Following the Insanity Meal Plan?

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Hi everyone,

I just started Insanity and am on day 3. I've read a few things in the forums that initially made me feel worried about losing weight, but you know, I just want to be fit and toned and lose inches so that I can achieve my goal of wearing a bikini for once in my life! So I've at least decided not to worry too much about the scale.

But I've noticed people have been saying that they DO lose weight when they up their calories, and that some people have had success using Insanity's meal plan. I feel like that would be easier than worry about how to configure MFP the way I have been doing it - adding in calories lost from Insanity and just eating back my exercise calories.

I guess my question is...how do I eat while on Insanity? More or less than my allotted 1200 per day plus exercise cals? Or should I just follow the meal plan to make it easier?

Thanks for your help! I am really committed to doing this right!

Replies

  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
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    You will need much more than 1200 a day. More like 1600-1900. Keep your macros at 40c/40p/20f. Make sure you get plenty of protein also to repair those muscles.

    I started Insanity eating around 1200 also and about died, no seriously, died. Your muscles and body will need the energy. Don't expect to see any numbers go down on the scale for the first 3 weeks. You will be building muscle and holding on to water like a camel in the desert.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    The calculations in the food guide are a great way to start. The program is pretty strenuous to begin with, I can't imagine trying to do it on 1200 calories. You don't have to follow the meal plan, but I would recommend checking out the calculations.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    dont even attempt insanity on 1200 calories...their meal plan allows too many calories in my opinion but if you go to www.iifym.com you can figure out what you should be eating.
  • silroxxx
    silroxxx Posts: 62 Member
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    Im on week 3 day 3
    and like you, MFP suggest that I eat 1200 calories
    then after my insanity workouts wich usually burn from 300-600 calories I add those to the 1200 meaning
    I eat close to 1700 Its hard for me to eat that much now since I got used to eating only 1200 and I was scared to eat 1700 thinking I wasnt going to loose any weight and istead gain it .
    But so far I have lost 4.5 pounds in the first 2 weeks
    so Im very ecxited about that!
    Not to mention those workouts get hard and you really do need the energy to complete them
    so yes eat more

    But................ you gotta gotta gotta eat clean
    I personally dont follow the meal plan they suggest but I do try and eat similar or close to theirs.
    drink tons of water and
    use your calories at least try and eat up what you burned.

    PS.
    Im also on a goal to wear a bathing suit a two piece bathing suit lol
    I have a vacation in august so the pressure is on!!!
    Good luck :)

    FYI.. my profile bikini pic is just for my own private insanity before pictures lol I wouldt wear it in public just yet
    hehehe
  • bdoringer
    bdoringer Posts: 3 Member
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    Hey everyone,

    I'm also doing Insanity right now and following their meal plan as good as I can. The formula they provide suggests I eat around 2900 calories per day.

    Now since I'm working crazy hours at the moment I don't really have too much time to spend on the whole food preparation process (shopping/cooking/etc.) and currently eat relatively irregularly.

    Also, how am I supposed to stuff down 2900 calories in the 40-40-20 ratio?

    In the morning I usually can't eat that much, but since I started Insanity I try to have a large bowl of high quality cereal with low fat milk, plus a protein shake and my usual double espresso. Also I drink two cups of water immediately upon waking. I just feel way better when hydrated.

    Lunch/Dinner usually consist of vegetables and meat / fish. Another protein shake is added after doing my workout.

    I try to eat as clean as possible, but I just seem to have a hard time ramping up my protein intake - despite the shakes.
    Right now I average out at 45-25-30 (Carb-Protein-Fat) and around 1800 calories per day.

    I know I need more since I started feeling really really exhausted. Also as you might notice my thinking is quite scrambled and not as straight as it used to / should be.

    Any suggestions on how I can a) stuff myself with 2900 calories while b) eating clean?
  • p0kers0ph
    p0kers0ph Posts: 251 Member
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    I'm eating around 1900 cals doing Insanity. That was worked out using the TDEE - 20% theory, which comes pretty much around the numbers I got from working out my allowance from the Insanity book.
    I don't think that I would get through these workouts without the extra calories. Just ensure you are eating good things to fuel your body. I'm trying to get lots of protein in.
  • CoachChrisD
    CoachChrisD Posts: 207 Member
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    I have been reading all your post and need to remind you all that MFP caloric intake is based on normal fitness programs like gym, running, ect...
    Insanity is a advance program for Beachbody based on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) so you burn more calories that if you were running or kickboxing ect...

    My suggestion is for you to stick to the insanity meal plan and correct your setting on MFP to match the caloric intake so you can keep track
  • kmariin
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    Hi everyone,
    I am on day 2 of insanity today and I plan on following the meal plan because I read that is how you get max results. But the meal plan suggests that I eat 1900 calories a day! Which makes me feel as if I will just maintain my weight. I was curious if anyone else increased their caloric intake and it worked.
    Thanks!
  • kmariin
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    :)
  • pascaljoly
    pascaljoly Posts: 30 Member
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    hi,

    I will be starting insanity next month after coming back from travelling for work.
    I have been on a diet and have lost 4kgs in 7weeks and want to lose 5kgs so nearly there.
    Having said that, this week, my weight hasn't changed so far but my percentage of body fat has dropped by 1% so that's even better.
    As for my diet, all I have done is to ditch all junk food; all I have had in these 3 weeks are 3 cheat meals! so that worked.
    of course I go to the gym but that 's no different to previously.
    What I find difficult is to drop the amount of carbs I eat since I eat a lot of fruit! so the ratio carbs to protein is really unbalanced but I am only just starting to work ont it. I have a protein shake a day; I might up the dose to 2 on certain days or once I do start the program; I am in the UK (England) so a lot of the stuff mentioned on the diet plan can't be found here but, as I have experienced, you can still lose weight. I am now starting to replace my second sandwich for lunch by either a bacon steak (fat trimmed), and bacon streaks (again, I trim out the fat edges), chicken breasts, eggs ;I eat a lot of raw veggies (carott, radish, mushrooms, fennel) and cook carott, cauliflower and broccoli almost every night. but still, only once was I close to the 40/40/20 ratio; if anything, my fat intake seems to be low every day so I have to add olive oil when I cook but I don't know how many calories this represents (1 TSBP only anyway so can't be that much). I might buy some liquid egg whites if I can find some (not come in the UK) and make myself some omelet each day with peppers or oignons and things like that. I do try to eat 5 times a day for sure. which is great as I am always hungry. I injured my leg on Monday (quad strain) so I have to take it easy and I hate it as I feel like I will lose the little that I have gained so far... I will start doing some gentle spinning tomorrow and see how it feels; I can't wait to start the program to be honest.
    I do want to get my hopes up though in terms of expectations as I am not the type of guy who builds a lot of muscles and i already have some abs definition (although nothings like the guys on TV) and my body fat % is around 15% but if I can't improve my fitness and still build a little muscle and be more defined, then I would be happy.

    please friend me if you can as it would be easier!!!

    take care