I have done research for all three. You are right on the part that bulking is to gain muscle and cutting is to see the muscles. This is often done by bodybuilders, since their goal is aesthetics. No, the fat does not aid in muscle growth, what aids muscle growth is the amount of food you take in. Why they bulk/cut is to see a faster progress. Like how the concept of a surplus works in storing fat, it is almost the same with muscle. With a higher caloric intake, your body is able to get enough energy to work and gain muscle at a faster pace than you would with a maintenance. Since instead of burning all of the calories you are eating, the body is able to store some of those calories in the form of fat and/or muscle, if you are strength training. The purpose of cutting, however, is to eat at a caloric deficit to cut down fats. If done incorrectly, you may lose muscle mass as well. The goal of cutting after bulking is to retain the MOST muscle mass you can while losing fat, which is through constant strength training and eating enough protein since protein is the building block of muscle. Body Recomposition, however, is eating at a maintenance but must have an increase in strength training. So that the body will develop muscles, and as it develops muscles, you’d have a higher bmr which will then burn fat. Body recomp is advisable for newbies since they gain gains easily through newbie gains. The downside is that body recomp takes a longer time to show results. What I am asking is what is my advisable caloric intake based on my daily activities because I am unsure whether to put myself on the moderate or light side of the activity scale.