P90X Nutrition – My Staples

P90X workouts are tough. But I tell everyone I train that diet, nutrition, and supplements give people the results they want. Workouts make you fit on the inside, your nutrition makes you look fit on the outside.

I didn’t really follow any nutritional plans or recipes provided by Beachbody during my P90X trial. It’s not that I don’t think they’re good, I just didn’t have time. However, I did pay close attention to the calorie ratios Beachbody recommends for Phase 1. Beachbody says that during Phase 1 you should get 50% of your calories from protein, 30% from carbohydrates, and 20% from fat. .

What I did was identify a group of “staples” that I knew by eating and trading on a daily basis would allow me to reach those proportions. I settled on an average of 1900 calories per day for Phase 1 (the first 30 days) and then ate combinations of these “staples”, taking into account my proportions and calories throughout the day. As I approached the end of the day, if my ratios were off, I looked for a food that would result in a positive adjustment.

When Phase 2 hit (mid-30 days), it was being so successful that I was hesitant to change the ratios to 40/40/20, as recommended by Beachbody. So, I decided to keep the 50/30/20 ratios that I had been doing, but add extra calories to further boost my workouts and help me stay anabolic. I averaged 2,400 calories per day during Phase 2.

Finally, when Phase 3 arrived (the last 30 days), instead of switching to 20/60/20 ratios, I went back to Phase 1 ratios and increased my calories. I averaged 3,000 calories per day in Phase 3, always felt strong and energetic and was still losing weight like crazy.

These are the “staples” that I ate and continue to eat today. They are grouped by “category” with corresponding comments below.

meats

Tyson Brand Steak Strips, 6 oz. (280/36/2/12)

Foster Farms Brand Chicken Strips, 6 oz. (240/40/10/4)

Chicken, cold cuts – 8 slices (70/12/3/2)

Turkey, cold cuts – 8 slices (70/13/2/1)

Chicken Burger, 5 oz. empanada (210/21/6/12)

Turkey Burger, 5 oz. pie (200/24/4/8)

Chicken breast, boneless / baked, 8 oz. (165/36/2/2)

Steak, lean flank, 5 oz. (320/35/2/18)

Turkey bacon, 5 slices (100/15 / 0 / 2.5)

These meats were my main source of protein in addition to supplements. If my proportions were lacking in protein, eating something from this list would always be a positive adjustment. Meats are great building blocks for muscle development.

Supplements

Shakeology, 1 packet (140/17/17/1)

P90X Results and Recovery, 2 Scoops (220/10/39/2)

Supreme Protein Bars (Peanut Butter Pretzel or Cookie & Cream Flavors), 1 Bar (400/30/26/18)

Premier Nutrition Braided Bar (Peanut Butter), 1 Bar (230/15/21/8)

Cytosport Muscle Milk RTD (Cake Batter Flavor), 1 Container (320/32/12/16)

Cytosport Whey Isolate, 1 Scoop (110/25/3/0)

New Tube of Whey Protein, 1 Tube (156/42/0/0)

Dymatize Protein Cereal (Crunchy Granola), 1 Pack (265/34/29 / 2.5)

Lean Dessert Protein Pudding (Banana or Cinnamon), 1.5 Scoops (225/32/12 / 5.5)

Tri-o-plex (macadamia nut) crackers, 1 packet (336/18/30/16)

Isopure, 1 bottle (160/40/0/0)

Elite 12 Casein Protein, 2 Scoops (258/42/12/4)

I could never have achieved my nutritional goals without supplements. Period. Yes, they can be expensive. But let me tell you that the results you will get are worth whatever monetary price you pay. That’s the truth, people.

Fruits

Apple (Granny Smith), medium

Banana, medium

Strawberries, 1 cup

Pear, medium

Honestly, if you are taking supplements, the fruits become quite insignificant from a nutritional point of view. I basically ate fruits, especially strawberries, for dessert.

Snacks / Miscellaneous

Jerky, 2 oz. (180/20/6/2)

Turkey jerky, 2 oz. (136/20/6/2)

OS Trim stick (ostrich jerky), 1 stick (80/14/2 / 1.5)

Egg (hard, white only), 1 egg (17/4/1/0)

Yoplait Greek Yogurt, 1 cup (130/12/19/0)

Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons (190/7/7/16)

Low-fat cream cheese, 2 tablespoons (80/4/2/6)

Oroweat Whole Grain Sandwich Thins, 1 Fine (100/5/21/1)

100% whole grain English muffin, 1 muffin (150/6/27/2)

Corn tortillas, 2 tortillas (110/3/22 / 2.5)

Chipotle Cheese, 1 slice (80/5/1/6)

Special K Protein Cereal, 1 cup (135/13/19/4)

These are things that you can fit anywhere or mix with other items (eg, peanut butter on an English muffin, etc.). I can make a rich (and healthy!) Steak fajita with corn tortillas, strips of steak, 1/8 cup shredded chipotle cheese, and grilled onions.

Vegetables / Rice

Brown rice, 1 cup (230/5/40/4)

Baked potato, 1 potato (180 / 5.5 / 40/1)

Yam, 1 yam (161/3/39/1)

Broccoli, 1 cup (50/3/8 / 1.5)

Cauliflower, 1 cup (55/3/9 / 1.5)

Carrots, 1 cup (82/2/12/4)

I really learned to like yams while making the P90X. I tried to eat the most “carb heavy” items (yams, potatoes, rice) earlier in the day and then I ranked carb intake by taking the lowest carb items (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) later in the day. day.

“Deceptive” foods

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Bar (Mint Truffle), 1 bar (100/3/19/2)

Starbucks Iced Latte (Vanilla Lite), 1 Can (130/9/20 / 2.5)

Rold Gold Pretzel Twists, 1 Bag (110/2/23/1)

Rice Crispy Treat, prepackaged – 1 square (90/1/17 / 2.5)

Welch’s Lime Fruit Bar, Frozen – 1 Bar (80/1/20/0)

Hey, we all need them! You work your butt and you need a little reward. I get it. These are things that I have from time to time that do not cause the “engine to run off the tracks”.

Restaurant items

McDonald’s Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich (plain), 1 sandwich (360/31/49 / 4.5)

Carl’s Jr. Grilled Chicken Sandwich (plain with BBQ sauce), 1 sandwich (380/34/49/7)

Burger King Grilled Tendercrisp Sandwich (plain), 1 sandwich (360/34/48 / 4.5)

Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich (plain), 1 sandwich (420/26/51/13)

Arby’s Large Roast Beef Sandwich with Arby’s Sauce, 1 Sandwich (590/46/45/25)

Panera Bread Smokehouse Turkey Panini, 1 panini (720/53/67/26)

It is inevitable that we end up in fast food places from time to time. I have young children and they want their Happy Meals! I found that the key to eating healthy in places like Mickey D’s was knowing what you would order beforehand. I researched the menus of the places we might frequent and decided what I would get. If you know what you’re going to get before you get there, you’re much less likely to walk away with a cheeseburger, fries, and a milk shake.

Also, watch out for the buns! Buns, especially white flour ones, can be a disaster for a seemingly healthy chicken sandwich. What I would do is take the meat out of the sandwich, toss the bun, and replace it with a thin Oroweat sandwich. Notice the difference: Arby’s Large Roast Beef Sandwich as is: 590 calories, 46 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbohydrates, and 25 grams of fat. Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich with a Thin Oroweat Sandwich: 440 calories, 43 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 21 grams of fat. Big difference!

So, feel free to read the P90X Nutrition Guide cover to cover. Deploy as much as you like. The above is what worked for me, and I followed it because I found it to be the easiest way to approach my nutrition with a busy lifestyle.

Now press “Play” and “Bring It!”

More information on the P90X.

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