Supplements and Calories intake goal

tanffn

I am new to myfitnesspal, so a warm Hello to everyone!

I started P90X exercise program and I’m trying to eat properly, I strive to eat at least 2300 Cals a day (40/40/20; P/C/F). Currently with all the supplements and meals I reach around 1600+ Cals (which isn't bad compared to my ~600 Cals pre diet).
If you have a moment you can see my food diary at: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/tanffn

So the questions:
1. Do you think my 2300 calories goal is correct (~128lbs, 18% fat, 5'5")?
2. What supplements can you recommend?
I've been thinking about buying NLarge2 (which I already used): http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/pl/large.html

Using that as it is for a meal replacement (in-between breakfast – lunch – dinner).
And as the recovery drink, just by adding some creatine and juice for the extra carbs (to get to that 4 to 1 C/P ratio).

Ariel.

FabulousFifty

It really depends on what your starting weight and goal weight are. Have MFP "guide" you in helping you set your goals. If you do this it should be accurate. Good luck on your journey!

tanffn

Thanks, I did use the MFP and many other formulas to get to that cal intake value. some site say the more you eat, the better, recommending 5000-8000 cals a day(!).
Does anyone has any input on supplements?

SHBoss1673

Really depends on what you're trying to do. It also depends on your genetics, numbers, and activity levels (among other things).

I mean, you never said if you were trying to lose weight, your first post makes it almost sound as if you're trying to gain muscle mass, which is a completely different strategy from losing fat, tough to do both at the same time. Most functional athletes take a while to reduce body fat as they use athletic moves to train instead of targeted moves, so really what I'm getting at is you need to be a lot more descriptive and a provide a lot more information before we can help (IMHO at least).

tanffn

Fair enough
I am trying to both gain muscle mass and lose fat, I am not expecting drastic fast results rather a prolong work.
As mentioned I’m doing the P90X program which is a combination of (intense) aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

if there is any other information lacking please tell me.

SHBoss1673

Fair enough
I am trying to both gain muscle mass and lose fat, I am not expecting drastic fast results rather a prolong work.
As mentioned I’m doing the P90X program which is a combination of (intense) aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

if there is any other information lacking please tell me.

tough to tell without your height, activity levels, any medication you are on, any medical conditions you may have, your body fat %, and any other numbers you may have (VO2 max, RHR, TDEE...etc.) If you aren't sure what any of these are, you can google them pretty quickly.

Trying to gain muscle mass and lose (significant) fat simultaneously is almost impossible. That's why you hear about professional body builders performing their techniques in stages (I.E. the "bulking" stage and the "cutting" stage.), because they learned a long time ago that you can build a small amount of muscle and lose a lot of fat, or build a large amount of muscle and lose little (or no) fat, but doing both is tantamount to the holy grail in fitness training, not usually accomplished, and not done without ultra serious training.
If it were me, I'd choose one to focus on, get to where I want to be, then work on the other, they require 2 different energy strategies, and P90X isn't really the routine of choice for muscle mass gains (just an FYI) it's a functional training routine, designed to cut someone up, not to gain much in muscle mass. It's awesome for what it does (IMHO, 3rd behind Insanity and Cross Fit) but it's not a mass building routine. P90X is great for building up a strong core, and strong, functional muscles, but it won't greatly increase your body style (I.E. you're not going to put on 30 lbs of "RIP" with P90X usually, even if you do the routine to a T). But I prefer this anyway, because big muscles look nice, but strong muscles make you healthy and powerful (and don't look too bad either!)

tanffn

Activity levels, only P90X ~500cals a day.
I don't have any medical condition.
Weight 128lbs (60kg), 18% fat. height 5'5" (164cm).
RHR ~60.
TDEE 1500-1800, depending on the formula used.
Do you really need my VO2 Max?

From what I read, and from what I’ve seen I don’t agree with you P90X conclusion. But even so how does it effect my overall diet?

I will probably go for “Optimum Pro Complex Gainer”, instead of NLarge2.

SHBoss1673

From what I read, and from what I’ve seen I don’t agree with you P90X conclusion. But even so how does it effect my overall diet?

this is rather vague, what don't you agree with? It's not opinion, ask a P90X trainer, P90X is for functional strength using plyometrics and resistance, not mass building. I'm not sure what else to say about that. Functional strength DOES increase muscle mass somewhat, but that's not what the program is designed for. If you're 18% BF, you should work on a modest calorie deficit first, somewhere between 200 and 500 calories from TDEE (and eat your exercise calories, this is vital for fat loss! without losing muscle mass.)

On the website of P90X it states it clear as day,

P90X® is a revolutionary system of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days.

the above statement is right off their site. Getting ripped is a term used not to describe mass building but to describe increases in muscle density, and increases in fat stores. They go further on to describe muscle confusion, which is a common term used in plyometrics and functional training which is a concept that leans towards helping a person become functionally stronger (or in the case of cardio exercises, burn more calories for a unit of work).

pkgirrl

What do you mean by increases in fat stores? I thought I was going to lose body fat doing this =/