What made me write this is because I have observed many times that when it comes to fitness/ better lifestyle choices, be it lifting weights, running, cycling, swimming, Zumba, aerobics, yoga, pilates combined with habits of eating nutrient-rich food, I see people who are not into any of this giving a very little respect to someone who is trying hard to stick to their performance goals. What hurts me to say is the respect is actually not shown (indirectly and maybe unintentionally) by your loved ones and dear ones [friends and family]

Case in point- A family friend came to my place, maybe had some beer followed by daal bhaat and he was offered a Low Carb Cupcake by my family and oh boy he loved it. The smile on his face was not fading as he gluped one more. Doesn’t seem anything wrong happened here, does it? But here lies the problem..

If the relative/ friend or your family member had an ounce of respect towards the fact that someone in the house is on some diet, he would’ve humbly declined the offer by saying, " I’m not on any diet, I can enjoy the sugar infused cupcakes anytime and let the ones trying to stick to this lifestyle enjoy the warmth of it”. How many times do you recall anyone ever saying that? I bet none..

This clarity lacks because of an obvious reason that they have never ever followed any nutrition plan to change their body composition in favour of more muscle and less bodyfat geared towards physical performance. Forget the diet, I bet they might not have even squatted with an empty 7 feet barbell their entire life. In a nutshell, they don’t know the sacrifices a fit individual makes to achieve their goals.

A regular sugar loaded cupcake may cost around 50 Indian Rupees to 100. A Low Carb Cupcake would cost roughly around 275. So the price difference is about 3 times higher. The difference in price is because the ingredients and processes used to make them are different. A normal cupcake is made up of All purpose flour, baking powder, essences, sugar, chocolate etc which is damn cheap. Sugar/ simple carbohydrates as a category itself are extremely cheap to buy but also deadly. Metabolic syndrome, ranging from Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer etc are caused by elevated blood sugar levels throughout our lives.

A Low carb cupcake [which I’m about to finish 😜] is made up of things like Lindt Dark Chocolate [90% Cacao] , Casein/Whey Protein, Fresh cream etc which costs a bomb and is very much challenging to make, not to mention, the continuous refrigeration it needs. The result is you end up having less than 5 grams of sugars/carbs per cupcake with quality protein and good fats which will surely satisfy your taste buds. Now you know why the cost goes up so much.

But this is not about money. It's about valuing your decision by that dear one. A decision you consciously took which will not just transform you, but also keep all the metabolic disorders at bay. They can party all day all night, get wasted, eat junk.. But hey that’s their decision and we never tell them what to do and what not to do. It's their life and we respect their choices no matter how fatal they are. Things, like drinking and smoking or even eating junk like cereals or slices of bread and rice, have gathered so much social sanctioning that nobody bats an eye. Be on some good eating habits and everyone has an opinion as to how you are wrong in so many ways or challenging the mere necessity of it in your life.

So the next time you or your family member offers some of your “DIET FOOD” to your loved ones.. ask yourselves with all due respect to them, “are they really worthy of it? ” and the answer your heart will resoundingly shout is a big NO! Tell them to be in your shoes for a day or to and follow the eating/training habits you are following. They won’t even last for a day and in no time, they’ll be back to a pint of their favourite beer.

Understand us. Understand what we go through. Understand how we can’t just go to any eatery and order anything we crave for like you do. Understand we work our ass off on the gym floor. Understand the gravity of it and be a little supportive. That's all I would like to say..

I want you to forward this blog to every close friend and relative of yours. Let them read it and not undermine your lifestyle choices. I hope and pray that after reading this, they shall #RespectTheFit !