Hey all,

I am in the process of getting everything ready to start p90x next week. I really dont wan't to give up on it so I am making sure I have everything ready to go. I read the nutrition guide and I am trying to look at it as a lifestyle change rather than a "diet." My biggest fault with any exercise program has been the diet. To put it lightly I have a sweet tooth! Ice cream is my favorite thing ever. That is one thing I think I am going to have the hardest time giving up or severely cutting back. So any help/encouragement anyone can give me throughout my 90 days would be awesome

I have a few questions about the diet. After doing all the math I was in level 2 but only by like 40 calories so I thought I would start in level 1 to see optimum results my first time with p90x. Does anyone agree or disagree with this? Is that going to make it more difficult to stay on track? Another question I have is, does everyone use the p90x bars and supplements? I wasn't planning on doing so. Therefore, do I just choose from the other snacks on the snack list throughout the day? Also, I rarely use condiments (maybe I just dont realize that I do yet, I dont know) but, if I dont have a condiment in my day can I replace it with another veggie or fruit, the equivalent of the 50 calories?

Also I love chicken!! So I plan on eating more chicken more frequently than the red meat but, I can see eating chicken during lunch and dinner every day getting old. I plan to switch with turkey as well but I dont know many recipes to add flavor without turning the meal into an unhealthy one. Lets just say my family isn't known for the healthiest meals.

I've always been overly active and I think that is what has kept me in shape, now with older age... and a full time job, I am learning my diet needs to change if I want to keep in shape and not get the spare tire I am starting to see!

Any help from you guys would be great. Also if there are any junk food junkies that have made the change and would like to share their story I would love to hear how you were able to do it!! Thanks so much guys, reading posts on here and getting feedback from everyone has really been helpful and I know will continue to help me throughout my lifestyle change!

Good lord, ice cream is my one weakness too! I probably should have, but have NOT cut it out of my life completely. I'm just a little smarter about it... I buy the sugar free or 1/2 fat stuff, and just don't overload on it. I honest to god believe in the 'everything in moderation' approach. One little scoop of ice cream is NOT going to make me or break me... I hope... lol

You should really consider switching to frozen yogurt. It is still pretty delicious, and it is usually fat free, and you can load fruit on it and make it pretty delicious.

I am a junk food addict as well, but for p90x I have stopped cold turkey. I am following the nutrition guide and eating exactly what I am supposed to. I have been reading these forums for weeks and many people, especially the successful ones, say that your nutrition is actually the most important part.

Think about it, you sweat your ass off and are sore for days from an hour long workout. ONE BOWL, (maybe two servings, because we all know that NO ONE eats only one serving, which is a 1/2 cup) of ice cream) you are talking about 300+ calories. That is half your workout ruined.

If you can stop eating ice cream for just the 90 days, it will probably be much better for you.

Good luck!

Hey JennyB, congrats on taking the step forward!

Here is I topic I asked about. It has a few ideas for chicken: www.weightloss-hq.biz/weight-loss-forum/...chicken-recipes.html

Also, I used http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/. I needed to lose some fat first, so I started the portions diet, but talking with PaulyP, he suggested I try 50/30/20, protein, fat, carbs. I calculated out, that I should be eating over 3000 calories a day! However, using the above stated info, I have been eating 1650-1703 a day. I have been feeling good. Today I started to get hungry about 30 before my meals, but other than that...

I have been eating mostly chicken for my protein. I will use tuna or fish every once in a while. Chicken has about 27 grams of protein per 4 oz (113 grams) of chicken. Seafood is higher. I also use 100% whey protein powder from GNC to fill in those few spots of protein. I eat 2 types of fruit, 4 dairy, usually low fat cottage cheese and tons of veggies. (hope you like veggies )

Here is some great reading from PaulyP www.weightloss-hq.biz/weight-loss-forum/...-final-pictures.html. Read EVERY post. I did not at first. There is a TON of info in there.

Hope this helps.

If you have a sweet tooth for ice cream, you should try stuff made by Skinny Cow. They are low calorie (~100-120) and have practically no fat. My girlfriend loves to eat them and I usually have one whenever I'm over at her place.

I have no idea what kind of crap they put in there to make it taste great by not have much fat, but hey, I'm not complaining.

Hi Jenny and welcome to the boards! You already made your first lifestyle change by coming here, getting info and getting set to start your journey w/P90x. CONGRATS!

I can relate w/ the sweet tooth thing. But after about 3 days to a week off of it, I really did not miss it. I do have one suggestion I still use when I need my sweets.....I buy greek yogurt ( lots of protein in it) add one Tablespoon of honey and chow down. You can also sprinkle it w/ granola if ya need a crunch.

Or...try protein bars...many to choose from. I just bought some Pure Protein bars and love them!
Don't overdo though, calories add up. What helped me the most was logging EVERYTHING I eat/drink to make sure I did stay in calorie limit I wanted. I still do this.

I cant see where going to level one would be a problem, if you start to bonk during exercise, add more calories. This is only my opinion. I dont know your height/weight..etc...just going by what you said.

The diet to this is SO IMPORTANT. You can do it! It is SO worth it and you will find the 'sweet tooth' goes away! Good luck and keep us posted! Way to go girlfriend! Hugs~Kate