Week 3- Day 1

Sam: No more swelling of the ankle so decided to just go for it today and save the precious one day off this week for later! Am getting better at the exercise wheel, rolling pretty far out now (though still nowhere near as flat as the guy on YouTube) and can comfortably manage 2 sets of 12.

Am typing this close to midnight- my last meal was about 4 hours ago and I am now STARVING. I have concluded that I am by nature one of those naughty night-time nibblers.... unfortunately we've run out of almonds, peanuts, eggs or any high-protein snack in the kitchen so I can't go nibble on anything now anyway. Sigh... will just have to go to bed and wake up to restock at Asda.

Just realised that by the end of this week we'd already be halfway through the entire challenge! Hmm no real noticeable difference in either of our abs yet. Tsk tsk... FHM, it's not looking good!

Arivind

8.30am- 1 glass orange juice*

Snack (11.10am):

Small bowl of granola with no milk

Lunch (1.45pm):

Lots of homemade roast chicken, skinless

Few florets broccoli

Handful of granola

4pm- 1 glass orange juice*

Dinner (7.15pm):

1 low-fat turkey sausage

1 sunny-side up egg (in a touch of olive oil)

Few slivers of roast chicken

1 cup green tea

Sam

Breakfast (11.45am):

1 banana

2 tbsp frozen non-fat yoghurt

Handful of salted peanuts (unfortunately we're out of unsalted almonds)

Snack (1pm):

1/2 a small mango

Lunch (2pm):

Roughly 1/4 roast chicken

Few florets broccoli

1 1/2 egg whites (or rather, my failed attempt at sugar-free meringues... must try again)

1 cup green tea

1 pear

Sips of pink grapefruit juice*

Snack (4pm):

1 cup green tea

Handful salted peanuts

1 small white flesh peach

Dinner (7.30pm):

1 low-fat turkey sausage

Sunny-side up egg (in a touch of olive oil)

1 small mango

1 cup green tea

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

Week 2, Day 5 Which Turned Into An Off Day

Sam: Today someone dropped a huge tray of crockery at work which bashed into my left ankle, thereby causing bruising and swelling and an inability to run. Bollocks.

Arivind: Ah well, check out the weekly video round-up to hear more.

Week 2, Day 4

Arivind: Wow that went by fast, Day 5 already tomorrow. Run was a little tough today, I think muscle fatigue may be kicking in. A reminder not to do this 5 days in a row.

Sam: Amen to that! My body is protesting like hell, especially on days when I'm also having auditions/castings and not sleeping early enough due to the presence of house guests. Working an 8-hour shift tomorrow- let's see how that works out. Grrr. Must. Battle. Through.

Arivind
Breakfast (8.45am):
3 eggs scrambled
1 glass red grape juice*

11.00: 1 glass green tea

Lunch (1.00pm):
Can of mackerel in spicy tomato sauce

Snack (6.20pm):
6 tablespoons frozen non-fat yoghurt with mango pieces

Dinner (6.45pm):
5 pieces of skinless chicken in homemade massaman curry (no coconut milk)
Stir-fried cabbage
1 glass green tea

Snack (8.35pm):
Bits of mango (left on seed)

Handful of roasted almonds

Sam

Breakfast (10am):

1 banana

Snack (11.30am):

1 apple

Handful of roasted almonds

Lunch (2pm):

1 small pack Itsu low-carb salmon & tuna tartare salad (with rocket and pickled ginger)

1 cup Pret miso soup

Handful of roasted almonds

Snack (3pm):

1 small mango

Dinner (6.30pm):

1/2 cup frozen non-fat yoghurt with sprinkling of almonds and granola

4 small pieces skinless chicken in homemade massaman curry (no coconut milk)

Stir-fried cabbage

1 medium portion brown basmati rice

2 cups hot green tea

Sips of pink grapefruit juice*

Snack (9.45pm):

1 scoop frozen non-fat yoghurt with sprinkling of cocoa powder

Handful of roasted almonds

Week 2-Day 3

Sam: I really want a Krispy Kreme doughtnut. Am also slowly tiring of chicken.

Brunch (11.30am):

Japanese chicken salad with avocado

1 cup green tea

Pink grapefruit juice*

Snack (1pm):
1 homemade chickpea pattie

Few almonds

1 apple

Snack (6pm):

30g dried mango

Handful of almonds

Dinner (7pm):

2 pieces chicken, skinless

Snack (9.45pm):

Handful of almonds

Sip pink grapefruit juice*

1 cup decaf green tea

Arivind

Breakfast (8.15pm):

1 apple

1 medium glass tropical juice*

Snack (10.30am):

Small bowl of cornflakes with 1% milk

Lunch (11.45pm):

4 homemade chickpea patties

Few strips smoked salmon

1 teaspoon chilli sauce

Snack (1.30pm):

Handful of almonds

1 medium glass white grape juice*

Snack (3.15pm):

1 bowl brown rice with a small tablespoon of chilli oil and Reggae Reggae sauce

Handful of granola

Dinner (6.45pm):

Two grilled lamb chops, fat-removed (marinated in Reggae Reggae sauce)

1 mini corn-on-the-cob, boiled

10pm: 1 cup iced green tea

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

Week 2-Day 2: Worst Day So Far

Arivind: The late night with lots of guests over last night meant waking up very late, which in turn has botched the meal plan today. As you can see I only had lunch and a late snack. Do not know how detrimental this is going to be to the overall impact of the plan. Am considering replacing these 2 days towards the end of the programme.

Sam: More cranky, more tired, larger headache than yesterday. Ploughed my way through all the running and exercises, ate well where I could but ditto to Arivind's screwy meal plan. Overall feeling very pissy. Goodbye, speak tomorrow!

Sam

1.15pm: Sip of juice

Lunch- 2.30pm-4.30pm (meal out with large group of friends):

Large portion coleslaw (less mayo)

1 full rack baby back ribs (with minimal sauce)

Diet Pepsi

1 cup frozen low-fat low GI yoghurt, with sprinkling of granola and peaches

Snack (7.30pm):

Green tea

1 apple

10pm: 1 cup decaf green tea

Arivind
Lunch- 2.30pm-4.30pm (meal out with large group of friends):
1/2 roast chicken, Pulled Pork & Grilled Smoked Sausages

1 small portion coleslaw easy on the mayo
1 Diet Pepsi Can
3 small teaspoons frozen low-fat low GI yoghurt, with sprinkling of granola and peaches

Snack (9.15pm)
1 apple
1 cup green tea

Week 2-Day 1

Arivind: Everything was really good today, other than the frequency of meals due to being out the whole day. Felt loose and limber and did not seem to struggle at all. Sam says I'm not doing it properly. I say she's just jealous she's stiff like an old maid.

One problem though. Beginning to really see how the 6 meals can be tough when you need to go out. I was out from 6pm till 10pm today for a gig, meaning there was no chance in getting the 6 meals in, plus having a midnight snack (however healthy), is not ideal in my mind.

All in all had a late night.

Breakfast (8.40am)
3 Weetabix with 1% Milk
Small glass orange juice*

Snack (11.15am)
Handful of almonds
Red grape juice*

Lunch (2.00pm)
3 pieces grilled chicken, skins off. Marinated in Jerk and Tabasco
1 lamb rib, fat discarded
Green tea
1 apple

Midnight dinner (12.08am)

1 fillet Adobo salmon

Red grape juice*

Sam: Exhausted to the bone and cranky. Three consecutive days of overwork, lots of house guests to entertain, hardly being home and far too little sleep = failure to adhere to this rigid meal schedule properly.

Breakfast (11am):

1 small bowl cornflakes with sprinkling of almonds and granola (and 1% milk)

2 chicken wings, skinless

1 pear

Few sips juice*

Lunch (2pm):

2 pieces chicken Adobo

Small portion of brown basmati rice

1 cup hot green tea

Snack (6pm):

1 piece chicken Adobo

Sprinkling of brown basmati rice

Dinner (8pm):

Lots of salmon/bit of tuna sashimi

1 chicken skewer

Salad with cooked salmon chunks

Diet Coke

Late Night Snack (1-2am):

Few slices sashimi + seaweed salad

1 apple

2 cups green tea

Day 7 - FHM Has Found Us!

This message from @FHM_UK on Twitter today made our day: "We'll see your Ultimate Abs Plan challenge @riptjoint, and we'll raise you: http://tinyurl.com/mxhb9x"

You're on FHM! Thank you for the good-humoured acceptance of our desire to rubbish your credibility and may the best man (or woman, or men's mag) win :)

Our Week 1 Video Round-Up:

Arivind: OK, so they are praying for my "abs to explode". Holy shit this just got really serious.

Failed to have 6 meals today- Sam may be right actually. Really enjoyed the run though, and aiming to up the sprint to be even harder next week by giving 110%. Leg lifts are getting easier, but have to be careful when doing the bicycle sit-ups so as to not rush it and not get the full effect.

Funnily enough, beginning to dig the wheel and looking forward to getting into it with more sets and more reps.

The FHM plug has stoked me even further, so game on mofo!

Breakfast (8.20am)
Bowl of pistachios
1 glass tropical juice*

Snack (11.00am)
Dried mango

Lunch (12.45pm)
Half a Nando's chicken with Extra Hot Peri Peri, skinless
1 glass iced water
1 glass iced Diet Coke

6.30pm- Green tea

Dinner (7.45pm)
Baked cod fillet (with soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice and sprinkling of peanut-chilli-vinegar-kaffir lime leaf mix)
1 glass iced green tea

Sam: "We agree that Sam probably won't"... hmm, if I were a touchy feminist I'd think FHM was being sexist. What they likely meant was that women such as myself cannot/should not/better not end up looking like Muscle Man in the article, but I have decided to view this statement as a callous dismissal of my abilities based on my womanhood. Therefore I am now prodded into proving myself. Whoop!

Breakfast (8.30am):

2 Chinese-style sunny side up eggs (with bit of olive oil, soy sauce and white pepper)

Sip of pink grapefruit juice*

Lunch (12.45pm):

1/4 Nando's chicken with Medium Peri-Peri, skinless

1 glass iced Diet Coke

Snack (2pm):

Handful almonds and salted peanuts

1/2 mango

2 cups green tea

Dinner (7.45pm):

1 nectarine

Baked cod fillet (with soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice and sprinkling of peanut-chilli-vinegar-kaffir lime leaf mix)
1 cup green tea

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