I am leaving for Spring Break in 39 days. I am starting the MRP diet today, but have a few questions regarding its plan.
For the post workout meal what would be a food I could use instead of the suggested creatine blend that has a high GI?
Refer to question 1, but instead of the creatine it suggests glutamine.
How many scoops of the Low-Carb grow should I toss into the blend if I am seeking maximum fat loss while keeping my muscle (Assuming I am taking four shakes a day)?
If on question 3 the answer is multiple servings, can I replace one of them with milk which is much cheaper?
How much should this diet deviate in caloric intake than my maintenance level (ex: be 500 calories less)?
Hi, JPcrew96. Let me address your questions one at a time.
First off, creatine doesn’t have a high GI. It would be the maltodextrin or the grape juice that you took with it that has a high GI. In fact, if you’re cutting and trying to keep your carbs down a bit so as to allow your body to draw upon fat stores (which it doesn’t in the presence of high insulin), I’d probably recommend that you skip the creatine. Save it for a bulking or strength-building cycle.
The diet is simple. Three to five MRPs, one real-food meal at the end of the day.
I’d recommend against the glutamine. It’s just not necessary. For one, there’s plenty of glutamine in the MRPs you’re taking. Check out Issue 231.
The bottom line, take your MRPs, add fruit or flaxseed oil.
I’d recommend that you stick with 2 scoops of LC Grow. That will provide you with 40g of protein. Much more than that, you’ll find the protein you’re taking in causing an insulin response (gluconeogenesis). You need to meet your protein requirements (1.5g of protein per pound of LBM). But divide them up into as many meals as possible. If that means you need five MRPs and one meal to keep protein below 50g per meal, so be it.
BTW, 50g is a semi-arbitrary number and my personal opinion. There is great debate on how much protein can be utilized in a meal.
Avoid the milk if you’re cutting. Milk is recommended if you’re trying to put on mass. Other than that, it’s high in milk sugar. Not good if you’re cutting.
How much should your caloric intake deviate from maintenance? A 500 calorie deficit sounds like a good start. If you’re not losing a pound a week, increase the the deficit after a week by 250 or so.