One Gulab Jamun is 30 Minutes Walk. One Samosa is Climbing 20 Floors - Why This Thinking is Wrong.

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times:

• “One gulab jamun = 30 minutes of walking.”
  
  
• “One samosa = climbing 20 floors.”
  
  

Sounds scientific, right? The intention might be to make people more calorie-aware, but here’s the truth — this mindset is flawed and harmful.

Food ≠ Punishment. Exercise ≠ Debt Repayment.

When we compare workouts with desserts and snacks as if they’re toxic substances, we’re doing two things wrong:

1. Degrading the food — making it seem like a villain instead of something that can be enjoyed in balance.
   
   
2. Turning exercise into a punishment — something you “have to do” because you “were bad” and ate a samosa.
   
   

By that logic:

• Climbing 20 floors = one protein shake
  
  
• 30 minutes of walking = 2 boiled eggs
  
  

Now you exercise with a purpose and then nourish your body.

The Real Roles of Food and Exercise

Let’s clear this up once and for all:

• Food is fuel. It gives your body energy, nutrients, and enjoyment. Each food — from a samosa to a salad — plays a role in your life.
  
  
• Exercise is not a calorie debt collector. It’s a tool to make your heart stronger, your muscles more capable, your mood better, and your longevity higher.
  
  

When we reduce exercise to just “burning off food,” we strip away all its actual benefits.

A Better Way to Think About It

Eat with awareness. Move with purpose.

• Enjoy a gulab jamun if you want one — just don’t build your diet around it.
  
  
• Exercise because you want a healthier body, not because you need to “pay” for what you ate.
  
  

Exercise is for your heart. Exercise is for your muscles. Let’s keep it that way.

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