Changing Diet as Exercise increase

 Well I posted something similar over on the VSG boards, but there aren't a ton of people there who exercise as much as I do, and here I know there are plenty that exercise more so I wanted to get some input.  

I'm at aroudn 155 lbs, 149 puts me at a normal BMI so I really don't have a ton of fat left, I'd like to gain more muscle but losing a ton more weight is not that important to me at this point.  I"m soundly a size 10, and figure I'll be a size 8 soon enough and if I can ever get a tummy tuck I'll probably be a size 6.  So I'm coming to the end of my weight loss phase.  

Here's the issues, I run 4-5 days a week with one "long" run (for me right now that's 7 miles) and 3 or 4 short runs (2 -4.5 mile runs and then 2 fartleks of shorter distances when I do my weights), plus weight training.  Now I've added something new.  I work at a horse barn, I ride multiple horses a day, give lessons and basically I"m on the go.  Up to this point I've stayed with a pretty classic VSG diet, though I've always had more carbs because of the running, of 650-750 calories, 60g of carbs and around 100g of protein.  Now, I'm both exhausted all the time and the hunger is unbelievable.  I"ve had pretty much no real hunger until the last week.  Maybe a time or two when I've forgotten to eat for a while but nothing "real".  Now within 20 min. of eating a meal, I feel like I could knaw off my own hand.  I've had a slice of pizza this week because it was there and I was just so hungry.  I've upped my calories to 1,000 this week, but I'm in bed by 8:30pm and sound asleep by 9pm and feel like there just isn't any more to give.  I've also put on 3 lbs this week.  I'm thinking it's water retension because of the increased work, but I know I ate the pizza and (gasp) a scoop of ice cream.

So is the best plan to stick at 1,000 calories for a while and see if it comes around, should I up my carbs even more, protein?  This is all so new I'm just not sure what to do.  What I don't want to happen is to have bad habits start creeping back because I can't get the hunger under control.

I have an appointment with my NUT but she's so back logged I don't get to see her until the end of Sep.

Good Lord!  You are gonna waste away if you stay on that low of a caloric intake!!

You are wise to look to nutrition as the reason for your fatigue.  At this point, you are now going to have to begin the experimental phase of maintenance.  You are very active-as am I-and I KNOW the first thing I notice is fatigue on days when I do not get enough nutrition.  You can't run a car without gas...your body is the same.....FEED THE MACHINE!

I think at this point you should have a MINIMUM OF 1,200-1,500 calories, but you may find you need more long term.  I shoot for 100-120 grams of protein AND carbs daily....those are the only numbers I watch (well, that and calories).  I'm 3+ years out, very active, and usually have 1,800-2,000 calories per day in maintenance.  I also eat 6-7 "mini-meals" each day to keep blood sugar level and keep hunger at bay.

You just have to find your "sweet spot" with caloric intake.  I'd say try new things for a 2 week period to see how you feel/adjust to it.  You will experience weight changes...give yourself a 5 lb range to experiment in....you will go up and down while finding your maintenance caloric amount.