1. P90x Nutrition
2. P90x Diet Plan

Hi Todd.
First of all, this is an amazing post. Thank you!
Second of all I really do find p90x nutrition guide to complicated. Therefore I finished p90x without following nutrition plan and just eating what made sense to me. I still enjoyed it and I do see results. For the first time in my life I could do some push ups and can see six pack starting to show up.
And so I decided to do it again, but do it properly this time. And your web page is like dream come true.
Anyway, I do not have too much fat, I am like 6,2, weighing 170 lbs and my goals here are to completely get rid of that belly fat so my six pack would show up properly and to get some muscle mass. I attached a pic for you to get sense of how I currently look. The underwear is funny, I know. :D
When I spoke with couple of my mates they said that p90x is not designed to get muscles, it just to lose weight ant tone your current muscles. Is that true, what do you think? Or do they talk some nonsense?
And if they talk bulls..it, what could you recommend. Do I need fat shredder phase? Or maybe I could start by maintenance phase. I am a bit confused here. :) My Intake is 2600 calories and I am wondering maybe you could give some advice on how big my deficit should be?

Thanks a lot for your answers! Keep up the good work.

THERE ARE 3 PHASES TO THE P90X NUTRITION PLAN:

The caloric breakdown during this phase will be 20% protein, 60% carbohydrates and 2-% fat. The Endurance Maximizer is an athletic type of diet which includes a well-balanced blend of complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats.

Like the P90X exercise program, the P90X Nutrition Guideline is divided into 3 phases, calibrated to move from fast, efficient fat loss (Phase 1) to peak energy (Phase 2) to lasting success (Phase 3). The nutritional proportions change with each plan, so it’s important to follow the instructions for your current plan. Phase 3 of the P90X diet, the Endurance Maximizer, is nicknamed an athletic diet for this reason: unless you have extremely low body-fat levels, you should avoid this phase of the diet entirely and stick to the Energy Booster phase or you’ll likely add unwanted body fat. The P90X Meal plan eating schedule. Fat shredder is the first of three phases of the P90X nutrition plan. It's designed to help you burn fat and build muscle. Total Energy Amount According to P90X they estimate each workout will burn 600 calories. (rmr) + (burn) + 600 = Based on the calculation, you should be on eating.

1. Fat Shredder 2. Energy Booster 3. Endurance Maximizer

This is PHASE 1 : FAT SHREDDER

• A high-protein-based diet designed to help you strengthen muscle while rapidly shedding fat from your body.

50% PROTEIN, 30% CARBOHYDRATE, 20% FAT

• Those who are reasonably fit and have more body fat can use this phase more easily than someone who is very fit and doesn’t have a lot of excess body fat to lose. This stage is designed to cut down your body fat percentage, and as this happens, your available energy should also decrease. Therefore, Phase 1 should only be extended if you need to drop more fat and also feel like you have ample energy to push hard during your workouts. Conversely, this phase could be shortened by a week or two if your body fat is already low and you feel like you don’t have the necessary energy to get the most out of your workouts.

THERE ARE 3 NUTRITION LEVELS WITHIN EACH APPROACH, or “PHASE”.
Please take a moment to determine your daily nutrition and calorie needs. The data you provide will determine
how much food you need (and how much you don’t need) while you go through P90X.

• Calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is basically the number of calories you need to breathe, pump blood, grow hair, blink—be alive.

BODY WEIGHT X 10 = RMR in CALORIES

• Calculate your daily activity burn, the calories required for daily movement apart from exercise. Keep in mind that all lifestyles aren’t created equal. A construction worker will have a higher daily burn rate than a computer programmer, so this figure should be treated as a ballpark estimate. You will probably need to do some personal adjusting to get it perfect. Don’t worry, this will become more obvious than you think once you get going.

RMR X 20% = DAILY CALORIE BURN

• Add the calories required for your exerc i se needs , whi ch we ha ve calculated at 600 calories per day for the P90X program. Add it all up and you’ve got your energy amount.

RMR + DAILY CALORIE BURN + 600 = ENERGY AMOUNT

• Now use your energy amount to determine your nutrition level in the table:

YOUR ENERGY AMOUNT: 1,800–2,399 : 1,800 calories/day LEVEL I

YOUR ENERGY AMOUNT: 2,400–2,999 : 2,400 calories/day LEVEL II

YOUR ENERGY AMOUNT: 3,000+ : 3,000 calories/day LEVEL III

Example: A 6-foot, 180-pound man
RMR = 180 (body weight in pounds) x 10 = 1,800
Daily activity burn = 1,800 (RMR) x 20% = 360
Exercise expenditure = 600
Energy amount = 1,800 + 360 + 600 = 2,760 Nutrition level = IIRound down to the bottom of your level to create a slight calorie deficit, e.g., if you are at level II, your calorie target is 2,400 calories/day.

• I happen to fall into LEVEL II. My Energy LEVEL is 2520. Personally, I will round down to 2400 CALORIES / DAY, while on this Meal Plan. I am also planning for my husband to stay on this level, as well. It will be easier for me to plan both of our meals, that way. If he wants to add to his calories, he can do so easily, by adding another snack or two, or a slightly larger portion.

(I am highlighting in GREEN my choices, for my husband and I. My Choices are based on foods that are the most inexpensive, easy, and mostly vegetable based or low on animal protein and dairy).

Before Early Morning Workout:

Post Workout Recovery:

Breakfast Choices:

• Mushroom Omelet, 1 cup Fresh strawberries, 12 oz Cottage cheese, 1%
• 1 Protein Shake
• 3 slices Turkey bacon, 1 Chicken Scramble, 6 oz Fresh-squeezed juice
• 1 Soy Sausage Muffin, 12 oz Skim milk
• 1 Spinach Scramble, 12 oz Skim milk, 1 Grapefruit, medium
• 3 slices Turkey bacon, 1 Cheese Scramble, 12 oz Skim milk, 1/4 Cantaloupe, medium

P90x Nutrition

Mid-Morning Snack Choices:

Lunch Choices:

Mid-Afternoon Snack Choices:

Dinner Choices:

THE EXCEPTIONAL DAY:

(I know we are not suppose to do this on the P90X Program, but I know my husband and I, and I know we will want to go out once or twice to our one of our favorite restaurants, and have a dinner and some drinks. This is my plan for keeping those kind of days reasonable. I think is is SMART, as well as REALISTIC. Maybe it is the notion that life is fleeting, but whatever compels us to live it up once in a while, regardless of plan or phase, I have learned to anticipate getting off-track or make sense of it ahead of time, so that I don’t sabotage myself or ditch my efforts, altogether).

Before Early-Morning Workout:

Post Workout Recovery:

Breakfast:

PROTEIN SHAKE–LEVEL II
1 cup skim milk
1-1/2 scoops protein powder, such as Beachbody’s Whey Protein Powder
1 cup berries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup ice
Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
per serving:
290 Calories (cal)

Lunch:

Remember to Plan Ahead:

~MAKE HARD BOILED EGGS FOR TOMORROW, AND MAKE SURE YOU YOU HAVE ALL THE THINGS FOR THE POST-EXCEPTIONAL DAY SHOPPING LIST.~

EXTRA WORKOUT: 20-30 minutes of jogging.

Dinner Choices:

AT BED-TIME:

THE MORNING AFTER:

1. Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. It is best to stay in bed so call in to work if you have to, tell them you have the stomach flu. You will sound so horrible on the phone they may believe you (unless they saw you at the bar, not a good idea then).
2. Sex. “There is no research that shows that sex will make a hangover go away, but maybe it will make the time go faster,” says Joris C. Verster, Ph.D., assistant professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. “If it makes you happy, go for it.Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/hangover-cures/hangover-cures-sex.php#ixzz1v9dlfgol
3. Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.
4. In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand. (from http://cocktails.about.com/od/healthsafety/ht/hngovr_rmdy.htm )
5. Get some exercise. DO NOT SKIP THE WORKOUT THE “DAY AFTER”… but first, start with water, read below:

The Next Day’s Meal Plan:

1. Replenish your body with water.
2. Take Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. (Too much ibuprofen can cause stomach bleeding).
3. Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.
4. Before morning workout: Drink 1 glass of orange juice (4 oz.), for Vitamin C, and 1 Gatorade.
5. For BREAKFAST: Eat mineral rich tuna fish (1 serving) on crackers (one serving), 1 hard boiled egg, and 1 pickle.
6. Next, drink some of the pickle juice. (In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy).
7. Drink a “Bloody Mary“. (See the “Healthy” recipe, below). While your blood is dealing with the new alcohol in this drink, it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins.

P90x Diet Plan

EXCEPTIONAL DAY SHOPPING LIST:

GENERAL PHASE 1 SHOPPING LIST: