Problem with cutting/bulking!!

[Xlonewolf]

Ok so for a while I had been trying to cut, doing 1500-1600 calories but didn't notice much progress except for a flatter stomach (but it almost always looks like that anyways when I'm not retaining a lot of water). According to the scale I'm around 16-18% bodyfat. My arms have enough muscle but also fat so it doesn't have that cut look. I want to get rid of the fat in my arms and my love handles. However, I really want to gain some leg muscle. Most of my life I had always focused on arms first, but now its the other way around. I do legs twice a week and have been doing it for at least a year but I don't see any striking difference. My numbers have gone up which is an indication of progress but I look almost the same as I did a few years ago, just slightly more muscle maybe. I had finally decided it was time to bulk when I went in the gym in my shorts (usually i wear yoga pants) and my quads looked hecka scrawny! Quads have been my priority for me to grow. So I have been bulking for the most part the past couple months. My legs look slightly better but I still need more mass. I feel like i've gained a bit of fat so far which I don't like. I have been trying to do 2200 but its been so hard because my appetite always goes down when i start to eat more. I eat for the most part very clean. Finally after a week or two or misery i stopped counting cals, and just counted protein. I proabably eat around 1900 though at least. I'm so confused because I read about how there must be a bulk/cut cycle, but then I read elsewhere that its all a myth and all that matter is positive nitrogen balance, etc.

So my question is, if I have enough mass in my arms but too much fat, but not enough mass in my legs (but my strength has increased) should I continue to bulk or should I cut? Anything else I should know?
Since this bulk, I'm probably around 18% bodyfat right now. Cant attach pics as I'm still a noob

[AirChair]

Try a recomp? It's a longer road, but it really does solve the dilemma of wanting to add mass somewhere and lose fat elsewhere.

As for your diet, I can't stress enough that, at least for now, you really need to be logging both calories and macros. You can't accomplish goals without making sure both are where they need to be; eventually you'll develop a rough "feel" for when you're eating what you need to, but until then log log log.

[oregonchick76]

What is your height/weight?

[Xlonewolf]

What does a recomp look like? Would that be periods if under/over eating close together? I think I do that without thinking when I don't count. Maybe I should increase calories only around my leg workouts?

I'm 5'1, about 115. I was 108 when I was trying to cut. Last year I was 105 eating the same cals or more, so I guess i gained some muscle even tho I look the same which makes me think I should cut.

[oregonchick76]

What does a recomp look like? Would that be periods if under/over eating close together? I think I do that without thinking when I don't count. Maybe I should increase calories only around my leg workouts?

I'm 5'1, about 115. I was 108 when I was trying to cut. Last year I was 105 eating the same cals or more, so I guess i gained some muscle even tho I look the same which makes me think I should cut.

Generally a recomp would be to eat around 200 over on lifting days and 200 under on non-lifting days. But at your stats, I wouldn't bother with a recomp. You could either switch to a nice slow bulk where you aim to gain 1-2 lbs per month and do that for about 6 months, then diet back down. OR, you could do a real hard cut to drop down to around 110 and THEN bulk. Either way, you're better off doing a bulk. Recomps are very slow and the muscle gain potential is much lower/slower. It also requires very diligent (anal) calorie counting and micro-managing your intake.