We begin Week 4 tomorrow, which marks the final week of Phase 1, Fat Shredder. Fat Shredder only allows one serving of a traditional carbohydrate per day (ie bread or pasta), and therefore we are fairly limited on what we can eat. We eat eggs for breakfast every day and we eat a salad with plenty of meat for lunch. We always reserve our carbohydrate for dinner since we usually workout in the morning and it’s easier to eat a salad for lunch than it is for dinner. I am going to share some of my favorite P90X Phase 1 recipes with you in this post.
As mentioned in a previous post, we buy most of our meat at Costco and the majority of our vegetables and sauces at Trader Joes, so some of these recipes have ingredients from those stores. All recipes were made with 18 ounces of meat, 6 ounces for me (Level) and 12 ounces for Mike (Level 3). I don’t measure vegetables so measurements aren’t exact! Go with what you prefer.
If you’ve already done P90X and P90X2, you’re still going to be challenged by X3. But if you’re starting from scratch, I think it’s the best place to begin.” – Tony Horton. “Shorter workouts are a trend in exercise science right now and P90X3 takes that research to a different level. P90X3 is a 90-day program just like all the original P90X workouts. In 90 days, you will get in the best shape of your life. You will exercise 6 days a week, and have one day off. For most people, this means working out Monday through Saturday, with Sunday's off.
Rosemary Pork Tenderloin and Savory Sweet Potato “Fries”with Asparagus
Pork:
- 18 ounce pork tenderloin
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Mix garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper together and coat tenderloin well with the mixture. Bake covered in foil at 350 degrees until the center temperature reaches 160 degrees (buy a meat thermometer – they are only about $4).
Sweet Potatoes
Level 3 Restrictions Ireland
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil (1 tbsp per person)
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
Puncture a sweet potatoes a couple times with a knife and microwave for about five –eight minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft but not fully cooked. Let cool (while pork cooks) and then slice into french-fry like portions. Mix olive oil and taco seasoning together well. Put sweet potato slices into a gallon-size zip lock bag and pour the taco seasoning mix over it. Shake until all fries are coated. Place fries onto a foil-covered baking sheet.
Once the pork has reached 160, remove it and leave covered. Turn oven to 425 degrees and put fries in. At this point, start the asparagus (either use a steamer or place them in shallow water in a frying pan and boil).
Remove fries from oven when they appear to be getting crispy (about fifteen minutes). Slice pork and serve!
Portions: 1 Carb, 2 Protein (Level 1) or 4 Protein (Level 3), 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat.
(Approximately 570 calories for Level 1, 770 for Level 3)
Yellow Chicken Curry with Brown Rice
- 18 ounces chicken
- 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Frozen stir-fry veggies
- 2 cloves garlic (optional)
- Yellow curry powder (optional)
- Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce
- Garlic Salt
Cook brown rice according to directions on the bag (or use Trader Joe’s pre-cooked organic brown rice).
Cut chicken into tender size slices and place in a skillet with the chicken broth. Sprinkle garlic salt and yellow curry powder over the chicken and cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
In a separate skillet, sauté the stir-fry veggies with the garlic. The water should produce enough moisture so that you don’t have to use olive oil, but if necessary, use a small amount of olive oil (1/2 tsp).
After everything is cooked, mix veggies and chicken and add 4 tbsp of Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce and serve over 1 cup of rice.
Servings: 1 Carb, 2 Protein (6 oz, Level 1) or 4 Protein (12 oz, Level 3), 1 Condiment, 1 Vegetable
(Approximately 500 calories for Level 1, 700 for Level 3)
Salmon & Mediterranean Couscous with Asparagus
- Three 6-ounce packages of Morey’s Marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon (or 18 ounces of salmon with lemon, salt, pepper)
- 1 cup dry whole-wheat couscous
- 2 ounces feta cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (or roasted red peppers)
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
- Asparagus
Bake salmon at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until salmon is fully cooked through the center. With about 15 minutes to go, begin steaming asparagus. Then, mix feta, chopped cucumber, bell pepper, onion and seasonings (season to your liking) together. In a large sauce pan, bring 1 cup water and 1 tbsp olive oil to a boil. Remove from heat and pour 1 cup dry couscous into the sauce pan. Stir well and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add veggie and cheese mixture and fluff. Measure 1 cup couscous mixture and serve with salmon and asparagus.
Servings: 1 Carb, 2 Protein (Level 1) or 4 Protein (Level 2), 1.5 Vegetable, 1 dairy, 1 fat (1/2 from oil, half from marinade on Morey’s salmon. Reduce fat and about 120 calories by using fresh salmon flavored with lemon and don’t use olive oil in the couscous).
(Approximately 700 calories for Level 1, 900 for Level 3)
Chicken Fajita Burritos
- 18 ounces chicken, cut into small chunks
- ¼ packet fajita seasoning mix
- ½ bell pepper (I like red)
- 2 cloves garlic
- Mushrooms
- Several slices of white onion (you decide how much)
- 2 whole-wheat tortillas (we like Mission whole-wheat wraps)
- Guacamole: 1 avocado, ½ medium tomato, chopped red onion, a few shakes of Lawry’s salt.
- Salsa
Sprinkle chicken with salt and some fajita mix and cook in a skillet. In a separate skillet, sauté garlic, bell peppers, onion and mushrooms (use a small amount of olive oil if necessary). Meanwhile, prepare guacamole (mix all ingredients above). When vegetables are fully cooked, mix a small amount of fajita mix with ¼ cup water and pour on vegetables. Increase heat and boil off the water. Heat tortillas on a clean skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds per side. Add ingredients on top the tortilla (for Level 3 you may need to have some of that chicken on the side since it probably won’t fit into one tortilla), attempt to form into a burrito, and enjoy!
Portions: 1 Carbohydrate, 2 Protein (Level 1) or 4 Protein (Level 3), 1 Fat, 1 Vegetable
(Approximately 550 calories for Level 1, 750 calories for Level 3)
Obviously all of these recipes can be modified to meet your caloric and portion-size needs as well as personal taste preferences (I like garlic and onion- not everyone does!). For example, I don’t always use the feta in the couscous because I typically get my two dairy servings earlier in the day. I also have to make sure to save my fat serving for days that we have the salmon or sweet potato fries.
Bon Appetite!
Related
Although most will try and attain the perfect body through hours at the gym, the best way to guarantee your best body is by putting in work in the kitchen. Diet and exercise will both contribute to a healthier, leaner, stronger you but, in the end, the most important aspect of achieving any type of fitness or weight loss goals is your diet. Your diet can be accredited to helping you achieve your results by 75 to 80%. The remaining 20 to 25% can be attributed to the fitness regimen you choose. When it comes to selecting a fitness program to help you reach your fitness goals, it is important to choose one that includes a balanced nutritional plan that will fuel you adequately enough to endure tough workouts while including clean, whole foods to help you meet your weight loss goals. One plan that has accomplished this is the P90X workout plan. It features a top notch nutrition plan that works in combination with its workouts to improve overall fitness, physical appearance and athletic performance.
The P90X Nutrition Plan
The P90X Nutrition Plan is a three phase plan designed to provide you the right amount of calories, nutrients and fuel to help you endure the tough plan workouts while building lean muscle and burning stored fat. One of the unique features of the P90X nutrition plan is that it allows each individual user to customize the plan according to his or her specific needs and goals. P90X, along with Beachbody and most of its other workout programs, recognize that not everyone is built the same and one size does not fit all.
The P90X Nutrition Plan includes three phases. The first phase is the P90X Fat Shredder. The second is the P90X Energy Booster. The third and final phase is referred to as the P90X Endurance Maximizer. During each of the three phases, you will be expected to consume five meals per day. These meals will consist of breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner.
When you begin the P90X workout program, you will be in Phase 1. The amount of time you remain in each phase is generally up to you. Although it is recommended that you make it through all three phases prior to completing the 90 day program, the time you take with each one depends on your daily caloric needs, energy level and previous eating habits. If the first phase seems too strict and you find yourself having difficulty making it through your workouts, you can move onto the second phase as soon as you choose. This may or may not affect the amount of weight you lose on the program but, regardless, the important thing to remember is fueling your body to complete the 90 day process. This is where the P90X Nutrition Plan allows for the diet to be customized according to your needs and desired end results.
P90x Level 3 Meal Plan
Phase 1: Fat Shredder
The Fat Shredder phase was designed to do exactly as the name states. It is designed to help shred the extra fat layer off your body through a diet comprised mostly of protein, minimizing carbohydrate and fat intake. This phase of the P90X Nutrition Plan is very similar to the South Beach low carb diet in that it drastically restricts carb intake. The carbs included in this phase tend to be low glycemic carbs that have minimal effect on blood sugar. The approximate caloric breakdown during this phase is 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 20% fats. Most of your meals in this phase will consist of vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. If you do not have experience with these types of diets, this phase may take a bit of getting used to. In the beginning, you may feel fatigued and experience headaches, bad breath and mood swings. This is just the body getting accustomed to a new way of eating. After a few days, these feelings will pass. The purpose of eating this way is to produce quick weight loss. Limiting carbohydrates will reduce bloat, decrease water retention and burn fat stores. All of these effects will help reveal a leaner, more shredded version of you. The body burns fat stores because its usual source of fuel, glucose obtained from carbohydrates in your diet, are no longer available. The longer you remain in this phase, the more weight you will lose.
Phase 2: Energy Booster
The second phase of the P90X Nutrition Plan will help give you more energy to continue taking on the P90X challenge. This phase increases carbohydrate intake and maintains amounts of fat consumed. During this phase, your caloric breakdown will be 40% protein, 40%carbohydrates and 20% fats. This may slow down weight loss, but it will also help build lean muscle and provide extra energy for enhanced performance
Level 3 Covid
Phase 3: Endurance Maximizer
P90x Levels
The final phase is referred to as the Endurance Maximizer and is considered a phase that can be continued beyond the 90 days spent completing the P90X program. Carbohydrate intake is increased once again during this phase and fat consumption will remain the same. The caloric breakdown during this phase will be 20% protein, 60% carbohydrates and 2-% fat. The Endurance Maximizer is an athletic type of diet which includes a well-balanced blend of complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats. This phase was designed to give you that extra push to finish the program strong and in the best shape of your life.
If, at any point during the 90 days on the nutrition plan, you feel fatigued, are not seeing positive results and/or do not seem to be adjusting well to the changes in nutrition, it is important to transition to a phase that will meet your dietary and energy needs. Some individuals can remain in Phase 1 for the first two months and culminate with phase 2 and 3 in the last month, while others will almost skip over phase 1 all together because of how restrictive it is. As previously mentioned, this plan was designed to be customized and it should be. Assess your dietary needs and your measurements on a regular basis to make sure you are progressing adequately through the program. Ideally, you should reassess on a bi-weekly basis and make changes accordingly.
P90X Nutrition Guide PDF
(Click here to download)
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