These are the nutritional guidelines David followed during his round 1 P90X Transformation to burn 37 lbs of fat and build 9 lbs of muscle in a little over 6 months. Kate followed these guidelines to break through a plateau and lose 13 lbs in 12 weeks.
For each guideline, we included a brief explanation WHY it is important
6 Foods to eliminate from your diet. These are essential for dropping your body fat.
- Avoid white, enriched/beached flour (spikes blood sugar, causes insulin release and blocks fat loss)
- Avoid simple carbs (same reasons as above)
- Avoid refined sugars (such as HFCS same as above, they screw up hormones)
- Avoid trans-fat (such as partially hydrogenated oils, they screw up hormones)
- Avoid Sodium Nitrate and nitrite [found in hot dogs, sausage, lunch-meat] (screw up your weight-loss hormones)
- Avoid SODA! And this includes Diet Soda! (At most, you may have it once per week).
Other Top 10 changes to make to your nutrition plan:
- For losing fat, follow a Protein/carb/fat ratio of 40%/40%/20% (ideal for your body to lose weight)
- Eat Whole foods (your body processes these the best)
- Eat Complex Carbs that are low on Glycemic Index (keeps blood sugar low)
- Eat 4-5 smaller, evenly spaced meals a day, (prevents severe hunger and overeating) (2-3 meals works fine too)
- Eat Fats from healthy sources (olives, nuts, and avocados, salmon)
- Eat Veggies 2x a day minimum (especially fibrous for fiber)
- Eat Fruit 1-2x a day maximum (no more because of sugar content)
- Eat Lots of fiber (to help digestive system and fat loss) such as oatmeal, whole wheat, veggies
- Drink 12-14 cups of water a day (hydrates ALL metabolic processes in your body, flushes liver where fat is broken down, and flushes toxins)
- Eat on a schedule (helps body to regulate hunger hormones)
Pay special attention to post work our nutrition!
- Drink liquid carbs (Recovery drink) and whey protein immediately after workout (for maximum muscle absorption. Fuels muscle recovery, gives you energy for next day’s workout and increases muscle growth).
These next 3 technically aren’t nutrition but they are so important to your nutrition plan
- Take Fish oil, I use Krill oil (lowers cholesterol, helps with fat loss)
- Take a Multi vitamin – I recommend a whole food one (aids MANY metabolic processes) or drink Shakeology to get your vitamins
- Get enough sleep to regulate appetite (this will help prevent cravings and binge eating’ and under eating)
Leave a comment below if you have any questions!
Amazing transformation david! I noticed that you said that you followed a 40/40/20 ratio during P90X. Did you do this for the whole 90 days, or did you switch it up at all? I’m on day 2 of my first round, and am trying to get as much information as possible. Thanks.
Hey Tyler!
Thanks for the compliment. I actually started closer to 50/30/20 for the first 30 days but often ended up closer to 40/40/20 on a regular basis. Throughout the rest program, I just maintained the 40/40/20.
I started around 1900 calories for first 30 days then increased to 2200 for next 30 days then up to around 2400-2500 for last 30 days.
Hope this helps!
David
I’m doing p90x first thing in the morning. I wake up starving! What do you suggest to eat before I work out? Currently I’m eating oatmeal, but noticed you said to eat only a small amount of carb. Thanks!
Hey Lisa – I think oatmeal before working out is fine and I’ve done that before. Another thing I do sometimes is sip my recovery drink DURING the workout. How long have you been working out in the morning? Your body might still be adjusting to working out rather than eating.
I have been working out in the morning since August.. Maybe I should just eat half of my oatmeal? I actually feel sick when I don’t eat as soon as I get up. I will try the recovery drink during my workout. I usually just have a protein shake as recovery drink. Thanks for all the info!!
Are you seeing good results with your workouts? Why half the oatmeal, is it affecting you during the workout? Everyone is different in terms of how much food they can eat before working out.. if it’s not bothering you, don’t change it. I have a recovery drink usually right after I finish my workout and then 25 mins later, a whey protein drink.
Im pretty sure I know the answer, but just want to double check on this… should I be cutting out diet sodas as well? I’m thinking the artificial sweeteners and other chemicals can’t be good for this diet… is this true? If so, any suggestions on what else I can drink besides water? I already drink tons of water as it is at least 14+ cups a day… a little variety would help… I was thinking about those Crystal Light drink mixes as well… or Arizona’s Diet Green Tea drink. Some input on this would really help…
On another note, I was looking over the P90X Nutrition Plan booklet, and it says to use 2 condiments in a Level II meal plan… will it be detrimental to me if I end up not using the condiments though the day? Same question for the snack and Results and Recovery Drink. Thanks for the help in advance!!! I’m hoping I can get anything remotely close to the results you experienced… you did great!
One more question, are Egg Beaters a suitable substitute for egg whites?
Yes
Yes, definitely cut diet sodas.. they screw up your hormones and throw off your ph balance. There’s a video on youtube that explains it. You can search “how diet soda makes you fat”. It’s fine not to use the condiments.. I started iwth the portion plan but now I just give calorie goals and protein/carb/fat goals to the people I’m coaching, it’s much easier when combined with MyFitnessPal.com. Yes, the Recovery drink is awesome, it will reduce soreness and help a lot with muscle recovery.
With all your questions, you should sign up for me to be assigned as your coach. It’s free and I have a support group on Facebook of about 300 people I’m coaching.. everyone doing these workouts, sharing meal ideas, supporting each other. It’s great. https://symbioticfitness.com/join-our-team/
Ok, I lied…. one more… if I am taking Fish Oil capsules everyday, should I factor that into this diet as well?
Yes.. but they should be pretty low in calories..
I plan on starting the p90x soon. I am trying to learn as much as I can about nutrition. I read a lot of these and I am completely lost as to what foods are what.. for instance.. trans fat, complex carbs, simple carbs,nitrates, I have no clue what these are or what foods do.. and don’t contain these things… Hate to ask but can someone help simplify this for me..
Thanks
Jason
Just look at the labels of foods and you’ll see what’s in them. Here are some examples: Transfats are listed as “Partially hydrogenated…“. Nitrates are preservatives commmonly used in hotdogs and lunch meats. Complex carbs are good, a few examples are: Breads with whole wheat flour, tortillas and pasta noodles with whole wheat flour, vegetables, etc. With all your questions, you should sign up for me to be assigned as your coach. It’s free and I have a support group on Facebook of about 300 people I’m coaching.. everyone doing these workouts, sharing meal ideas, supporting each other. It’s great. https://symbioticfitness.com/join-our-team/