Last week we covered how to make the Atkins diet work while on a budget. This week, we are looking at P90X, which is tailored more towards building muscle and tone.

P90X: How to P90X on a budget 9.30pm

P90X (also known as Power 90 Extreme) is a 90-day diet, nutrition and exercise program that has steadily gained popularity over the last 10 years and has reportedly been used by over 2 million consumers. While it focuses mainly on exercise regimens and the idea of ‘muscle confusion’, (which consists of continually changing exercise methods and target areas), the nutrition factor is also an important aspect and is broken down into 3 stages. Stage 1 is high protein, low carbs, Stage 2 is an increase of carbohydrates and Stage 3 is the high carb “athletes” menu.

An enticing feature of P90X’s nutrition aspect is that users are able to progress through it at their own pace, which allows for somewhat more flexible menu budgeting. The following tips and tricks have been created to enable users to optimize their budget while continuing on P90X’s designated diet, exercise and nutrition plan.

One of the main expenses of P90X occurs as a result of their meal plans and recipes not reusing any ingredients, leading to new items being purchased every time. If your diet plan allows it, try switching to the Portion Approach, which allows for the creation of new recipes based on ingredients you already have on hand.

As with the Atkins diet, bulk buying can save you a lot of money, especially when you’re looking to increase your protein intake and can really make use of those giant bags of chicken or packs of mince. If your budget doesn’t allow for the higher initial expense of warehouse bulk buying, try buying with a friend or a group; you’ll find you are paying what you usually would at the supermarket for 10-20% more food.

During the “fat shredder” stage, users are required only to eat one fruit per day, so rather than purchasing many different fruits, purchase whatever fruit is on sale that week and work it into different recipes for the duration of the week. For example, strawberries can be incorporated into smoothies, salads, popsicles, etc. By limiting your choices while still staying within the diet guidelines, you will find that the more creative you become with the foods you allow yourself, the healthier your budget will become.

Freezing portions ahead of time (ie soups, casseroles, etc) allows users to resist the impulse to eat whatever’s on hand when they get hungry and also helps with the planning of menu plans and grocery lists. If you know exactly what you will be eating and when, you will be less tempted to just grab an expensive pre-prepared store product and to impulse buy.

For a more immediate impact on your budget, calculate what you would have spent on fast food, beverages, alcohol (and anything else you are cutting out) prior to starting your diet. Set that money aside for the following week and you will be surprised how little extra (if any!) you need to add to that to supplement your new diet food plan. Budget changes will be particularly noticeable after a few weeks once it becomes apparent that products purchased post-diet are leading to the creation of many more meals than those purchased pre-diet.

Finally, consider buying protein powders and bars from online bulk retailers (such as Amazon) who frequently offer discounts if you sign up to purchase a certain amount of products every few weeks, months, etc. Many times you will find comparable products for significantly less than buying directly from the diet manufacturers. Also, it’s worth noting that you can sign up for the frequent buyer program, receive the discount and then cancel the program with no repercussions if you don’t want to feel financially obligated every few weeks, months, etc. As a side tip, chocolate milk makes a good substitute recovery drink, for substantially less expense.