P90X2 Nutrition Guide More Flexible than P90X Nutrition Plan But Designed to Power Performance
The P90X2 nutrition guide simplifies the P90X nutrition plan and adds more choices to customize it for your needs and philosophies. With three macronutrient mixes, three caloric levels, and meal planning that includes grain-free and vegan options, the P90X 2 nutrition plan helps you “Bring It” to the next level.
According to Steve Edwards, cutting calories works when you want to lose weight but as you get into shape, you have to eat to fuel your performance. You have to eat to match the activity you are doing to continue to improve performance and get results. That’s why it’s important to read and follow the P90X2 Nutrition Guide.
“This is not a weight loss diet. I think it’s important to get that out of the way right up front. This doesn’t mean that you won’t lose weight. If you want to, you will. But this nutrition plan is designed to increase your body’s performance, where weight loss comes as a natural extension of being healthy, because that’s how you’ll get lasting results.” Steve Edwards, Director of Results, Beachbody
The P90X2 nutrition guide is similar to the P90X nutrition plan, but it has more choices. It’s also more flexible and somewhat simplified. If you remember the portion plan from the P90X nutrition guide, you’ll be very comfortable with the P90X2 nutrition plan.
The P90X2 nutrition guide has three plans, three levels, and three different option. It’s not as difficult as it sounds though. Let’s take a quick look at each area.
First, the P90X 2 nutrition guide is broken up into three macronutrient composition plans: Fat Shredder, Engery Booster, and Endurance Maximizer. Half of the calories on the Fat Shredder plan come from protein while 25% come from carbohydrates and 25% from fat. This plan will help you shred fat but shouldn’t be followed more than a few weeks.
You’ll need energy for the P90X 2 workouts, so the P90X2 nutrition guide progresses to the Energy Booster plan. This plan provides a good balance of the macronutrients with 40% of the calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 30% from fat.
The final plan, the Endurance Maximizer, is designed for just that…maximizing your endurance. It’s loaded with a profile containing 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 25% fat.
After determining your macronutrient needs, you’ll need to determine your daily caloric needs while working out with the P90X2 program. Don’t stress too much over this calculation. The P90X 2 nutrition guide has a page that simplifies the formula. You’ll work within one of three caloric levels (1800, 2400 or 3000 calories).
The next thing you’ll need to do is decide which of three plan options you want to follow. The P90X2 nutrition guide provides a standard nutritional meal plan as well as a vegan option and a grain-free option.
Once you know what plan, what level and what option fits your goals and philosophies, you’ll just eat the number of portions listed in the P90X2 nutrition guide for proteins, dairy, fruit, vegetables, fats, grains, legumes/tubers, condiments, and snacks. What can you eat and what constitutes a portion size? The P90X2 nutrition guide has that covered, too. It’s all in the guide. You’ll even find over fifty recipes in the P90X2 nutrition guide to simplify your P90X2 nutrition plan!
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You Are What You Eat
Low Calorie Snacks to Fuel Your Day
What you eat matters when trying to lose weight. You might have heard how important it is to eat small meals throughout the day. Eating frequently (aout every 3 hours) helps keep your metabolism running efficiently. You’ll feel more satisfied, eat less, and hopefully lose more weight. But coming up with low calorie snack ideas for mid-morning and afternoon snacks can sometimes be difficult.
Need some low 150-200 calorie snacks to fuel your day? We have put together some ideas for you. Take a look at our low calorie snacks and 100 calorie snack ideas because what you eat matters.
Low Calorie Snacks
Microwave popcorn is a great low calorie snack if you need to take off the edge after dinner. It only packs a whopping 40 calories per cup without butter.
A couple of my other favorite low calorie snacks are oranges and strawberries. One medium orange has about 60 calories while a cup of sliced strawberries only has about 50 calories.
100 Calorie Snack Ideas
Read labels when you are buying bread products. I like to bring home bread, english muffins, and bagel thins that have about 50 calories per slice. When I need a snack, I can toast a piece and top is with a thin layer of sugar free jam or just a taste of peanut butter and have a filling low calorie snack.
Low calorie fruits that are around 100 calories include apples, bananas and grapes. One medium apple has about 90 calories, a medium banana has about 110 and a cup of grapes has around 120 calories.
When you are looking for low calorie snacks, it still matters what you eat. Stay away from the sugary and salty 100 calorie snack packs that are popular these days. Instead, try one of adding protein like string cheese (70-110 calories), tuna in water (50 calories in 2oz, about 1/2 can) plus six wheat thins (about 50 calories), or salmon (60 calories in 2 oz, about 1/2 can) plus six wheat thins (about 50 calories).
150-200 Calorie Snack Ideas
Peanut butter is at the top of my list for a low calorie snack that’s less than 200 calories. It’s important to measure out peanut better, however, because it’s easy to way overestimate the serving size. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter has between 170-200 calories depending on the brand. For a lower calorie snack, try just a spoon of peanut butter.
I also like to combine a couple of lower calorie snacks when I want a snack that has between 150-200 calories. For example, I might slice up and apple and eat it mid-morning with a piece of string cheese.
In the afternoon, I like to eat nuts. Like peanut butter, it’s imperative that you measure out nuts because it’s easy to eat hundreds of calories mindlessly. One ounce of almonds has 170 while one ounce of walnuts has 190. So, how much is one ounce? It’s 2 tablespoons or maybe a more visual depiction is it’s a one half of a shot glass.
For a mid-morning low calorie snack in this caloric range, I like to mix cottage cheese and Dannon Light & Fit Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt. One cup of fat free cottage cheese has 160 calories while the yogurt will have about 90 calories in 6 oz. I mix about 1/2 cup of each which makes my snack about 140 calories.
Shakeology can be used a meal replacement, but it also makes a great low calorie snack. I love the chocolate Shakeology blended with ice. It tastes like a Wendy’s Frosty but only has 150 calories. And since I know what I eat matters, I don’t feel guilty when I add this one as a snack!
Protein bars and meal replacement bars also make good snacks but make sure you use bars that have at least 10 grams of protein. I like the P90X Protein Bars, but they have 240 calories. Sometimes, I use them for a meal replacement when I’m having a hectic day on the run. Other times, I break one in half and have it as a snack with only 120 calories or add a spoon of peanut butter with it for about another hundred.
What You Eat Matters
What you eat matters. Although the purpose of the post was to provide you with some low calorie snack ideas, calories alone should not guide your decisions. It is easy to find 100 calorie packs of processed chips, cookies, and other empty calorie snacks that do not fuel your body.
Choose foods that provide good nutrition and stabilize your blood sugars to reduce cravings. Adding protein helps your body stay satisfied until your next meal. Eating only raw vegetables may become boring, and you may get hungry before it’s time to eat again. Fruit makes a good snack because of the natural sugars (instant energy) and fiber. Mix it up. Keep it interesting, but always remember what you eat matters, how much matters, and how often you eat matters.
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You Are What You Eat: Weight Loss and Cheat Days
What Are Cheat Days?
To begin this article, I wanted to discuss the concept of a cheat day. I first learned about this idea back in the 1990’s when I read a book by Bill Phillips called Body for Life. Following the nutrition guidance that went along with the workout plan, I ate a strict diet six days a week. On the seventh day, I could eat whatever I wanted and however much I wanted. In other words, I could cheat on this day.
I used to be a propenent of this thinking but not so much anymore. I thought that if I ate healthy six days a week with small, frequent meals that on the cheat day, my body would not go haywire and get out of control. The problem with this thinking is my body didn’t make the decisions, my head did. I usually overate on cheat days.
Many people eat a strict diet for 5-6 days and then have a cheat day or a couple of cheat days. This works for some but for weight loss…you are what you eat.
Why Are Cheat Days Good?
In my opinion, cheat days are good for people who work out regularly and practice a regular fitness routine. These are generally people who are not overweight and have a high metabolism. These are people who cut back on calories and increase their activity when they see the scale move even a little bit. These are disciplined, fit people.
Cheat days work well for people who are dedicated to fitness. Why? It gives them permission to enjoy something usually not in their nutrition plan, but they know to eat in moderation and to increase their activity to account for the extra calories. So, a cheeseburger or a small slice of cheesecake might sneak into their diet but not a whole pizza, a bag of M&Ms, or a 32 oz. Pepsi.
How Can a Cheat Day Upset Your Weight Loss Goals?
When it comes to those who want to lose weight, a cheat day can be detrimental to their weight loss goals. First, individuals who are overweight are more prone to have lower metabolisms. Second, people who are out of shape are generally less disciplined which is a double whammy for losing weight.
Without exercise and eating discipline, a person is more likely to eat excessively and eat bad foods on cheat days. They are also less likely to increase their activity to account for the additional calories. Weight management is balancing act between the calories you consume and the calories you use. You can work hard to create a deficit of 500 calories per day (almost a pound over the course of a week), but eat more than 3500 calories (a pound) in one day!
You Are What You Eat Even on Cheat Days!
This is what I am trying to say. You are what you eat even on cheat days! While cheating on your diet may give you a little pleasure and reward you for doing a good job, it can also sabotage your plans. I recommend allowing yourself something you enjoy that is not on your regular diet – ice cream, chocolate, pizza – all in moderation but not as a free for all one day a week.
Account for all of your calories every day. With a dedicated diet and regular exercise, you will reach your weight loss goals. Your metabolism will increase. Your habits will change. You may even become one of those people who can safely practice a cheat day occassionally.
If you need help losing weight, sign up for your free Beachbody membership and take advantage of the fitness tools available to you. I will help you reach your weight loss goals.
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Beachbody Delivers Nutrition Guidance and a Sensible Diet Plan
Beachbody programs deliver nutrition guidance not diet food. You are what you eat. That mantra helps me follow a sensible diet plan without feeling deprived.
Everywhere I look, I see ads for pills that promote fat or weight loss. I see commercials and magazine ads for companies that offer “diet food” to help you lose weight. I even see local ads in the newspaper advertising weight loss surgeries. What they do all of these methods have in common? They have the promise of fast weight loss. I am sure each method works for some people. I am not convinced that after the initial weight comes off that these programs provide enough support and knowledge to help people keep off the weight.
Weight loss clinics do offer counseling for their patients, but I have seen people take the weight off through weight loss surgery and eventually put it back on because nutrition and activity have not become part of their lifestyles. I am definitely not a supporter of popping pills because I personally believe they can have serious side affects.
So if you do not turn to pills or surgeries or diet foods from infomercials, what do you do? Well, there is the option of making small changes that add up to a lifestyle overhaul for your health and fitness. I love Beachbody workout programs because they offer the most complete solution in losing and maintaining weight. There is nothing magical in the Beachbody formula. It is quite “old school” really: exercise and follow a sensible diet plan.
Beachbody workout programs combine strength, flexibility, core, and cardio training and more. Unlike dvds you can buy at a department store, these programs also come with nutrition guidance and online support. The online support consists of message boards, chats, newsletters, a broadcasting network, your own Beachbody coach, and even access to an online meal planner that helps you select foods, make your shopping list, and stay within the calorie limits you choose. The meal planner will even allow you to pull up the nutritional inforamation (calories, fat, protein, fiber, etc.) on individual foods, so you can make better choices.
By the way, if you do not know how many calories you need, Beachbody helps you with that, too. When you become a member of the Team Beachbody community, you have access to a lot of free fitness tools like a caloric needs calculator, fitness tracker, and fat tester. Beachbody delivers nutrition guidance and a sensible diet plan with every workout program. I think the old fashioned way is a healthier and longer lasting plan than writing a check for a month’s worth of perfectly portioned prepared meals, popping pills with undetermined side affects or going under the knife. Overall, I think following a Beachbody program and diet plan is easier to follow and easier to maintain. Just saying.
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You Are What You Eat
Phat Facts on Good Fat and Bad Fat
You are what you eat. Get the phat facts on good fat and bad fat, saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and trans fats, including what to add, omit, or moderate. It sounds confusing and quite honestly it is confusing for most of us. Add in a polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, fatty acids, ALA, DHA, and EPA just to confuse the the average person even more. The purpose of this post is to simplify the confusion with of dietary fat.
Most of the fats we eat are triglycerides. That’s just a big name for the molecular structure of three fatty acids and a substance called glycerol. High levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to heart disease. There are four types of fatty acids (fats): polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated and trans fatty acids.
Good Fats
The first two fats are unsaturated. You will find them in a liquid state at room temperature. These are the good fats. They are found in olives, avacados, almonds, peanut butter, most nuts, corn, soybeans, fish and few other food sources. Increasing polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats in your diet can lead to improved cholesterol and heart health.
Good fats decrease the level of lipoprotein (LDL), also known as the bad cholesterol and raise the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol. Bad fats on the other hand, increase the levels of LDL in the body and lower HDL. Bad fats include saturated and trans fatty acids. Trans fats also increase triglycerides.
Bad Fats
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. They are found in dairy products such as whole milk, butter and cream as well as red meat, chocolate and coconuts. Saturated fats are found in many processed foods. According to Walter C. Willet, M.D. and author of “Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy”, you should limit saturated fats to below eight percent of your total daily calories.
Trans fatty acids are actually manmade. They are also solid at room temperature. They were actually developed to improve shelf life. You can find them in baked goods such as crackers and chips, deep fried fast food, and most margarines and vegetable shortening. These bad fats play havoc on cholesterol levels, leading to cholesterol related conditions such as heart disease. Avoid trans fats all together.
Essential Fats
The efficient human body can create the fat it needs from other sources such as carbohydrates. There are a few fats that cannot be produced by the body though. These fats are called essential fatty acids and must come from the food we eat. Essential fats are all polyunsaturated fats.
One of the essential fats that needs your attention is the omega-3 fatty acids. There are three main types of omega 3 fats: ALA, EPA, and DHA. The body can convert ALA into EPA or DHA, but neither EPA or DHA can be converted to ALA.
EPA and DHA are found mainly in fish. ALA is found in a variety of food sources, including flaxseed oil, walnuts, soy oil, olive oil, grass fed beef, almonds, kale, and spinach.
Phat Fat Facts
Are you confused, yet? Let me simplify the fat equation for you. Increase unsaturated fats (poly and mono), limit saturated fats (think solids), and avoid trans fats. Eat foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids because your body cannot produce this essential fat on its own. Good fats improve your health. Bad fats do the opposite. Remember, you are what you eat. Be good to yourself and eat the good fats your body needs.
You Are What You Eat
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