deprive my body of food for better gains ?

[lil_herc81]

If anything I would go to a super high calorie diet. When I am trying to put on weight I go for a 5k calorie diet.. ALL GOOD FOODS! then I will drop to a 3k diet with more cardio. Your body needs nutrients, depleting them can only do harm long term.

[tjax03]

If anything I would go to a super high calorie diet. When I am trying to put on weight I go for a 5k calorie diet.. ALL GOOD FOODS! then I will drop to a 3k diet with more cardio. Your body needs nutrients, depleting them can only do harm long term.

Periodically lowering total calories can be an effective way to gain weight in the long run. The body can get used to a constant high caloric intake, causing a reduction in food absorption and nutrient partitioning. By temporarily reducing cals, we can get the body back into a state where it wants to hold onto nutrients. Then when you increase the cals again the body will make better use of the excess food than it would otherwise. However, you have to be careful with how much you reduce your intake and for how long, as you do risk losing lean body mass if you are not careful.