The P90X fitness program is effective because the workouts are difficult, but you'll never see results if your diet is poor. The program includes a nutrition plan that should be followed to the letter to ensure that you get the energy and nutrients you need to perform your best during the workouts, but not so much that you gain fat and cover up the muscles you worked so hard to build. The P90X plan isn't about starvation, it's about eating right.
Fat Shredder Phase
The Fat Shredder phase is a low-carb diet that helps you shed as much fat as possible during the first four weeks of the program. Your diet is composed of 50 percent protein, 30 percent carbs and 20 percent fat and should not be extended beyond the first four weeks unless your energy levels are good and you still have more fat to lose. A typical day involves a mushroom omelet and 8 oz. of cottage cheese topped with 1 cup of fresh strawberries, followed by a protein bar and recovery shake mid-morning. Lunch is a chef salad, followed by 2 oz. of soy nuts mid-afternoon. Dinner includes 6 oz. of salmon with 2 tbsp. lemon-dill sauce, 1/2 cup of asparagus, 1 cup of wild rice and a cup of red pepper soup with 1 tbsp. of protein powder mixed in.
Energy Booster Phase
The Energy Booster Phase coincides with the second four-week cycle of the workouts. Each workout session is more intensive, so more carbs are added to the diet to give you more energy. Protein is cut to 40 percent, carbs are raised to 40 percent and fat is steady at 20 percent. A typical day includes 1 cup of oatmeal mixed with 8 oz. of skim milk, 1 tbsp. of protein powder and 1/2 oz. of raisins for breakfast and a protein bar and recovery drink for a mid-morning snack. Lunch is shrimp pasta pomodoro, and the recipe is included in the P90X Nutrition Guide. Your mid-afternoon snack is 8 oz. of cottage cheese, followed by a 6-oz. lean burger, 1.5 oz. cheese and 2 cups green salad with 2 tbsp. of dressing for dinner and 1/2 cup of fresh berries for dessert.
Endurance Maximizer Phase
The Endurance Maximizer phase complements the final four weeks of the P90X program, when the workouts kick into high gear. Carbohydrates are increased to 60 percent to maximize your energy levels, and fat and protein are at 20 percent each to keep you light on your feet. A typical breakfast includes a blueberry muffin made with the included recipe, 8 oz. of nonfat yogurt and 1 cup of berries and a recovery drink serves as your morning snack. Lunch includes a veggie burger on half of a whole-grain bun with 2 cups salad topped with 2 tbsp. of dressing, and you get three Fig Newtons and a sourdough pretzel as your afternoon snack. Dinner is 6 oz. of chicken topped with 2 tbsp. of apricot sauce, half of a baked yam and 1 cup of green beans, followed by 1/4 of a mango for dessert.
Adjustments
The P90X Nutrition Guide includes a worksheet that helps you determine the number of calories you need based on your size. The sample menu applies to an 1,800-calorie per day diet, but it gives suggestions about how to add calories if necessary. If you don't like the meals outlined in the plan, there is also an exchange-based system you could use that makes it easy for you to track your nutrients so you consume the same nutrient ratio as the pre-planned meals.
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