As we all set out to stick to our New Year’s resolutions (or ongoing goals) to commit to a healthier lifestyle, it’s helpful to have some inspiration. Dee Gautham, an Indian millennial who lives in San Francisco and is a certified personal trainer, runs a popular fitness account on Instagram and inspires the young women around her. We don’t very often see many South Asian women dedicated to health and fitness, so it was nice to get a fresh perspective from Dee:

1. When did you realize you wanted to be a fitness guru?

I didn’t set out to be a fitness guru. I just started my Instagram page because it felt like I was the only girl in the weights section. Many girls avoid it because they think it makes them bulky, but that’s just a common misperception. There is a fear of going in there, not knowing what to do, and it’s full of dudes.

2. How has staying healthy and inspiring others helped you in other parts of your life?

Fitness helps me push myself mentally. Pushing yourself physically pushes you mentally too. Staying healthy has given me more confidence at work and in meetings.

3. Who are some other fitness stars that you look up to?

Kayla Itsines, Sumeet Sahni, and Shannon Michelle.

4. Growing up, did you know that this is something you wanted to do?

Not at all! But I do think that it’s exciting to be able to share this with other people.

5. A very popular belief is that it’s harder for Indian girls and women to have abs. What’s your opinion on this?

Definitely not! Abs are made in the kitchen. We blame it on genetics, but everyone has abs and they’re just hiding under a layer of fat. As women, we tend to lose weight in our hips and stomach last, but you just need to keep persisting. You have to work smart, not just hard.

Another false belief is that doing crunches will give you abs, but crunches only build stomach muscle. They don’t help you shed fat. I usually don’t even do crunches at the gym. Focusing on full body moves helps you burn a lot of calories at once and give you more bang for your buck.

6. Indian food tastes amazing without a doubt, but it’s one of the least healthy cuisines. How do you balance the appreciation for culture with your healthy lifestyle?

I make a lot of Indian recipes but I try to use less oil. I’ll also swap paneer for tofu. Indian food is unique in that we have many spices for flavor and don’t need to use a lot of butter or oil. On my website, I made a blog post about how to lighten up Indian cooking. Indian food tends to be protein deficient, so I try to incorporate eggs, tofu, and soy protein when I can.

7. If there is one piece of advice you could give to other young women, what would that be?

Don’t worry so much about what others think of you! Whether that’s at the gym or in your life outside, you should be happy with yourself.