Starting From Scratch

I need help. When I started working out, I weighed around 165 lbs at 6’5". I worked out for a few years with (too) many breaks from it (some as long as a year, I think), not enough dedication, too many excuses, etc. Anyway, last december, I weighed 210 lbs, so I did make some progress, just not nearly as much as much as I should have. So anyway, I finished school in december, and I lost my gym membership. I didn’t have the money for another one (or extra food, for that matter), so I’ve been starving away without any real physical exercise. I’m down to 190 lbs (more muscle loss than fat loss), and I just can’t take it anymore.

I worked out my finances, and went out and got a membership at the local Y. I am disgracefully weak right now, and I really am starting from scratch. In terms of training, I really like Chad Waterbury’s stuff, but I can’t seem to remember which routine is best for beginners. Anyone have any ideas?

The real issue, though, is food. I’ve been eating around 1000-1500 cals a day, and I know (from experience) if I raise it too quickly, I’ll just get fat. I was thinking of trying to keep my cals low for now, and just working out for a couple of weeks. I’d also improve the quality of my food, of course. I would then increase my caloric intake by around 250/day each week (so by the end of the summer, I’d be up to around 4500/day). Is this a stupid idea?

My goals are to add around 20-30 lbs of muscle while keeping fat fairly stable.

Any suggestions?