Below is the overviw of my Nutrition Plan during Round 1 of P90X
Bar far the most common questions I’ve had from people who saw my transformation are about my diet. I had amazing results, and it definitely has a lot to do with my nutrition. So here’s what I did (in a nutshell):
*I followed the FAT SHREDDER plan for the first 2 months (50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fat). For the 3rd month, I upped the carbs closer to 40% (like Phase 2).
*I ran at a calorie DEFICIT the whole time. The nutrition guide recommended 3,000 calories per day for someone my size, and if I was interested in maintaining my weight, 3,000 would have worked fine, but I wanted to lose a lot of body fat, so I targeted 2,000 calories as my daily goal. If you choose to run a calorie deficit like I did, it’s important that you listen to your body and give it a little more if you start bonking during the workouts.
(As a side note, for Round 2, since I have gotten to a low body fat % from Round 1, I am experimenting with more calories to see how my body responds. I’ve been at 2500 calories per day so far in Round 2, and have actually lost a couple more pounds. I will soon up it to 2800 and monitor my body fat %. I feel like I get to pig out now and I’m staying ripped! This is great!!)
*I NEVER CHEATED. No cheat meals. No cheat days. No bites of the kids’ desserts. NONE!!! One cheat meal can slow down your progress by 2 or 3 days. Is it worth it to you? I didn’t want to do anything to sabotage the hard work I was putting into the workouts.
*I kept track of everything I ate (via an iPhone app called Tap and Track). They say that people who just “try to eat healthy” will actually consume 50% more calories than people who track their calories. I tracked everything that went into my mouth for the entire Round 1, and in fact it has become so easy to do using Tap and Track that I still do it every day.
*I did not make the actual meals in the nutrition guide. It’s not practical for me to make all that stuff. What I did instead is make meals that fit my tastes, fit into the right % of protein, carbs, and fats, and fit with my schedule. I have a few meals I rotate depending on what I’m in the mood for, and I have a good list of snacks that work on the go and meet my criteria.
*I try to consume most of my carbs in the morning, but go heavier on the protein in the evening. I also don’t eat for at least 2-3 hours before bed.
*I gave up Pop (even my diet pop!) That was tough!
*I ate 3 meals of 400-450 cals each (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and 3 snacks (one morning snack, 2 afternoon snacks) of 200-250 cals each.
*I found healthy ways to meet my cravings for a treat (sugar free jello, flavored water packets, jerky, fat free/sugar free yogurt, light popcorn, and of course my chocolate deluxe protein bars!)
