I actually ended up doing a 250/250 instead of the 500/500 listed above... I am coming up on week 7 and + 20lbs and basically have taken the advise of this thread and eaten EVERYTHING and A LOT of it (watching sodium/sugar ofcourse)!!
If you want BIG gains, eat BIG!
MASS CAN'T COME FROM THIN AIR. Your protien synthesis will be highly increased by your cycle if you choose to stay with the 500, but will with a 250 as well so take advantage of it and EAT YOUR ASS OFF! I went from 215 to 233 and I still have 5 weeks left.
For example, here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast:
- 75g IsoPure Shake (LowCarb)
- 5 egg omlette w/ handful of shredded cheddar/ ham/ peppers/ onions
- big bowl of FiberOne w/ 2% milk
- drink WATER
Lunch:
- 1 whole rotissary chicken 2.25lbs
- 1 loaf of corn bread 1.75lbs
- drink WATER
Dinner:
- Tuna Avacado Salad w/ Ranch Dressing (2 avacados / 3 cans bumblebee white / baby spinich / cucumbers / 1 tomato / diced onion)
- 16oz. NYStrip with 1 can spinich
- 75g IsoPure Shake (LowCarb)
- drink WATER
By no means am not an expert, but this kind of diet has worked for me and I didn't just wake up my first day and eat like this, I would have friggin' pop'd!! I had to just eat as much as I could everyday and this is how I'm eating at week 6.5 now after all this time.
My opinion is the following; if you are doing a growth cycle then GROW! Build the foundation for which you will hone in with a cutting cycle later.
Remeber these weight gains are also due to water retention, so when you shed it up later then u'll want to make sure that there will be enough underneath to work with.
ONE MORE THING: I was worried about getting fat... DON'T! I do abs every day, 7 days a week, and have a nice 6pack outline, but not vascular or shreded by any means, that will come later... As long as you workout just as hard as you eat, you will be fine!
I am planning on incorporating some Winny 50|ED towards the last 4 weeks of my cycle to solidify gains and just give a less swolen and more lean look.