You’ve probably heard of the P90X Nutrition Plan and all the hype surrounding it. In a sense, it’s like the Everest of dieting. It became less of a thing people attempt to lose weight and more of a challenge that they want to see themselves successfully pull through. No matter how you look at it, the program is extreme. Heck, even the plan itself admits it’s extreme. Does ‘extreme’ also mean effective and effective? Let’s find out.
Introduction to the P90X Nutrition Plan
Before we get into anything else, let’s mention this: the P90X Nutrition Plan is supposed to be followed in parallel with the P90X Workout Program. And that in itself actually says a lot about the prowess of the diet already.
By itself, the nutrition plan really isn’t anything extraordinary in the sense that it doesn’t promote the consumption of miraculous cabbage soups or anything. It’s all basic dietary recommendations that involve getting rid of carbs, and sweets, and fats, and eating any foods that are traditionally weight loss material. However, there is a catch that makes it stand out: it’s not the substance, but the structure.
The diet plan is heavily restricted and it requires a keen eye for details. Everything you do requires focus and monitoring. Before you even get started, you have to calculate your recommended daily calorie intake while accounting for your activity level and overall health. Next, there are some key elements of this plan:
- Six meals every day and lots of water are a must.
- You need to eat once every 2-3 hours.
- You’ll basically need to gravitate around the list of foods which you are allowed to eat. There are two options: you follow the plan which offers meal recommendations or the plan which tells you how many portions of a certain food you can eat so you can arrange your meals yourself.
The P90X Structure
- Fat-Shredding Phase: Lasts four weeks and it promotes initial weight loss through low-calorie, no-carbs dieting.
- Energy Booster Phase: It lasts for as long as you want it to since the third phase is completely optional. Complex carbs make their way back on the menu for sustenance during the intense workout routines.
- Endurance Maximizer Phase: Around this time, you are building your muscle mass to tone up your body. To be able to cope with the intense workout, you will need to appeal to even more carbohydrates.
In other words, the nutrition plan exists as a supplement for the workout. And this brings us to the epic and very important conclusion…
Conclusion: Is the P90X Diet Safe?
Is it safe? Yes, of course. But aside from that, it’s tough to say anything else about the program. It feels almost pointless. The entire P90X program is 6-7 days/week of intense workouts sustained by healthy eating habits. This isn’t a diet that exists by itself, but as a needless complication.
Here’s our conclusion about the P90X Nutrition Plan: if you’re looking to shed off some pounds, try the traditional approaches first. Try the average 3-4 days/week of exercise with a balanced, common diet first. There’s no need to end up in a bad relationship with food because you control everything you eat.