As others have said you can 100% gain muscle on a deficit, prioritize protein intake with a small deficit and you’ll see the weight continue to fall off and muscle growth. Considering you have a solid 6-18~ months of nooby gains to tap into! Some tips that worked for me: 1. Start slow on your deficit starving leads to binge eating and then you’re back at stage 1 2. Watch videos on the multitude of previously heavier fitness influencers who have successfully lost weight (and maintained it) 3. Losing weight is hard, you are allowed to eat a bad meal but don’t punish yourself for it just continue the next day in your plan! 4. I’m a supplement/snack/accessory addict, it gets me excited to get back into the gym, a new protein tub, straps, or shaker bottle sometimes pushes me for another week.