Thursday, July 5, 2007

P90X Food

Just before I started P90X, I wrote about what Sara just referred to, the EGGPOUNDER 4000 portion of the meal plan. Basically, the P90X program includes a food plan to ensure maximum results, and one approach offered is a weekly menu plan.

Aside from the enormous (for me) amount of food I would have eaten if I'd gone by the menu, I would also have gone broke. Here's a sample shopping list from the first two days of the program:

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Fat-free turkey, Extra lean ham, Salmon, Fat-free chicken broth, shrimp,
Cottage Cheese, fat-free mozarella, fat-free milk, string cheese, 8 eggs
Wild rice
Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, strawberries, romaine lettuce, hearts of palm, avocado, asparagus, red onion, red and yellow bell peppers, celery, garlic, bananas, blueberries, ginger, broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green beans, shallots, butternut squash
Low-fat dressing, tomato paste
2 Protein Bars, 2 Recovery Drink, Soy Nuts, Protein powder, sesame seeds, cashews
White wine
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For me and my happy-slappy singletude, this is about $80 of groceries that ordinarily would be enough food for over a week, not just two days. The rest of the week's menu tacks on, among other items: steak, chicken breast, quinoa, turkey bacon, soy sausage, spinach, grapefruit, pork, tuna, cantaloupe, swordfish...and 24 more eggs.

I moo now.

I abandoned the meal plan quickly, although I used some of the recipes. Fortunately, the program includes a portion control approach, which breaks down each day's meals into blocks of proteins, carbs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, fats, snacks and condiments. There's also a guide to what plan-positive foods fall into those blocks, and and what serving sizes they should be. That worked for me, even though - as the plan clearly warns against - I tended to undereat.

What the portion control guide allows for is small portions all day long; what it doesn't allow for is when someone gets so fed up and bored thinking about what to eat when, she opts for a dinner of edamame, a PowerBar and water with Emergen-C.

Eh. So I don't get it right every time. The next day I open the nutrition plan book and look for a day of food I think I can handle financially, physically and, strange to say, emotionally. Maybe salmon with lemon-dill sauce, asparagus, rice and soup is a dandy dinner, but I have enough PowerBars just in case.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Just wanted to say, I think your blogs are great, I like hearing your experiences with P90X

Melissa said...

I eat six times a day, with some of those with meal replacement protein shakes. Would you think P90x would still be effective?

Unknown said...

I'm having a hard time motivating myself to try P90X. I've had it for a few months now and haven't even opened the DVDs. I read the nutrition plan cover to cover and found it ridiculous. The first comment was dead on, too expensive. I bought it with great expectations but feel indifferent, I haven't tried it yet but feel no desire to. I do however feel like eating chocolate cake. :-)

Anonymous said...

I have a body bugg but am doing the p90x workouts but eating as I normally do. I have a calorie plan based on what I like to eat. I have been doing the p90x workouts for a week and can tell a difference. Just monitor your caloric output and input and you should still see an improvement in your strength, body and overall how you feel.

Anonymous said...

I am on week 5 and can definitely see a difference in my body.. I have not changed my eating but I am starting to work with the weight watchers plan as well, hoping it will speed up the weight loss. I am hitting the gym for extra cardio... I am loving the P90X...

Anonymous said...

I am into my 3rd week of P90X, following the diet as close as possible. It is a bit expensive, I spent about $300 to get all the stuff for the first month, but what a difference. I've already lost 10 pounds and am feeling a real difference. The workouts really make you sweat. It was my first time trying the yoga and now I know why people give it the hype, never would have though stretching would make you sweat so much. And the plyometrics, wow - intense. Ab Ripper X would definitely have to be the hardest for me, but I'm sure it will come with time. As for the diet, the hardest thing is avoiding chicken wings and stuff when out with friends, but I've fared pretty well with some will power. Just have 1 and say no, of course it's better to say no right from the get-go, oh and stay away from beer!

Anonymous said...

Love the blog and this was just what I was looking for :) I'm starting P90X with my brother next week and we think the ammount of daily food suggested by the Nutrition Guide is way too much. We just don't know how to fraction the amount of food said. It's just too much!

Anonymous said...

Love the blog :) My brother and I are going to start P90X next week. I'm so excited! But we also think that the nutrition guide is a bit over the top. We don't know how to distribute so many calories and portions for the whole day. It's just too much. What tips can you give us? He's on level 3 and I'm on level 1 :) Thanx!