7th round of P90x

I thought I would post my current diet for my 7th round of P90x. After bulking up and adding muscle mass over the winter I'm now in a cutting mode. There is no better way to cut body fat percentage down than a good ol' round of P90x.

I started this round on August 8, 2011 at a starting weight of 200 lbs. My goal is to preserve as much muscle mass as I can and just simply alter body composition by replacing fat with muscle. I'm currently in my 6th week and have already dropped 6 lbs with my diet. Halfway thru this round and the early returns are that this is going to be my best results yet.

In order to preserve as muscle as possible I need to maintain a diet of approximately 3,000 calories per day. I know it sounds like a lot of calories for a 195 lb male. However, you can't be afraid to eat and still lose weight. If you properly fuel your body with the right foods and ratios you'll actually lose weight faster than restricting your consumption.

Current Diet

My diet below is based upon Phase 2, Level 3 P90x nutrition which is 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat. I've been maintaining these ratios throughout the round and will continue to do so. My diet is virtually dead on to these ratios. Listed below is my average daily diet of approximately 3,000 calories:

Pre-workout - banana

Post-workout - P90x Results and Recovery Formula

Breakfast - 6 egg whites, 1 organic whole egg, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1/2 cup oatmeal

Snack #1 - 2 scoops Optimum Nutrition protein shake (I typically consume this shake over the course of a couple of hours)

Snack #2 - handful serving of baby carrots

Lunch - tuna salad (low-fat recipe I use to make my own) on 2 slices whole wheat bread, 1 avocado

Snack #3 - 1 scoop Shakeology - I blend it with 1 scoop protein powder, handful of baby spinach, 1 scoop natural peanut butter, 8 oz water

Snack #4 - Clif Builder bar

Supper - typically grilled chicken with a salad or vegetables

Snack #5 - right before bed I consume 1 scoop casein protein (slow releasing protein that helps repair muscle tissue while you sleep)

Diet Summary

I'm experimenting with virtually cutting out dairy with this diet. It's too early to tell yet if it'll have a substantial difference but I'm intrigued enough that I'm trying it. This diet schedule has me eating every couple of hours throughout the day from 4:15 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Spacing meals throughout the day like this keeps my body's metabolism constantly moving, keeps my body properly fueled and prevents it from burning up muscle tissue, and reduces the opportunity for severe hunger to result in overindulgence at meal time.