IIFYM/flexible dieting help -- do I bulk or cut?

ixshelle

I've recently started weight training after losing 10 lbs, and I'm trying to determine if I should be eating to bulk or cut. I still have some weight I'd like to lose, but it's really only 5 pounds or so. I'm a female, 5'7", and around 140 lbs (it varies depending on how much water I'm retaining). I know at some point I'm going to want to build some muscle in certain parts of my body, but I'm not sure my body fat is low enough to risk the fat gain from bulking. Does it make more sense to just eat to cut for a while until I feel sufficiently lean or will adding muscle ultimately make it easier to burn fat in the long run?

pinggolfer96

What do you expect your bodyfat to be at right now? Posting pics would help. If you feel lean enough id say start a slight surplus, but if your gut says lose a couple more pounds then bulk, go with that.

Buff_Man

You should be clean bulking- a manageable calorie surplus that allows you to get bigger not fatter. Start off at 200 calories surplus for a few weeks. If no change then increase another 100. You need to find the optimal range. If you bulk then cut I would find that harder

ixshelle

My handheld body fat calculator says I'm at 20% body fat, but after doing some reading I realized those devices are really inaccurate. I just ordered calipers.

I can try to post pics in a bit. I'm definitely not lean, and in the past month I seem to have put on a bit more weight. It's almost definitely water (up from 136 to 140ish), but it does make me feel cautious about the idea of bulking at all. Or even maintaining. My original goal was 140 (down from 152), but now that I'm here I feel like I could go further.

Yeah, now that I'm thinking it through I'm definitely leaning towards cutting.