Need to stop losing weight-want to lose inches

I started off at 257 back towards the end of february and lost really dat because I was not eating enough and working out very hard. I am 19 years old and 5'11 and currently way 194.

For the past month I have been trying to eat more and more while eating very healthy and I am having a really hard time getting my 2900+ calories a day to maintain- its a struggle to get to 2200 because I no longer eat junk food and have been very commited. Before i could get to 3,000 in one sitting at wendy's or mcdonalds but now I feel satisfied with fruit and vegetables which is much better but not high in calories.

I am weight lifting at least 3-4 times a week and doing everything possible to get my 200g+ protein a day mostly from protein shakes I have after my workouts which consist of fat free milk, natural peanut butter and the whey powder.

I obviously lost a lot of muscle and now I actually feel horrible stepping on the scale and seeing weight loss. I wanted to get to 175 originally but now I dont care if I see that number for years I just want the inches to come off. I am afraid though that if I start eating more and more its going to go straight to my belly and if I do any cardio it rips right from my muscle. I have a 25% estimate of body fat and just want to get lean and keep my muscle.

Should I try cutting dairy for a week? stuff myself with more protein, stop cardio? I would really appreciate some suggestions because I am so depressed about this hanging fat- everything fits better but I hear of people losing multiple inches a week and I gain an inch in bloating after every meal and cant lose a half an inch a week to save my life.

The best way to lose bodyfat is through heavy lifting and HIIT cardio (High Intensity Interval Training).

HIIT - It is the only type of cardio that spares muscle and attacks bodyfat. Since I started HIIT training, my bodyfat has really dropped and my energy has increased. It really speeds up your metabolism for hours and hours after you are done. It can be done on any piece of cardio equipment, but I highly recommend sprinting for it. You would do a 3 minute warm up, sprint for 15-20 seconds, walk for 40-60 seconds, and then keep switching back and forth between sprinting and walking for 20 minutes. Then do a 5 minute cool down. This is the only type of cardio that has gotten me results. Do HIIT 2-3 times per week on non lifting days.

Lifting - Keep up with the lifting and make sure that you are doing heavy reps in your sets (4-6 reps). Also remember to switch up your routine every 3-4 weeks to keep your body from adapting and to give each muscle group 4-7 days rest in between the next time you work it. My split - Mon (Legs/Shoulders), Tues (Biceps), Thurs (Chest/Triceps), and Sat (Back).

I agree that HIIT and heavy lifting are very important. I do HIIT (sprints) 3 days a week and lift 3 days. Opposite of the HIIT to keep my metabolism constantly reved. On the non HIIT days I do speed walking. Lots of sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, planks, lunges, squats.

Clean/balanced eating is also key. You can do all of the sit-ups and crunches you want but if your diet is crap you will not see the results you would if you ate clean. Complex carbs, lowfat dairy, meat and protein. Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Lots of water. Don't drink your calories. Stay away from simple carbs, diet foods, sugar free and fat free foods, trans fats, fried foods, fast foods.

basically as far as meeting your calorie goals is concerned...i would eat a meal plan something like this

B: oatmeal, made w/ skim milk, 1 slice toast w/1tbsp peanut butter, 2 hard broiled eggs, and 1 cup juice [700 calories]

S: 2 oz nuts, 1 string cheese [450]

L: 3 oz lean meat, 2 oz dry pasta, 1 cup veggies with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 avocado [600]

S: 1 banana, 1 lowfat yogurt [250]

D: 3 oz lean meat, 1 cup rice, 1oz cheese melted over 1 cup veggies, [600]

S: 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese and 1 cup pineapple [275]

Total: 2875

very healthy, clean, and tasty!! hope it helps.