Thanks for the replies, all. Interesting to see the arguments from each side of the fence.
I've been eating less clean for I'd say a month now--a little less oatmeal PWO and a little more ice cream, a little less grilled chicken breast/rice and a little more shwarma in a WHITE bread laffa. Focusing on getting in enough protein, though.
I'm up about 4-6 lbs. Not pure muscle, I'd say a lb of fat, but I'm willing to take that. Progress in the gym is
excellent. Looking bigger in the mirror as well, especially legs.(thats what happens when you go from squatting 225 for 5's to 305/315 in 2 months).
The one thing I would note, however, is to be careful how you eat before a workout. At least for me, eating something sugary/fast digesting(candy) made me crash before my workout. Eating something that digests slower and doesn't provide for a monster sugar crash, say an an apple, works much better for me.