I cannot grow in a caloric deficit, even on drugs that are supposedly capable of this.
I have a raging fast metabolism and fight for every pound I gain.
I once did a cycle of primo @ 500mg per week, test @ 250, and D-bol @ 50mg per day.
I starved myself, basically skipped breakfast and lunch, kind of like the warrior diet.
I would have aminos in the daytime, and try to hold on as long as I could without eating.
By the time I was really starving, it was 5-6pm, and I would eat a very nutrient dense
and filling meal. Even though I hadn't eaten all day, I couldn't fit that much food in my stomach.
So even if I had some cookies and ice cream after that last big meal, my total cals were nothing.
I'm guessing maybe 1500-2000 cals (extremely low for me). I honestly need about 4500 cals to gain any weight at all.
I had never been so lean and vascular. I was doing a little cardio here and there, maybe 30-45 minutes 2-3x per week.
If I competed, I think I could have been show ready with 2 more weeks of eating like that.
For me, that diet is much easier than the contest diets I see guys talking about.
It is easy for me to not eat most of the day, I easily get focused on tasks and if I stay busy, I won't eat.
I get starving the second I slow down and relax. I will pig out like I mentioned above, and I am full for the rest of the night
until bed. It works for me because I don't have to sacrifice any food. If I want pizza, I make that the pigout meal.
Stims in the morning really help too.