P90X Nutrition Plan
The P90X Nutrition Plan is a 13-week program that is designed to assist dieters to lose weight and build muscle.
It is used in conjunction with the P90X Workout Program that includes intensive resistance training routines.
Recently P90X revamped their whole program and it’s now called P90X2.
P90X2 Diet Basics
P90X Founder, Tony Horton
The P90X2 Nutrition Plan includes three phases:
Phase 1: Fat Shredder
This phase is the lowest in calories to help kick start weight loss and is followed for the first four weeks.
Carbohydrates are almost completely eliminated while protein intake is kept high to help with building muscle and burning fat.
Phase 2: Energy Booster
In phase two complex carbohydrates are added back into the diet to allow you to train harder and keep up with the intense workouts during this phase.
Dieters are permitted to eat three serves of complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, pasta or oatmeal as well as one piece of low glycemic index fruit daily.
Protein intake also remains high so as to aid in muscle recovery.
You can stick with this phase as long as it is working for you and only need to progress to phase 3 if you want to increase muscular endurance and gain more muscle.
Phase 3: Endurance Maximizer
Carbohydrates are increased further to give you the stamina necessary to get through the high intensity workouts of this phase.
In All Phases
In all of the phases eating frequent small meals and drinking lots of water are emphasized.
Dieters have two options for each phase; either follow the meal plan or the portion plan. The meal plan includes sample menus with recipes.
With the portion plan you are given a list of how many serves of each food type you are allowed so you can devise your own meal plans.
Before you start the program you will need to calculate your recommended calorie intake, which is based on your activity level and resting metabolic rate.
Cheaper P90X Alternative from Men’s Health
Delta Fit Speed Shred
- 8 DVDs with 18 workouts.
- Speed Shred User’s Guide.
- The Speed Shred Training and Diet Journal.
- 300+ Best Foods Guide for Men.
All for $80, which is almost $40 cheaper than basic P90X, yet just as effective.
Click Here to try Speed Shred instead.
Recommended Foods
Lean meat, eggs, low fat milk and cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, flax seeds, wholegrain bread and pasta, dried fruit, soy nuts, protein bars, mustard, salsa, fat free salad dressing.
Sample P90X Meal Plan
| Breakfast Oatmeal |
| Morning Snack Scrambled eggs |
| Lunch Chicken breast |
| Afternoon Snack Protein bar |
| Dinner Grilled fish |
| Evening Snack Protein shake |
Look for other low carb meal ideas here.
Exercise Recommendations
Exercise is the foundation of the P90X2 plan and the program includes 12 DVD’s that demonstrate weight training, cardio and yoga exercise routines.
The workouts are based on the principle of ‘muscle confusion’, which accelerates results by constantly introducing new moves and routines so that your body doesn’t have time to adapt.
Costs and Expenses
P90X2 Ultimate
The P90X2 Program is available in three levels; for
- 3 payments of $39.50 for the basic version.
- 3 payments of $79.90 for the deluxe.
- 3 payments of $109.85 for the ultimate kit.
It’s available on Blu-ray disc and in Spanish also.
P90X comes with a 90 day money back guarantee and is currently offering a free Ab Ripper workout.
iPhone App
iPhone App
It shows you how to perform the exercises as well as allows you to keep track of your nutrition and record your progress.
This is handy because you can easily take your smartphone to the gym and still have access to the P90X system with the ability to record your progess on the go. There are several other apps available that go into the development of each muscle group more extensively as well.
Click here to download the app now.
Sample Whole Body Workout Video
Pros
- Less expensive than gym membership or hiring a personal trainer.
- Does not require purchase of expensive home exercise equipment.
- High protein diet reduces appetite and promotes muscle recovery.
- Includes recipes with nutritional information.
- Online support has been shown to increase likelihood of success.
- Comes with a 90-day money back guarantee.
Cons
- Many dieters experience fatigue in phase one due to the very low intake of carbohydrates.
- Very restrictive and difficult to eat out.
- Limits the intake of fresh fruits.
- The high level of physical activity will not be suitable for all dieters.
- Requires meal planning and preparation in advance.
Conclusions
Dieters may struggle with low energy levels during the first phase of P90X2 due to the very low intake of carbohydrates and calories.
It may be necessary to adjust your daily routines and limit physical activity other than the prescribed workouts. Once dieters reach phase two it will generally be much easier to maintain energy levels.
P90X will most appeal to the highly motivated dieter who enjoys intense physical activity. It will require a lot of discipline to stick to the program, however dieters will likely be rewarded with positive results.
Alternatives
PACE Express is a cheaper DVD-based alternative (around $60), and while not as intense as P9o – it uses 12 minute workouts to induce fat loss.
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Vanessa,
If you need to cut back on your carbohydrates you should cut back on the couscous, you can still have it – just less.
do you get all the basic nutrients
Can someone please help me a my question regarding what to eat while on p90x – in the first 30 days.
If i eat 3 egg whites and a tomato for breakfast as well as coffee and then for lunch have a chicken salad and then for dinner if i have chicken with cous cous – is that following the diet correctly??
Am i allowed cous cous?
I’m on day 6 and yoga has been the hardest for me
My husband and I are on day number 3 of the P90x program (he is doing classic and me Lean). We are both super motivated and are trying to do it all by the books. I feel like all I do is prepare food and workout, aside from taking care of my 3 and 4 year old. I am completely devoted to doing this right but am having a hard time figuring out just how much I am supposed to be eating….very confusing and am afraid I am putting alot of effort into the nutrition but might be doing it wrong….the “teambeachbody” website is a little hard to navigate without paying for thier “VIP” membership….any suggetions?
I’m 17, almost 18. I’m in ROTC for my highschool and we do P90X Plyometrics on Mondays for 1st semester. The first few weeks I did it, it sucked. but now, I do the whole workout, doing pushups or running in place during breaks, and afterwards I feel phenominal! Even 1 day a week will make you feel better as long as you hydrate and eat decently well.
I was wondering, would maybe 1 can of soda be okay every now and again during the P90X program? I don’t drink it often, but I wasn’t sure because it wasn’t really specified.
help me get back to the me
The nutrion plan seems like a breeze to me. I love to cook and eat healthy. My main problem is I am allergic to mushrooms. From day that seems to be an issue. What can I use to substitute in the mushroom omelet ?
April, Gladiator w/Strawberry & Banana smoothie from Smoothie King is a great morning meal. High protein, zero fat, and keeps me satisfied well into the morning.
my husband and I are both doing the p90x, we are trying to stick to some type of a diet plan..He is a trucker and I do go with him, what would be a good quick food at 2am to eat?? We eat subway for lunch, and then we have baked chicken and vegetables for supper, we use our foreman grill alot, just curious about the whole breakfast food basically…we eat oats and end up hungry a cpl of hrs ltr..the same with the power bars..any help for us??
I have P90X but i did not get the nutrition plan with it,how do i get the plan? I need to know what to drink,eat,and vitamins can someone help me, i want to do this, but i would like to have the whole guide to start.i love to exercise, but i know with out dieting the results is not as good. Someone please help guide me to get this information, i have tried to order this and never received it,thanks.
I started going to the gym and doing p90x for a bout a year now….i would just workout and then do whatever video i thought i needed i didnt do the diet or the way your supposed to do it till recently. Now im on week 3 and let me tell ya p90x is amazing although it DOES NOT substitute the gym i love the gym and I think everyone needs people to help and support around them. When i do p90x i dont want any1 around me cause i feel stupid sometimes but holy crap you gain muscle. So many pushups and pull ups but its worth it. I eat healthy but i dont have the time to cook all what they are saying to so i just eat lots of meat and protein. Ill eat fast food on occasion but this workout increases ur metabolism so much ur gonna feel great. YOUR GONNA FEEL GREAT!
while on the program what diet do you follow while on week 4,8,and thriten also when you go for round two do you start all over with the fat shredder stage and progress through the diet. need some help here
Terribly inaccurate article! P90X isn’t about restricting calories or crash diets. It also doesn’t eliminate carbs! P90X combines the right foods to fuel your body to maximize performance. The nutrition guide is broken down in congunction with the exercise phases. Phase 1 is fat shredder- 50% protein 30% carbs 20% fat. Phase 2 is energy booster 40% protein 40% carbs 20% fat. Phase 3 is endurance maximizer 20% protein 60% carbs 20% fat. Additionally, there is a section to help determine one’s nutritional needs based on factors such as weight, activity level, resting metabolic rate, and more. Then they’ve broken down each phase to match your nutritional level. The nutrition guides that come with the DVDs will all you through everything! BTW I don’t know where the author got that sample diet plan but it nowhere in the nutrition guide! Let me give you a real sample actually straight out of the guide. Phase 2 Level 3- BREAKFAST oatmeal, protein shake, dried fruit. SNACK protein bar & recovery drink. LUNCH shrimp pasta pomodoro, and fresh melon. SNACK cheese and crackers and sourdough pretzel. DINNER burger patty with cheese, baked potato, green salad, and berries.
To top it off the nutrition guide even gives you recipes and a shopping list! Hands down this is the most comprehensive, yet easy to follow, nutritional system around! It has completely changed my life.
Hi
I work for a television company called Optomen, who’s currently making a short film about triumphant journeys of weight loss using different diets.
We’d love to feature someone in our film who’s currently on/just finishing a diet and is seeing positive results. We’re particularly looking for someone who’s dieting for a big occasion – a wedding/party/holiday or anything else.
The footage won’t go on television, it’ll just be seen by the C4 commissioners, and filming should take no longer than 3 hrs (a sit down interview and a bit of you doing something that you do!).
If anyone’s interested in hearing more, please call me for an informal chat on 0203 227 5947 or feel free to email me on olivia.simove@optomen.com.
Many thanks,
Olivia
I’ve just started the p90x program and find your article needs updating. You state that when your on the fat shredder stage carbs are totally eliminated.40% is not totally eliminated in my opinion.
i gotta say im a skeptic about the p90x nutrition plan. I was about to buy it myself when i discovered their diet plan was what i know to be below base lines. Now its above baselines if you eat their protein bars and protein shakes, that sounded like a gimmick to me. I believe in balance nutrition. And definetly listen to your body! Everybody cant fit into a one size fits all diet/work out plan. But i do think the guidlines are there to work with. I still havent decided if im fit enough yet for it but its a goal.
i have 3 weeks before going away. what routine you suggest for the next 3 weeks to get best results. i have been at p90X for about 3 weeks now.
thanks
cool
David
Awesome job with your weight loss. With that kind of discipline you’ll get off-the-hook results with P90X.
The best way to figure if you are eating enough is to work with the calorie deficit you want for each day. Beachbody figures a typical P90X workout burns about 600 calories. So just figure that in with your basal needs, then subtract the deficit you want.
If you start to ‘bonk’ and lose energy in your workouts, you might want to up the calories by about 200 per day to see if that gets you through the workout better.
the p90x nutrition guide gives you a good starting point, then you have to observe your body to fine tune it to your needs.
P90X is awesome!
– yes you will loose weight on P90X but you’ll build muscle like crazy! If you are looking to gain – do the high carb diet instead of the low carb and do add protein shakes ( no muscle builders or anything – simple protein ). Cheers!
it’s not as hard as most people color it to be but it’s thorough and Tony Horton is AWESOME!! If you are looking for fast results – do try it. I wouldn’t recommend going into it if you’ve never done Beachbody programs – I did Slim in 6 ( not the whole program but some of it) – that eases you in.
Stick with it and you’ll be praising them later.
@DESNA dIXON – find your CAPS button
im on my 5th weekofp90x i feel fantastic its part of my everyday ruitine and I look forward to doing it 6 days a week, every week!
i didntdo so well onthe goodhealthy diet thing till just 3 weeks ago! My belly fat is taking a little longer to goaway can you give me some goodmeal and dinner tips?
Hey Jess, Check some healthy recipes here.
iVE BEEN DOIN P90X FOR BOUT TEN DAYS. THE FIRST WEEK I LOST 6LBS. IM AT DAY TEN, SHOULD I STILL BE LOSING WEIGHT?
With P90X the goal is more about increasing muscle and losing inches and body fat percentage. So you should focus too much on the scale but on body measurements.
Can I say food, food, food? First few days was food overload for me. I used to eat 2 slices of toast and coffee and call that breakfast.
) My body is just starting to get used to it, will check back later with any results.
yeahhh!
I feel that is way to little of intake. Like ANY good eating plan, balance is the key!!! you will still lose the weight you need, plus the bonus is it teaches you a healthy life style for the rest of your life. I feel, balance eg. good carbs, lean protein and good fats at every meal. i did that with little processed foods for 4 weeks and lost 19 lbs and 14 inches overall. i worked out 5 days a week so i know diet is not just a fad but a way of life!!
Over the last 3 months I did my own strict diet and cardio routine and lost an astonishing 44 lbs in 90 days(almost 1 lb every other day) going from 218 to 176 and I ordered P90X to take it to the next level now that i’m back in shape…it came back today and as a lot of people on here, im having struggle understanding the nutrition plan, I def. have the motivation and discipline, but i’m about to just go oatmeal, half a protein bar, chicken and brocolli for lunch, protein shake, and salmon and brocolli for dinner…thats the same diet ive been doing just adding the protein bar and shake during the day..tell me what you think and if it’s possibly unhealthy or not enough for this program
I’ve started week 3 of phase 1 and i havent lost any weight, instead, I’ve gained some weight. I’m very discouraged
@ Deb- programs like P90X build muscle at the same time fat is coming off so you might not see drastic weight loss. What you should do is measure parts of your body i.e. waist, thighs, arms, etc and see if you’re losing inches. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. Don’t give up!
Am starting today and will be excited to see the results.Thanks
Tony Horton, the creator of P90x knew exactly what he was doing. I mean, if you can convert a flabby, out-of-condition slob like me into a fit, ripped dude in 90 days, then you’ve got the right formula, haven’t you? Here’s a bit of advice though: If you’re going to cry like a baby each time you get sore muscles with the P90X workout, go away now. But if you’ve got the determination to stick it out and look as sharp as a lean, mean machine after 90 days, get your copy of p90x workout schedule.