Starting to look too bulky

I looked at your pictures, and I didn't think you are bulky AT ALL!! Are those recent pictures? I agree that you are not going to bulk up eating 900 calories per day either! Is that your norm?

Cutting weights is the worst thing you could do. Having muscle will keep your metabolism going. Up your cardio and cut your carbs and up your protein. That'll rid the fat and keep your tone.

Not buying it.

Think of it this way... if you never did exercise, just lived your life, the size of your muscles would be exactly what your body requires to lift your arms and move your legs. They wouldn't grow, they wouldn't shrink.

Right now your muscles are responding the the weight you've been lifting. If you keep lifting and maintain or slightly lower the weight, your muscles will not grow anymore. This is called lifting to maintain, and if you want to keep what you've developed you're going to have to continue lifting, albeit without increasing the weight over time. Don't stop lifting, it's helping with your health and maintaining your strength as well. Those are also very important.

Yeah...there is no way you are actually putting on new muscle weight. Not possible eating at a deficit. You also don't look bulky in the slightest in the pics on your profile.

Have you figured out your TDEE?

Also...if you aren't logging everything you eat, how do you know what it is you are eating and what amounts??

This isn't 100% true, I just cut for 18 lbs over 11 weeks and my arms and back have built up, though very slowly. You can build muscle while dieting, it's just a grind compared to when you're eating excess cal.

@the_dizzle LOL! YES!!!! :bigsmile: Bad @ss!

Yesterday I was mean and heartless apparently.

The plot thickens...

Yeah...there is no way you are actually putting on new muscle weight. Not possible eating at a deficit. You also don't look bulky in the slightest in the pics on your profile.

Have you figured out your TDEE?

Also...if you aren't logging everything you eat, how do you know what it is you are eating and what amounts??

This isn't 100% true, I just cut for 18 lbs over 11 weeks and my arms and back have built up, though very slowly. You can build muscle while dieting, it's just a grind compared to when you're eating excess cal.

Ok...technically you are correct, I guess. My point was...she's claiming she's put on 10lbs of muscles in 8 months of eating 1700 cals. No way.

Agreed. No offense, but after looking at the pics I see no muscle tone. I assume these are old pictures?

Define bulky? Based on the pics in your profile, you don't even look athletic let alone bulky. This isn't an insult; I'm just trying to give my perspective. When you say bulky, are you just referring to the size of your body? Usually when you hear people complaining of bulk, they're referring to having a muscular look, which you don't have in your pictures. I dunno, I guess I'm over thinking it but I'm not sure what you're seeing when you look in the mirror because in your pictures you look thin with room to cut your body fat %.

Not buying it.

I don't see how that would be possible, either. Perhaps you are some sort of very special superhuman? If so, doctors should definitely be alerted because many people will be eager to study you and write papers about how a woman can gain 10 lbs of muscle on 900-1700 calories per day.

I have to agree with the person who said you don't really even look "athletic". You look very soft, to me. I don't mean that in a bad way...just that your body fat % is higher than what one usually sees on an athletic person--well beyond where you can actually see much in the way of muscle definition, so I don't understand where the "bulky" thing is coming from at all. Do you mean your body fat % is beyond what you want it to be? You can sort that out by continuing to lift, eating at a caloric deficit, and perhaps doing a bit of HIIT here and there.

I've been steadily working out for 8 months or so, I've lost a lot of weight but gained back in muscle. I still have about 10 pounds of extra fat, and now I'm up about 10 pounds of muscle. Instead of looking lean and fit like I wanted, The extra fat on top of my new muscle makes me look really bulky. Strong, but bulky.
I want the muscle, so I want to continue lifting but do you think I should cut it back and up my cardio? Or just do cardio and light weights for while? Cut weights completely until I lose this weight?
I do about 30-45 mins of cardio every weekday right now.
I appreciate any suggestions.

You need to lose some fat to get that lean look. You're looking bulkier because you're gaining weight.

I'm up about 10 pounds of muscle.

The extra fat on top of my new muscle makes me look really bulky.

Guys, it's not the muscle that's making her look bulky. It's 10 pounds of extra body mass.

I want the muscle, so I want to continue lifting but do you think I should cut it back and up my cardio? Or just do cardio and light weights for while? Cut weights completely until I lose this weight?
I do about 30-45 mins of cardio every weekday right now.
I appreciate any suggestions.

You want the muscle. You don't want the fat.

Therefore, run a calorie deficit and continue lifting weights. Keep the muscle and get rid of the fat. Boom, lean.

This isn't 100% true, I just cut for 18 lbs over 11 weeks and my arms and back have built up, though very slowly. You can build muscle while dieting, it's just a grind compared to when you're eating excess cal.

Broscience. Unless you're one of the exceptions (returning athlete after long layoff, very overweight/obese, newbie who's never lifted before) the probability of building muscle of any significance is pretty nil. You don't build muscle reducing calories. Muscle is mass. To ADD mass you surplus.
Do your arms and back LOOK better? Probably because there's less fat on them giving the appearance of more muscularity, but that doesn't mean you built it back up (unless you increased your calories after cutting).

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

So you think you GAINED 10 pounds of muscle? How do you know this?