Back on the wagon. Don't I mean back off the wagon?

Been doing LISS...low intensity steady state.  It is the equivalent to walking briskly.  And basically no stress on the body.  I read online that LISS, after about an hour or so, consumes muscles for energy.  But people also say that you can walk 10 miles a day (takes 2.5 hours), and that it is a great thing.  Since I can't lift for another week and a half because I've hurt my hand, I'll just do LISS for another 2 weeks and see if I should keep doing LISS or if I should change it up.  I like it because you can seemingly do it forever as long as you keep well hydrated.  And you are hardly sore the next day, if at all.

Days/Calories burned on the eliptical

5/22 1400
5/23 600
5/24 1500
5/25 1500
5/26 2000
5/27 1400
5/28 1400
5/29 1500
5/30 1500
5/31 1400
6/1 1400
6/2 1750
6/3 1750
6/7 2000

14 days working out.  burned on avg 1500 calories.

So I see exactly 3 lbs lost so far.  And I do admit that I do see myself consuming a little bit more calories because when I come back from the gym, I feel like I need to replenish myself.  It is a natural reflex for my body to want to do this, and I do not deny my body the privilege.  I just make sure I am still netting burned calories.

If 3500 calories = 1 lb, I am netting 750 calories burned every time I go to the gym.  The rest of the 750 calories burned that day makes up for the gatorade I drink and extra calories I consume.  I am blown away by the elegant patterns in the numbers.  6 lbs a month is a good rate...probably optimal.  The downside is that I can do probably 6 lbs a month and spend less than 1/2-1/4 the time at the gym lifting weights and doing HIIT.  But that always seemed like a shot in the dark.  Because calories burned had a lot more to do with the body growing muscles, repairing itself, and burning fat while you slept and a lot less to do with the actual calories you burned during exercise.  I think I can do all the LISS I want to get to a desired body weight, then I can lift weights to gain lean mass later.  My logic is that when I'm trying to gain muscle, I was never successful at gaining muscle while losing fat at the same time.  I remember mental battles on a daily basis feeling like I was starving myself the calories I wanted then going to the gym and doing a hard workout for months.  I don't think it needs to be that difficult.  But it seemed painfully easy gaining muscle and keeping my weight the same.  Sticking with LISS.  Sounds like a solid plan to me.