The P90X Nutrition Plan is one of the tools that will help you make it through the P90X training program. How to eat healthy is also something that you need to do for the rest of your life. The truth is, eating healthy is not as bad as it might sound. And, the P90X Nutrition Plan is like a road map that tells you exactly how to get to where you want to go. It’s like having your very own nutrition counselor. The key to better nutrition and diet is not cutting out every food you love forever, it’s eating realistically—not skimping on any one food group but choosing which protein, carbohydrates, and fat to eat when. It’s about learning to eat healthy.
Healthy eating is actually a balanced approach that doesn’t swing from one end of the spectrum to another. Instead of never having a steak again, you’ll learn how to choose which cut of steak is better for you. The P90X Nutrition plan recommends leaner cuts of beef, poultry, pork and lamb, egg whites, low-fat milks and cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates like multigrain breads and whole wheat pastas, and a variety of snacks and condiments.
When you first start your 90 days of the P90X training program, you will also begin what is called Phase 1 or the Fat Shredder portion of the nutrition plan. The first phase will have you eating foods higher in protein so that you can start to lose fat and build muscle. If you want, you can get a body fat tester to help determine your percentage of body fat.
Phase 2 or the Energy Booster portion of the P90X nutrition plan is a more balanced mixture of carbohydrates and proteins with low fat. This is a phase you can stay in for as long as you want, and really it is the best way of how to eat healthy for life. Food is fuel and this mix of foods will give you just the right amount of energy to workout and live day to day.
The P90X nutrition plan next takes you to the Endurance Maximizer phase. This is the athletic diet you need to eat if you are really pushing yourself in your workouts or your chosen sport. It’s a higher carbohydrate diet needed for energy and endurance. It includes the kind of food selections that runners or cyclists need when they push themselves to go long distances. It’s when you’ve earned the right to eat all the pasta you want without anybody telling you to lay off the carbs.
You don’t have to figure out how to do anything but follow a step-by -step nutrition plan. Every amount of food from each food group is already assigned its number of calories and you just mix and match to get the right food groups and portion sizes. As with most healthy diets, you’ll learn that it is better to eat six small meals each day than two large ones.
Once you start following the P90X nutrition plan through its various phases you will find that you are building a foundation of knowledge about how to eat healthy for the rest of your life. Diets that eliminate food groups simply are not going to work, nor is trying to lose weight and keep it off without exercise. The P90X is a total body training program that took over a year to develop and so far it has helped over two million people meet their health and exercise goals.
Apr 23, 2011 @ 14:23:13
I am sorry- reported wrong daily caloric intake in last post- It’s level 3- 3,240 calories per day!!!!!! I eat between 1500-1700 calories per day now, which I find difficlut to do despite all the working out.
Ok, I see where your coming from! So you will have a remaining 2640 calories after your P90X workouts which isn’t too much for a heavier person. If you were to lead a totally sedentary lifestyle, you would need a little over 2200 calories per day. This is based on your age, height and weight. Of course, I never tell anyone to make sure they consume the recommended daily calories even if they have to stuff themselves! If level 3 is the correct level for you, try and follow it and eat what you feel comfortable eating. This diet does work. You just have to stick with it! Or, you can always try stepping down to level 2 and see how that goes. If you have enough energy to get through the workouts, stick with that level. It could be that your condition is causing your body to burn calories and absorb nutrients in an abnormal way. So do your best to do what is best for you!
-Mike
p.s. the meal plan tends to give recipes that serve more than just one, so be careful when using that approach.
Apr 25, 2011 @ 15:25:51
Mike,
Thank you so much for your input!! It was very helpful!! I will let you know how it goes. Maybe my success could give other women struggling with pcos some hope of losing weight. It has been one of the most frustrating problems, despite all the working out and strict types of food consumption.
Thank again.
Elle
May 02, 2011 @ 10:00:50
I am thinking bout getting the system and am very out of shape. Like smoker and not nutritional at all. I have the will to get better and have quit smoking. Is the program right for me cause i have put my body through crap for the past fourteen years? Cardio is really bad.
Hello Brent,
you might want to try the fitness test. If you can pass this test, you are ready to take on P90X. If not, you should start with Power 90. This program uses the same ideas, it just a little easier for those who might not be ready for the P90X.
Fitness Test:
http://www.extremebodyworkout.com/pdf/p90x-fit-test.pdf
-Mike
May 04, 2011 @ 07:27:27
Can you break down the servings in terms of grams, such as how many grams of protein per serving, how many grams of carb per serving because you can get some grams of protein from dairy, and there are different amounts of protein per food. I guess what im asking is how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat do i need each day for level I phase 1,2,and3.
thanx
May 25, 2011 @ 03:23:17
Hi
I am about to start the P90X plan, one question I have is how do I account for other sports as I play Squash, Badminton and Racketball?
Many thanks
Kevin.
May 25, 2011 @ 06:40:43
Also, one other question about following the diet.
Mym profession requires me to entertain clients, be it lunch of Dinner – I can keep this to a minimum but on occasions where its not possible how do I adjust, do I skip a day and add it to the end etc?
Thanks.
Kevin,
if you have to skip a day, I would pick up where you left off and complete the missed workout the following day.
-Mike
May 26, 2011 @ 14:53:58
Hello Kevin,
if these sports are a regular part of your daily routine, you can go online and find out how many calories are burned during a certain amount of time spent on each sport. Once you know that, there is a spot in the nutritional level calculation to add calories for other activities. This will ensure that you are eating enough to get the energy you need for your extra activities.
-Mike
Jun 16, 2011 @ 01:57:59
muscle workouts should be based on recovery. You need adequate rest after training hard if you intend to get optimal muscle growth. Not until you get to the advanced stage, you should never train up to 5 days a week!
Jul 20, 2011 @ 22:52:42
I have a question.I see under the portion plan you can have a baked potato under the carbohydrate section.Can you put any butter or sour cream on the potato?I have one more question.Does your snacks count for one of the servings for the food group they fall under or do they count just for the snack serving.For example if you eat a protein bar for a snack does that count under the potein serving or a snack serving.
Jul 25, 2011 @ 12:33:22
Just starting p90x and I am planning on following the nutritional guide but I have a question regarding when I should be eating these meals, how far apart and should I eat breakfast after my workout or before?? And if I eat my breakfast right after my workout should I also consume my recovery drink then or wait?
Hello Rickelle,
generally, you should eat every 2-4 hours. You should wait at least and hour after you have a meal before you start your workout. Recovery drinks should be consumed within one hour of your workout.
Wether you eat before or after your workout is totally up to you, just give yourself an hour in between so you don’t get sick to your stomach.
-Mike
Dec 08, 2011 @ 05:26:07
I have purchased p90x in Europe, uk..but nothing is in grams (we have to be careful as a uk once is different to a us ounce)
Example
US pint = 473ml = 1/16 = 1 ounce = 29.6grams
UK pint = 563ml = 1/16 = 1 ounce = 28.4 grams
And are you saying 1 cup = 236 ml ? As this can differ too…..some people use 250.
..and where can I buy the protein bars etc in the uk?
Jan 26, 2012 @ 00:18:35
THis is more of a question. If you are on Phase 1, Level 1, can you eat the recipes listed in phases 2 and 3 that are written and labeled level 1? And vise versa. If you are on phase 3 can you eat the recipes listed after phase 1 as long as you are using the recipe listed as phase 3?
Hello Mark,
you can but you need to check the nutritional values to make sure they line up with the nutritional values in phase 1.
-Mike