P90X diet question... =//

BritSchuler
BritSchuler Posts: 34
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't know if this has been asked already and wasn't sure if this was the right spot to ask, but I am thinking about starting the P90X program, but something I read about the diet is sort of making me nervous..
It says that P90X is designed to lose fat while build muscle at the same time, and to maximize fat loss and muscle gain that one week you eat fewer calories and the following you eat a surplus of calories, to keep your metabolism high and burn calories quicker. So here is what it said:
week 1: eat 2000 kcals,
week 2: eat 2500 kcals,
week 3: eat 1700 kcals,
week 4: eat 3000 kcals,
week 5: eat 1500 kcals,
week 6. Eat 3200 kcals,
week 7: eat 1300 kcals,
week 8: eat 3500 kcals,
week 9: eat 1200 kcal,
week 10: eat 3800 kcals,
week11: eat 900 kcals,
week 12: eat 4000 kcals,

It makes me nervous upping my calories by so much every week, so my questions are... Has anyone ever done this diet with P90X?? Does it really work like they say it does?? Or should I do the program and just stick to what I'm doing for a diet now? Any advice would be appreciated!! Thank you!!

Replies

  • gbg49229
    gbg49229 Posts: 57
    I am doing p90, I was not losing unti I started to watch protein instead of calories. I took my weight times .08 and hats what I do....good luck
  • KelliW_runner
    KelliW_runner Posts: 150 Member
    I am 60 days in to P90X. Eating on average 1750 calories. Have not specifically folllowed their nutrition plan but generally try to keep carbs/protein/fat around 40/30/30 (pretty hard to do - I've been 22-28% protein).

    Successfully losing weight and inches and definitely stronger. I have had cheat days in there where my calories have been close to 3000, but that was by exception and still average to around 1800.
  • LilSomethin
    LilSomethin Posts: 545 Member
    I'm gonna be starting P90X in a few weeks and haven't read the diet plan yet. Boy, some of these calorie weeks are quite high!! I eat between 1800-2400 now so it shouldn't be too hard to go higher but 4000?? or even as low as 900?? I'd starve lol
    Curious to see some responses from people who have followed the diet. Guess I'm gonna get the book out too. Just got my weights and pull up bar. Got 5 more workouts in Insanity and then I'll be starting :)
  • mariobadr
    mariobadr Posts: 58 Member
    The whole point of the p90x diet is to keep your body from "getting comfortable" so that you're less likely to plateau. If you average out the 12 weeks, you're eating just under 2400 calories a day, which is reasonable for a workout looking to build mass for my height/weight (5'9, 146 lb)

    Personally, I wouldn't do the diet. Reaching 4000 calories eating *healthy* foods in a day is very difficult, and you're likely to either miss your goal or resort to junk food.
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    I did P90x this year (just finished a few weeks ago!) and didn't do any special diet. I just estimated how many calories the workouts burned and ate as much protein every day as I could. I definitely saw results - you don't have to do anything like that crazy diet for the program to work.

    Good luck!
  • BritSchuler
    BritSchuler Posts: 34
    Thank you for your responses.. 4000 is very high!! I've been eating 1200 a day, or less. I don't know what the amount I'm SUPPOSED to be eating is, so I guess I should figure that out too. Surprisingly, I haven't been getting hungry from eating so little, but I'm a BAD snacker.. I'd rather snack all day than eat actual meals, for the most part!! If anyone knows how many calories I should be eating a day, or can help me figure it out, that would be great!! I am 5'5", 176 pounds, 20 years old. If you need to know anything else, let me know!!
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    That's too funny! We are the exact same age, height, and weight. Should be easy for me to help you then. :P

    Our BMR is either 1465 or 1626 depending on which formula you use. Averaged, that comes to 1546 calories. I wouldn't eat less than that. (I did for a while, but that was because I didn't know better, and some days I found myself inexplicably carb binging. So just try to eat 1550 or more - if you set your goal to 1 lb/wk on MFP it should be about right.)

    With the P90x workouts, those can vary a lot depending which day you're doing. Try your best to estimate. I think the Kenpo can burn anywhere close to 600 for the whole video but I always said it was closer to 400 (which probably wasn't a great idea either!) Eat a lot of protein and you should be all set. I saw a lot of changes physically but didn't lose a lot of weight according to the scale... only about 10ish pounds. A lot of that is due to toning up, I had puny muscles before starting.

    If you have any other questions just ask. :D
  • BritSchuler
    BritSchuler Posts: 34
    That's too funny! We are the exact same age, height, and weight. Should be easy for me to help you then. :P

    Our BMR is either 1465 or 1626 depending on which formula you use. Averaged, that comes to 1546 calories. I wouldn't eat less than that. (I did for a while, but that was because I didn't know better, and some days I found myself inexplicably carb binging. So just try to eat 1550 or more - if you set your goal to 1 lb/wk on MFP it should be about right.)

    With the P90x workouts, those can vary a lot depending which day you're doing. Try your best to estimate. I think the Kenpo can burn anywhere close to 600 for the whole video but I always said it was closer to 400 (which probably wasn't a great idea either!) Eat a lot of protein and you should be all set. I saw a lot of changes physically but didn't lose a lot of weight according to the scale... only about 10ish pounds. A lot of that is due to toning up, I had puny muscles before starting.

    If you have any other questions just ask. :D

    Thank you!! I appreciate all the advice!! And you're right, you probably gained a lot of muscle so the scale didn't move much!! Everyone tells me to take measurements as well as taking my weight, but i don't have a tape measurement. People say measurements help more than taking your weight sometimes.
  • Nikstergirl
    Nikstergirl Posts: 1,549 Member
    I'm 2 weeks in to P90X and I never saw those numbers anywhere. In the nutrition book you get it gives you the math to figure your calories and it told me I should eat 1800... I just can't seem to get there with healthy food! (I was on 1400 before starting). So I set my goal currently for 1600 (which is just above my BMR) and TRY to eat as much protein as possible, but I'm finding it pretty difficult to be on track with that. My biggest obstacle is my running. I need carbs to run! I'm hoping to get through a long run today but then I may go back to my "normal" way of eating and just add a couple of protein shakes and when I need a snack go for protein (which I did anyway) first. I am trying the "fat shredder" plan of 50/30/20 but have yet to get it right.

    I should add, that I don't eat my P90X calories back, but when I run I do eat at least half of those. Today will be fun after 12 miles and probably about 1300-1400 extra calories to eat!!! I may even make spaghetti!!!!!!
  • tigerbluefly
    tigerbluefly Posts: 257 Member
    I'm on my Phase 3 of my second round of P90X and my Beachbody coach told me to maintain 1800 calories a day, including workout calories, for the whole thing at a ratio of 40 carbs, 40 protein, and 20 fat. Any more calories and I wouldn't see the results I'm looking for.

    I also run in addition to the program, so he said on my run days, I can have half of those extra calories.

    Seems to be working really well for me. The first round I didn't see the results I wanted because I didn't have a coach and didn't follow the nutrition plan. I got stronger though. This time, I'm noticiing more. You have to follow the nutrition plan or you won't see the changes. It's one thing to eat 1800 calories with the ratios, but if it's not the right foods, there is no point. I wish I would have done it right the first round.

    Good luck with the program! I love it.
  • AsaraFuriosa
    AsaraFuriosa Posts: 293 Member
    Bump

    Hold on I've got some helpful info....:happy:

    I'm starting week 9 of P90X on Monday. I wasn't doing the diet and estimating my calories at first, I was still successful but worn out. Then someone posted this site that estimates your calories burned each workout by selecting the workout, duration, activity level, and your weight. (I can't afford a HRM so this is an awesome alternative)

    http://p90xcalories.com/

    Then once I realized how many calories I'd been burning, I went from an average of 1200 on rest days ( still do) and 1350-1400 on workout days to now calorie cycling more like the P90X diet but never as high as 4000. I only go as high as about 1730 and try to never go below 1200.

    Hope this helps!! :smile::
    Cheers to a healthier you!
  • Zombierawr
    Zombierawr Posts: 95 Member
    Thank you for your responses.. 4000 is very high!! I've been eating 1200 a day, or less. I don't know what the amount I'm SUPPOSED to be eating is, so I guess I should figure that out too. Surprisingly, I haven't been getting hungry from eating so little, but I'm a BAD snacker.. I'd rather snack all day than eat actual meals, for the most part!! If anyone knows how many calories I should be eating a day, or can help me figure it out, that would be great!! I am 5'5", 176 pounds, 20 years old. If you need to know anything else, let me know!!

    I am about the same as you on the size wise! I did 5 weeks of P90X and had to stop due to getting pneumonia again. I feel like such a dead weight sitting on the couch trying to get better!!

    I typically eat 1800 calories while doing P90X. Some days only 1400, some more than 2000. I also was running and doing tennis at the same time. I tried only eating 1200— I was starving constantly! And I plateau'd weight wise. I am not you obviously, but I recommend eating more, and focusing on more protein.

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