MUMBAI: Pakistan-origin actor-comedian Kumail Nanjiani struggled with body dysmorphia after a new diet and exercise regime gave him an entirely new physique.

Nanjiani stunned the world when he unveiled his new look in 2019. In an interview with Men's Health magazine, he shared he found it hard to accept his drastically-changed appearance, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"I don't want to discount people who genuinely have debilitating body issues. I don't have that. But I did start getting some body dysmorphia. I'd look in the mirror and I'd see my abs - and when I looked again, they would fade. I would just see the flaws," he said.

However, once he went public with his new body, Nanjiani found it really helpful to see the reaction from his fans on social media.

"When I saw that reaction was when I was like, 'Okay, I clearly don't see what's actually there. It's something I'm trying to be aware of and be better at, because that's not a good way to be. You want to be easy on yourself," he said.

Nanjiani's new workout regime includes electric shocks to his biceps to get his muscles moving. Diet-wise he tried various ways of eating, such as paleo and fasting, before he began to plateau - at which point he took "all of the lessons I've learned from all of them combined".

And despite initially disliking his workout sessions, he now enjoys them and said his "mood brightened" the last time he hit the gym.