Need advice maintaining while working out.

So here's my story.

I'm 29, 5'-10" and started out at 205lb in July '09. I got on the nutrisystem diet and was down to 180 by September. Towards the end of September, I had to travel overseas for 2 weeks for work and got paranoid with leaving my diet behind. I ate very little to be on the safe side throughout the 2 weeks.

When I got back, I was down to 174lb. I was a little shocked at the rapid lost and figured that I was losing muscle mass rapidly. So I decided to hit the gym again to build up some muscle, but I also want to maintain my weight at around 172-175lb.

I started using this website to log my food intake and workout activities as accurately as possible, however I'm still not sure how precise the daily calorie burn meter is for me.

I'm therefore currently keeping my calorie intake approximately 100-200 calories under my daily burn meter count just to be on the safe side.

The problem is, I'm constantly feeling weak and drained. I have been feeling like this ever since I started my diet, but much more so now that I'm going back to the gym.

How can I eat to ensure I have enough energy, gain enough muscle mass to maintain my target weight, lean out what's on me now and not risk blowing what I've achieved so far?

well to maintain your weight and build muscle you cannot have a calorie deficit. if 180 was your goal in the first place then why not just eat maintenance or a bit more than you burn in order to gain lean muscle mass? add in protein and whole grains...not junk and you'll be fine. you're weak because your body needs more fuel and nutrisystem is an EXTREMELY low calorie diet!!

I'm hoping to be in the 172-175lb range. Last week at the gym, I weighed in at 173lb after my workout.

In my previous experiences, I've always gain a significant amount of weight when I start a heavy workout routine. I'm trying very carefully to avoid this now by limiting my workouts to moderate weights and doing more circuit type training on universal equipment.

I know I'll gain some weight with working out, but I want to maintain my current weight, or somewhere close to there. Should I reduce further in weight and then hit the gym to build back up to this weight range?

Should I stop the nutrisystem diet and get on a high protein diet instead to better fuel my body? What other package diets are out there similar to the nutrisystem diet but have a greater emphasis on protein instead?

Thank you.

A few points to consider...you weighed 173 after a workout so to allow only 2 more pounds under normal conditions is not much. Maybe widen your range a bit.

Question- why are you still on nutrisystem if you've reached your goal weight?

Third- most prepackaged diets have a pretty good balance of the macronutrients so try adding In protein in addition to what you're eating? Why do you want a packaged diet anyway? Are you unable to cook? Busy?

I wouldn't recommend losing more weight first but since you said you're weak and fatigued I would definitely eat more!

The package diet gives me the easy of a complete intake at an economical price.

Due to my current living arrangement, I do not have access to a kitchen and therefore unable to prepare food short of your typical sandwich type meals.

Without a package meal plan, I would have to eat out for every meal, making dieting or calorie counting difficult. Not to mention less healthy and much more expensive.

I will supplement my current diet plan with some protein rich items like canned tuna, as well as the post workout protein shake.

I guess figuring out how much would be trial and error, and the hardest part. I just hate to see weight increments after such a good track record of reduction.

 

Thanks

What time do you go to the gym? I find it really helps me to do my hard workouts in the day time (I work, so I do it at my lunch break). I also know myself well enough that the evenings = crappy workout because I feel tired, weak, drained, etc.

Hope this advice helps!

I go to the gym in the evening after work, where I tag along with a buddy of mine who is a long time and very experience gym goer.

I do the same routine as he does but with lower weights.

This offers me motivation to hit the gym and gives me some kinda direction as to what to work on.