Need advice

xvikings

I went on my first cut/bulk across November 2021-April 2022 and was happy with my results. I started my cut at 153lbs, ended at 139 in February 202, and then bulked to about 153 by April. I had some body fat, but was happy with my muscle gains. Like my arms were big. I am 5'6", early 20s

Fast forward to September 2023, and I did something stupid. I began to lose weight, thinking I was "fat." I would cut calories by about 1000 per day during the week and indulge on weekends. I ended up losing weight down to about 130lbs, where I am today.

The problem is I have lost a ton of muscle. I basically have the same amount of fat that I did at 150, except none of the muscle. So I guess I'm skinny fat .

I want to get back to looking good. One issue is, I am so used to being in a huge deficit of 1000 cal per day Monday-Thursday, and then eating in surplus of 1000 each day from Friday-Sunday. This is awful for building muscle because a deficit of 1k each day during the week is to sharp to gain muscle, and a surplus of 1k each day on weekends is too much for muscle. However, it is nice to have treats on the weekend.

I do not want to rush into the process without a plan and proper guidance. So, that is why I am reaching out to all of you. I have some questions, but please feel free to add anything additional!

1. How much of a calorie surplus should I achieve, if one is necessary every day? Could I do something like a deficit of 200-300 during the weekdays, and surplus of like 700 during weekend days?

2. How many grams of protein per day?

3. How many days a week I should be lifting?

4. How does the fact that I have lifted in the past affect my circumstances, even though I have not really lifted much (if at all) since September 2023 and have lost muscle?