I am starting week 4 today which is recovery week. Recovery week is all stretch and cardio workouts with no resistance routines. Unfortunately I was not mentally prepared to do a Yoga routine this morning. It really is surprising the mind set you need for a Yoga X routine.  Especially when you are looking forward to good chest and back workout. However, I did make it through and was happy with my progress.

As I continue to work on my flexibility, I do see myself reaching a tiny bit further each time. I am not wrapping my hand around my ankles in hamstring stretches or anything, but there is improvements. I also picked up a yoga book at the library today to do more research on the poses and additional stretching. The moon poses are still very difficult and I did not get a chance to buy a yoga block. Hopefully the block will help with deeper and more solid holds in different moves.

P90X Thus Far

So here I am, week 4 of P90X. I am proud of the hard work I have put in and the progress I have made. If I want to get the results that I want, I need to get more serious about the diet and push myself harder. Yesterday I picked up another round of supplements and got a container of Casine protein to assist with protein synthesis.

I have never been one to read nutritional information on anything. When my wife and I first started dating (10 years ago!), I thought it was funny how she would always read the info on the sides or backs of products. At the time, I figured I would always be fit, active and able to eat and drink  anything. Well fast forward to now and clearly that did not hold up. To achieve the best results with P90X, I am working hard not only during the exercise, but also at my diet.

P90x Foods

Since starting P90X I have become a hard core nutrition label reader! So much so that my wife is starting to get annoyed! The first round of the P90X diet is called “Fat Shredder”. The goal is to work hard, cut back on the bad stuff, and loose those extra pounds. Your target breakdown is 20% fat, 30% carbs, and 50% protein. So, here are some of the foods I am eating to hit those numbers:

1. Cheerios
2. Skim Milk
3. Bananas
4. Strawberries
5. Blueberries
6. Nature’s Own Whole Grain bread
7. Whey Protein
8. 100% fruit juice
9. Hard boiled eggs (egg whites only)
10. Peppers
11. Mushrooms
12. Carrots
13. Omelets
14. ISS Protein bars
15. Pure Protein bars
16. Beef Jerky
17. Salad
18. Low fat dressing
19. Albacore Tuna
20. Cottage Cheese (I really have to force myself to eat this)
21. Low fat String cheese
22. Cheese slices
23. Chocolate skim milk
24. Sprite Zero
25. Low sodium and low fat deli meats
26. Hormel Bacon bits
27. Low Fat shredded cheese
28. Chicken Breasts
29. Salmon
30. Tuna
31. Hummas
32. Soy Crisps
33. Target brand fruit snacks
34. Lots of Water!

Based on all my research, these foods are healthy, good for me, and will allow to meet my diet goals for P90X. Let me know what you think and please add suggestions.

I am always looking for quick, easy and healthy meals. This crock pot recipe fits all of my criteria. Chicken breast are a great source of protein. I have not had a chance to taste the meal yet because I just started the cooking this morning. However, a quick check at lunch today has me excited for dinner tonight.

Ingredients

1. 5 – 8 chicken breasts
2. Dry rub (optional)
3. carrots
4. 1/2 onion
5. celery
6. mushrooms
7. fat free, low sodium chicken stock

Directions

Take your chicken and roll it in dry rub or just add it to the crock pot. Cut up your other ingredients and add about 2 cups of chicken stock. You want to make sure you have enough to cover the chicken entirely. Let cook for 10 hours and serve.

Thanks to Kim at the WeighLoss HQ forum for this recipe. You can follow Kim’s P90X progress at WeightLossHQ.

I am not a cook, so I had no idea of the proper way to cook an egg. My assumption was just drop it in boiling water (don’t do this, because the egg will crack!). However, there is an art to boiling an egg:

1. Put your eggs in a pan and fill with water. You want just enough water to cover the eggs. Place the pan on the burner.
2. Turn the burner to high and wait for the water to boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes. I always let it go a little longer.
3. After 3 or 4 minutes of cooking remove from heat and let sit for 8 – 10 minutes.
4. After 8 -10 minutes, run under water for about a minute and then let soak in the pan for 30 minutes. After that place in the refriderator and you are ready to go!

I eat about 2 hard boiled eggs a day. Of course I remove the yolk and only eat the egg white. They make a great snack or go well on a salad. If you have not thought about adding these to your P90X diet, I strongly suggest it.

The P90X nutrition guide is a great place to start when trying to find a healthy diet for you.  I basically took their recommendations for the amount of protein needed, fruits, etc and modified it for my tastes.  The biggest thing I have learned is you need enough protein in your diet to support muscle and muscle tissue healing after workouts.  Also having both simple and complex carbs are crucial for muscle building.