, it was just bliss all day.

 

Nowadays I do for 30-40 mins and it is still great.

 

Any youtube video, books, tutorials?

 

this is very challenging...not for newbies

[LC]

None of this stuff has ever worked for me. With the exception of chemical stimulants (coffee).

 

I figure as long as you're reasonable in your diet, sleep, and health patterns, the rest of this is all placebo.

[BG2008]

None of this stuff has ever worked for me. With the exception of chemical stimulants (coffee).

 

I figure as long as you're reasonable in your diet, sleep, and health patterns, the rest of this is all placebo.

 

I just want to add that everybody is different as in literally every "body" is different.  We have different height, weight, muscle mass, athletic abilities, sleep requirements etc. 

[LC]

Hey, Fair enough! Whether it's real or placebo, like the saying goes..."if it's stupid and it works, then it ain't stupid"

 

For me the biggest productivity booster has always been necessity. There's another saying which I love, and it took me a long time to learn: "Life's greatest shortcut is constant effort".

[Guest cherzeca]

None of this stuff has ever worked for me. With the exception of chemical stimulants (coffee).

 

I figure as long as you're reasonable in your diet, sleep, and health patterns, the rest of this is all placebo.

 

placebos are great if they help you get into a better mindset.  works the same as a compliment.

[SharperDingaan]

I found that eating less, and a spread of different tasks, worked best for me.

Calculate your BMI, then look up the BMI threshold that is considered 'healthy' - it'll shock you.

 

Eat 500 cals/day less, and you'll both take off 1 lb (3500 cals)/week and keep it off - it's essentially the eat 80% of your plate thing, expressed in numbers. You'll also become a lot more conscious of how many calories are in some foods, and how little you should eat of them. To lose 1 lb/week via exercise alone, is a lot of work - about 55 miles/week of mountain biking @ 65 cals/mile, or 35 miles/week of hiking @ 100 cals/mile.

 

Less weight, and you'll automatically have more energy and greater sharpness. Doing different tasks, reduces the dulling from repetition. Applying a little mental discipline will take you some way as well.

 

SD

[Cigarbutt]

None of this stuff has ever worked for me. With the exception of chemical stimulants (coffee).

I figure as long as you're reasonable in your diet, sleep, and health patterns, the rest of this is all placebo.

placebos are great if they help you get into a better mindset.  works the same as a compliment.

i've always had mixed feelings about placebos. A compromise developed implies to explain (gentle explanations work even better) the placebo effect. At least some of the placebo effect is maintained, as well as my own mental integrity.

Mind over matter.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect

[villainx]

I have been eating similarly (low carb verging on keto, periodic fasting of up to 48 hours, black coffee in the morning) and my thoughts are nearly identical. The amount of time fasting frees up is incredible.

 

My experience has been that response to carbs is very individual, and can vary widely even among immediate family members. I tolerate carbs poorly and have been eating low carb almost continuously since way back when Dr Atkins was still alive.

 

Being Chinese, I love all types of carbs, rice, noodles, pasta, bread, etc.  Heck, I love food in general.  But carbs will literally sap hours of productivity from me.  I am amazed how I used to get work done in HS.  The sheer amount of carbs that I use to eat is terrifying and I am surprised that I am not diabetic.  I mean literally a 1/2 to a whole quart of rice for lunch and dinner.  I would almost pass out after lunch everyday.  Protein and fat do not affect me the same way.  But I have notice that feeding in general takes away at least 2 hours of productivity due to preparation and the stupor/need to veg. 

 

Ha, I need to look into Rucking.

 

 

From your post, I couldn't tell you were Chinese!  Aiya! 

 

It's okay, since I am too, right?

[TwoCitiesCapital]

Can definitely attest to the benefits of intermittent fasting. Have been doing it for 3-4 years at this point.

 

The best of all is meditation. When I used to do for an hour a day, it was just bliss all day.

 

Nowadays I do for 30-40 mins and it is still great.

 

Meditation is only something nice recently done. I did a 30-day guided meditation and now I have been doing 10 minutes a day off and on - but I don't really notice any difference between the days I do and don't meditate.

 

I'm primarily focusing on my breathing and trying to get to the point where it's less focus and more second nature + empty relaxation of the mind, but am concerned I'm approaching it wrong if I'm not noticing a difference when I'm not doing it.

 

Any advice for a newb?

[Guest cherzeca]

@two cities

 

re mindfulness meditation there are a lot of good sources to check, but I would start with videos/writings of Jon Kabat-Zinn.

[Vish_ram]

The most important thing in meditation is having the right mind set.

 

In our day to day life, we are ego-driven (ego is not used in a pejorative way, but a sense of self, esteem, sense of I). We attribute our success/failures to self. We get elated when we accomplish something and get upset if things dont go as we had planned. It all goes back to the sense of I/ego/self.

 

In meditation mindset, the focus is on suspending this ego self. This is done by not activating the left brain. When you dont focus on past & future and just focus on the present (by observing breath, sensations etc), your activity is more on right brain. The default mode network is less active. So the mindset is all about “not having expectations”, “not expecting results”, etc. Expectations/results driven  are classic attributes of ego/self. You work hard and want to get the rewards. This mindset is detrimental when it comes to meditation.

The right mindset is about letting go.

 

1) you’ve to constantly bring attention to breath, just observe any sensations. If mind wanders, bring it back slowly. If still wanders, do conscious deep breathing

2) consistency is the key, you’ve to do it everyday for weeks to see good benefits

 

Can definitely attest to the benefits of intermittent fasting. Have been doing it for 3-4 years at this point.

 

The best of all is meditation. When I used to do for an hour a day, it was just bliss all day.

 

Nowadays I do for 30-40 mins and it is still great.

 

Meditation is only something nice recently done. I did a 30-day guided meditation and now I have been doing 10 minutes a day off and on - but I don't really notice any difference between the days I do and don't meditate.

 

I'm primarily focusing on my breathing and trying to get to the point where it's less focus and more second nature + empty relaxation of the mind, but am concerned I'm approaching it wrong if I'm not noticing a difference when I'm not doing it.

 

Any advice for a newb?

[Gamecock-YT]

Sous Vide everything. Plan in advance when you want to eat, toss the food in the pot, and check on it every so often. Wait a couple of hours for it to cook. Let it rest/give it an ice bath to stop the cooking process. For meat throw it on the a very hot grill/skillet for a minute each side. Chicken I usually broil 12 minutes in the oven. Probably 3-5 minutes of idle work for restaurant quality food.

 

I toss some eggs in for boiled eggs in the morning, usually will put in a bag of chicken, salmon, or steak around 3pm. And I'm ready to eat around 6.

[BG2008]

Sous Vide everything. Plan in advance when you want to eat, toss the food in the pot, and check on it every so often. Wait a couple of hours for it to cook. Let it rest/give it an ice bath to stop the cooking process. For meat throw it on the a very hot grill/skillet for a minute each side. Chicken I usually broil 12 minutes in the oven. Probably 3-5 minutes of idle work for restaurant quality food.

 

I toss some eggs in for boiled eggs in the morning, usually will put in a bag of chicken, salmon, or steak around 3pm. And I'm ready to eat around 6.

 

For hard boiled eggs, nothing beats putting eggs in the Instant pot on steam for 4, 5,6, 7 minutes for different degrees of runny-ness

[BG2008]

I have been eating similarly (low carb verging on keto, periodic fasting of up to 48 hours, black coffee in the morning) and my thoughts are nearly identical. The amount of time fasting frees up is incredible.

 

My experience has been that response to carbs is very individual, and can vary widely even among immediate family members. I tolerate carbs poorly and have been eating low carb almost continuously since way back when Dr Atkins was still alive.

 

Being Chinese, I love all types of carbs, rice, noodles, pasta, bread, etc.  Heck, I love food in general.  But carbs will literally sap hours of productivity from me.  I am amazed how I used to get work done in HS.  The sheer amount of carbs that I use to eat is terrifying and I am surprised that I am not diabetic.  I mean literally a 1/2 to a whole quart of rice for lunch and dinner.  I would almost pass out after lunch everyday.  Protein and fat do not affect me the same way.  But I have notice that feeding in general takes away at least 2 hours of productivity due to preparation and the stupor/need to veg. 

 

Ha, I need to look into Rucking.

 

 

From your post, I couldn't tell you were Chinese!  Aiya! 

 

It's okay, since I am too, right?

 

Haha, my wife works as a dental hygienist and she says that her patients always think she married a big tall white dude.  Football, wrestling, croquet, being in a college frat, works in finance, etc.  One of her patients said "your husband really understands Chinese culture."  and she goes "he is Chinese"