It has been my experience that it does not take as very many calories
above your maintenance level to stay lean but still gain muscle given
the intensity / stimuli is high enough to trigger growth, your diet in
on-point (but it can still be crap) and you are getting enough rest.
And yes, you can gain muscle on a low protein, below maintenance level
caloric 'diet'. Seen it done many times . . . but never on any world class
athletes as they would be non-believers, would be afraid to try it, but
then why try it when there are smarter ways to do it. Just relaying
what is possible regardless of that other people say.
Ditch the scale. It is like a wieiji board, it fucks with your head. (Unless
you are are tying to make a weight class) Use a mirror and fotos taken
under the exact same conditions once a week. And too many valuables
for my taste to use measurements too. The mirror, fotos and unbiased
people to us as judges . . . hard to find would be my preference But hey,
what do I know?
My opinion.