If you’re confused by the P90X diet and nutrition guide that comes with the P90X workouts, that’s a good thing. It means that you have actually opened up the nutrition guide and are reading it! Give yourself a pat on the back because you are ahead of most people who begin P90X.

Why Is The P90X Diet Plan So Complicated?

Levels, Weeks and Phases, oh my! Those are some of the terms that you have come across if you’re digging into the nutrition guide of the P90X diet plan. So let me help you keep it really, really simple.

P90X Diet = Healthy Foods!

P90X is a 90 day program which is roughly 3 months. Each phase of the program consists of 30 days, roughly. So within P90X there are 3 phases consisting of 4 weeks each.

The “levels” referred to in the nutrition guide correlates to your calorie intake for your P90X diet plan. Each level is calculated based on your starting weight and will detail out how many servings of food and calories you should be having on a daily basis. So, for example, if you weigh 180lbs, you will be in Level 2 throughout the program. Make sense so far?

So let’s say you are a “Level 2″ and are in “Phase 1″ of P90X. This means that you will follow the  Level 2 P90X diet plan which will consist of roughly 7 servings of protein, 1 serving of carbs, 1 fruit, 4 vegetables, 1 fat, 3 snacks, 2 condiments and 3 dairy. This will give you a total of roughly 2,400 calories per day.  Still with me?

Now that you’re familiar with the terms in the P90X diet and nutrition guide, and are comfortable with levels and phases, let’s talk about how to simplify the  nutrition plan.

How To Simplify The P90X Diet Plan.

My recommendation when starting out is to NOT read the menu plan in the P90X diet guide. The menu plan in the P90X diet guide is the main area where people get hung up. They start seeing things that they don’t normally eat and they get freaked out. So don’t even read it!

Simplifying the P90X Diet Plan – Here’s What To Do.

Read through the P90X nutrition guide and look at the section that explains exactly what a serving of protein, carbs, vegetables, fats, etc consists of. For example, 1 serving of protein = 3oz of boneless, skinless chicken, turkey, etc. So when looking at the P90X diet plan, we’re only going to be concerned with the number of servings and not the specifics of what we’re eating. Sound simple enough?

So starting now, I want you to plan your meals and make a copy of the servings boxes in the P90X nutrition guide. And as you’re going through the day,  I want you to literally put an X through each box whenever you eat. If you have some eggs and a piece of fruit for breakfast, put an X through 1 protein box and 1 fruit box. Go through your entire day doing this until all of the boxes have an X through them. That’s it. That’s all you have to do to be successful with the P90X diet plan. It looks really complicated, but when you break it down, it’s kind of simple.

Still have more questions? Leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to answer it as soon as possible.

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All Sugar is Bad For You – MYTH

One of the great myths that our country has embraced, thanks in part to Dr. Atkins, is that all sugar is bad. While some sugar is bad for you, the right kind of sugar, and more specifically the right amount of sugar, has many positive benefits to your body including regulating blood sugar levels, brain productivity and more.

In fact, after an intense workout like P90X or Insanity your body NEEDS sugar to recover. In an earlier post, I explained why Beachbody’s Results and Recovery Formula is formulated the way it is (with a 4:1 carb to protein ratio) but some people are still determined to avoid sugar.

Well here is a fantastic article from Denis Faye, one of Beachbody’s nutrition experts, that gives us 6 simple rules for eating sugar.

Few topics boggle the minds of dieters and fitness enthusiasts the way sugar does. Is this simple carbohydrate the key to unlocking elite sports performance? Or is it the chains that drag our country deeper and deeper into the obesity epidemic? Annoyingly, the answer is “both.” But before you throw your hands up in frustration and grab yourself a Twinkie®, let’s take a minute to talk about sugar. It’s not as complex as it seems. In fact, with just a few guidelines, it’s incredibly easy to use these simple carbohydrates for good instead of evil.

Rule #1: Just say “know.”

Here’s a grossly over-simplified look at how sugar, also known as simple carbohydrates, works. Just as with all carbs, you eat sugar and it’s absorbed by your blood, where, if you have the right amount of insulin in your system, that insulin converts the sugar to energy. However, if you introduce too much sugar into your system, the insulin stores it as body fat. A little stored body fat is fine; the body likes some emergency fuel. However, if your blood sugar spikes too often and the insulin has to work too hard converting fat, this can lead to a variety of health issues, including type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

As we’ll discuss later, when your body obtains sugar from natural sources, like fruits and veggies, the process tends to be checked by fiber, which slows absorption. However, when you eat foods with added sugar, this can overwhelm the usual checks and balances, causing problems like those nasty blood sugar spikes. To make matters worse, consuming too much added sugar can cause a host of other problems, including tooth decay, increased triglycerides (or stored fat), and malnutrition (from overconsumption of foods filled with empty calories and deficient in nutrients).

If you wanted one overarching rule to work from, you might choose to avoid added sugars entirely. You’ll get all the energy you need from foods with naturally occurring sugar. That said, there are times when refined sugar is OK or even beneficial. If you’re able to build yourself a lifestyle completely free of added sugar, nice work. But for the rest of us, the trick is moderation.

Rule #2: Less is more.

One teaspoon of table sugar has 15 calories. Honestly, if you have a couple of cups of tea or coffee in the morning and you dump the proverbial spoonful of sugar in each, that’s 30 calories. If the rest of your diet is tight and you’re active, it won’t matter.

If you’re trying to lose weight and are eating at a severe deficit, you’ll probably want to skip those few spoonfuls of sugar, because table sugar is nutritionally void and you want every calorie to count nutritionally. Other than that, though, life’s short—enjoy your java.

Rule #3: Sugar is sugar is sugar . . .

Agave nectar, honey, beet sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), whatever. At the end of the day, they’re all simple carbs, unregulated by fiber with minimal micronutrient value. Sure, you might prefer one over the other. I like honey because I’m a bit of a whole foods person and it does have a tiny bit of nutritional value, but I still know that if I eat too much, it’ll make me fat.

Rule #4: . . . and it’s hiding behind every corner.

And you thought Invasion of the Body Snatchers was creepy . . . Avoiding the obvious sweetened foods, like soda, cake, cookies and pies, is only half the battle. Manufacturers add HFCS (as well as other sugars) to a mind-boggling amount of foods because it adds flavor. If it’s in a bottle, box, or can, read the ingredients.

You’ll find sweeteners in everything from ketchup to peanut butter to bread to salad dressing. With a little effort, you can usually find versions of the same food with no added sugars or HFCS that are more nutritious and taste just as good.

Rule #5: No, the sugar in fruit isn’t bad for you.

When the low-carb “revolution” hit in the early aughts, fruit was demonized for its sugar content. This is, in a word, ridiculous. Yes, fruit is loaded with sugar, but it’s also usually loaded with fiber, which slows sugar absorption, making it an ideal way to get your simple carbs without straining your little insulin buddies. Fruit is also loaded with easy-to-absorb vitamins and minerals. Most fruit is also filled with water, yet another benefit.

Even relatively low-fiber fruits like bananas offer far too many benefits to be denied. Bananas, in particular, are rich in electrolytes, which are crucial to sports performance. As I always say, I defy you to introduce me to an overweight person whose biggest indulgence is fruit.

You can think of the ingredients in Shakeology® the same way. Sure, there’s a little sugar in there, but the protein and fiber slow absorption and the massive amount of nutrients makes it all worthwhile.

Rule #6: Occasionally, a hit of straight sugar is a good thing.

You’re sitting around watching television. You haven’t done much today. Your glycogen stores are up, and because you’ve eaten normally, your blood sugar level is balanced. Time for some P90X Results and Recovery Formula®? Probably not.

Conversely, you just blasted a killer workout. You’ve blown through your blood sugar and your glycogen, leaving you shaky and tired. Getting some sugar in there now to help you recharge fast wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Furthermore, since it’ll rush in so fast, it’s a great opportunity to add some protein and micronutrients to that sugar blast, because they’ll rush into where they’re needed just as quickly.

If you genuinely gave the workout your all and you’re truly wiped out, you won’t even come close to storing that sugar as fat.

So there you go. Not so tough, huh? With a little forethought and self-control, keeping an eye on your carbs can be, ahem, a piece of cake.

So as you can see, sugar, when used appropriately and not abused, can be a good thing. So the next time you read a label and see a certain amount of sugar contained in it sit back, and think, “what am I using this for? Is there a specific purpose like helping me recover from a workout?”

If you follow these simple rules for eating sugar you will have continued success with your fitness and nutrition goals.

This is one of the reasons that I have been able to stick with P90X and Beachbody programs. They take all of the guesswork out of it for you. The Recovery Drink is exactly what you need. Shakeology – same thing. I can just push play, take the supplements the tell me to, now EAT what they tell me to and Bring It! Gotta love it.

Here’s why P90X performance products are great for any fitness program from P90X to Turbo Jam to running, walking, or weight training.

• P90X Peak Health Formula (PHF) contains active ingredients that are in ActiVit, plus a variety of other ingredients chosen specifically to support performance. For example, it contains CoQ10 for energy and cardiovascular support, and “tocotrienols” (members of the vitamin E family), which play multiple important roles in supporting overall health. If you are serious about really stepping up your fitness and overall health, this is a serious product that will help meet your needs.
• P90X Results and Recovery Formula is sort of a two-in-one drink that’s one of my favorite products in our entire line. This recovery drink is effective for any exercise program because it contains ingredients that help with muscle repair, whether you’re stretching muscles with yoga or pushing them hard with extreme fitness workouts. It’s important to recover completely from rigorous exercise so you can put as much into, and reap better rewards from, all the workouts that follow. You can also drink it as a delicious energy drink to usewhile you are exercising. Maintaining peak energy while working out ensures you’ll be able to give maximum effort and get maximum results. You need energy, in the form of carbohydrates, for this to happen and a serving of P90X Results and Recovery Formula provides 43 grams of healthy carbohydrates to fuel your workout. Note: When you don’t want to take in as many calories during a workout, just mix it half-strength. You still get a great energy boost but with fewer calories.
• P90X Peak Performance Protein Bars are an excellent snack or occasional meal replacement because they provide 18 grams of highly bioavailable (easily digestible) protein per bar. They satisfy hunger and taste great so they’re perfect for workouts like hiking. I keep these bars handy wherever I go.

Just like all the other Beachbody Nutritionals products, our P90X line is a great part of any fitness routine because it helps you keep up with your workouts so you will see—and feel—better results.

You can order your fitness supplements by visiting our online store here.

There are some healthy foods in lower tiers, but they’re either calorie dense or nutrient deficient. To lose weight, you want to maximize nutrients in every calorie you consume.

Note on frying: Foods should be eaten raw, steamed, grilled, poached, baked, or broiled. Frying automatically drops even the best foods into tier 5.

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Proper nutrition combined with choosing the right program for you will deliver the bet results in the shortest amount of time.