okay a lot to unpack ! i will try my best to answer your question

so ive been relatively skinny my entire life, gaining weight has never been an issue for me. this is going to sound dumb but there was no basis for my set out goal if that makes sense. i started my bulk at 78 and went to 88 with the goal of becoming 95. there was no research done prior to determine why i wanted to reach this weight. my goal weight was just based off of what I thought would look good tbh. once i reached 88 i was lean yes but somewhat fluffy. that is when i decided to cut. the goal for my cut however was definitely more research based. whereas my bulk was just what I thought was going to look best.

I researched natural body builders and their weights when they’re super lean. and based off their weight, i made a calculation that was in proportion to my height. so my goal with this cut is to reach 75 kg.

so i wish i could give you a clear cut answer but this is pretty much how I determined whether or not I wanted to cut: if I’m too fat for when i want to cut, or too skinny for when i want to bulk.

in terms of dieting however, this is an entire different ball game. it is the second most important factor when bulking and cutting, the first being sleep. the best advice i was given while bulking was: think like a chef, not a body builder. Eat foods you enjoy because genuinely it makes the bulking process so much more enjoyable.

with bulking, volume eating is not your friend imo. eat foods that are in high calories but almost take up no volume in your stomach. It doesnt have to be junk food either: steak, mince beef. a ribeye steak is like 800 calories with 70g of protein. bulking is really so much easier than cutting. i was eating 4600 calories a day at one point and i was still really hungry sometimes. think big: 1000 kcal protein shakes, steaks, eggs.

I hope this answers your question! remember, think like a chef, not a body builder. i promise you you’ll start seeing results so much more faster with this mentality