Bonus for my clients: Purchase P90 from my Beachbody store and you will receive my P90 Workout Planner totally free! The P90 Planner was designed by me and you won’t find it anywhere else. Click HERE to get all the details.
Let’s face it, ”will I lose weight?” is a common question when you or I consider a workout program. Unlike my college son with a metabolism on overdrive, most of us have a little excess “fluff” to contend with. Or maybe a lot. So you – and I - want to know if we will get results before we invest in a program.
Dramatic before and after pics, like the ones above, are intriguing. Will we have an amazing transformation if we follow the program too? We desperately want to believe that we will have big-time results when we fork over our hard-earned money on a program.
Sometimes you need to dig a little deeper and look beyond the airbrushed “after” photos. As a chronic dieter and veteran of countless exercise programs, “will I lose weight?” is a question I’ve asked myself a zillion times.
Quickie Table of Contents
If you’re a scanner, as I am, click the following headings to jump right to what topic interests you!
Simple answer – will I lose weight doing P90?
How will P90 help me lose weight?
What if I’ve failed to lose weight doing an exercise program in the past?
I have trouble sticking with a diet! Do I have to follow the P90 nutrition plan to lose weight?
How else will P90 benefit me?
What if my motivation crashes and burns?
The definitive answer
Will I lose weight doing Beachbody’s new workout program P90?
The simple answer?
Yes, you will lose weight doing P90.
With one condition: You must burn more calories than you eat.
(In other words, you can’t pop in the P90 DVDs and hit the McD’s drive through every night and expect to see results. To quote Tony Horton, “bummer dude.”)
Weight loss boils down to calories in versus calories out.
Fact: To lose fat you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns.
Fiction: In a perfect world I would dive head-first into a tub of mocha chip ice cream and watch the pounds magically melt away, but science tells us that only a calorie deficit will knock off the pounds. Too bad science didn’t consult me, right?
How will Tony Horton’s P90 program help me lose weight?
The short answer? P90 will burn calories (creating that calorie deficit) and build muscle.
Exercise burns calories.
- The more intense the exercise, the more calories you burn, and P90 is intense.
- Building muscle not only gives you an amazingly toned “beach body” (get it?) but the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn even while sitting on the couch!
- Exercise keeps your metabolism from slowing as you cut calories.
Here are a few other ways P90 will help with fat loss:
- P90 combines strength (muscle-building) and cardio in one workout program. Both components are crucial to your success.
- P90 gives you a 90 day workout plan to follow. No guessing what workout you should be doing when. Just check your calendar and pop in the DVD.
- P90 starts with shorter workouts (about 25 minutes) and builds up after 30, and then after 60 days. This helps you increase in fitness without burning out or injury.
- P90 gives you a nutrition plan to follow. Some people are diet free spirits (like me!) and others crave a little more structure. While the program hasn’t been released yet, Beachbody has a history of providing sensible, easy-to-follow nutrition plans. (See my review of the PiYo meal plan as an example.)
What if I’ve failed to lose weight while doing an exercise program in the past?
1. Failure means you have the courage to try.
Past diet failure is actually GOOD NEWS because it means you have what it takes to succeed. You know what you want (weight loss), and you are seeking a solution. All you need to do is begin to follow a plan.
You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed. – Lebron James
2. Your past does not determine your future.
Just because you missed your goal once (or twice or many times) in the past doesn’t mean you can’t succeed NOW. Your past doesn’t determine your future.
3. Considering P90 means you have the desire to lose weight – and that is a big first step.
Contemplating P90 (or any other workout program for that matter) shows me that you have the desire to lose weight, and that desire is one-third of the battle. The other two thirds are doing the workouts and tackling your eating. P90 takes care of the workouts and also provides a meal plan.
4. Guess what? You WILL struggle, but take action anyway.
I may not know you personally, but if you have tried and failed to lose weight in the past, then I can guarantee you will struggle in the future. Does this mean you won’t be successful? Hell no!
Life is about ups and downs. Sometimes committing to exercise and healthy eating is effortless (rare!) and other times it is a struggle. I go through periods where my eating and workouts are on auto-pilot (and for those times I am very thankful). But very often I struggle. I like to eat. I like to sit on the couch, play guitar, and ready trashy novels. None of which are helpful if weight loss is your goal.
But each battle you overcome makes you stronger. Yes, there will be ups and downs, but you will learn how amazingly strong you really are. You don’t have to be motivated. You just need to TAKE ACTION. Whether or not you feel like it.
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I have trouble sticking with a diet! Do I have to follow the P90 nutrition plan to lose weight?
Here’s a little secret – I have trouble following very specific diets too. My inner rebellious teenager always does her best to sabotage my diet plans, bless her heart. Do you have to follow the Beachbody P90 nutrition plan exactly? No. Remember, your weight loss ultimately comes from running a small calorie deficit, not by eating from a specific list of foods.
Dietary Free Spirit Tip: Eat What You Love While Cutting Calories
Simply eat three meals a day plus a post-workout shake or snack. Start by cutting your normal portion in half. If you’re still hungry, cut the remaining portion in half.
How does this work? You’re reducing calories by eliminating all between meal snacking, tasting, sampling, nibbling, etc.
Benefits? You’re still eating the foods you love, but you are eating LESS. No calorie counting or separate meals for the rest of the family necessary. Easy peasy.
Even more reasons to try P90.
Any exercise, whether P90 , running, dancing, swimming or biking has tons of perks. Here are some of my favorites:
- Exercise builds strength
- Exercise increases flexibility which decreases your risk of injury
- Exercise improves your mood
- Exercise promotes better sleep which also helps with weight loss!
- Exercise gives you confidence
- Exercise is enjoyable
- Exercise improves your immune system
- Exercise (and the results you get) makes shopping for clothes way more fun!
What if I lose my motivation and don’t feel like working out?
If your motivation crashes and burns, just look at the picture above of an incredibly ripped Tony Horton and get inspired!
Only kidding. Waning motivation happens to the best of us. Can you be BRIBED into losing weight??
Free Beachbody P90 t-shirt.
Beachbody offers a free t-shirt to everyone who completes a program. It may not be high fashion but you’ll have a cool new tee to commemorate finishing P90. It’s just like the t-shirt you get when registering for a 5k. The shirt says (non-verbally of course) “you go, girl (or guy)!” Every time you wear your shirt you are reminded of your commitment and accomplishment.
Beachbody Challenge contest.
Even better than clothing is the Beachbody Challenge contest. $500 winners are selected every single day, and two lucky souls win $100,000 each year. How’s that for incentive to pop in a DVD and keep the potato chips out of the house!
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So we’re back to my original question. Will I lose weight doing P90?
The answer is up to YOU. P90 is a great program but it is not a miracle.
YOU need to change into workout gear and push PLAY.
YOU need to make smart food choices.
YOU need to decide EVERY SINGLE DAY if you will keep moving (however imperfectly) toward your goals or if today is the day you will give up.
I think we all have the desire to better ourselves, whether to rock a pair of skinny jeans or just to be an example of good health for our children. I think sometimes we need a little push in the right direction and maybe a little reassurance too. If you decide to start a P90 adventure, be sure to bookmark Weigh to Maintain so you can come back and share your story. I’ll be starting P90 too and I will share other tips and tricks to rock the program.
It’s all about attitude. Decide to OWN this. Decide it’s OK to be imperfect, but it’s not OK to quit.
You know what? I think you can do it.
What do YOU think?
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