Found some interesting information on how to repair metabolic damage from a bodybuilding bro called Layne Norton. He seems quite knowledgeable about the damage excessive dieting and cardio can do, and I will be following his advice and experimenting with his ideas.
In order to deal with a lowered metabolic rate, Dr Norton states that you should slowly increase your daily calories (eg add 50cals/day every week for say six months) and you can slowly repair your metabolic rate without getting super fat.
He has some video logs on youtube, here is the first on the issue
video logs 9, 23, and 24 are about the topics I have referred to in the post, pls take a look if you are interested.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter and any experiences you have had with reverse dieting and slow cutting.