Diet & Nutrition
Q: Can you create a Meal Plan for me?
A: No, I will not create Meal Plans for individuals. I highly recommend that you purchase the Club Membership, which will create meal plans for you. I’ve been a Club Member for over two years and it’s helped me tremendously! It’s cheap at only $2.99 per week (billed 38.87 per quarter).
Q: It’s hard to eat healthy during work. What can I do to stay committed with the diet?
A: I HIGHLY recommend Shakeology, which has become the most popular Beachbody product as of recently! My entire family, which includes my husband, mom, dad, mother in law, my daughters, and I all drink Shakeology and have seen excellent results from it. Beachbody is so sure that you will like the product, that they are giving a 30 day “bottom of the bag” money back guarantee! To learn more about Shakeology, click here.
Q: How important is the diet?
A: The diet is the most important part of the program and what ultimately determines how great of results you get! Commit yourself to both the diet and the workouts and you will reach your goals.
Q: Did you follow the Nutrition Guide?
A: I followed the Nutrition Guide as closely as possible, but there were some foods that I didn’t like, so I would substitute them with one’s that were very similar in nutritional value. It’s very important to get in the proper fat/carb/protein % every day. It should be 20/30/50 during Phase 1, 20/40/40 during Phase 2, and 20/50/30 during Phase 3. Those are just % of total calories. You can keep track of everything by posting what you eat every day into www.myfitnesspal.com. Also, the Club Membership creates specific meal plans for you, and is something that I highly recommend.
Q: I have been following the diet and workouts to a tee, but have not lost any weight (or even gained weight). Am I doing something wrong?
A: You have to remember that you are both burning fat and building muscle at the same time. You can’t base your results from what you see on the scale. Instead, you need to pay attention to the amount of inches lost, how your clothes fit, and what you see in the mirror.
Q: I just started P90X. Do you have any good advice?
A: The best advice that I can give is to commit yourself to the Nutrition Guide! I tell all the people that I coach that your results are going to come from about 80% diet and 20% workouts. However, this does not mean you can slack on the workouts, because you still have to build muscle and burn calories to increase your metabolism, get stronger, and lose body fat.
Q: How do I commit to the P90X diet?
A: Click here.
Q: Is it OK to wake up in the morning and work out, or should I eat beforehand?
A: It is not necessary to eat anything before you workout, especially if you are doing it in the morning and crunched on time. If anything, eat 1/2 banana. The last thing you want to happen is cramp up because you ate something and didn’t give it enough time to digest. However, if you do have time to eat, like an hour, then eat a small breakfast with protein and complex carbs. This will give you more energy during your workout. The most important time to eat would be AFTER your workout when the body demands simple carbohydrates and protein for recovery. You have about an hour span after your workout to eat or take your Recovery Formula.
Q: What is the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs?
A: Let’s begin with how carbs provide energy. When you digest a carbohydrate, it is converted into blood sugar, or glucose, which provides your body with energy to do every day activities and also for your workouts. Simple carbohydrates are digested fairly quickly, leading to an increase in energy for a shorter period of time. These contain refined sugars and few essential vitamins and minerals. Complex carbs take quite a bit longer to digest, therefore giving you more energy throughout the day. These are usually packed with fiber, along with essential vitamins and minerals. They also allow you to have that “full” feeling for quite a while after eating because of the long digestion process, which controls your hunger.
Q: I’m a woman and worried about getting too muscular with P90X. Should I be worried?
A: The answer is NO! I followed the Classic version, which is a balance of both cardio and resistance workouts, and didn’t get muscular at all! I just lost weight and a LOT of inches! Also, women don’t have anywhere close to the testosterone levels that men do, which make it much harder for them build muscle. Focus on lifting heavy in the 8-10 rep range, and you will be fine!
Q: Is it OK to drink coffee?
A: There is nothing wrong with having a cup or two of coffee throughout the day. Caffeine actually speeds up the metabolism, and has been known to have positive affects on your workouts as well. I have 2 cups of regular coffee in the morning and drink water for the remainder of the day.
Q: Is it OK to drink diet pop?
A: IF you feel you MUST have “bubbles”, then yes have a diet pop or diet soda rather than the regular stuff. But, by all means, minimize your use – there is more and more research that says that our bodies don’t know how to metabolize diet pop, meaning all of those chemicals have no way to leave your body and can possibly do long term damage. Hey, I was a 6 Diet Coke a day fiend… its rough to get off it! But, its been over a year now and now, it just tastes metallic.
Q: I am having trouble reaching my protein mark for the day. What snacks can I add to increase my protein?
A: I always recommend beef jerky, low-fat cottage cheese, and reduced fat string cheese.
Q: Is it OK to have a cheat day or cheat meal?
A: If you are going to “cheat” at all, I recommend it being only a cheat meal, not a cheat day, and make sure you only do it every so often, preferably just once or twice a month. If you have a cheat meal or cheat day every week, it will slow your results and you will become discouraged. It takes a lot of self-discipline to eat 100% clean, but with sacrifice comes great rewards.
Q: Can I stay on the Fat Shredder diet for longer than the first phase?
A: Yes! If you want to lose body fat and weight quicker, stick with the Fat Shredder Phase as long as you want. I have friends and customers who followed the Fat Shredder diet for pretty much their entire first rounds of P90X. However, if you hit a plateau while on the Fat Shredder diet, then move to the next phase.
Q: How much water should I drink throughout the day?
A: I recommend trying to get at least 100 oz of water a day.
Q: I just don’t have enough energy to complete my workouts. What should I do?
A: When you don’t have enough energy, it means you are not taking in enough carbohydrates during the day. One thing you can do is to increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and starches such as sweet potato or brown rice. One other thing you can do is eat a small snack about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour before you workout. This should increase your blood sugar level in time for the workout, therefore giving you more energy.
Q: I’ve lost my Nutrition Guide. Do you know where I can get another one?
A: If you purchased P90X or other program through a Beachbody Coach or through the main Beachbody site, then you should be able to contact Beachbody Customer Service and get a new one. However, if you purchased the program through a 3rd party (eBay, Amazon, Craigslist), then you won’t be able to get a new one.
Q: The Nutrition Guide wants me to take in 3,000 calories per day, but I think this is too much! Should I force myself to eat this many?
A: No! It’s never good to feel stuffed after you eat. Remember, you lose body fat and weight by burning more calories than you take in. However, eating too little could cause your body to go into starvation mode, in which the body holds on to fat and doesn’t let you burn it during the workouts. You have to find that happy medium to where you feel comfortable after every meal.
Q: Is it OK to drink alcohol while doing P90X?
A: Of course it’s ok to have a drink every once in a while! It’s important that you don’t over-do-it though. Drinks that are “healthier” for you are red wine, Select 55, MGD 64, Bud Light, and Miller Lite. Remember though, alcohol has a lot of calories and can add up very quickly!
