P90X Suggested Calorie Intake seems extremely high! HELP Please!

tdelam
tdelam Posts: 48 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I've purchased P90X 2 years ago and completed 8 weeks of it. I never paid attention to the proper calorie intake at the time, I just ate as healthy as possible and all natural. I want to get back into shape and stay in shape so I want to do this right so I can remain motivated.

I am a Software Developer, I live a sedentary lifestyle due to my desk job. I tried the calculation in the nutrition guide it seems extremely high; Phase III - 3000+. To be precise, I am suggested to eat 3293 calories daily! This scares me. Is this true?

My weight = 213 lbs.
My RMR apparently is 2131
My daily activity burn is 2811kcal x 20% = 562
Add the calories required for exercise needs calculated at 600 calories per day for the P90X program.

2131 + 562 + 600 = 3293 calories a day.

This seems like a lot. Should I ACTUALLY eat this many calories a day? My goal is to LOSE weight and git fit again!

Thanks

Replies

  • foursirius
    foursirius Posts: 321 Member
    Just calculate you tee (google it if you dont know what this is) take off 10-20% and hit those daily levels.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited February 2015
    Yes, it does sound a lot if the goal is to lose weight and you otherwise are not very active. Have you tried any TDEE calculator to cross check?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Only you'll know it is enough or two much is to do it for a while and track performance.
  • tdelam
    tdelam Posts: 48 Member
    My TDEE is 2316. I plan on starting my P90X tomorrow morning but still not sure what the proper nutrition/calorie intake I should be at. According to the calculation in the nutrition guide I should be eating 3293, lol... I don't think I can even eat that much in a day!
  • Holla4mom
    Holla4mom Posts: 587 Member
    Does the 2316 TDEE include the P90X workouts? What about you set your activity level to sedentary, get your TDEE based on that and then eat back a half or so of the P90X burn calories. You may want a Heart Rate monitor to make sure you're actually burning 600 calories during the workout.
  • tdelam
    tdelam Posts: 48 Member
    @Holla4mom Nope, I chose sedentary lifestyle in my TDEE. I have a heart rate monitor. I use it when I run a lot (used to run a lot)
  • tdelam
    tdelam Posts: 48 Member
    If I choose exercise everyday, like I wil be with P90X my TDEE is 2908. So you guys suggest I target about 2500?
  • Holla4mom
    Holla4mom Posts: 587 Member
    Okay, then you would eat 2316 - 20% (1852) plus 300-600 of your 600 exercise calories. It seems like that would have you at 2152-2452 at most, a full 1000 calories below P90x recommendation. I wonder if that is based on "bulking"? I have no idea why the calories would be so high.
  • tdelam
    tdelam Posts: 48 Member
    Holla4mom wrote: »
    Okay, then you would eat 2316 - 20% (1852) plus 300-600 of your 600 exercise calories. It seems like that would have you at 2152-2452 at most, a full 1000 calories below P90x recommendation. I wonder if that is based on "bulking"? I have no idea why the calories would be so high.

    I can understand why the calories are high. I get the science behind it and your body will require more when doing exercise regimes such as P90X. P90X3 recommends I eat 2700. But I just find that will be hard to eat that much. I also find 1800 will be too little too. I did 8 months before and I was eating 1800 a day. I learnt later that you need to eat more to keep your energy levels up and to also fuel the muscles as you work through it, I wasn't doing that and I burnt myself out with little results. I was basically starving myself while doing these intense workouts. I am trying to pay closer attention to the nutrition guide and I understand the science behind it as a general rule of thumb but I also don't feel like eating 3293 calories will be effective to losing weight, lol.
  • TrinNZ
    TrinNZ Posts: 65 Member
    I don't see how you can be burning 600cal a day for every P90X workout. I wore my HRM yesterday while doing the shoulders and arms workout and burned 317cals. Doing Kenpo X burns closer to 550cals for me. I am restarting P90x after a long break. I completed the 90 days and didn't see huge results and I think that is because I was aiming too high with my calories.

    If you are wanting to lose weight you have to make a calorie deficit. If you eat all those calories back you will maintain your weight.

    If you look at most of the people who achieve really good results with just 90 days of P90x, they are already quite lean.
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