How do I balance my bodys need for calories ?

[patrclwis85]

I am 5'11" and have recently (over the last few months) began a calorie counting diet in order
to reduce my weight which was at 185. I have through this calorie restriction come down to 173.
I have started adding weightlifting to my workout routine to build some muscle as well as just lose
fat. My big question is how do I balance my body's need for calories because of lifting and my calorie
restricted diet? My current calorie restricted diet call for 1800 total calories in order for me to lose
pound a week.Now that I am lifting I want to make sure I am not to restrictive. I think I need to get
to 160 in order to be at my ideal BMI.
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[FitFreak1]

I would cycle your diet based on your goals. To build muscle, you're going to need a calorie excess, and to lose fat you're going to need a calorie deficit. To keep your body guessing, cycle your workouts / diet every six weeks. For six weeks, hit the weights hard, get in a bunch of protein, and pack on the pounds. Then for 6 weeks, cut back on the weights, decrease the weight and increase the reps, and cut your diet down to the 1800 cal / day.
Make sure to drink nothing but water to help both your strength gains and fat loss efforts.
Trying to pack on muscle and lose fat at the same time is possible (so i've heard), but really, you are trying to get your body to do two totally different things at once. Change it up and you'll hit both of your goals!