Bulking issue - Am I eating too much protein or calories or both? How to reduce excess fat while bulking?
Hi! I'm currently bulking again after losing too much muscle on a cut, and I'm running into a problem of gaining too much fat.
I weigh myself everyday using a special scale that breaks down water, body fat percentage, muscle mass, and other things. In one day, I gained 1.4 lbs, with only 0.5 lbs being pure muscle mass. My body water percentage dropped by 0.2%. I'm looking to reduce or eliminate the excess fat (nearly 1 lb of fat gained in one day). This is a recurring problem and I dealt with this on my last bulk.
I'm 5'5 and 143 lbs. I ate 2700 calories and 146 g protein.
Additional context if it helps: I eat a plant-based diet. I don't eat processed food (other than the protein powder with breakfast). My workouts last about 1.5 hours (warm up, workout, cool down). I lift heavy for 2 exercises (high weight, 3 sets of 8-10 reps) and medium/light for 2 exercises (around 20-30 lbs, 3 sets of 12-15 reps). I go for 45 minute walks everyday, and have 2 additional cardio sessions twice a week.
Posted Apr 8, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC