30/10/2009

Hey all,

So we've been keeping up with it, of course with the added intervals in the run and soon we're gonna add a further 2 intervals, thus taking the run to 12 minutes.

Diet wise, we're sticking to it. It's funny, the rare occasion in the last few weeks that we've had anything with white carb or loaded with sugar, it's not been as great as we used to remember. I had a chocolate brownie sundae the other day as a treat and I could not get to the end of it.

Plus, protein just fills you up real well, keeps you going. White carbs just seems to get us hungrier faster. Guess that's proof.

I'll have another comparision photo up soon as I think there's been further progress, but we'll see what you all think when we load em' up.

Till then, keep on working!

Arivind

What's new?

Arivind: Well since wrapping up on the 6 weeks, we've kept going really. We're introduced 2 more sets of sprint/jog into the run, meaning it totals 11 minutes now. I am still keeping rigidly to the eating pattern though Sam is a little more relaxed about it.

I guess we'll probably post the progress with another picture come another 6 weeks or so.

The next challenge will be in December when we are both on holiday in Malaysia. The diet and food there is all about carbs, I will be keeping a food diary and blogging daily to prove that you can keep a pretty carb-free diet in an Asian country and run the challenge there as well!

Week 6, Day 6 : AND WE'RE DONE! :)

So here you go, un-Photoshopped pictures of us today, on the last day of the challenge, and what we looked like 6 weeks before:

BEFORE AFTER

BEFORE AFTER

Verdict: We are both noticeably leaner, fitter and more toned, whoop! HOWEVER, we are definitely not anywhere near marble-carved statue dude in the article who, if you remember, looks like this:

So FHM, sorry but whilst we are thrilled that you have made us both more sculpted you are still found officially guilty of exaggeration in the name of catchy headlines. Bad, bad mag! *slaps you on wrist*

In our humble opinion, the plan is actually a good one but 6 weeks is a severe underestimation of the time it takes to truly change your physique. Even at 5 times a week, 6 weeks means only a grand total of 30 workout sessions- does anyone out there really believe that a 6-pack, which you never possessed before, will suddenly pop out like an alien growth out of your middle after you exercise 30 times? Not unless you're on a hardcore course of protein supplements and/or steroids it won't. Sure, the pair of us are already seeing some very encouraging ab definition, but we believe it will take at least a couple of hundred sessions more before Arivind gets so dramatically cut he can pass for an Indian Ken doll. Perhaps "6 months + 6 steps = 6 pack", or even 1 year, would have been closer to the truth.

Furthermore, the article does not specify what physical condition it assumes you to be in when you start- we are both young, pretty fit, have previous experience with jumping about and know a thing or two about what's nutritious or not, and even then the results have been far subtler than claimed. What if the reader taking on this challenge had been a naive beer-gutted porker with a fondness for doughnuts whose idea of exercise is walking to the fridge? Yes, the public should be smarter than that, but we're guessing FHM's (and most magazines') headlines are aimed at the stupid ones. Tsk tsk, the shame!

Having said that, we both love the results thus far and fully intend to carry on beyond these 6 weeks (Sam: I am AGHAST at how dumpy I looked in my Before picture now that I have something to compare to, check out the saddlebags! Arivind: In all the time I spent in the gym prior to this challenge, I never saw improvement as rapid as I have seen on my core in the 6 weeks just past). There will be no more tedious business of a daily food diary, but at least one of us will blog roughly on a weekly basis so we can see how things pan out in 6 months time. We will also up the difficulty of the exercises and give a go at doubling the interval training (40 seconds sprint, 20 seconds jog etc), so that our progress doesn't plateau.

Most amusingly, our Before/After pictures have been impressive enough to convince Arivind's younger brother Rohan (who spent the last 6 weeks poking fun at our dietary restrictions and rigid workout schedule) to join us! He is a bit beer-gutted and doughnut loving himself, so it will be interesting to see how long he sticks to it :)

To FHM- we'd love to hear your thoughts, even if it's to find fault in how we interpreted/executed your plan. Do we get any sort of reward for our efforts? :)

THANKS FOR READING GUYS! :)

xx

Sam & Arivind

Final Day Meal Plan

Arivind
Breakfast (7.35am):
Half an orange
1 piece of wholemeal toast, lightly buttered
1 small glass orange juice*

11.20am: 1 cup decaf green tea

Lunch (1.30pm):
2 slices of wholemeal bread
6 thin slices of German sausage
1 tbsp non-fat cottage cheese
Homemade chilli paste
Handful of almonds
1 glass orange juice*
2 squares of dark chocolate

Snack (4.30pm):
Almonds

6.50pm: 1 cup decaf green tea

Dinner (7.40pm):
3 chargrilled chicken drumsticks, skinless
Carrots, broccoli and cauliflower

Samantha

Breakfast (11.40am):
Sip of orange juice*
1 egg, bit of brown rice and 3 thin slices of German sausage

Lunch (1.00pm):
2 rye crispbreads
1 baby avocado and bits of smoked salmon
1 mango

Snack (3.15pm):
Handful of almonds
1 apple
1 small slice of wholemeal bread with bits of smoked salmon

Dinner (7.40pm):
1 cup decaf green tea
3 chargrilled chicken drumsticks

Carrots, broccoli and cauliflower

9.45pm: 1 cup decaf green tea

*All juices are 100% not-from-concentrate, no sugar added.

Week 6, Day 5

Arivind

Breakfast (7.40am):
Cornflakes with 1% milk
1 small glass of orange juice*

Brunch (11.00am):
Stir fried diced turkey thigh with petits pois and a carpaccio dressing

Snack (4.22pm):
Handful of almonds

Snack (6.00pm):
1 orange
Small glass of 1 %milk

Dinner (7:30pm):
Turkey stir fried with carrots

Broccoli in sesame oil and soy dressing
1 cup decaf green tea

Snack (9:00pm):
Handful of almonds

Samantha
Breakfast (10.45am):
2 eggs and 1 tsp cottage cheese

1 banana and 1 slice wholemeal bread
1 small glass orange juice*

Lunch (2.00pm):
5 chicken breast strips

Snack (4.15pm):
1 orange

Snack (5.50pm):
1 rye crispbread and 1/2 baby avocado
4 thin slices German sausage
Handful of grapes

Dinner (7.30pm):
Turkey stir fried with carrots

Broccoli in sesame oil and soy dressing

Brown basmati rice
1 cup decaf green tea

Snack (9.00pm):
Handful almonds
2 small slices mango
1 apple

*All juices are 100% not-from-concentrate, no sugar added.

Week 6, Day 4

Arivind : So met up with a mate who was down from Malaysia today on holiday and since it was his first time in England, took him for traditional Sunday roast. I suspect, this may be the first time ever during the challenge that I've had some white carbs, but hey, I think a one off should be fine.

Breakfast (7:50am):
Cornflakes with 1% milk
1 small glass white grape juice*

Lunch (1:00pm):
3 pieces of grilled belly pork with savoy cabbage, peas, carrots, 2 new potatoes, 1 roasted potato, 1 Yorkshire pudding and gravy
1 Diet Coke

Snack (5:45pm):
1 orange

Snack (7:15pm):
2 pieces Weetabix with 1% Milk

Dinner (7:45pm):
Small bowl miso soup with sprinkling of brown basmati rice

8:40pm: 1 cup decaf green tea



Samantha: Left the new potatoes on my plate but ate the rest of my roast lamb lunch, so total white carbs= 1 roast potato and 1 Yorkshire pud. Ah well, made up for it by running a bit harder and having smaller nibbles later. I think I've acquired a taste for my own homemade roast meals, they always seem a bit bland in restaurants to me!

Lunch (1:00pm):
1 roast lamb shank
Carrots, peas, savoy cabbage, 1 roast potato and 1 yorkshire pudding
1 Diet Coke

Tea (4:20pm):
1 mug of hot mocha (made with cocoa powder, coffee, sweetener and 1% milk)
1 slice wholemeal bread

Small handful of salted peanuts

Dinner (7:15pm):
1 red apple
1/2 baby avocado and bits of smoked salmon on 1 rye crispbread
Brown basmati rice and miso soup with 1 egg and bits of white fish

Snack (8:30pm):
4 small squares of dark chocolate
1 cup decaf green tea

*All juices are 100% not-from-concentrate, no sugar added.

Week 6, Day 3

Arivind: My brother Rohan, not really the health freak, decided to come on the run today to "prove we were weak and anyone could do it". Suffice to say he collapsed after the warm-up jog, blaming it on the difficult cold winds. He claims he will try again on Day 4. We'll see. (Day 4: Haha he didn't!)

Breakfast (6:55am):

2 x weetabix with 1% milk

1 slice wholemeal toast, lightly buttered

1 glass orange juice*

Snack (10:35am):

Small handful almonds and roasted salted peanuts

Small glass red grape juice*

Brunch (10:50am):

Brown basmati rice

1 skinless chicken breast in curry with carrots and cauliflower

12:00pm: 1 cup decaf green tea

Snack (2:40pm):

Half glass of 1% milk

Handful of roasted salted peanuts

Dinner (4:45pm):

Brown basmati rice stir fried with turkey sausage and petits pois

Sam: Was working 5pm-11pm hence the weird early dinner and late snack. 3 more days!!

Breakfast (8:15am):

1 egg and 1 slice of wholemeal bread with bits of smoked salmon

1/2 glass decaf green tea

Snack (11:00am):

1 small glass apple juice

Handful salted peanuts

Brunch (11:25am):

1/2 skinless chicken breast in curry with carrots and cauliflower

Bit of brown basmati rice

Snack (3.40pm):

1 red apple

Tea (4pm):

1/2 skinless chicken breast in curry with carrots and cauliflower

Bit of brown basmati rice

Early dinner (4.30pm):

1 Pret salmon and salad sandwich on brown bread

1 tiny Itsu frozen yoghurt (shot-glass size) with sprinkling of blueberries

9.45pm: 1 Diet Coke

Late night snack (1am):

1 large bowl miso soup with 1/2 egg, 1/2 white fish fillet and sprinkling brown basmati rice

*All juices are 100% not-from-concentrate, no sugar added.

Week 6, Day 2

Arivind : Have found I might actually prefer doing the ab exercises BEFORE the run itself. Hmmm, why did this not occur to me earlier in the challenge.

Sam: Woke up very late, went to bed very early. Result of a bad day, long story. Also my thighs and bum are aching like hell from my keenness to impress at yesterday's audition.

Breakfast (7:15am):
Cornflakes with 1% milk
1 glass of orange juice

9:05am: 1 cup green tea

Lunch (12:00pm):
3 egg omelette with smoked salmon
1 slice wholemeal toast
1 tablespoon of cottage cheese
Handful of almonds and roasted salted peanuts

3:20pm: 1 glass Apple Juice

Dinner (7:30pm):
1 skinless chicken breast with a curry sauce
Petits pois with cottage cheese

8:45pm: Green Tea

Sam

Tea (4:15pm):
Handful of grapes and almonds
1/4 Nando's Peri-Peri chicken

Snack (6:45pm):
1 apple

7:30pm: 1 glass decaf green tea

WEEK 6! THE END DRAWS NEAR! :)

Sam: Starting a 6-day consecutive sprint to the finish line now! In addition to the 3-hour+ audition I had this morning I am feeling absolutely wiped out. Nonetheless I am also feeling fit and toned, definitely more sculpted in the midriff area but nowhere near even a three or four pack, much less six. Perhaps the headline should have read 6 steps + 6 months= 6 pack. How now FHM??

Will probably carry on with the exercises even after this challenge is over just 'cos they make me feel good, but looking forward to not having to make note of the exact time and portions of everything I eat.

Arivind: Tired and sleepy. Goodnight.

Arivind

Breakfast (6.40am):

1 bowl cornflakes with 1% milk

1 glass orange juice*

Lunch (12.10pm):

1 panfried pollock fillet with petits pois, non-fat cottage cheese and chilli paste

Snack (2pm):

Handful of almonds and roasted salted peanuts

Dinner (7pm):

3/4 Nando's Peri-Peri chicken

9.40pm: 1 cup decaf green tea

Sam

Breakfast (8am):

2 scrambled eggs with 1 tsp non-fat cottage cheese

Bits of smoked salmon

2 sips orange juice*

Snack (2.20pm):

1 red apple

Handful of almonds

Snack (3.45pm):

Handful red grapes

Dinner (7pm):

1/4 Nando's Peri-Peri chicken

8.45pm: 1 cup decaf green tea

10.45pm: 2 sips apple juice*

*All juices are 100% not-from-concentrate, no sugar added.