p90x and calorie intake

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hvnlykoi
hvnlykoi Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
On the p90x program it came up that I need to eat 2400 calories and fitness pal says I only need 1200 so I am confused about what I really need
I also run 2.5 miles and walk .7 mi (trying to get to a 5k) M W and F
I eat 3 meals and three snacks a day but not sure which calorie guideline to follow?
I am 34 years old, 6 foot tall 164lb with 34% fat according to the Tanita scale
Week four of p90x and I have lost 1 lb so far ( I understand I am retaining water to heal muscles etc)

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  • Woodrow1234
    Woodrow1234 Posts: 20 Member
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    What's the goal and goal date you have?

    I've been doing P90x for about a year and a half with some limited downtime. It sounds like something's off for sure. You generally lose a ton the first month especially with the diet change (reduced sodium levels in the diet often cause you to lose water, not hold it). Are you doing every workout AND running? If so, I'm surprised you aren't losing even up at 2400. 1200 sounds insanely low for you though. Plyo burns ~600 calories alone, so if you add your running to that you'd be negative for the day just based on your workouts...not counting what you need to live.

    I'd just start to slowly drop non-essentials from your diet to bring your calorie count lower (slowly) while making sure you're getting the right foods to support your workouts. I actually went to school last year (@39 yrs old) to study nutrition so I would be better informed about what types of foods I was putting in, not just the total calories. I'd recommend looking closely at what you're eating, and make sure no matter what calorie count you drop to, that you're getting enough of the "whole food" nutrition that you need.

    That's a lot of exercise...!
  • hvnlykoi
    hvnlykoi Posts: 7
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    I don't have a goal date, just a goal to loose 10lbs. I stick to the 40 protein, 40 carb, 20 fat in the fat shredder level. I am just wondering should I stick with the 2400 from p90x or the 1200 calories fitness pal says I need?
  • Woodrow1234
    Woodrow1234 Posts: 20 Member
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    2400 seems to be a good maintenance level if you keep the exercise. I'd just drop a few non-essentials from the diet to reduce calories slightly (maybe 2100-2200 calories each day this next week) and monitor the weight. If that isn't cutting it, or you aren't as active that week, dial it back a bit more. No way would I drop to 1200 calories though given your workout schedule.

    Keep in mind that a lot of this is on you to read your body. What you're quoting are guidelines and not absolutes, so if you find 2400 is a good maintenance, you know that reducing that (dialing it down) will drop weight if you keep the same exercise routine.

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