maddy_avena Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Hi everyone. I'm 49 and recently started P90X. I'm in my 3rd week. The diet guide is really geared towards men and omnivores, but I'm a vegan woman. My normal diet has been about 1500-1600 calories; 185-225 grams carbs, 60-70 grams protein and 55-65 grams of fat. I'm 145 lbs and want to LOSE a little, not gain. (I've been maintaining a 50+ lb weight loss for some time now.) My objective is to look more ripped, not to bulk up. The only thing that's new for me is the P90X. Before this program I was doing power yoga, running and doing Core Fusion; a Pilates style strength training/toning program. My macro nutrition, as illustrated above has been just fine for me. In the P90X diet material, they are recommending 50% protein for the first month. If I hit 20%, I've maxed out on my calories and had to skimp some on carbs to get my protein to **20%** and they are recommending 50%. My concern is that I don't want to do my body harm while I'm engaging in this harder form of training that is including 3 workouts a week with weights and resistance bands. Are there any woman (or knowledgeable men on the subject of women's nutrition) who can support what I *am* doing or make suggestions of what a good range of macro nutrition is for me while doing this type of training? Thanks so much in advance. I'm sorry if I'm bringing up a subject that has been discussed ad nauseum. If there was a thread geared towards my needs, I didn't see one. Maddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinaKina Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 I am not an expert. Just coming at you as another woman. It sounds like you've been working out for awhile, at a fairly intense level, and have been doing fine with your macronutrients. If you aren't looking to bulk up, just want a little bit of definition, I wouldn't change anything. If you find yourself hungry all the time, or tired, then maybe add in some more calories, and then, try to do it in the form of protein. But in the past, when I've followed a specific diet guideline, moving away from something that has been working for me just fine, I end up much unhappier, and usually heavier too. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddy_avena Posted October 10, 2009 Author Share Posted October 10, 2009 Thank you, Gina. I'm three weeks in now and finding that I feel great and my body is toning very quickly. My energy levels are good and I'm feeling good in my skin. Sometimes a grrl just needs to hear what she already knows; listening to the constant body feedback usually leads me in the right direction. Maddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducati Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Hi Maddy, P90X is awesome. I have been doing it off and on for almost a year now. The two macro nutrients most people neglect are water and oxygen. Make sure you drink a lot of water, especially doing P90X. You will sweat a lot. Also, take some time out to meditate and focus on deep breathing. I like to do some breathing exercised before and after a workout. As far as protein, carbs, and fat go, if I stick with 80%+ carbs, and less than 10% each for fat and protein, I don't bulk at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcina Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 You aren't going to "bulk up" unless you eat more calories than you should.. In which case "bulking up" would mean gaining mostly fat. Gaining lean muscle mass will make you look more muscular and help you keep the fat off. It's a lot easier to maintain a lean physique when you have plenty of muscle on your body. 3 days a week for an intense workout should be fine. The only thing I would suggest about your diet is increasing protein. Try to get 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. It will help your muscles recover and grow, and keep you lean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellystef Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Hi! I'm no expert, but I think carbs are really important for energy when you're doing hard training. I think what's important from protein are the essential amino acids and you can get all you need from a variety of foods with out really trying. Calorie for calorie, raw greens have more protein than meat and are more usable by the body. Eating a lot of raw fruits and veggies has a lot of usable protein because the protein is raw and not damaged by heating and they've got a lot of carbs your body can use for energy. While you are doing the p90x program I would eat more calories than 1600. I would add lot's of fresh fruit and veggies to whatever you are eating now to get more calories, but that's just me. I've known of a lot of people that do the p90x program while eating a diet of raw fruits and veggies alone without supplementation that got a lot of results and had better recovery than the omnivorous people. They just ignored the omnivorous nutrition recommendations. If your current program is working for you then that's great. Do what feels best for you. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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