You’ve heard it for a long time, that diet and exercise are the two main tenets of physical fitness. While each one has its own benefits, they work best together. More
P90X Nutrition Plan
Looking for P90X Lunch Ideas?
What's Cookin'?
It sometimes surprises me to find so many people looking online for P90X lunch ideas or dinner recipes. If you open the pages of the P90X Nutrition Guide, you will find hundreds of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You’ll find easy throw-together meals and fancy recipes. You’ll find ingredients that are approved or specific meal plans with every detail spelled out. But some people want a simple go-to source for P90X lunch ideas and I’m here to share a few suggestions.
What You Eat Depends on Your Phase
There are three phases of the P90X program. Obviously, what you are going to eat depends on the phase you are in. During each phase of P90X, your nutritional needs change. The diet anticipates this and provides perfect formulas to fuel your body no matter how you are working. But, when you are at work and in need of a quick idea or at home with no time to consult your book, any one of the meal ideas will suffice. This is just because the nutrition guide doesn’t really contain any bad-for-you suggestions. Though you should follow it precisely, any one of the recipes or suggestions will work in a pinch.
Quick P90X Lunch Ideas
We all have days that we didn’t plan for. Days where lunch didn’t get prepared before we left the house or we didn’t consult the nutrition guide. It’s okay. There are options that can be thrown together quickly and here are a few:
- Chicken and Romaine Salad
- Turkey Burger
- Tuna Salad with Greens
- Chicken or Shrimp Stir Fry
- Veggie Wrap
- Grilled Chicken Burrito
- Tuna Roll Up
- Turkey Breast Sandwich
- Chicken Pita
Beware of Fast Food!
You can look at this list above and see some options that your local drive-thru would offer, though this is NOT what we have in mind. A turkey breast sandwich from a local sub shop could be okay as long as it is 6 inches or less, has no cheese, mayo, or other fattening toppings. Opt for whole grain bread and lots of veggies and you’ll have a great P90X lunch ideas option. However, if you take the grilled chicken burrito option from the fast food joint up the street, chances are you’ll end up with serious carbs, calories, and fat that you didn’t bargain for. The bottom line is: be cautious and use common sense!
Your P90X Nutrition Guide is designed to help you come up with meal ideas and recipes. When you have some spare time, revisit the guide to get some additional ideas.
Is there a P90X Vegetarian Diet?
Doing P90X vegetarian-style? Don't forget to add plenty of legumes!
If you are starting P90X, you are no doubt concerned about the diet plan. Will it fit your lifestyle and will you be able to maintain it? Like any diet plan, these concerns can be especially pressing if you already have dietary restrictions. Fortunately, if you are a vegetarian, you already have experience in adjusting recipes, options, and restaurant menu items to fit your needs. The P90X vegetarian diet will only require you to build upon these already sound skills.
How to Customize Your P90X Vegetarian Diet
Whichever approach you take to the P90X vegetarian diet, you can make adjustments to fit your needs. There are many vegetarian meal options already within the pages of the P90X Nutrition Guide. But, even for those that include meat, a little creativity ensures you will be able to enjoy the tasty options without having to include animal proteins.
Substitutions!
The key to making any regular diet a vegetarian diet is in substitutions. Obviously you won’t be eating a chicken salad but a large salad of just veggies or veggies and beans is a great swap-out. There are several staples that you can keep on hand for substituting in the P90X vegetarian diet. Those include:
- Tofu
- Seitan
- Legumes (Garbanzos, Lentils, Red Kidney, Black, Pinto, etc.)
- Nuts (watch your fat intake here)
- Eggs
- Fish (if you partake)
Don’t Miss Out on the Protein
Perhaps the biggest concern with a P90X vegetarian diet is in getting enough protein. This fitness program requires you to get plenty of protein every single day. This is why adding legumes to your diet, if you don’t already eat them, is so important. Add them to salads or meat dishes. Make black bean burgers or burritos for dinner. But don’t miss out on your daily protein!
P90X Vegetarian Diet Supplements
When trying to up your protein intake as a vegetarian, it can get a little tricky. This is why the P90X protein bars and whey protein powders are such a great option. You can add protein easily to your breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack by having a quick shake or a bar when hunger strikes. Protein is essential in building muscle tissue, so don’t skimp.
P90X is designed to help you get amazing results. But, in order to achieve these, you have to eat right. Using common sense and the P90X Nutrition Guide, you can tailor a high quality P90X vegetarian diet quite easily.
Tips For Success With the P90X Diet
Diets can be intimidating. When you want to lose weight, there’s a lot depending on your ability to stick with a diet plan. Obviously, the best route to successful attainment of any fitness goal is by following a specific workout plan and a nutritional plan. But when you use the word diet, you immediately conjure images of self-deprivation and even hunger. Though we will call the P90X nutrition plan a diet from time to time, it’s important to understand that this isn’t some temporary starvation thing—this is learning to eat for life!
Much of the success of the P90X Diet isn’t just in the plan itself but in the attitude of those people who approach it as a lesson on how to eat for life. This is a lifestyle change, not a 90 day diet. So, how can you best make these changes?
The best way to make any change is to first commit to it and to then take it one day at a time. You want to lose weight and get in better shape. The P90X diet and workout system can help you achieve these goals and maintain them for life—if you just follow through.
There will be days, as there always are, where you will struggle with making the right food choices. During these days, it’s a good idea to reevaluate your fitness goals. Look them over. Think about how it will feel to attain them, to slip into those new, sexier clothes and to just be able to hold your head higher. Look at how far you’ve already come. Check out your measurements and think of how difficult it was just to start the program. To give up or “cheat” now, would just be selling yourself short.
Is the P90X diet hard? No. This nutrition plan is filled with delicious and healthy food. You won’t starve and you won’t have to spend hours in the kitchen if that’s not your thing. But, it does take a shift in thinking and adaptation to a new way of relating to food. It will take some work and a period of adjustment. Being prepared for that can help you when you have one of those tough days.
Finally, anytime you take on a new fitness program or diet, it’s important to look for support. Tell people about your goals and discuss your progress with a good friend or someone else working towards similar goals. Sharing this can do wonders for your motivation!
Will P90X Work Without the Diet?
Exercise is important in living a healthy lifestyle. They say “use it or lose it” and that is definitely true when talking about fitness. Getting daily exercise is crucial in staying healthy and fit. And when you’ve “lost it” and are trying to regain it, exercise can help you get there. This is really why P90X was created—to help people find optimal health and fitness. The P90X workouts and diet plan are specifically designed to help people get dramatic results. But many question if you can get the same results doing only the workouts–will P90X work without the diet?
P90X workouts are very effective but will P90X work without the diet? The truth is, if you eliminate the P90X diet, you may actually still see some results from the workouts alone—that’s how good these workouts are. But, your results won’t be nearly as dramatic if you continue to eat like someone who doesn’t care about their health.
When it comes to fitness and athleticism, exercise is only half of the equation. Sure, you have to use your body daily to keep it in good shape. But when you fail to fuel it with high quality foods, you are really working against yourself. It’s like trying to run a race, going the wrong way on a moving sidewalk—you might make some progress but much of your effort will be in vain. Will P90X workout without the diet? Not as dramatically as you would like.
When you decided to go with the P90X workout system, you did it (at least in part) because you wanted the dramatic results, right? So why would you consider taking the half-assed approach and getting subsequently half-assed results? This is the type of program you want to give 100% and that includes using the P90X diet.
Many people who ask will P90X work without the diet simply don’t want to put forth the effort to change their eating habits. If that’s the case, it’s time to analyze just how badly you want these fitness results. Changing your lifestyle can be hard. But the P90X plan is designed to help you achieve optimal health. This isn’t a starvation diet, but it will take an adjustment period. It’s made to provide you with healthy eating and exercise habits to last a lifetime. So, why are you second guessing it?
Details on the P90X Nutrition Plan
P90X is a pretty amazing program. When you add your determination and commitment to the plan, it creates a formula for success. If you have fitness goals and want to see your body become healthier and even sexier, P90X can help you get there. But it isn’t only about the workouts. The P90X Nutrition Plan is a vital part of the program. Your results simply won’t be as dramatic if you don’t follow this well organized dietary lifestyle change.
The P90X Nutrition Plan isn’t a diet and it won’t deprive you. You won’t be starving yourself as Beachbody knows that kind of approach wouldn’t last and wouldn’t work with the strenuous workouts of P90X. Instead, with the P90X Nutrition Plan, you’ll learn how to eat to better fuel your body, optimizing your nutrition and increasing your potential for dramatic results.
This nutrition approach is a three phase and three level program. When you look within the pages of your Nutrition Guide, you’ll find it asks you some very basic questions to figure out what level to start you on. These questions, like figuring your resting metabolic rate (RMR), are designed to best determine how many calories you need per day. This determination will either set you in the Level I category, which needs about 1,800 calories per day, the Level II category with 2,400 calories per day, or the Level III category which needs about 3,000 calories per day.
Once you have determined what level you are on, you can begin Phase 1 of the program. Phase 1 is called the Fat Shredder phase. This is where you begin cutting your body fat percentage. You will develop some muscle tone here as well as you lose fat, getting about 50% of your calories from protein.
Phase 2 of the P90X Nutrition Plan is known as the Energy Booster phase. After losing body fat in Phase 1, you’ll need some additional energy to keep working through the P90X workouts. This stage of the program will seem more well-rounded nutritionally and will slightly increase your carbohydrate intake to help you normalize your energy levels.
Finally, Phase 3 of the P90X Nutrition Plan is known as the Endurance Maximizer. This is a long term phase, designed to help you maintain maximum performance and an athletic nutrition program. Here you will have largely achieved the body you want and are now focused on maintaining it. You’ll get about 60% of your calories from carbohydrates here.
The P90X Nutrition Plan walks you through these phases with plenty of support, offering meal plans and recipes to help you along the way. This system was designed to help you reach success and when paired with the P90X workouts, you really can’t fail.
Grilled Chicken Parmesan
You obviously can’t have the typical breaded and very cheesy version of this traditional Italian dish while you are on the P90X plan. But you can have something similar to kick any chicken parmesan cravings you might be having. This is a simple recipe and one that is great for people who select the portion approach. It’s simple but does require some cook time. Make enough on the weekend for lunch leftovers throughout the week and you will thank yourself.
2- 3 oz. portions of boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T. Olive Oil
2 oz. Parmesan Cheese
2 Cups Cooked Whole Grain Spaghetti
2 Cups Spaghetti Sauce (plain, no cheese or meat added)
Italian Spice Blend
Heat stove top grill or skillet on medium heat. Coat pan with 1 T. of olive oil and add chicken breasts seasoned with Italian spices and black pepper. Heat spaghetti sauce and boil pasta while chicken is cooking. Cook chicken, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through (180 degrees, approximately 10 minutes per side depending on thickness). When pasta is al dente (tender-firm), remove from heat and drain. Stir the other tablespoon of olive oil into the pasta and serve pasta with chicken and sauce on top. Top each serving with 1 oz of parmesan cheese.
This recipe serves two and each serving includes: 1 protein, 1 vegetable, and 1 grain. Double the chicken if you are short on your daily proteins.
A P90X Approved Breakfast
Every meal can seem like a challenge if you aren’t used to eating on the P90X nutrition plan yet. Breakfast, for many people is something that is an afterthought- a quick bite on your way out the door or a bagel in the break room. It doesn’t have to be rocket science to be nutritious, however. A few simple breakfast solutions used in rotation are a great way for you to jump start your metabolism and not go off of your P90X diet.
If lifting a finger in the morning is near impossible for you, consider the P90X protein bars. They are simple, convenient, tasty, and a great source of protein. If, however, you can take 5 minutes of breakfast preparation time out of your morning, I guarantee you can put something together that will keep you going without slowing you down.
Protein Shake Smoothies
Try mixing some berries or other fruit with your P90X protein shake. Not only does this take limited time, it’s portable and perfect for those running-late morning. For one serving of fruit on the P90X Portion Approach you can throw in either 1 Cup of raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries or any combination of the three. You could also use up to 2 Cups of strawberries. For a flavor kick try 1 Cup of strawberries and a half of a banana.
Egg White Omelets
You already know I am a fan of omelets. They don’t take much time and are an excellent source of protein. Check out this post with several omelet ideas.
Bacon and Egg Bagel Sandwich
Try 2 slices of turkey bacon with egg whites on a toasted whole wheat bagel. Use 3 egg whites for a ½ protein or 6 for a full serving of protein. Let the egg set up in the pan and simply fold into fourths to make it bagel-sized. Remember to use a medium whole wheat bagel and if you are short on time in the mornings, precook the bacon the evening before or use ham instead.
Ham and Cheese Muffin
A simple microwave idea, simply toast an English muffin, top with 3 oz of fat-free ham slices and one ounce of cheese. Microwave for 15 seconds and you’ve got a hot breakfast sandwich that is easy to eat on your commute.
Fruity Oatmeal
If you like your carbs in the morning, try oatmeal instead of the old standby cereal. Stir in some berries or a sliced banana for interest. Add some cinnamon for flavor and you are set. Rather than using oatmeal packets, use quick cooking oats on the stove top for a better source of fiber. Just remember to make up for the lack of protein at breakfast throughout the day.