The P90X Nutrition Guide was developed specifically for people who are participating in the P90X workouts. Like the P90X workout it is broken up into 3 phases to help you maximize your results. Your body is changing so it would make sense that your nutrition should change as well. Let’s take a deeper look at the P90X Nutrition Guide.
The Power of 3: You may feel this way too when you read the guide. Everything is broken into 3 categories Cheap Yu Darvish Jersey , levels, approaches. This allows the guide to give people options and make it as close as possible to what will actually work. Remember that each body is different and you may need to make small adjustments in your own nutrition to have success.
Start Here!! – Calculating your Nutritional Need: Once again everyone is different and so this calculation will help you get a baseline of where you are starting. It is a function of body weight, resting metabolic rate, and your daily caloric burn. Combine these with the extra calories figured in for P90X and you come up with your energy amount. Once you have your energy amount calculated and know what nutrition level (1 Cheap Javier Baez Jersey ,2 or 3) your energy amount calls for, you are ready to get started with your nutritional planning!
The Magic of Confusion: Not you getting confused but your body. Tony Horton talks a lot about muscle confusion as the key to success with P90X. So each 30 days you are experiencing different routines forcing your body to adapt to something new. The P90X Nutrition guide is set up much the same way to cause your body to continue to adapt and to help meet the needs of your changing body. Here are the 3 phases:
Fat Shredder – Just like it sounds the goal here is to really cut down the fat. This is done by focusing on taking in proteins to support your muscles and limiting your carbohydrates and sugars. It takes real commitment to limit your carb intake to 1 a day in many cases. This is scheduled to last 30 days but you can adjust based on your results. For example if your goal is to lose weight and this phase is helping you accomplish that goal, stay in this phase until you notice a plateau effect, then move on. If you are already lean and your goal is to build muscle you may have to move out of this phase quicker if you are “bonking” in your workouts.
Energy Booster – Coming out of the Fat Shredder phase it is time to give your body a boost as you enter phase 2 of the exercise program. This boost comes from the addition of complex carbs. The additional carbs will help give you the fuel you need to push through the next 30 days of the intense workouts. This portion of the nutrition guide is also scheduled for 30 days. However Cheap Ryne Sandberg Jersey , you may have to adjust the time period based on results.
Endurance Maximizer – After 2 months of P90X your body is bound to change. This portion of the nutrition program is to support your new athletic body so you have the energy to endure to the end of the 90 days! Now rather than be protein heavy like the first 2 phases, it is more of a balanced diet with protein, carbs, veggies and fruits as the focus and decreased dairy intake.
Freedom to Choose: Nobody likes to be told what to do and not one method works for everyone Cheap Ernie Banks Jersey , so built into the P90X Nutrition Guide are 3 different approaches. A different approach for different folks. Let’s take a look:
Portion Approach – In this approach you have foods in each of the different groups that you select to fill the portions that you are allotted for the day. Example: Phase 1 (Fat Shredder) my portion plan calls for 7 proteins, 3 dairy, 1 fruit, 4 vegetables Cheap Ron Santo Jersey , 1 fat, 1 carb, 3 snacks, 2 condiments Cheap Andre Dawson Jersey , 8 glasses of water, and supplements. So I would choose from the approved foods in each category to fill my portions for the day. This plan works great for me in my busy life.
Meal Plan Approach – This approach tells you exactly what to eat at each meal. It has recipes and instructions on how to make each meal. No guesswork here, just follow along and eat what you are supposed to eat. Great plan for those who have more time or who love to cook.
Quick Option Approach – This approach gives a couple of quick and easy combinations, gives suggestions on possible frozen foods to choose from Cheap David Ross Jersey , as well as some options at some faster food restaurants (Subway, Wendy’s Taco Bell) that won’t demolish your nutrition. Everyone will run into these days when our plan doesn’t work out like we thought and these options let you stay on track in our fast-paced world.
Final Thoughts and Tips: The P90X Nutrition Guide was created for a reason, don’t just toss it aside, study it and learn how to properly fuel your body based on your activities. Make sure that you plan your nutrition. When you plan your nutrition you are less likely to find yourself hungry and grabbing for the wrong foods. Make good use of your snacks so you don’t overeat at meal times. If you are not seeing the results you want Joe Maddon Cubs Jersey , rather than scrap the plan, make small adjustments: add or subtract 200 calories and see what happens. Hydrate, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!! Your body needs water to properly function and to burn fat Anthony Rizzo Cubs Jersey , so don’t sabotage your efforts by not drinking enough water. Finally, nutrition counts so get the results you desire by staying committed to your workouts, and your nutrition! Good luck on your journey!
David Hawkins PT, CSCS P.S. Please feel free to share this advice with friends and family who may be thinking about P90X or are already Bringing IT!