P90X Nutrition Guide

When you want to look better and feel healthier, workouts aren’t the total solution. You must eat right too. The P90X Nutritional Guide is specifically written to help people achieve their fitness goals while on the P90X workout plan. It doesn’t just tell you what to eat, it guides you to being smarter in the kitchen and on the go. For many people, a complete 180 degree change is necessary in their kitchen habits and they must relearn how to prepare and keep foods that will best serve their body.

A quick look through the P90X Nutritional Guide reveals some fabulous looking foods. This eating plan isn’t about deprivation or starvation. The creators know that your success in any eating changes is dependent on how fulfilling it is. In other words, if you are bored or starving, you won’t be able to stick with it. By giving you delicious, healthy foods, and plenty of them the P90X diet plan makes it far easier to follow a healthier lifestyle.

The first step in changing your eating style is to get rid of those things in your home that have the potential to derail all of your hard work. You don’t need to keep ice cream in the refrigerator or chips in the cupboard. Replace them with fat free frozen yogurt and whole grain crackers. There’s no reason to have bare cupboards but you have to learn how to stock them with healthier choices.

Also, your cooking oils and condiments need a makeover. Frying your foods is now out of the question. You might be surprised how many foods you can make in the oven or on the stove top with just a splash of olive oil or some cooking spray. Likewise, ranch dressing and mayo might not be good choices for your salads and sandwiches. A vinaigrette or mustard are good substitutions.

The road to success is made up of single steps. By adjusting your current habits you will find change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You may have to find some new favorite foods. But the P90X Nutritional Guide can help you, showing you how to prepare healthier meals and snacks without a major impact on your time or your pocketbook. As you adjust to these changes you will likely realize that eating right doesn’t have to feel like a restriction. Treating your body well with proper nutrition is, in all reality, pampering it. And who doesn’t love to feel pampered?

Exercise is only a small part of the whole equation.  Your body is a direct reflection of what you put in it.  We’ve all heard “you are what you eat”.  It’s true.  Nutrition is the most important thing BEFORE what exercises you do each day!  What good is your exercise if you’re just burning off the Big Mac you had for lunch today?  Do you want to know what works?  Well here you go:

• There’s no certain times to eat.  You don’t need to eat 8, 12 and 6 for dinner.  When you wake up you need to eat something within the first 10 minutes.  Best thing to eat right away is a banana.  It spikes your blood sugar immediately and its really the only time of day you can eat a banana because of this (unless you eat it right before or right after a workout).

• Stay away from all processed foods!  This is hard because they are everywhere!  I’m sure you’ve heard it before but stay away from all the inner aisles of the grocery store.  There’s nothing in those aisles that your body needs…. EVER….. including alcohol!

• Supplements and protein are crucial to building muscle and losing weight.  There is not enough nutrition even in the whole foods that we eat.  Our soils are currently depleted of nutrients and it’s hard for the body to absorb synthetic multi-vitamins in a pill form.  So any powders or liquids are the way to go or last choice “whole food multi-vitamins”.   **** NOTE:  Do not buy supplements from Hi Health or GNC.  You can go there and find out what to buy but then go home and pull it up on Amazon and you’ll see its 40-50% cheaper and spend enough and Amazon ships it all for free!

• Try to stay away from dairy except cheese.  But buy low fat cheese and remember even cheese causes bloating so eat it only when you REALLY are craving it.

• VERY IMPORTANT:  drink lots of water and get at least 6 to 7 hours a night of sleep (that’s hard to do – I know!  but so important for your body).

• And LASTLY, here it is:  EXERCISE!   If you’re not exercising now, start moving in some way at least 3-4 days a week.  And sweat!  Get your heart rate up.  Buy a heart rate monitor – you don’t have to buy the best – just $40 at Target

Here’s what I do.  Each and every day.  Might be boring but I’ve found what works for me:

Morning:

When you first wake up:  eat a small banana (buy them small or split one with one of your kids).

If you can, within, 20 min of that eat some oatmeal (steel cut oats are the best – they take 35 minutes to make but you can make a whole lot at one time and then reheat for the next couple days)

                Sprouts has a good steel cut oatmeal.  Also, Costco sells Coaches brand which is good too.

Mid Morning Snack:  (2 hours after you finished the oatmeal)

A small red apple and 2 hard boiled eggs (if you don’t like eggs have a protein shake)

You can also have a granola bar and an apple if you’re lacking energy (Nature Valley is a good one –oats and honey)  yes this is processed but there’s only 7 ingredients in it. 

The only preservatives in it is honey which is natural.

Lunch: (2 hours after snack)

Salad with as much veggies as your heart desires (sauteed red peppers and tomatoes are a great addition because when these get cooked they produce even more anti-oxidants.)

If you want a sandwich, use grilled chicken and pick a 100% whole grain bread and don’t worry about the calories in it if its 100% whole grain.  Nature’s Own is a good brand. 

                Try to stay away from deli meats (they are also highly processed!  Lots of salt and preservatives)  if you must pick a deli meat choose a “Low Sodium turkey or chicken”

Afternoon Snack:

Shakeology is a great afternoon snack or use your own favorite meal replacement shake.  You can also eat a small handful of raisins (but eat raisins for this snack only when you’re planning on working out that day)

If you didn’t eat the granola bar for your mid morning snack you can eat it now.

If you start to not need a meal right before bed (as mentioned below than you can choose to eat your lowfat cottage cheese here – I even toss the handful of raisins in the cottage cheese)

Dinner:  (very little carbs here – if you notice all your carbs you have eaten by noon or the latest by 3pm) – the only carbs at dinner should be from your vegetables)

6oz lean meat (ground turkey, fish, chicken) and a side salad or veggies (the freshest veggies the better) – and the green leafiest the better!

If you are hungry at any time after dinner do not gorge yourself on anything!  The 2 best things to eat before bed is a thick casein protein shake or lowfat cottage cheese!   (If you like raw, crunchy vegetables that’s fine too but may not satisfy your hunger – protein satisfies hunger and keeps you fuller longer!)

YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!  It’s not difficult.  You’ll notice after a while you won’t even be hungry sometimes every 2 hours.   Your stomach size will shrink and will require less and less food. 

Let me know what foods you can’t stand on here and we can change or substitute them.  Let me coach you on your journey.  I love helping people reach their fitness goals!   You can find me on Facebook where I keep you accountable and post tips and tricks.