It's Easier Than You Think But Don't Drive Yourself Nuts

Even for someone like me that didn't have a lot of weight to lose, it was amazing to me how big a part nutrition does play in getting fit. I truly realize now how hard it actually is to get great results if you're not eating clean. I took the first round of P90X and really did not take the nutrition part of the program seriously. I had convinced myself that I was not going to be one of those fanatical people "counting calories" but after my first round, I got pretty descent results. It was then, I realized that I could really take this to the next level.

Finding out about http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ made a HUGE difference because that made it so much easier. (check out the video tutorial on how to set this up) Even though I am more focused on what I eat, I'm not driving myself nuts with every little detail. That's why it was refreshing to find this answer that Tony posted to a question he got about a certain diet percentage. Now to be fair, I'm pretty sure Tony has a personal chef now and so he never has to worry about counting calories but I'm pretty sure the years before he made it huge, he probably ate this way.

So my point is, you can get serious about the nutrition without going over board. You don't want to replace the stress you are relieving by working out with a the stress of getting the diet "perfect".

2. What do you think of the 40/30/30 nutrition program? Submitted by "RustyEMT"

Tony's Answer:

Rusty,
I'm not a nutritionist so I can only give you a laymen's interpretation for why the 40/30/30 eating program works for some people. I've never been one to closely count calories or monitor portions of my food. I'm very old school that way. I find that focus on these kinds of numbers unnecessarily complicates life and can lead to too much time spent on things that make my eating experiences less enjoyable. I'm not saying that the 40/30/30 eating plan is a waist of time by any means. Some people like breaking things down in categories that way. They also enjoy measuring every inch of their body and jumping on the scale 5 times a day. That's just not me.
I was reading this month's Nutrition Action Healthletter and the title article is called, "How To Get A Gut." This brilliantly simple article explained how we make ourselves fat. There are 8 things many of us do every day that lead to poor health and weight gain. There was very little mention of calories or percentages or popular diet philosophies. It talked about changing to a healthy lifestyle. More healthy foods, less junk/empty calorie food, and adding physical activity. Period. Lack of physical movement was first on the list. A combination of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training. Funny, I've heard that somewhere before.

The second thing on the list was EAT LESS! Duh! You can't eat like you did when you were young, unless you are fit and strong. Thirdly, stop eating crap. Cookies, cakes, pies, doughnuts, croissants are crap. Don't eat it. Number 4 is calories from beverages. Frappuccinos, soda pop (even diet soda) do not satiate. Healthy, high-fiber food that absorbs water makes you less hungry later. Beverages that contain empty calories trick you into eating more. Yikes! Number 5 is eating out. You have no idea how a chef in a restaurant prepares your food. Butter, oil, salt, etc... The unhealthy choices at the local deli are far worse then the stuff you make at home. Find healthy dinning establishments or stick to the veggies when eating in unfamiliar territory.
Six is Trans Fat. Thank the Lord that Trans Fat is be banned in some big cities around the country. The problem is that it's still buried in pastries, pie crusts, biscuits and frozen pizza. Studies have shown that even diets low in calories but high in trans fat cause excess weight gain. Turns out that this nasty stuff interrupts normal fat storage and the body's ability to burn fat. Seven on the list is not so much about lack of restraint or willpower but something called "disinhibited" eating. If it's there or offered you eat it. You subconsciously or consciously for that matter surround yourself with bad food. You bring it home from the grocery store, eat it at parties when you show up hungry and continue to eat at restaurants that don't have any healthy alternatives. Number eight is lack of sleep. The fact is that when you sleep less you want to eat more. Turns out that sweets and simple carbs in particular are what people with less than 6 hours a night crave the most.

You ask about 40/30/30 and you get this. Now you understand what works for me and thousands of other people in this community who just followed these common sense rules. I honestly believe that it's as simple as a constant mix of different kinds of exercise combined with healthy food choices. This is what makes for a happy productive life. Isn't that the most important thing anyway?