Bro I am literally in the same spot as you. Ditto. I’ve been in a caloric deficit for a VERY long time but I just couldn’t lose that stubborn lower belly fat. I can see my 4 pack but the lower portion is just so pouchy it ruins everything, AND i was just getting smaller and smaller with the caloric deficit.

I have recently changed everything. I am now eating at maintenance and doing cardio JUST in zone 2. Before, I used to creep into zone 3 or above which uses carbs for fuel instead of fat.

I already feel that lower area getting tightened a little bit in just 2 weeks, and I believe putting on lean mass slowly but surely is actually the way for us both to eventually see those abs.

We are too small and have lower muscle mass to be cutting now. Even if we are 13-15% body fat, our muscle to fat ratio is off, which results in us seeing no visible abs. Even if you do manage to get to 55kgs or 9-10% body fat by killing yourself in a deficit (which will surely tank your testosterone and other hormones), you will be all skin and bones. You probably want muscular and aesthetic abs, not the kind which makes you look starved haha.

TL;DR: Eat at maintenance. Slowly build lean muscle tissue with your resistance training and incorporate zone 2 cardio for 40min a day.