Good idea or bad idea?

[Adrenox]

Hi guys and gals,

I need some advice/opinions on my weight loss plan, I hope you guys can help steer me away from mistakes.

Background: I am 23, 177cm and weight 176lb/80kg and I would say approximately 23-25%bf (using visual comparison). I have lost 2 stone in the last 3 months by walking 5k and tightening my diet (damn pleased with results so far). I have never lifted before. Now I want to lose fat for my parents wedding in 2 months.

My plan: alternating between hiit and starting strength + steady state cardio. So it would look kind of like this:
Monday: SS workout a + 1 hour walk
Tuesday: 30mins hiit on bike
Wednesday: SS workout b + 1 hour walk
Thrusday: 30mins hiit on bike
Friday: SS workout a + 1 hour walk
Saturday: 30mins hiit on bike
Sunday: Rest
Then repeating alternating between SS workouts as in the guides.

Diet: 200g chicken breast + 125g cooked rice + 1cup veggies twice a day with 1cup of fruit for snacks twice a day. 3L of water a day minimum and I don't really drink anything else tbh. Calories would be around 1300 a day and then add 200 for sauce/seasoning for chicken so I don't die of boredom. So 1500cal per day.

With this my macros look roughly around 50-40-10 protein carbs and fats respectively.

I plan to bulk and get into good shape after I reach low enough bf.

So is this plan too much?
Good for losing fat while keeping any muscle I do have?
Is my bf% estimate close using stats I've given you?
Is reaching 160lb possible in 2 months?
Starting weights for SS?
Any general advice about my program or just general tips?

Can't post pics because I'm new, sorry.

[ace2735]

Starting strength is wonderful for any starter. Id suggest starting everything with an empty bar and working on from there to get your form perfect before even trying to hit any *heavy* weights.

Tbh with that diet i can't see you gain any muscle since its such a low deficit. But you will def. Lose weight if that is your goal.

Pics would help alot so take the time to learn how to post them by uploading to a site then copying the link and posting them between img tags.

Tbh my advice is since you've never lifted eating a bit more protein and carbs than your plan now while using starting strength will gain you alot of muscle while losing fat. (Noob gains are crazy first year or two). Building a nice body takes time and dedication so no need to be THAT harsh with your diet just start lifting, eat healthy, and be consistent and you will see results

[Adrenox]

Starting with bar sounds like a solid bet to me.

I am rather surprised to hear that my protein is too low. I was trying to stick to the 1g per 1lb of lean body mass guide, did i get something wrong here? Sorry for so many questions i just want to understand why i will be doing what im doing if you get what i mean.

I have heard about gaining muscle whilst cutting fat but was uncertain that was the best approach, is that what you did? (i stalked your post earlier and recognised your pic).

Ive posted my pics on my profile bit but cant put any in post till 50 posts (apparently).

[ace2735]

Ahh forgot about the 50 post thing. For me i have always been lean bulking and only cut down for a show twice or so in the past 6 years. (Slow and steady)

Anyways 400gms of chicken is about 92~100grams of protein which while cutting you want to try and keep high (to prevent muscle loss) i personally like to eat 1g protein for every lbs body weight. Some even recommend 1.5g per lbs of bw but that imo is overkill.

Personal advice search for *body recomposition* on this forums or google. basically your weight stays the same on scale but muscle goes up while fat goes down. Best for new lifters

So basically "Maintain your weight while continuing to train and adding either 1. Weight or 2. Reps to your exercises. The scale should stay the same and your body fat should go down with your muscle mass increasing; that's a Recomp"

Oh and dont get obsessed with the weight on the scales. The mirror is your best friend.

Although on the long run. Cutting and bulking are best. Body recomp is just a suggestion for your 2month deadline wedding.

[Adrenox]

Ahh I completely miscalculated the chicken protein, thanks for pointing it out.

I think some more research into body recomp is definitely needed before committing to a program as it sounds like a pretty good idea.

Thanks for all the info and tips!

[ace2735]

No problem. If you're not keen on the chicken just add a whey protein shake after working out and maybe one at night and you will hit 150g easy ).

Good luck looking forward to your update since you seem quite well researched for someone who has never lifted before