Cardio Questions - Decreasing Running Routine and Staying Lean

Question:
I have a two fold question. I am 21, and have been working out on average 4 days a week since age 17. I picked up running as a hobby around 19, and I found out that I was good at it. This summer, since I didn't have much to do, I started working out every day, and I trained for and ran a marathon. I now eat between 5000 to 6000 calories a day. No specific diet. I am 145lb, so I try to eat about 150g of protein a day. I have not been gaining weight thus far. My problem includes the following. Summer is over, and I'm going back to college. I'm no longer training, so I'm afraid of gaining massive amounts of weight. I plan on continuing to work out about 4 times a week, but right now I have a low body fat percentage (9-10%).

Is there anything I can do to keep what I have worked so hard for, without having to run as much as I have been? Is that impossible, or will my body naturally maintain itself? I heard that alcohol is terrible for the body. How detrimental is alcohol to metabolism/muscle in general? Will it destroy what you have, or just prevent you from becoming better?

Answer:
In terms of going back to school and decreasing your running routine, in order to maintain a low percentage of body fat without the high level of energy output (calorie burning), you will need to focus on cutting back a bit on your overall calories. If you're currently consuming about 5-6K calories per day, you will most likely need to cut this down to about 3.5-4K calories and see how your body responds. If you stay lean then you should be fine but If you find yourself gaining body fat, then cut back a little more on the food.

Make sure to keep your diet filled with nutrient dense foods and try to eat several small and nutritious meals throughout the day. You will gain several benefits from eating several small meals throughout the day and your body's metabolism will be revved up throughout the day. I would recommend to focus on lean protein sources (chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites), lean fibrous carbs (broccoli, mushrooms, squash, zucchini) and whole wheat starchy carbs (whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.). Try to eat every 3 hours and make sure to include a lean protein source in each meal.

In terms of the role alcohol plays in your overall physique, it really depends on what you're consuming. There are many "better" choices when it comes to having a few drinks. Some of the basics are to stay away from beer as much as possible. Beer is basically "liquid bread" and it pack on the body fat quickly. The cleanest alcoholic drink choices are:

1. Bacardi Rum and Diet Coke
2. Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum and Diet Coke
3. Absolute Vodka and Crystal Light
4. Grey Goose and Sugar Free Tonic
5. Ketel One and Diet 7-Up

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