No steroid, no surgery, no sugar. Kartik Aaryan reveals how he lost 18 kgs following vegetarian diet, said one food was his ‘adversary’: ‘Used to eat like a robot…’

Kartik Aaryan recently went on a trip down the memory lane for his 2024 sports drama Chandu Champion. While the movie failed to do wonders at the box-office, Aaryan won rave reviews for his earnest performance in the role of India's first Paralympics gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar. Taking to Instagram, the actor recalled how he went from 90 to 72 kg to achieve a lean and sculpted physique for the role.

In a post shared on Instagram, Kartik Aaryan wrote, "Two years ago, I stepped into the shoes of a man the world had forgotten, and he ended up reminding me of everything I believed in. I'm not sure I've fully put it into words yet, but I'll try. This film isn't just about a man who refused to give up, it's about the scars that become medals, setbacks that become comebacks.

He added, "The 18 kilos I lost were nothing compared to everything I gained. #ChanduChampion is the most special film of my life. To play Murlikant Petkar, I had to become someone I'd never been before. Every early morning, every drop of sweat, every moment of self-doubt on set- it wasn't acting. It was living."


In a video titled ‘My Fitness Journey from 39% to 7% fat, the actor outlined his journey from looking flabby to chiselled. In the video, the actor is seen showing his very austere breakfast consisting of egg whites, blue berries. He explained that he ensures his meals are rich in antioxidants and fibres.

In an interview, Aryan elaborated on his diet for Chandu Champion. He stated that he gave up roti, rice, sweets, fast food like burgers and pizzas and included healthier options such as fruits and cauli-rice, beans, salads, tofus. He also said he followed the same ‘monotonous’ diet for 1.5 years.

“I experienced withdrawal symptoms when I made the decision to cut out sugar completely, recognizing it as my adversary,” he said. Initially, the actor found it was tough, and he succumbed to temptations, but after about 15 days, he began to appreciate the absence of sugar in his diet. “I realised that I didn’t need a sweet fix after every meal and that consuming sugar was detrimental to my health and well-being. This realisation wasn’t just for the sake of a film role; it became a personal conviction that indulging in sugar was detrimental to my own body. Over time, my mindset shifted, and I abstained from sugar entirely for a year and a half,” he said.

In an interview with Ranveer Allahabadia, the actor further opened up on his diet - he revealed it was all about clean eating and eating at the right time. He also stated he followed a vegetarian diet. His plate included healthy food options such as paneer, sprouts, plant-based proteins, focused on fibrous food and salads and soups such as tomato and broccoli soup.

“My food was specifically the same meal, I used to eat the same thing like a robot, like a machine..” he said.