Sheezan Khan on being fit: A fast-paced lifestyle and a healthy diet can go hand in hand

Actor Sheezan Khan shatters the myth that a fast-paced life can only work with fast food, and an unhealthy lifestyle. He says that a proper routine and meaningful eating can go a long way.

“My fitness funda is simple. Firstly, I understand the way I need to change my body. Till now, I have changed my physique many times depending on my projects. So, I have given up on roti's but I do eat and rice and oats and focus on chicken, veggies and all the sort of protein that I can get,” he says.

He adds, “I believe that a fast-paced lifestyle and a healthy diet can go hand in hand. I've been doing it for the past 10 years. Now, let's say you go to McDonald's. If you look at it economically, one meal at McDonald's would cost you around 330 rupees. For the same price, you can get healthy food. So, the idea that fast-paced living is an excuse is something I only see with lazy people. Every year, they make resolutions like going to the gym, but they never go. Those who lack the motivation can never make it or stick to it. Living a disciplined life isn't about one day; it's a commitment for a lifetime. You don't need a special occasion to follow it, and if someone is dedicated, they will do it no matter the situation.”

Talking about mental fitness, he says, “Physical fitness is one thing that's for appearance, but I've said before that if you're mentally not well, if you're not mentally healthy, then working out at that time or doing a workout won't do you any good. It won't help you grow. I said this in a simple science way in an interview: If you're not mentally happy, your body won't respond to the workout or the diet you're giving it. You have to keep your stress level at a very grounded level. It's easy to say but a bit difficult to do. But once you understand that stress is the biggest root of every disease, every problem that happens to a person, then one of the main reasons for stress, you need to be as stress-free as possible. I also do it, like sometimes when we all have bad days. So, I also don't feel like going to the gym or doing something hard. That happens on very rare conditions, like when something big has happened or the situation has gotten out of control, that's when I do something like not going to the gym on that day. On that day, I eat something good instead so that my mind feels good, my body feels good. You should have the ultimate goal in life to be happy. So, you don't have to push yourself too hard in a difficult job. It's important to stay happy, eat well, and in a good environment, make yourself grow.”

Ask him what is the toughest part of maintaining a fitness regime, and he says, “The toughest part would be honestly to figure out, and taking out time to go and work out because of the long shoot hours becomes very difficult. So it is very important to lead a disciplined life. I can't party all night. If you really want to have a good physique, you need to have a proper routine. That's how you can achieve it.”