Now that I am really coming close to my fat loss/weight loss goal I am trying to set new goals for myself. So one of my goals when I am done with my weight loss/fat loss is to really improve upon my strength and gain some muscle. I weight train already but haven't seen a ton of improvement. I lift heavy (I lift enough to only get 12-15 reps per set), but I also only net 1200 calories a day. I try to eat as clean as possible. I know with the calorie deficit it probably hampers the ability to put on muscle/gain strength.
So my first question is when trying to gain muscle what should your calories look like? Should you eat to maintain your current weight? I know when FI is trying to put on more muscle he typically eats more, but he's a man so probably not the same philosophy.
My next question is about body fat %. At what % would you really even be able to visibly see improvement? My fear is even though I am only a few lbs away from my weight loss goal I am worried my body fat % is still too high, and I will actually just build muscle under my fat thus making me look bigger. I am concerned about really losing more weight/size, I'm a clothes size smaller than what my original goal when I started on this journey and I'm also petite. I still have a little bit of a pooch (the dreaded pooch ugh!) so I am still trying to maintain a calorie deficit, but I think my body fat % is still pretty high, I had it measured a month or so ago and was so discouraged; I am afraid to have it done again! So what should your fat % look like before this goal would really be attainable?
Thanks