Comments on: Women: Not Losing Weight on P90X?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:42:56 +0000

GREAT information!!! I hope you can help me. I am 5’4″ and currently 139 pounds and am 37 years old. My body fat last time it was checked back in March was 40 percent which I was shocked by. My goals are to get down to between 125 and 130 range but I’m having great difficulty getting there. I joined Weight Watchers back in March and have lost 7 pounds so far but the scale has pretty much stayed the same for 2 months. I do 45 minutes of cardio which is usually exercise bike, elliptical, and some stair climbing. I can’t run due to my TMJ problem. I’m currently not doing any strength training. Should I change my diet, add in weights, do more cardio? I’m so confused and want to get this weight off so that I can then start to strength train and tone my body. Thanks so much for your help in advance.

By: FitLifeSFRob

FitLifeSFRob — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:24:43 +0000

Stay at 1500 calories, track it for a few weeks. If she is losing weight, then stay there and continue the program. If not, then dial it back 100 Calories and keep tracking.

-Rob

By: Markos

Markos — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:38:47 +0000

Thanks for all the info…So, if my wife is at 1500 calories a day and doing the Lean P90 X scheudule, should she eat back the calories burned to stay at 1500 calories, to have weight lose?

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By: NewAtThis

NewAtThis — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:19:05 +0000

I wanted check in… I am nearing the end of my 5th week of p90x and I am really enjoying it! I sweat like crazy, my heart rate gets way up, and I feel great after I do it…

However (and I know you told me I don’t need to lose any weight), I am slightly disappointed that I haven’t lost even an ounce. I just feel like I have this layer of fat that is sticking around. Am I expecting too much too soon? I can tell my muscles are building up for sure… but they’re under a layer (through my mid-section mostly). Again, I feel good… I just HOPE to see the muscle definition on the outside!

Here’s the thing… I am SO hungry during the day and I am eating! But, it’s not always healthy and I find myself snacking because my stomach is growling. I have ALWAYS been an eater. I love food (not so healthy food always). I just don’t want my p90x experience to be pointless because I can’t seem to cut the calories and get that layer off. I’m tall and thin but mushy… Thanks for passing that down mom.

Ok, please tell me I’m expecting too much too soon! My husband says I need to be patient.

Thanks for everything! I LOVE this blog, thank you for doing it and being so attentive.

By: Shana

Shana — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 07:24:33 +0000

Sorry I was using my new Smartphone and my last message was sent before I was finished (not so smart)! I was saying that I joined Weight Watchers 2 weeks ago and will start Power 90 tomorrow after UPS delivers it. Is shooting for a 4-5 pound weight loss per week unreasonable? I am 5’5 and weigh 209. I had my body analyzed at the gym and was told that my target weight is 167 lbs. I currently have 136 lbs of lean muscle. I know that 1-2 lbs per week is ideal, but since I’m very overweight I thought I might lose more in the beginning. Am I reaching too far? Thanks for your help!

By: Ami

Ami — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:25:19 +0000

Hello, I am on week 2 of P90X and have made a few adjustments after research/reading but was considering a few additional changes and was hoping to get your opinion. I am 145lbs and 5’7. I started the program at 1800 calories but bumped that down to 1500 while trying to maintain the 50% protein, 30% carbs, and 20% fat ratio on a modified version of the P90X meal plan. I’m finding this a bit difficult because 112g of carbs goes really quick if you have a fruit or grain. I keep track of all calories, protein, carbs and fat for the day and will undoubtedly have a nice chunk of calories and protein unmet even though I’m using protein powder and bar supplements. So, I am wondering if changing my ratios to 40/40/20 would be more ideal?

I’m also considering the nutrition ratio change because I too love running. I haven’t had the desire to run marathons yet:) but I consistently ran about 4-5miles 5xs a week prior to P90X. Needless to say, I miss running…and I feel like I should be running not only because it is my “therapy” but because I feel like my hips and inner thighs need that high level cardio. Those are my trouble spots and so I naturally worry that P90X will not improve those areas and may actually make them worse if I don’t do some running/biking in addition to the program. I was a gymnast growing up and have never lost that “gymnast looking” body with muscles that respond quickly to strength training.

That being said, would you recommend the increased carbs and added running? And if so, how much? Ideally, I would like to lose about 10lbs which would put me around 135lbs which I believe would leave me lean enough to show toned/defined muscles. I appreciate any feedback you can offer~

P.S. And thanks for your knowledge and willingness to share;)

By: Smurf

Smurf — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Hi RDub-

In a nutshell, you’ll want to be sure that you are lifting nice and heavy (8-10 reps max) and eating a few hundred calories more than would have you at calorie balance, plus make sure you are getting at least .7-.9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Which, of course, is where it gets tricky.

I am not going to be the best at guiding you towards quality sources of protein to hit that large of a number on a vegan diet. I tried it myself for a month and failed miserably.

I’d suggest looking around the web, I know there are a few sites dedicated to vegan bodybuilders. You might feel a little bit out of your depth, but that would be the best place to start. Also, you might want to search on http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ (especially in the forums) to find others who have had success putting on muscle on a vegan diet.

Best of luck, and please do let me know what resources you uncover so that I can keep them in my arsenal if I get asked again.

By: RDub

RDub — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:37:15 +0000

Hi,
I am 5’6 weighing 125. I will be starting the p90x in June and I am looking to add a few pounds. Yes I know that this is uncommon for a woman to want. I have no problem eating, I just don’t gain any weight doing so. I am a vegetarian transitioning to the vegan lifestyle. Any ideas or suggestions for weight gain would be great.

By: Smurf

Smurf — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:25:16 +0000

Mary- Thanks for the kind words! I would suggest following the Weight Watchers plan that was working for you vs trying to change to something new for P90X. Weight Watchers is by far a sounder program for loss than the P90X eating program (too many variables.) I’m not surprised that you aren’t losing if some days are in the 1900 range– I assume Weight Watchers had you closer to that “magic number” 1500, give or take based on activity points? Also, when working out your activity points, it’s important to have a handle on how much you are actually burning each workout. For me, tracked when I was about 140lbs (5’6″ and 35ish y/o at the time), I was burning in the mid 200′s for the weight workouts, sometimes touching 300 if I really kept things moving the whole time. And in the low-to-mid 300′s for Plyo. Kenpo for me was in the low 200′s, so nowhere near the 700+ calories per workout that is claimed in the literature. I bet this is a simple case of overestimating on the burn side and overcompensating on the food side. If you get on the Weight Watchers program, I think you’ll love your results.