Protein Diets

OP you can continue to do P90x but just eat a moderate calorie deficit and consume sufficient protein intake to retain LBM and perhaps build SOME muscle tissue.

Or you could follow the instructions that came with the program which tells you exactly what to do based on your current body composition, etc.

LBM?

Lean body mass.

I’m not a big fan of these types of programs, as they are probably great for losing weight (they provide meals that give you a calorie deficit, and usually a rather large deficit), but learning to cook healthy meals for yourself and your family on your own, rather than having them provided to you, is more sustainable in the long run. You don’t have that much weight to lose anyway. Save your money.

And you don't need to follow the food program for P90X either.

Had a look at the nutritional info on the ProtiLife website, and while such a plan WILL keep you within your daily caloric requirement/restrictions, if you read the ingredient list, there is still lots of added sugar, "fake sugar"/sweetners, and other chemicals in their food. You could do just as well preparing those foods on your own, and I'm sure you would save a ton of money too.

For example, their Maple Oatmeal has 37 ingredients!! While some of those are added vitamins, etc. it also includes the artificial sweetener sucralose as well as added salt, and artificial flavors - things we want to avoid, where possible! You could very easily make your own oatmeal with plain oats, and add a banana and a dollop of natural peanut butter for some flavor, or liquid egg whites for added protein. This homemade version will come in a teeny bit higher in calories, but is all natural - you know exactly what is in it! - plus the cost per serving will be quite low.

Also, I would agree with the other posters about the P90X. If you do cardio only and really focus on creating a caloric deficit every day by eating less and exercising more, you WILL lose weight ... ... ... but some of the weight you lose will most definitely come from lean body mass (muscle), and not just from fat. Your muscles need to be challenged to be maintained! In addition, did you take body measurements before you started P90X or My Fitness Pal? If so, have you taken new measurements since? It's entirely possible that your 2.5 lb weight gain is not a reflection of failure, but rather, of success! Lean muscle mass weighs more than fat, but takes up less physical space. So, it's possible that during your first few weeks of P90X, you have actually altered your body composition (more muscle, less fat). Sometimes when the scale goes up, the measurements actually go down, which means you're succeeding! If you haven't started recording measurements yet, I would do so now, and check on them every week or two; the number on the scale isn't the only, and isn't always the best measure. As for a game plan, I would mix up P90X with cardio, alternating every other day maybe? That will help you maintain the muscle that you have, while also giving you a mental break from the DVDs and a physical break from the intensity of P90X.

...and yikes! Even worse, the Chocolate Crunch Cereal Bar includes FIVE different kinds of sugar!! - Corn Syrup, Glycerin, Glucose-Fructose, Sucralose, and plain ol' white Sugar. I'm certainly an advocate for a chocolate fix every once in awhile, but you can get great chocolate-y flavor from lots of other products or homemade items that have much less added sugar, like dark chocolate pieces with 70-80% cacao : )