how to lose body fat without bulking?

So I, 19F, have always been short and on the thinner side, I used to have a really fast metabolism, never worried about weight. When i was 18 I somehow went from 97 to 117 pounds, (mostly likely because of the dorm water and dining hall food from freshman year of college) and it really made me upset, especially because i was walking about 20k steps daily and still gaining weight. my baggy pants fit like straight leg pants, and most of the weight was in the lower body as well, so i was insanely insecure.

Now, a year later, i live in my apartment and eat relatively healthy, (about 1200 to 1500 calories daily) stretch, and walk 10k steps daily, and have only gone down to about 110. id like to get down to where i was before college, and not even weight wise, i’d just like to lean out more. i’m afraid to do high intensity workouts and weightlifting because i don’t want to bulk or be thicker even if it is muscle. (a lot of taller ppl i know have said they wish they were short because it’s easier to show muscle apparently)

i don’t necessarily care about weight, id just like my lower body to be thinner. (i don’t drink smoke do drugs or take any medication. i also went through puberty at 12 so it’s not that) my entire family is obese except me so i would like to prevent ending up the way they are, as a lot of them sadly have health issues because of their obesity.

the pictures below show what i looked like in 2023 compared to fall 2025. (i am a little thinner than the 2025 pic but really only in the arms and stomach) anyway, is there any tips on exercising that have been helpful for anyone similar?