“Until one day I was rushed to the hospital emergency room, I kept thinking, “Someday I'll lose weight, someday I'll be healthy.'' As I lay in the hospital bed, I decided to take charge of my own health. I still remember the moment clearly.
“It was the wake-up call I needed,” says Agarwala, a native of India who has lived in Singapore for the past seven years. At the time, he was obese, reaching his highest weight of 151.7 kilograms (334 pounds) in February 2021.
After visiting the emergency hospital, he continued to lose another 71.1 kilograms, and by February 2023, his weight was down to 80.6 kilograms. In the process of losing almost half his weight, he dropped four shirt sizes from 3XL to M.
He also suffered from body image issues and lacked self-confidence.
“By November 2021, I was off all my medications. My cholesterol and blood pressure are now normal, I'm off my sleep apnea machine, and I'm not pre-diabetic,” he says.
Agarwala grew up in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, playing cricket, soccer, badminton, and table tennis. It wasn't until the start of his career that he started gaining weight, he developed unhealthy eating habits and didn't exercise.
“Business was stressful with long hours,” said Agarwala, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is co-founder and CEO of real estate technology platform REA India.
His physical transformation began with three weekly strength training sessions with trainer Ahmad Zaki of fitness company Ultimate Performance.
“I started by walking along the river, but soon I started walking everywhere, from running errands to helping around the house,” says Agarwala, who has also started hiking.
Zaki said Agarwala's original goal was to lose just 50 kg.
The initial goal was to get Agarwala's heart rate up. To increase conditioning and muscle mass, he used a prowler (a weighted push sled).
Squats, leg presses, and shoulder presses continued, and as the weight began to drop, the focus shifted to body composition training to maximize muscle and fat burning.
Agarwala found the training difficult, and there were days when she had little motivation to go to the gym.
“At the time, I used visualization to imagine what it would be like to be healthy and the positive results it would bring to my life. I took weight loss as a personal challenge. “I made it my primary goal to 'recover my health,'” he says.
“Failure was not an option.”
Although he sold the company the previous year, he remains the company's chief executive officer. His stress level has decreased and his work schedule has become more flexible.
'6-8 pints a day': How a beer lover lost 60kg after a stroke and liver disease
'6-8 pints a day': How a beer lover lost 60kg after a stroke and liver disease
Agarwala also skips breakfast and drinks a protein shake after a gym session. For lunch, 200-300ml of dal, 150-180g of cooked vegetables, Bethan Roti, an Indian flat bread made from chickpea flour.
Health is the starting point for success in work and life
“I used to have 10 to 12 drinks a week with friends, but my drink of choice was red wine or whisky. I've been alcohol-free for 18 months,” says Agarwala, who now drinks 10 to 12 drinks a week. Limit it to 1-2 cups.
After 4 months of exercising, he lost 20 kg.
“I also felt a lot lighter and had more energy. This inspired me to work even harder,” he added.
In 2023, he started running and swimming, alternating between 5km (3 miles) runs and 30-minute swims three times a week.
“The best part about losing weight was changing my wardrobe so many times that I was finally able to wear the clothes I had always wanted to wear.
The secret to losing weight: How a Hong Kong dad lost weight and kept it off
The secret to losing weight: How a Hong Kong dad lost weight and kept it off
“I'm happy with myself. I maintained my weight loss by raising the bar on my fitness level and never believed I had achieved my goal.”
Mr. Agarwala's wife, Upasana, was very supportive.
“My wife has always been healthy and has tried to help me lose weight for years. She has been innovative in gulping down delicious, low-calorie meals.
“When we were invited to dinner by a friend, she called the host ahead of time to see if there was anything on the menu I could eat.”
He said he looks healthier than his wife now.
Her 18-year-old son Viraj has also lost excess weight, dropping 40 kg from 130 kg in the past year.
“My father was a role model for me. Perhaps the fact that he was overweight and that it didn't get in the way of his success subconsciously taught me that it was okay to be overweight. I guess he made me believe it,” says Viraj.
“Seeing him make this change and how much of a positive difference it made in his life inspired me to make fitness a priority.”
Agarwala's advice for people wanting to lose weight is to ask yourself if you really want to lose weight, and then measure your process and progress.
He lost 25 kg through diet and exercise before beating cancer twice.
He lost 25 kg through diet and exercise before beating cancer twice.
Health, he says, is the starting point for success in work and life. “You are in control of what you measure.”
