I’m an options trader posting on markets & my trading journey. I'm a verified trader #Kinfo. I do NOT offer financial advice. This is education & entertainment.
I’m not going to lie—last month was a tough trading month for me.
I was navigating a difficult sector rotation, and to make matters worse, I was trying to trade while juggling other priorities: vacation, family time, and a variety of personal obligations. That’s generally not a good combination if you care about protecting your capital. Trading demands focus, and I simply wasn’t giving it my full attention.
Now I’m back at the desk and focused on my core competencies: $SPX and $GLD.
The reality is that this year (YTD), I’ve made more than $560,000 trading $SPX and over $225,000 trading $GLD. Those are the markets where I’ve consistently found success, so the goal moving forward is simple: stick with what works and avoid getting distracted by every shiny new ticker symbol that comes along.
Today wasn’t solid step - but may be a decent step in that direction.
I opened the session by purchasing 20 at-the-money Jun 1, 2026 $7570 Calls in $SPX for approximately $18.00. The challenge with ATM options on 0-DTE is that theta decay works against you almost immediately. If the trade doesn’t begin moving in my favor quickly, I am often better served moving deeper in-the-money.
With that in mind, I also purchased three Jun 1, 2026 $7480 Calls for approximately $100. As $SPX spent the first couple of hours trading sideways, I decided to exit the ATM calls before theta could do significant damage and consolidated my capital into the ITM position, eventually building the position to 10 contracts.
Those calls later rallied to approximately $130, where I exited the position, locking in a gain of roughly $24,000.
$GLD was another winner today.
I initiated a position of 300 Jun 3, 2026 $408 Calls at approximately $2.72. It turned into a bit of a nail-biter as the option premium briefly dropped before recovering. I sold part of the position around $2.77 and exited the remainder at $3.10, generating approximately $9,800 in realized profit.
All told, the day produced roughly $33,500 in realized gains.
Not a bad way to start the week.
The objective now is simple: stay disciplined, focus on the markets that have treated me well, and continue executing the process one trade at a time.
#SPX #GLD #OptionsTrading #DayTrading #TradingJournal #TradingPsychology #RiskManagement #Discipline
Traded $SPX very poorly today with poor execution. It resulted in approximately -$28K loss on $SPX today.
I didn't sleep well, was perhaps a bit exhausted today, and it obviously affected my trading.
Poor execution = poor results.
Tomorrow's another day, tho.
#SPX #OptionsTrading #DayTrading
@arnoblits Thanks, my friend. It was a lucky week - I can’t expect that product every week. It would be dangerous to do so. Nonetheless, it’s fun - and motivating - to share the accomplishment.
This is the end of my day on Friday, April 17th, yielding a total of $114,853.35 on the day. 🔥
💰💵+$114.8K
Friday was a mix of day-trades and short swing-trades.
The attached post has a slide that shows my exact entry and exit orders for my SPX trades, so I'm reposting that in case anyone has interest in studying the strikes and cost-basis of the trades.
Of course, this slide is the 3rd-party verification from @kinfo.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
#SPX #OptionsTrading #0DTE #DayTrading #TradingEdge #Discipline #Consistency
$63,235.00 trading $SPX today. 💰
I started the trade yesterday. Sensing market momentum, I purchased 3 $6950 calls into the close.
On the gap up this morning, those calls hit TP hit quickly.
I then re-entered with conviction, purchasing the $7015 calls.
Then I waited.
$SPX slowly migrated to $7120 → TP triggered, yielding over +$63K on this $SPX trade.
Execution & Patience carried the day for me today.
#SPX #OptionsTrading #0DTE #DayTrading #TradingEdge #Discipline #Consistency
@PeaceIM12 Nice question, Servant12. In some instances futures have a higher leverage, whereas trading options at various deltas allow the trader to "fine-tune" the amount of leverage. The result is that options offer more of an asymmetric expression on your view of where price is going.
This is a very good question as to whether futures or equities/options offer a better path to profitability.
In my experience, the answer is less about the instrument itself and more about the individual trader.
I have spent time trading both /ES futures and $SPX options. While I respect the efficiency and leverage that futures provide, I have not found any success in the futures market, only losing money. In contrast, trading options on indexes and equities has proven to be far more aligned with my strengths.
The distinction, for me, comes down to mindset.
When trading futures, I found myself becoming overly reactive. If a position did not work quickly, I would exit, reassess, and often re-enter in the opposite direction. This pattern of small losses repeated throughout the day, often accumulating into a large drawdown. And over time, this approach also eroded my confidence, making it increasingly difficult to stay committed to positions that were ultimately winning.
Things were different with options trading. Rather than reacting to each movement, I would begin with observation., taking the time to study the chart, form a directional thesis — whether for the day or the week — and then enter with position sizing that allowed the trade to develop.
The end result was more consistent winners.
What became clear is that different instruments can subtly shape behavior. Futures, at least in my case, encouraged speed and reactivity. Options encouraged patience and structure.
Neither approach is inherently superior. But one may be better suited to your temperament.
Ultimately, trading success is not determined by what you trade—it is determined by how you trade. And only trade what makes you money, because at the end of the day, it’s ultimately about becoming consistently profitable.
$63,235.00 trading $SPX today. 💰
I started the trade yesterday. Sensing market momentum, I purchased 3 $6950 calls into the close.
On the gap up this morning, those calls hit TP hit quickly.
I then re-entered with conviction, purchasing the $7015 calls.
Then I waited.
$SPX slowly migrated to $7120 → TP triggered, yielding over +$63K on this $SPX trade.
Execution & Patience carried the day for me today.
#SPX #OptionsTrading #0DTE #DayTrading #TradingEdge #Discipline #Consistency
@deepak2856 Very true! I do not enjoy theta decay in 0-DTE options; hence, going Deep ITM takes theta out of play. And I know my break-even price when it comes to the underlying, which gives me more confidence to take the trade.
$50,740.00 P/L today. 💰💵
Came in looking to fade the open → grabbed 0-DTE $7095 puts (~$66.8) expecting a $7000 retest.
Got the move to $7008… but bears seemed a bit weak.
Closed for +$6K → flipped long into $6960 calls (~$69.3).
I waited and let price work.
Sold at $87.4, yielding a cumulative +$50.7K on the day.
My thesis today changed, and so I changed my position.
Strong Execution is the repeatable edge.
All trades 3rd party verified by @Kinfo .
#SPX #OptionsTrading #DayTrading #TradingPsychology #0DTE #PriceAction #Discipline #Consistency #kinfo