Today I want to share my review of the Insanity Workout Nutrition guide/plan with you. The basic concept behind the nutrition plan is very simple, which will hopefully agree with anyone who chooses to take on the Insanity workout program. Not only is it simple, but I think that users will find it that it really works.
The Insanity Workout Nutrition guide is broken down into Month One and Month Two (Insanity is a 2 month/60 day program). The guide encourages 5 meals a day, which would have you eating a meal every 2 1/2 – 3 hours. There is a section for each meal of the day. Within each meal section there are 10 choices/recipes to choose from. This is a total of 50 recipes provided in the guide.
Month #1: Each meal consists of approximately 300 calories, but there are directions as to how one might modify to increase their caloric intake to 400 or 500 calories per meal. This of course is subject to each individual’s daily calorie need. These modifications are referred to as “food blocks” in the nutritional guide. The “food blocks” are measured in 100 or 200 calorie increments, and can be used for snacks as well. So if you need 400 calories per meal. Add a food block. etc.
Month #2: Eat more! Your body’s metabolism has been ramped up and will burn more calories than before due to the insane workouts you’ve been doing. Also, the workouts are more intense during Month 2, so your body will need even more fuel to function. An easy fix for this increase in calories is to add 1-3 of the 100 calories complex carbohydrates that are found on page 59 of the guidebook. It also helps you to find out what your particular daily caloric needs are. You can find the formula in the guidebook, or go see our previous article “How to Get in Shape”. This article will help you determine the daily calories you need, even if you don’t have the Insanity Nutrition Guide.
Also, the Insanity nutrition guide provides nutrition fundamentals for beginners. The meaning and examples of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. They also include an extensive list of food substitutions that are broken down in the following categories: dairy, protein, breads/starches, fruits, and vegetables. A copy of Michi’s Ladder is also included. And, last but not least, a small nutrition trouble shooting section that gives answers to questions like: “What if I feel hungry” and “What if I’m not losing weight.” Overall, this is a great nutritional guide, and really could be used for just healthy eating.
This review will take part in 2 sections, the next and last section I will provide some examples of the recipes found in the nutritional guide. I hope that you have enjoyed this small, but hopefully informative review of the Insanity Workout Nutrition guide. Part 2 of this review will be available next week. 
Be sure to check out all of our Insanity Reviews.
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Kath, Keep up the hard work, and thank you for stopping by! I’m sure others will appreciate knowing that they’re not the only ones working hard! Come back and let us know how you’re doing!
Contemplating insanity….I’m 5’5 and weigh 170ish….i find that I’m very pumped up when
I start an excercise program and end up quitting soon after cuz its so hard to do the exercises from being over weight and out of shape which makes me depressed and eat and get even bigger….I realize it’s all up to me to do the work to see the results
But do you have any advice to help get thru insanity? My sister and her husband are in their second month and rave about how it works but they have each other to keep one another going and Motivated I on the other hand have only myself and my depressed over weight self conscious mind!
Jenn, Don’t think you have to do a extremely challenging workout to get results. I would recommend a program like Power 90 for you. Its a great starter program, and will be easier for you to stay motivated if the workout is not as challenging as Insanity. If you will get on a proper diet as well, you’ll lose weight guaranteed. Get a calendar and cross off the days for each workout. You have to motivate yourself, I had to do the same. Be determined, and do whatever you got to do to get results. Find a friend to workout with you! http://www.extremely-fit.com/power-90-in-home-boot-camp.html
So I just started my second week of MAX insanity. The first 6 weeks were rough, but I didn’t skip any workouts and followed the meal plan (aside from a couple of cheat days). Overall I only lost 3 pounds so far, which is less than what I was hoping for. Is there anything I can do different for the last 3 weeks in order to lose a few more pounds? I assume the diet is where i will need to make the change, since I’ve been pushing myself quite a bit during the workouts. Let me know what you think!
I have been on the insanityworkout for 15 days now. Wow is it insane. I am pretty over weight and very unhappy. I have never eaten right or worked out on a regular basis. When I started insanity I weighed 218 lbs and I’m 5’3″. Two weeks down and I’ve only lost a lb. I have lost about 1/2 an inch everywhere. I don’t feel that its enough. I have also changed my eating habits with a few cheat days of course. (I actually think that’s harder than the workout). Is there anything I could do to increase the weight loss or am I on the right track??
Courtney, the DIET is going to be instrumental in your weight loss. Make sure you use the nutrition guide to carefully determine your calories per day, and then use an online tracker like myfitnesspal.com to make sure you are staying in line with your daily calories. A few cheat days is going to SLOW you down considerably. Try to take a cheat meal once or twice a week, not a cheat day. The workout WORKS, but you have to loci in your nutrition too. Good luck!
Aleksandra. How many calories are you eating per day? Let’s refigure your calories and make sure you are set up correctly. Let me know!
I’m am consuming about 1500-1700 calories per day. This is divided into 5 meals each meal being approx 300-350 calories each. I also drink a good 5-8 glasses of water a day.. with a morning coffee and green tea.
I threw up after i was done with the fit test but i felt great the rest of the day and energetic is this norrmal? Keep in mind i have not worked out in like 4 years and went staright to insanity.
I don’t believe that has happened to me before, although I have been close a few times.
I started Insanity 3 weeks ago and have been trying to follow the nutrition guide but I dont find it as easy as some seem to. It has me eating 2100 calories a DAY!! Im 5’0 and 110lbs, that is a TON of food for me….i barely make 1200 on a normal day, before starting this INsanity-ness
Now i get to about 1800, but omg am i full!!! Also, I have also recently added kickboxing twice a week and im an avid runner starting about now, so I totally understand that i SHOULD be eating a lot…I just am not that hungry of a person. Lately ive been feeling EXTREMELY tired, and im thinknig it has a lot o do with not eating enough/right. Comments? Suggestions?
Hi Natalie! Would you mind swinging by my free coach page, and sign up for a free Team Beachbody account. It will be easier for me to communicate with you one on one. Once you sign up, you should see my email. I think you’re eating too many calories. Talk to you soon! Free Coach Sign-up.
Robert! I didn’t realize you were a coach, rather just a club member chattin’ in a blog! I’m new to this site so I didnt realize I was posting to a coach! I actually already do have a coach, Monica Ward, so I can ask her, too. I was just browsing the website, getting different feedback. I dont know that we can have multiple coaches, although I wish we could seeming as how the more feedback the better.
Ive been doing the insanity workout for 6 weeks now and is it ever amazing! ive lost 21 pounds and feel like i have more energy than ever before. Being a mechanic its challenging to stay motivated after a 10 hour days worth of work but i somehow make it through. To anyone who is having difficulty sticking to the workout don’t give up. If the results aren’t what you expected that’s okay because you will see a difference in the end. We all took the challenge lets all see it through to the end
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!
Awesome Kyle!! Keep digging deep!
I am about to start my insanity training, I actually did it for about 2 weeks and hurt my shins which i dont know if they have even recovered. But now me and my fiance are in a competition to lose weight he has to lose twice as much. I am 5’6 and 170 pounds and i have never really worked out but i am very determined and want to do insanity. Any suggestions? so i can kick his but =) LOL
I also need help in the sense I am doing my workouts on carpet and not a hard surface, so some of the workouts i cant do or the carpet makes it 10x harder then it should be even with tennis shoes on what should i do?
You could try getting a plyometrics mat to lay on top of the carpet. A good thick mat that won’t roll up on you. http://www.extremely-fit.com/plyometrics-mat.html
Your diet. If you follow that nutrition guide, maybe even cut out a few more calories from the book total, and follow it, you’ll do great. That means, you gotta eat CLEAN. If you want to kick his butt, you got to give up the junk food, cheat meals, sugar, pop, desserts, sweets. The CLEANER you eat, the better, faster your results! So just how bad do you want to win?
Ihave just started the insanity workout 3 days ago, and I am feel better each day. My body is hurting (haha) but nothing i havent dealt with before. My 5 meals a day is going well too. I took pictures for the before and I can wait to see where I end up at. I am 5’8″ , 251lbs…
Excellent Joshua! Come back and let us know!
Hi Robert. I just ordered the insanity workout. I’m 36 saleman in the food industry. I’m 5’9″ 275. I was very athletic in my 20′s, I wheeled beer for 11 years and maintained weight (210 215 i have a big build) and ate and drank whatever i wanted. Now, close to 40 I have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes. I’m worried that this workout maybe too hard to start back to get into shape. What do you recommend ? Like I said I was very active until I started working in the food business. I’ve been very sedentary for 5 years. Thanks for your input.
Harp, Did you order Insanity from us here at Extremely-Fit.com? We give free coach support to our customers. If you didn’t order from us here, you can still sign up for a free customer account at this link. http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/free-fitness-tools/
Once you get signed up, you’ll get my personal email and you can email me your questions. Talk to you soon!
Hello im on day 4 ..Can I eat 3 meals a day and do insanity n still get results? Yes I eat healthy all water and protein shake after I do my workouts. It just work just can’t fit in all 5 meals I’m a cleaner i work hours morning n night n can’t take a break to eat even if I prepare it.. So 3 meals? Help!
Daniel, I think you can at very least still find time to fit in a Shakeology (which is jam packed with a full meal, mix it with almond milk or skim, or even water). BAM! 4 meals per day. Then take you a protein shake and a handful of almonds or a P90X Bar. Both of these have no prep time, you can consume them in no time. The logic behind 5 meals per day is to rev up your metabolism, and keep it going, which burns more calories. That’s what you want! Sure you can do 3 meals per day, but your overall results won’t be the same.
Hello everyone! I am taking my fit test on Monday the 28th and starting my 60 day journey. I’m 37 yo and super duper motivated. My ultimate goal is to lose 25 lbs, but also to just become a healthier person in general. I love to jog and take kickboxing classes, so I am curious to see how this program works for me. I still at this point plan on taking a few runs here and here as well because they are a part of my normal routine!
I am very concerned about the nutritional part of the program. I have had success following a South Beach type of eating plan, and am hopefully able to switch to this one. I posted at the Beach Body site in hopes of finding a buddy to compare notes with and motivate one another, but the site seems a little slow and I haven’t had any luck as of yet. I hope everyone accomplishes their goals and please if anyone wants a buddy in crime to boast and moan about Insanity, please think of me
I’m working to find a coach, but the 3 I emailed haven’t respond yet.
Happy sweating everyone,
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline. If you can follow the nutrition of Insanity, you’ll get fantastic results. You’ll just want to make sure you get your calories right. I’m happy to help any way I can. Visit my free fitness tools page and then contact me if you need any help with your nutrition, calories, etc. You might also want to check my Insanity reviews page. I reviewed each workout in the program. Good luck!
I find the meal plan to be hard to follow for a diabetic trying to stay off meds. For me it is way to carb heavy and would spike my numbers like crazy. Any one of the meal plans has more carbs in it than I like to eat daily. Any advice for a low carb meal plan?
Stu, Sign up for the Beachbody Club. It has customized meal plans. It takes all the important things into consideration. Your age, weight, height, activity level, etc. One of the options is Low Carb. I wrote a review on it here: Beachbody Meal Planner Review.
I just received my insanity workout! But problem is I have a one year old. I don’t know if I can do the five meals a day. Plus I am also a CNA. So the only time I can workout is at night. Is there anything I can do at work and still get results? I’m 5’11″ and 175.
Kylie, I’m not going to lie. It’s a sacrifice. Many people have the same busy schedules, children, and work shifts. The important thing is, don’t let this hold you back. You have to find a way to make this fit into your lifestyle. The five meals a day are comprised of 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and then two snacks. I’m a big fan of Shakeology as ONE of my snacks, and then P90X Bars as my second. These are both super fast, healthy, and get my 5 meals taken care of. The phase 1 workouts are about 45 minutes. I know its hard, but it all depends on how much you want to reach your fitness goals. Make time, and the effort, and you won’t regret it!
Im super dedicated. I am so ready to get my body back, before I had my son. I’ll look into those! I also didn’t get the meal/nutrition guide with mine. What could I do for work? And for meals.
Kylie, If you purchased Insanity and didn’t get the fitness and nutrition guide, you did NOT get an official copy of the program. I would contact the seller and ask for the guides, or your money back. Then I would purchase an official copy from an authorized retailer (like us).
Unfortunately, I see many people purchase these programs off eBay, craigslist, or knock off pirate sites that they miss a very important part of the program, the nutrition guide! I’m sorry if this happened to you. Here’s a link to our site, we are authorized by Beachbody to sell official copies of the program. http://www.extremely-fit.com/insanity.html
Below is what I eat typically every day. Can someOne help me and give me feedback on what I should be getting more or less of?
Breakfast
3 slices turkey bacon
Half whole wheat English muffin
1/2 slice of reduced Swiss cheese
Snack
ON 100% whey protein
1/2 cup blueberries
1 apricot
Lunch
4 ounces chicken breast
2 cups of romaine lettuce
Snack
ON 100% whey protein
1/2 banana
Dinner
Baked tilapia
2 cups of veggies
1/2 cup brown rice
120 oz water
My husband thinks I might be lacking in the whole grains area. Any advice would be appreciated!
I forgot to mention I’m doing the insanity program, week 2.
I am on week 2 of Insanity and definitely feel the workouts!! They kick my butt everyday. I absolutely love it though. I lost 10lbs my first week. Of course I contribute this mostly to water weight. Also I recalculated my calories and it went up pretty drastically for the first week. Is this actually right? I’m sure I’ll notice once I get on the scale (which I only do once a week). I try to stay off the scale because weight gain can definitely deter me but I know that with this workout I’ll gain muscle which may reflect weight gain on the scale. HUGE reason I don’t like to weigh myself more then once a week. Also I know there are quite a few different selections for each meal however, I seem to get bored easily with food. I like certain ones and dislike others therefore I eat what I like. Do you have any suggestions as to how to vary my meals? Variety helps me stick to the diet much easier. Also the easier it is to make the better. My schedule is very hectic and I like things that are easy. The protein shakes or the Nut Butter sandwich. Things like that are fantastic. Thanks for any help you can give me.
i started insanity recently,i am 6’4″ 207lb and a novice cyclist and the insanity workout gives my whole body a great workout, i’m not fat by any means i just want to tone up my core,we’ll see how it goes!
Good Luck Justin!
I’m thinking of buying the program but am undecided. I’m afraid of the meal plan. I dont like to follow recipes. What do the meal plans consist of? Any suggestions?
I just started the Insanity workouts a week ago and have been following the Nutrition Guide eating 5 meals a day. I was just wondering if you could eat 2 meals from Meal #1
I’m starting week 2 of Insanity and so far so good. The main struggle I have is the eating, I know I’m not consuming the 1700 calories I’m suppose to. I know we should track with a tracker but any advise how to track and keep up with recipes you make yourself?
Letty, The meal plans are very simple, and easily modified. You get to pick from 4 or 5 choices for each meal. Don’t let the nutrition slow you down. Go for it! I’ll get you a bonus DVD for buying at this link: http://www.extremely-fit.com/insanity-workout/
Laura, I think that would be fine, just make sure you stay within your total calories per day.
Suge, I love myfitnesspal.com. Huge database full of foods etc. It makes tracking your calories super easy. Once you use it for awhile, it will be super easy to do.
Thanks for the website, I’ve used it before in past time and never went back but I did and I started tracking; however, how do you track your daily workouts or do you just use it for calorie counting? Also, my knees are taking a hit any suggestions on relief so I don’t have to take down day?
Salerno, Sign up for my free fitness tools, and I can help you more. You’ll get my personal email, and we can look at your calories. http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/free-fitness-tools/ Talk to you soon!
Robert,
I thought you left the message for me to log-in and sign up for the free fitness tools on the beach body but I don’t know where to navigate to find you.
I purchased the Insanity workouts about a year ago when I was pretty fit as I had been regularly attending spinning classes etc. I didn’t do it straight away as I couldn’t fit it in with college commitments so I am starting it today! The problem is I have been pretty sedentary for the last year. I hope I will still be able to do it without doing myself any damage? Also, I have prepared all of my meals for today from the nutrition guide, but I found it quite complicated and time-consuming. I’d really like to use Shakeology and the P90X bars to make it simpler but I can’t find anywhere you can buy them in the UK. Could you recommend anywhere? Also, my partner has to eat over 3000 calories per day and we found it was really expensive to buy all the ingredients. Do you have any suggestions to make it cheaper?
I have just tried to apply for a free fitness coach but it only gives the option to enter an address in the US or Canada. Is this facility available for people in the UK?
Georgina, I’m so sorry, right now they only allow US and Canada. I hope to get to the UK soon.
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