There are so many things to consider that it will be hard for anybody here to completely understand your situation. That said, weight loss and muscle building, both have a few things in common. They are dependent on hormones. Hormonal balance and hormonal signaling/receiving are the key to your stated issue.

Here's the rub...hormonal regulation is controlled by a myriad of things. Food is only one small portion of the big picture. Proper sleep, reducing inflammation, reducing external stress, and optimizing brain function are critical.

From a dietary standpoint, you would likely stand to gain from reducing carbohydrates, eliminating wheat, gluten, and probably dairy. Limit your consumption of grains, fruits, and processed foods. Include healthy fats like coconut oil, ghee, avocado, duck fat, and all fat associated with grass-fed or pastured animals.

My best guess is that your problems are being created by your lighting environment. If you are looking at computer screens, cell phone screens, tv screens, iPads, kindles, etc. during the day and particularly at night...and are not getting proper sunlight, this exact problem often results. You have too much artificial overhead light and artificial blue light hitting your eyes and your skin. You need full-spectrum sunlight in order to properly control hormonal release from your hypothalamus-pituitary axis in your brain. I understand this all sounds too simplistic and off the wall, but it isn't. Our brains and hormones are controlled by the daily light rhythms. It is why you experience jet lag...because your brain's internal clock is set by the sun in a different part of the Earth and it will take a few days to re-regulate itself based on the new timing of the sun in the part of the Earth to which you travel.

Jason Prall