Building muscle, losing weight but pants are too tight

could be in relation to bloating? Are you drinking lots of fluids? Are you taking days off from muscle training?

Your are almost certainly not gaining muscle (besides newbie gains) as when you are eating below maintenance, your body isn't going to make muscle. It is going to use muscle for energy. When you eat under maintenance, your body (unfortunately) doesn't exclusively lose fat, but also some muscle

edit: It is possible to lose fat whilst gaining, but very difficult and you need to be counting your macros and following a pretty strict regime, so I have made the assumption that you aren't doing so (since you're posting here)

You're seeing muscles because you're losing the fat that was over top of them so you couldn't see them before. It's very difficult for women to build significant muscle and especially not at a deficit.

I have no idea why your pants are too tight now but it's more than likely not muscle gain.

No way to know if the area got bigger without measurements.. seeing muscle doesn't mean you gained muscle.. as previous stated just means some fat is gone from the area.

You're seeing muscles because you're losing the fat that was over top of them so you couldn't see them before. It's very difficult for women to build significant muscle and especially not at a deficit.

I have no idea why your pants are too tight now but it's more than likely not muscle gain.

^^^
+1

Actually I am. I do 30 mins of cardio 4 days a week with 30 mins of strength training directly afterwards, and run in HIIT for 3 miles 1-2 days on the weekend with my dog. I eat at a -15% of my TDEE and count calories while trying daily to balance my macros. I drink primarily water and only have coffee 2 times a week and 6 oz of OJ with breakfast. Other than that I drink water. I sleep 7 hours a night and follow a routine. I work hard daily to make healthy choices and work out 5 days a week. Occasionally 6 if it's beautiful out.

I can physically see and feel my muscle gain and fat loss. Look at my pictures if you doubt me. It is absolutely possible to burn and build all at once. I know because I'm doing it! My weight on the scale has remained the same, yet my fat loss is extremely evident and when I flex now you see my muscles. My quads have started to pop, boots no longer fit over my calves, sweaters are tight in my shoulders and biceps. I take pictures weekly to compare my progress. Trust me. I'm losing fat and building muscle

What I'm wondering is if I'm ever going to drop a pant size or if my muscles are going to bump me up. Maybe I am better off asking this in a body building forum.

You'll notice the difference in terminology will really get blasted at you on the lifting forums.

Building muscle - as the words imply - something new, building from raw materials new muscle mass.
Building strength - using existing muscle - can improve greatly before the body feels the need to add more muscle, but must have the right diet and lifting routine to get that response. But you can use existing which will be made stronger.
Building size - using existing muscle - now used muscle is filled with glucose and matching water storage, so they appear larger most the time.

Combine the last option that is actually happening to you, with losing fat over the muscle, and you are seeing the muscle better, and it's bigger. But there isn't more of it actually.

As to why bigger?

I'm going to bet your HIIT really isn't HIIT, but just high effort almost total carb burn anaerobic cardio for decent amount of time.
If you are doing your lifting right, you shouldn't have the strength left over for proper HIIT, unless Friday is not leg day, then possible. You burn high carbs in an effort - body responds by store more, along with required water. More weight (water) and more size taken up.

If you are able to do the HIIT correctly, then your lifting on Mon, if leg day, is not really what it could be, so you aren't overloading it for weight to get the body to respond by trying to build more muscle. Which the diet isn't going to allow right now.

Doing all the best fat-burning exercises together that you've heard about isn't really the best way - jack of all trades, master of none. It just means one or the other isn't as effect as it could be, for it's focus, or for even fat burn.

I only mention HIIT probably not done right because most seem to add it to their routine as a fad recommendation that is all the rage lately, but don't really get in to when and how to do it, nor to tell if doing it right.
You may be doing it right, how long is the hard part, and the recovery part? How many reps? How high does the HR get on the hard part, 1st and last rep? How low on the recovery part?

Actually I am. I do 30 mins of cardio 4 days a week with 30 mins of strength training directly afterwards, and run in HIIT for 3 miles 1-2 days on the weekend with my dog. I eat at a -15% of my TDEE and count calories while trying daily to balance my macros. I drink primarily water and only have coffee 2 times a week and 6 oz of OJ with breakfast. Other than that I drink water. I sleep 7 hours a night and follow a routine. I work hard daily to make healthy choices and work out 5 days a week. Occasionally 6 if it's beautiful out.

I can physically see and feel my muscle gain and fat loss. Look at my pictures if you doubt me. It is absolutely possible to burn and build all at once. I know because I'm doing it! My weight on the scale has remained the same, yet my fat loss is extremely evident and when I flex now you see my muscles. My quads have started to pop, boots no longer fit over my calves, sweaters are tight in my shoulders and biceps. I take pictures weekly to compare my progress. Trust me. I'm losing fat and building muscle

What I'm wondering is if I'm ever going to drop a pant size or if my muscles are going to bump me up. Maybe I am better off asking this in a body building forum.

You'll notice the difference in terminology will really get blasted at you on the lifting forums.

Building muscle - as the words imply - something new, building from raw materials new muscle mass.
Building strength - using existing muscle - can improve greatly before the body feels the need to add more muscle, but must have the right diet and lifting routine to get that response. But you can use existing which will be made stronger.
Building size - using existing muscle - now used muscle is filled with glucose and matching water storage, so they appear larger most the time.

Combine the last option that is actually happening to you, with losing fat over the muscle, and you are seeing the muscle better, and it's bigger. But there isn't more of it actually.

As to why bigger?

I'm going to bet your HIIT really isn't HIIT, but just high effort almost total carb burn anaerobic cardio for decent amount of time.
If you are doing your lifting right, you shouldn't have the strength left over for proper HIIT, unless Friday is not leg day, then possible. You burn high carbs in an effort - body responds by store more, along with required water. More weight (water) and more size taken up.

If you are able to do the HIIT correctly, then your lifting on Mon, if leg day, is not really what it could be, so you aren't overloading it for weight to get the body to respond by trying to build more muscle. Which the diet isn't going to allow right now.

Doing all the best fat-burning exercises together that you've heard about isn't really the best way - jack of all trades, master of none. It just means one or the other isn't as effect as it could be, for it's focus, or for even fat burn.

I only mention HIIT probably not done right because most seem to add it to their routine as a fad recommendation that is all the rage lately, but don't really get in to when and how to do it, nor to tell if doing it right.
You may be doing it right, how long is the hard part, and the recovery part? How many reps? How high does the HR get on the hard part, 1st and last rep? How low on the recovery part?

I agree a lot with this reply.

I can do HIIT for about 15 mins then feel totally exhausted! Sprinting at 11km/hr on 10~15 inclines really takes it our of you. As recommended, try to specialise somewhere for a while. Make a weights plan. If you want to lose fat, make that your focus, but don't expect to be losing lots of fat and gaining all this muscle whilst eating at -15% TDEE and not letting your body rest.