TDEE and P90x questions

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SouthernButt
SouthernButt Posts: 32
in Food and Nutrition
Mornin,

Today I start P90x and I have a few questions:

I entered "exercising 6 days a week" in my TDEE calculation and then subtracted 22% to get my calorie total of 2,064 per day. Should I follow this approximation?

Also, I am a poor college student and I would like a replacement for Shakeology. I'm on a very little dairy diet so is there a nut milk option for a replacement that anyone hashed good experience with? I already take a high quality womens multi vitamin everyday.

I don't have the option of eating 6 times a day with work and school. Any tips for anyone else following the three square meals or a mixup that includes healthy snacks once or maybe, rarely, twice a day would be very helpful. My schedule isn't terribly forgiving for sitting downtown eat 5-6 times 5 days out of the week which I'm sure isn't that uncommon for lots of people.

Thanks VERY much for reading and I can't wait to hear back from one and all! Also, anyone who wants to be friends, especially p90x'ers, please add me! I need support!

Cheers,
ST

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Mornin,

    Today I start P90x and I have a few questions:

    I entered "exercising 6 days a week" in my TDEE calculation and then subtracted 22% to get my calorie total of 2,064 per day. Should I follow this approximation?

    Also, I am a poor college student and I would like a replacement for Shakeology. I'm on a very little dairy diet so is there a nut milk option for a replacement that anyone hashed good experience with? I already take a high quality womens multi vitamin everyday.

    I don't have the option of eating 6 times a day with work and school. Any tips for anyone else following the three square meals or a mixup that includes healthy snacks once or maybe, rarely, twice a day would be very helpful. My schedule isn't terribly forgiving for sitting downtown eat 5-6 times 5 days out of the week which I'm sure isn't that uncommon for lots of people.

    Thanks VERY much for reading and I can't wait to hear back from one and all! Also, anyone who wants to be friends, especially p90x'ers, please add me! I need support!

    Cheers,
    ST

    You do not need to eat 5-6 meals per day for any sort of metabolic advantage. If P90x is telling you that it increases your metabolism or some other nonsense, I'd disregard the nutrition recommendations of that program.

    Eat whatever number of meals fits the following criteria:

    1) Meets your lifestyle needs.
    2) Allows you to train effectively.
    3) Allows you to adhere to your plan through satiety/personal preference.

    Almond milk is a reasonably tasty alternative.

    Replace Shakeology with a whey protein. Optimum Nutrition is a pretty good brand that isn't too expensive and is decent macros/flavor/etc.
  • snowmanluv
    snowmanluv Posts: 200 Member
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    Shakeology has lots of nutrients in it but agree with $$$. I used to use half and half with whey protein. I can't drink milk the whey protein give me sinus troubles. I went with a plant based protein one. If you walk into a nutrition store/whole foods/trader joe's they will be able to help you (get the chocolate version of the plant protein). Supplement with multi vitamin too. 5x a day is to help your metabolism but also it helps to keep your sugars in check so you don't go too low or too high. On here you can research cheaper or alternative versions for diets. Lots of people have given responses. Good luck. It can be done. Google p90x for their menu recommendations then sub in. You have to go with what works for you.
  • SouthernButt
    SouthernButt Posts: 32
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    I already drink almond milk and I work in a health food store so my diet is largely vegetarian/vegan but I do eat meat, usually not red unless it's grassed/humane so it's more like a reward when I rarely eat it. We have a plant protein powder I will buy and mix that with the almond to replace. Even if I had the $ for Shakeology I probably would replace it. What a rip, but I understand.

    Does my TDEE calculation sound correct? From all the reading I do it seems I should do my own calculations that are tailored to me to get the full effect. Right?

    Thanks, guys. Y'all are a myriad of answers and information and it has helped me so much. I even really enjoy all the nutrition reading I do on my own!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Does my TDEE calculation sound correct?

    Nobody can tell you that without your stats.
  • SouthernButt
    SouthernButt Posts: 32
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    Ah. Yes.

    182
    5'8

    I have plugged in exercise at 6x/week because I am starting P90x today.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Shakeology is very overrated.. when I first did P90x I found a site that basically gave a replacement of 2 scoops of gatorade powder mix with .5-1 scoop of whey protein.. that basically gives you shakeology.

    You can just do whey protein instead.. but the calories sound about right.
  • SouthernButt
    SouthernButt Posts: 32
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    It's frustrating how many calculations there are out there and how they fluctuate in a range of about 500. I would guess that I was eating a quite low calorie diet (in the past months) up until when I start my new calorie plan for P90x today (Once I figure that out, and I am sure it will need to be tweaked.) around 1000 calories a day, sometimes less, sometimes more. However, I've been trying to follow the Japanese saying "Hari Hachi Bu" which means eat until you are 80% full as your brain has not yet caught up to your stomach and within twenty minutes you will feel the happy feeling of legitimately full. I notice that, even on a very clean veg, vegan or omni diet I get full very fast. This is on a no exercise plan, mind you.

    As my Psych professor tells me: "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear"
  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
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    Shakeology is very overrated.. when I first did P90x I found a site that basically gave a replacement of 2 scoops of gatorade powder mix with .5-1 scoop of whey protein.. that basically gives you shakeology.

    You can just do whey protein instead.. but the calories sound about right.

    A mix of gatorade and protein powder wont replace Shakeology. Gatorade is mostly sugar and a whey protein is only a whey. Shakeology contains more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than that. I don't want to start a argument on this but the only supplement i know that could compare to Shakeology is Nutrabolic Athlete food.
  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
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    The goal of having multiple snacks and meals per day is to have a steady supply of quality food and it is easier to eat your calories goal in 5-6 meals/snacks then it is to eat it in 3 meals.

    It's just easier to eat 5-6 meals/snacks of 300 calories then to eat 3 meals of 600 calories.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    The goal of having multiple snacks and meals per day is to have a steady supply of quality food and it is easier to eat your calories goal in 5-6 meals/snacks then it is to eat it in 3 meals.

    It's just easier to eat 5-6 meals/snacks of 300 calories then to eat 3 meals of 600 calories.


    Measures of satiety and performance will vary greatly from person to person using different meal distributions. Many people, myself included, are miserable on 6 meals.

    Lifestyle, performance, satiety are all considerations to make regarding meal frequency and I would hesitate to recommend a one-size-fits-all answer.

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