Lost weight but feeling fatter ?!

[Bunnybutton]

I'm a 26 old female and last summer I started training my abs and butt/legs , after a few months I was proud , I had a flat tones tum, and slightly perky bum and smoother legs ( prone to cellulite under ass😫)
I weighed around 8st 5 and by the end I weighed the same 😂..... Anyway
Winter came and I binged on food and lost the toned tum and legs .

Start of January and I started down the gym again and was getting somewhere when I had an operation and haven't been since March ....

Here's the thing.... I still eat what I want and don't count calories and I've become flabby and my thighs and legs have gotten bigger .....( cellulite is worse )

Now explain this .... I weigh 8st2 now ??
How can I put on weight around my ass but the scales say I'm lighter ?!?!? .

My body shape hasn't changed at all apart from I've become wider in the upper leg area ( it doesn't look good ) .
Is it my age ?

Body composition.

Lose weight = lose fat & muscle.

Gain weight usually fat only, unless you're training too.

Fat is less dense than muscle, bigger volume at same weight.

Important to both weigh & measure for comparison if losing/gaining weight.

Can weigh less & be fatter...

Oh & fluid retention with different foods. Eat lower carb, less water held in the muscle, leaner looking, etc.