| ‘I applied these four simple steps in my P90X Nutrition Plan and lost 35 lbs in less than six months.’ |
Proper nutrition will be the key to your success with your P90X Diet. This takes dedication and
preparation. Having the P90X nutrition plan as your guide is a very helpful tool in achieving a
lifestyle of clean, healthy eating.
Using my approved foods list, create a daily diet that works best for you. I also recommend
reading Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. This book was a huge part of my success. Using
the P90X nutrition plan and Master your Metabolism, I was able to completely change the way I look
at food. Food is now fuel for my body and not just something I stuff in my mouth.
4 simple steps:
Step 1: Clean up your diet!
It’s important to eliminate simple carbs and sugars and replace them with complex carbs. Stop eating white
breads, buns, crackers, cookies and excessive fruit. Start eating whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas,
fruits that are low on the glycemic index and vegetables. Shakeology is a great source as well!
Eliminate the saturated fats, especially from fried foods. Replace them with healthy fats: Avocados,almonds, olive oil,peanut butter and others.
Eat more lean protein: turkey, chicken, eggs, fish, lean cuts of meat, whey protein and Shakeology!
Step 2: Determine your target daily calorie goal!
Figure out what your body needs daily to do everyday activities. As an example, let’s use a starting weight of
211 pounds, applying the P90X Calorie formula:
•Determine your resting metabolic rate by taking your body weight and times it by ten. e.g. 211lbs x 10
= 2,110;
•Add 20% to caloric intake for the daily activities you do, (NOT including P90X) e.g. 211 X .20% = 422
calories;
•Finally, add calories burned doing P90X (In this case it is 600), so the total amount of caloric intake =
3,132.
It takes 3,500 calories to equal one pound of body weight, and generally most people trying to lose weight
reduce an average of 1000 calories per day. Based on this principle, 3,132-1000 calories=2,132 calories per day.
When I started I weighed 211 lbs, so I ate 2100 calories for the first 3 months. As I progressed through each
phase I added 100 calories to my diet. Adding calories will prevent your body from getting used to restricted
calories, which slow down your metabolism and may cause a plateau. Those increased calories tell your body you are not trying to starve it, and it is ok to let go of the fat. Even though I was increasing my calories I was still losing weight!
Step 3: Prepare!
"If you fail to plan, then plan to fail." Preparation is extremely important!
I recommend preparing all meals for the week in advance, this way you don't leave anything to chance.
Working from the approved foods list it usually takes about two hours to prepare everything for the week.
Step 4: Track what you eat to build new habits!
Track what you eat, and I mean EVERYTHING you put in your mouth!
Knowing your caloric intake and maintaining balanced ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fat is crucial to
success. In order to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in, tracking allows you to know
just how much you are eating.
I recommend a tracking tool at www.loseit.com. You can also download an app for Android or iPhone that
syncs with your home computer. Balancing the macro-nutrients in your diet will make a big difference in your
results.
You don't have to track food forever! Just try it for a few weeks to learn just what you are eating and then you
can create a great base for planning your meals.
Check out the simple and FREE Lose it tracker!
Example of MY P90X Nutrition plan:
Phase 1: Fat Shredder (I ate 2100 calories)
Kicking off the P90X workout and diet program, I ate high protein based foods designed to strip fat while
strengthening muscle.
Phase one recommends you use a ratio of 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 20% fat. Personally, I had
some difficulty eating that much protein. I was able to do 45/35/20 for the first 30 days. You will need to see
what works for you.
Phase 2: Energy Booster (I ate 2200 calories)
Energy Booster, consisted of a healthy mix of protein and carbohydrates with a reduced amount of protein to
maximize endurance and provide additional energy for performance (e.g., during Plyometrics workouts!)
Phase two recommends you use a ratio of 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20% fat. I stayed with this for
60 days, and found it really worked well for me. I was really getting into the groove of eating right and with my
coach’s guidance I stayed with this ratio for the duration of my program.
Phase 3: Endurance Maximizer (I ate 2300 calories, but I stayed with phase 2 for my last 30 days)
Endurance Maximizer incorporates complex carbohydrates, lean proteins while reducing fat intake. The focus
is to maximize your energy (Fuel) during the last few weeks of the program. Not only does it help to avoid
plateaus, but it really helps to chisel and tone your body.
What are the approved P90X foods?
Lean meat, eggs, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables are just a small sample of the many delicious foods
recommended under the approved foods list.
When determining your meal plan, you need to find a plan that works best for you. In other words, if you
eat something you don't like you won't stick with it. One thing that I will NEVER do is eat food I don't like just
because it is suppose to be healthy. There are tons of great food choices out there you just have to look!
I have put together an example list of approved foods to get you started. These food plans helped me lose 35
lbs. After the first 90 days you will be amazed at how good, healthy food tastes!
Because it can be difficult to get your protein numbers up to the 40-50% you may need a protein supplement.
I highly recommend Whey protein, it is very inexpensive (Available at Wal-Mart) and it tastes really good. I
usually add it to my Shakeology in the morning, and if I need more protein at night to balance my ratios, I will
have a protein shake before bed.
Mastering good health comes down to activity and understanding how calories and specific nutrients play into
a healthy diet. My goal is to help you learn how to eat healthy for a lifetime.
Still have questions?
I am happy to answer any questions. Contact me at timsfit@gmail.com or join my team and I will coach you
through the process of getting a personalized meal plan just for you!
If you already have a teambeachbody user ID, and you would like to join my team, just email
coachrelations@teambeachbody.com and ask them to switch you to Tim Mills, Coach ID 88933. Make sure to
include me on the email, so I am aware you are joining my team!
