India, Feb. 8 -- For many in a Tamil household, the path to a six-pack could feel like it requires a choice: your fitness goals or your mother's cooking. But fitness coach Kagivan Prabaharan is proving that you can have your paruppu (lentils) - or at least a smarter version of it - and eat it too. Also read | How to lose weight with South Indian diet, according to fitness coach: 'Avoid idli and dosa, switch to low calorie...'

In an Instagram post he shared on February 5, Kagivan opened up about the exact nutritional blueprint he used to shed 50 pounds (22.6 kg) and reveal his abs, all while maintaining a diet rooted in his Tamil heritage. His message was clear: the problem isn't the culture, it's the 'system'.

Kagivan's transformation w...