Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition & Diet
Can you create a Meal Plan for me?
No, I will not create Meal Plans for individuals. I highly recommend that you purchase the Club Membership, which will create meal plans for you. It’s cheap at only $2.99 per week (billed $38.87 per quarter).
It’s hard to eat healthy during work. What can I do to stay committed with the diet?
Not being able to eat healthy during work is a common problem. I HIGHLY recommend Shakeology, which has become the most popular Beachbody product as of recently! I have been drinking Shakeology every morning and have seen excellent results from it. I absolutely LOVE it. To learn more about Shakeology, click here.
How important is the diet?
The diet is the most important part of the program and what ultimately determines how great of results you get! Commit yourself to both the diet and the workouts and you will reach your goals. Diet and nutrition is at least contributing 80% to the success of your transformation. So without dialing in on your diet, you will likely be disappointed with your result.
Did you follow the Nutrition Guide?
I followed the Nutrition Guide as closely as possible, but there were some foods that I didn’t like, so I would substitute them with one’s that were very similar in nutritional value. It’s very important to get in the proper Protein/Carb/Fat % every day. It should be 50/30/20 during Phase 1, 40/40/20 during Phase 2, and 30/50/20 during Phase 3. Those are just % of total calories. You can keep track of everything by posting what you eat every day into free tool like www.myfitnesspal.com (learn how to get it set up here). Also, the Club Membership creates specific meal plans for you, and is something that I highly recommend.
I have been following the diet and workouts to a tee, but have not lost any weight (or even gained weight). Am I doing something wrong?
You have to remember that you are both burning fat and building muscle at the same time. You can’t base your results from what you see on the scale. Instead, you need to pay attention to the amount of inches lost, body fat % lost, and what you see in the mirror.
To measure your body fat % easily without having to visit the doctors or hospitals, you could get a body fat caliper from Beachbody. Here’s the link.
I just started P90X. Do you have any good advice?
The best advice that I can give is to commit yourself to the Nutrition Guide! I tell all the people that I coach that your results are going to come from about 80% diet and 20% workouts. However, this does not mean you can slack on the workouts, because you still have to build muscle and burn calories to increase your metabolism, get stronger, and lose body fat.
Is it OK to wake up in the morning and work out, or should I eat beforehand?
It is not necessary to eat anything before you workout, especially if you are doing it in the morning and crunched on time. The last thing you want to happen is cramp up because you ate something and didn’t give it enough time to digest. However, if you do have time to eat, like an hour, then eat a small simple carbohydrate like an apple. This will give you more energy during your workout. The most important time to eat would be AFTER your workout when the body demands simple (easy-to-absorb) carbohydrates and protein for recovery. You have about an hour span after your workout to eat or take your Recovery Formula.
Is it OK to drink coffee?
There is nothing wrong with having a cup or two of coffee throughout the day. Caffeine actually speeds up the metabolism, and has been known to have positive affects on your workouts as well. Just about all the pre-workout supplements that you see on the market today have caffeine in them! I don’t take pre-workout supplement but I do take Purple Wraath BCAA amino acids during the workout.
I am having trouble reaching my protein mark for the day. What snacks can I add to increase my protein?
I always recommend beef jerky (get the low sodium one if you can find them), low-fat cottage cheese, whey protein powder, and protein shakes. You can learn more about the protein supplements I use and recommend here.
Is it OK to have a cheat day or cheat meal?
If you are going to “cheat” at all, I recommend it being only a cheat meal, not a cheat day, and make sure you only do it every so often, preferably just once or twice a month. If you have a cheat meal or cheat day every week, it will slow your results and you will become discouraged. It takes a lot of self-discipline to eat 100% clean, but with sacrifice comes great rewards.
Can I stay on the P90X Fat Shredder diet for longer than the first phase?
Yes! If you want to lose body fat and weight quicker, stick with the P90X Fat Shredder Phase as long as you want and as long as you don’t have any kidney problem. I followed the Fat Shredder diet for pretty much my entire first rounds of P90X and Insanity workout. However, if you hit a plateau while on the Fat Shredder diet, then move to the next phase.
The 3 P90X Nutritional Phases do not have to coincide the 3 workout months. The “phases” simply mean the phases of one’s physical need based on their goal.
Per the p90x nutrition guide:
This plan is designed to change right along with your 3-phase workout demands, providing the right combination of foods to satisfy your body’s energy needs every step of the way.
While P90X is designed as a 90-day program, you might choose to alter your choice or timing of one or more of the plans. You can follow any phase at any time based on your nutritional level. These are general guidelines recommended here.
The selection of the different phases depending on your GOALS and one can switch to the different phases at ANY time.
If your goal is to:
“Strengthen muscle and shed excess body fat” – 50/30/20
“Maintain Phase 1 changes with additional energy for midstream performance” – 40/40/20
“Support peak physical performance and satisfaction over the long term” – 20/60/20
How much water should I drink throughout the day?
At least 10 – 12 (8oz) cups per day. If you are taking supplements like creatine, you will need even more water.
I just don’t have enough energy to complete my workouts. What should I do?
When you don’t have enough energy, it means you are not taking in enough carbohydrates during the day. One thing you can do is eat a simple carb, like half an apple or a slice or 2 of whole wheat bread with almond butter, about an hour before you workout. This should increase your blood sugar level in time for the workout, therefore giving you more energy.
I’ve lost my Nutrition Guide. Do you know where I can get another one?
If you purchased P90X through a Beachbody Coach or through the main Beachbody site, then you should be able to contact Beachbody Customer Service and get a new one. However, if you purchased the program through a 3rd party, then you won’t be able to get a new one.
The Nutrition Guide wants me to take in 3,000 calories per day, but I think this is too much! Should I force myself to eat this many?
No! It’s never good to feel stuffed after you eat. Remember, you lose body fat and weight by burning more calories than you take in. However, eating too little could cause your body to go into starvation mode, in which the body holds on to fat and doesn’t let you burn it during the workouts. You have to find that happy medium to where you feel comfortable after every meal. Here’s an article I wrote about how to calculate your calorie need for the day.
Is it OK to use artificial sweetener?
I don’t recommend using any artificial sweetener. Though it’s zero calorie, it could mess with how your body regulate blood sugar. It’s better to stick with real sugar or cane sugar if you really need to sweeten your coffee but make sure you track it in free tool like myfitnesspal.com so that you don’t go over your calorie/sugar budget.
Is it OK to drink alcohol while doing P90X, INSANITY or other workouts?
Of course it’s ok to have a drink every once in a while! It’s important that you don’t over-do-it though. Drinks that are “healthier” for you are Coors light, Bud Light, and Miller Lite. Remember though, alcohol has a lot of calories and can add up very quickly! I would recommend to not drink during your first go through of any routine until you hit your desired results. That is what I had to do because the alcohol kept me from getting the results I wanted.
Here’s an article I wrote about working out and alcohol.