Regarding protein and calories, even many PDR entries for anabolics back in the day said you need to eat "more" protein and calories for the drugs to work. It's just a fact. And it's not as Mike Mentzer said that you, as he had calculated, only need
a bite of an apple over the basal metabolic rate to gain optimally. You also can't calculate the amount of extra protein in the amount of tissue you can build with/without anabolics and only eat that extra amount, it's not an efficient process like that.
If we're talking anabolics users, as we are here I assume, just look at the food intakes vs the average size of bodybuilders. Calories and protein intakes will be pretty similar among similar sized guys. Now that doesn't mean that a 150lbs kid starting out needs 300 grams of protein from the outset. Today bodybuilders are very good at calculating the needs of different sized individuals, don't you guys agree? Gone are the days when bodybuilders grew fat - if they have a nutrition coach. Most everyone stays
very lean. But what you are going to find is that everyone eats "high" protein.
In the past many getbiggers argued that you don't need more than 50-80 grams a day. It's just not factual.
For a science based approach, I'd recommend Lyle McDonald.
Regarding what bhanks said, you're not going to do well as a growing bb if you frequently go hungry. Sure, the body is adaptable like that, it's also adaptable in that the body is "made" to go thirsty at times. But it's just not optimal. To grow the quickest you need to keep mtor stimulated constantly and you should attempt to stay hydrated as well.