It’s not often that celebrities break the smokescreen that shields the public from their rigorous diet regimes, intense exercise routines, hard work and even the sacrifice that goes into maintaining their public persona. Actor Imran Khan is one to not mince his words. Off late he has opened the doors wide to his life and shared candid anecdotes about his journey and his films. One such revelation sheds light on his body-image issues and his intense journey to bulk up, even consuming 6 meals a day with 4000 calories. Here’s more to it.
Imran Khan Shares His Battles With Body-Image Issues & Diet To Bulk Up
Imran Khan shared a candid post on Instagram with a shirtless picture of himself while shooting Kidnap, a before-after gym transformation pic and another where he looks skinny — a picture that sparked media attention and left fans concerned about his health. In the caption, he revealed that he is a hyper-metabolic person who has always been skinny., The type whose body burns through whatever he consumes.
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Even in his late teens, he recollects the time when his fellow peers bulked up but he wore shirts of size S and his sleeves were still loose. While he didn’t need to be muscular for his role in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, for Kidnap, he hit the gym and started bodybuilding.
The actor confessed to being insecure and wanting to have a heroic physique like other actors. For this, he consumed 6 meals a day of 4000 calories. His diet included chicken breast, sweet potato, egg whites, flax seeds, oats and whatnot. But they still weren’t enough to transform his body into the typical Hindi film masala hero. Imran Khan later admitted to supplementing his diet with whey protein, creatine, leucine, glutamine, L-carnitine and even anabolic steroids.
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It’s not easy for anyone in showbiz to admit to taking steroids, but Imran Khan is not like the others. His Insta post is one that breaks the illusions of the film industry. The I Hate Luv Storys actor shared his experience battling depression and taking a break from working out. This led to him thinning down and when photographed, it left him embarrassed and retreating into a shell.
The Internet Showers Him With Love & Support
But after a constant tussle with his body-image issues, the actor revealed he is doing better than ever now. Imran Khan is exercising with his old friend Praveen Tokas. Health now comes first in his life. What are the supplements he eats? It’s walnuts and turmeric! And while he is still a tad jealous of his contemporaries with superhero muscles, Imran Khan doesn’t feel bad about himself. Now that’s quite a start to body positivity, isn’t it?
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In no time, Imran Khan’s post attracted heartfelt comments from his fans and well-wishers. Many sought solace in his candidness and also confessed to feeling insecure about their bodies. Popular YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia commented “Brooo we love you and miss you! What do I have to do to host you on my podcast?” Singer Lisa Mishra called it “best post”. Actor Zayn Marie confessed to wondering if she was enough the way she was and Imran Khan’s post helped her decide she was.
Well, as an Imran Khan fan myself, his honest-to-God stories about his life and his battles have resulted in a close-knit community of his fans on Instagram. The respect and love is unparalleled.
Cover Image Courtesy: @imrankhan/ Instagram
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