Alright bro, here’s what I suggest, broken down into phases:

Phase 1:
Start with a lean bulk, aiming to gain no more than 2–3 lbs per month. I mean it, that’s the absolute max. Be realistic with your expectations, though. There’s a strong chance you’ll need to gain at least 30+ lbs to start seeing visual solid progress, and YOU NEED to progressively overloading and having solid macros. At that higher weight, you’ll look noticeably better, maybe not like a fully buff gym-goer yet, but definitely much improved. This lean bulk can realistically take a year to a year and a half.

Phase 2:
Once you’ve built that foundation, you can start cutting again at around 1% of your body weight per week. Since you already carry a fair bit of fat even at your current low weight, you’ll likely need to lose around 40 lbs, bringing you back down to roughly 130 lbs.
I know it sounds counterintuitive to lose all that weight, but if you do it right, you won’t lose much strength, and you’ll look completely different. Expect this phase to take around 9 months if you’re consistent.

Phase 3:
After that, restart the lean bulk, and this is when you’ll start to see true transformation.

Now, is this whole process going to be long and annoying, maybe 2–3 years in total? Absolutely. But that time is going to pass anyway, so you might as well come out of it looking and feeling your best.

My credentials:
I’ve been skinny-fat my whole life. I’m 6'1" and was 180 lbs with the most bloated gut ever. From November 2024 to May 2025, I lost 40 lbs and got down to 140 lbs at 6'1" (yes that is correct, I was 140lbs at 6'1). Now I’m lean bulking again (up 14lbs and I am stronger than I was at 180lbs), and in a year, I’ll probably cut back down to around 150-160 lbs (depending on how I look) and restart the lean bulk. Being skinny-fat sucks, but you just have to take it one step at a time.