My body thought it was in danger. Apparently, it went into “starvation mode.” After I started cutting down my calories more aggressively for an upcoming competition, my body went into survival mode. My body started to conserve energy and I actually started gaining weight. I thought this reaction was weird since I have cut my calories in a similar fashion two years earlier. My coach told me to take a week off from the gym to give my body a break and allow it to adjust. During that time, I lost about two pounds without changing my macros. After a week, I was able to work out again without an adverse…