Thread: getting back in the game, lost too much weight...

Last summer I got a full-time summer student job working in a door factory. Pretty tiring manual labor, 40 hours a week. I had no energy to put into training or cardio, so I stopped.

I started this semester at school, and failed to get back in the routine. I basically slacked, ate less (and less often, and lesser quality), getting into the traditional food and 3 meal routine. I lost lots of strength, weight, mass, discipline. I want to get it all back.

I know I first want to increase calories and strength. I'm not a noob and know how to go about it for the most part (I have to bulk). I'm just worried my metabolism took a hit, so how can I go about this most effectively? Increase calories slowly (+100 a week?).

I used to be incredibly disciplined, weighed everything, ate on the clock. I can get back into it just like that, but my problem is usually going to fast. At what point do I introduce cardio again to keep lean? Obviously I want to take it easy as the whole point is to gain weight. Can I still do some light cardio 2-3 times a week?

My goal is overall good general health and fitness (first and foremost) and keeping lean.

Any advice on just gradually "snapping out of it" would be great.

Thanks!

You either run a surplus, (100 calories aint it) of about 20% to 25% of maintenance calories and work out for size and strength or a deficit and lose weight. pick one. You can't do both. You will probably see benefits just by getting back into it. Find your maintenance and move up or down and get some decent fats, carbs and protein.