Hi Everyone,
Today we’ll look a bit at nutrient timing. The Chalene Extreme diet guide came without any macro-nutrient guidance and this, apparently, isn’t sitting well with a lot of those who got used to the X diet plan. While macro-nutrient ratio (carbs, fats, and proteins) is important, it’s just one piece of the diet equation. The CE diet harkens back to the Michi’s Ladder phase of Beachbody—which is still very much in existence—that informs us that making smart food choices is probably the most important step in improving your diet. Understanding and adjusting your macro-nutrient profile is helpful, sure, but you diet probably shouldn’t revolve around it any more than just making healthy choices. Diet is many things. And not only that, dietary needs change over time, all depending upon what you’re doing. So let’s have a look at why.
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Dear Mr. Edwards,
Does the recovery drink have glutamine, leucine, and antioxidants? What is the ratio of carbohydrates to protein? What are the amino acids in the recovery drink?
Also, have you read the book Nutrient Timing by John Ivy, PhD. and Robert Portman, PhD? It explains the timing of nutrients before workout (energy system), during workout (anabolic system) and after workout (growth System). This is a very important book for people who want maximum results.
Thank you for your time.
Best regards,
Anthony Pastizzo
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We’ll start by answering a smaller picture question, one about recovery. The answer to the main question above is 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein. This, along with all of the amino acids, is easily researched by going to the sell page:
http://www.beachbody.com/produ...a.do?code=DD_P90XPRFIt’s interesting you bring up pre, during, and post timing only as these three stages are quite similar, assuming you mean pre-workout as “close to”. These are times when sugar can have a positive effect on your diet because you want to assimilate nutrients as quickly as possible, which is different at all other times. Here are a couple of articles on nutrient timing and Recovery Formula.
http://steve-edwards.blogspot....ecovery-formula.htmlhttp://www.beachbody.com/product/newsletters/262.do===================================================
Hello, I recently purchased the P90X system and am on my 4th day into it. I'm 47 years old, in good running shape, 6'1" and weigh 177. My goal is to get rid of the extra fat, mostly it is around my belly area and get down to 170 lbs.
I'm trying to get used to the nutrition plan and have a couple of questions.
First, do you find that the portion plan is any more or less effective than the meal plan?
Second, do you think my results will be as good if I simply follow a calorie ratio plan of 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat (what I think is basically what you have)? Note that I will eat lean protein, complex carbs and good fat.
Does anybody alternate days between the portion and meal plan approach?
If I choose the meal plan and don't eat all the items (I may not have time to prepare the sauces etc.) is this ok?
Thanks for your help.
Howard
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The 90X plan is in phases, so you begin with fewer carbs and move towards more carbs. There is no set timing for these phases. They are laid out a month for each but you’re encouraged to change them as necessary. When you’re tying to lose weight it often makes sense to reduce your carbohydrate intake until your performance begins to suffer, and then slowly add them back in. This is, essentially, what the X plan does. Your suggested ratios are what we advise in the third and final phase.
I don’t think the portion plan is any more effective than the other. They are just two ways to achieve the same result. You can mix and match any way you like, and that includes the actual meals.
Here is something I wrote today that should help make this clear. It’s a very simple explanation of how even a high end athletic diet can change based on what you’re doing.
http://steve-edwards.blogspot....diet-switcharoo.html===================================================
We started p90x today and have a question about the portion plan. Although it is well laid out, we were a little confused because there are some foods that fall into multiple categories. For example, some dairy products also fall into the protein as well as carb category, and the snacks listed fall into fruit, carbs, protein, dairy. Do any of these portions/servings cancel each other out? What about complex carbs, it doesn't seem like we are getting enough of those. Thanks for your prompt response.
Best regards,
Kathleen Heiston
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Most foods fall into multiple categories. This is another reason not to get too wrapped up in your macro-nutrient ratios. There are diet books out there that say only eat this and never eat that or never eat carbs and protein or fat at the same time and all sorts of things. But when you look at foods the way they come in nature, they are almost always combined. In fact, veggies—the one thing most people agree on as super foods—tend to always have a mixed ratio of macro-nutrients.
The simplest—so I’ll say best—advice I can give here is to eat by feel. If you make healthy choices to begin with, them gauge how you are feeling, chances are you’ll get your macro-nutrients pretty close to where they should be. For example, if you eat too many carbs you’ll probably feel lethargic and perhaps bloated. Too much fat will have you feeling sluggish and, well, fat. And too much protein tends to make your breath taste toxic and your energy level to dwindle.
The X diet is pretty good in showing this lesson and it’s a trick I’ve used with clients forever. First, start making good food choices (like Michi’s Ladder). Then reduce your carbs til you run low on energy. Then add them back in. Doing this will help you feel how carbs are supposed to affect your body. And once you do you’ll have a handle on the whole macro-nutrient concept.
That’s it for today. I guess a few newsletters haven’t been sent out, so I’ll make sure and get those out to you. There’s one on vegetarianism, one on breakfast, and maybe another I can’t remember.
Until next time, don’t just train hard, train smart!
Steve
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Archives:
http://forums.milliondollarbod...s/a/frm/f/8082987037The Straight Dope:
http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com/ 
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