Okay, so I've been trying to gain weight for a long time. (I've had quite a few setbacks, but I've made decent improvements in strength and at good times I have been up slightly)
So here's the deal: I've started tracking calories from all my food with FitDay, which is a pretty sweet program for logging stuff actually, except you can't make weight GAIN goals, it's geared towards loss.
I still have at least one meal left today, so this isn't really relevant until later tonight. So far I'm at a 400 calorie deficit, from what the program is giving me. (which seems to be pretty accurate by all accounts) This is on a heavy lifting day of course. I plan on using it to help me balance my diet more and eat better for my goals, BUT here's the question that's been on my mind for a while:
Is it possible to gain weight with a caloric deficit? If I remain fairly active even on off-lifting days, but eat plenty of protein, could I, at least in theory, still gain weight over time despite a deficit?
EDIT: this is, of course, speaking strictly in terms of muscle mass. I know you would lose some fat, but that can only go so far... I'm probably wrong, but wouldn't you get leaner for a while and then start gaining some weight? Not sure if that's the best way to phrase the question.