Getting Started with the PiYo Diet

The PiYo diet, also called the PiYo GET LEAN EATING PLAN is what you could basically call a healthy diet. It is not really a weight loss diet, it is much better than that. In fact, following this well-rounded 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 25% healthy fat, whole foods diet is what will help get you jaw-dropping results or eh…not-so-great results. The decision is yours.

Your diet is what fuels your workouts – you must remember that when you’re considering skipping lunch to cut calories. Eating right is what will allow you to put more effort into your workouts, because you will have more energy to do so. Pushing your hardest is what is going to help you burn more fat, build more lean muscle, and above all, keeps you healthy and feeling great.

The PiYo diet is broken down into five food groups:

• Primary Vegetables
• Secondary Vegetables and Grains
• Fresh Fruit
• Lean Protein
• Healthy Fats

By matching your calorie level to the included PiYo food chart, you get the corresponding number of servings to create a truly balanced and healthy diet.

1.) Calculating Your PiYo Calorie Level

You can lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your body weight with the PiYo workout program – or really any at-home workout program for that matter.

Remember, your body weight is determined by calories in vs calories out. The image below is the mathematical formula you can use to determine how many calories you should be consuming to lose a healthy 1-2 pounds each week while following the PiYo workout program.

Example for Determining PiYo Calories for Weight Loss

My starting weight: 130.8 pounds

To lose weight, I would multiply my current body weight by 11, then add 400 calories, and then subtract 600 calories. Here’s what it looks like:

1. 130 x 11 = 1430 calories
2. 1430 + 400 = 1830 calories
3. 1830 – 600 = 1230 calories

How to Determine Weight Maintanence or Weight Gain

To maintain your body weight with the PiYo workout, you would not perform step 3 in the above calculation – you would not subtract 600 calories from your maintenance calories.

To gain weight with the PiYo workout, simply add 600 calories to your maintenance calorie number instead of subtracting it.

Important Notes About Caloric Intake

1. If you calculate your calories and your recommended calorie intake falls below 1,200 calories, you must round up to 1,200. Eating less than 1200 calories each day is not healthy and is definitely not sustainable!
2.  Don’t stress out if you do not hit your calorie numbers exactly. As long as you are in within a couple hundred calories, you are fine. This is part of the beauty of the PiYo diet – you’re not counting calories really, it’s more about getting the correct number of food groups in each day, which may vary slightly from day to day.
3. Be sure you are eating healthy, whole foods. Stay away from processed foods. The closer your food is to its natural state, the better.

2.) Match Your Caloric Level with the Correct Food Plan

The PiYo diet includes four “plans”. You choose the “plan” that matches your calorie target.

1. Plan A: 1,200-1,399 calories
2. Plan B: 1,400-1,599 calories
3. Plan C: 1,600-1,799 calories
4. Plan D: 1,800+ calories*

Example for Selecting your Food Plan

My daily calorie intake number was 1,230 calories, which puts me in Plan A: 1,200-1,399 calories.

*While the PiYo diet eating plan states that if your calorie target is over 1,800 calories, you simply choose plan D, you may need to increase your food intake if you’re starving at 1800 calories. Using an online calorie tracker like myfitnesspal.com will help you ensure you’re maintaining the  correct ratios of 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 25% fat.

3.) Use the Allowed Food List to Choose Your Food

If you can grow it, pick it or kill it, you can probably eat it on the PiYo diet. Vitamins, minerals and nutrients are what this eating plan is all about.

Under each of the five food categories, there is a list of allowed food with the proper serving size. Each serving counts towards calorie target “plan”. You really can’t get much easier than this.

• Primary Vegetables: The nutrient dense foundation of this diet is leafy green vegetables and other veggies. 1 serving =45 calories
• Secondary Vegetables and Grains: This fiber-filled food group keeps you full and your energy levels high. On any plan, you are only allowed 2 servings. 1 serving = 95 calories
• Fruit: This is another food group rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 1 serving = 70 calories
• Lean Protein: This category is not only the building block how you build and sustain muscle, it also provides other important nutrients for overall health. 1 serving = 140 calories
• Healthy Fats: This extremely important food category helps you stay full, provides a slow-digesting source of energy and helps maintain overall good health. 1 serving = 50 calories

PiYo has a sixth food category called “Free Foods” that you are allowed to eat or drink as much as you want. These include lemon and lime juice, vinegars, mustard, garlic, hot sauce, black unsweetened coffee, unsweetened tea, and few more.

I’ll be posting a complete guide to the foods in the PiYo diet shortly, so make sure to check back.

If you need help determining your calories for PiYo, please leave a comment below with your current weight.