To those who have done Body Beast, did you up your calorie intake as much as the program instructs? Also, did you follow the program as is or did you add more cardio into the rotation? I can't imagine eating that much food and doing so little cardio!
I never follow any of the nutritional plans that come with the Beach Body workouts, and I am not a calorie counter. If I *had* to guess, I'd say I consume anywhere from 2000 to 2500 calories/day. I eat to satisfy my hunger, so some days I eat more and some days I eat less. I try to get most of my calories from protein, produce, and healthy fats. I also eat complex carbs like oatmeal, quinoa, air-popped popcorn. That approach has worked for me, regardless of the exercise program I am following.
And yes, I need more cardio in my rotations! I'm not looking to cardio for weight loss since that's not my goal so I don't add it in daily, but I need about 3 cardio sessions a week to relieve stress and anxiety. Any less than that and I am a cranky, grouchy mess!
When I'm trying to build muscle, as with Body Beast, I do make sure the cardio is shorter in duration. Maybe 2 HiiT sessions (about 20-30 mins) and 1 longer steady state session (45-60 mins). Too much cardio can undermine the body's ability to build muscle.
