From being loved as the lead on television with 140 kgs to 2 failed attempts at weight loss; Ram Kapoor gets candid about his transformation journey

Ram Kapoor recently astonished everyone by revealing his fit new look. His transformation has since inspired others on their own fitness journeys. However, shortly after his reveal, people began to speculate, accusing him of utilising weight loss supplements or undergoing surgery to lose weight. In an episode of Let's Talk With DevnaG, Ram Kapoor was asked about the secret behind his remarkable weight loss transformation. The actor also got candid about being successful on TV despite being overweight onscreen.

I was 140 kgs and now I am 85 kgs so yes, a half of me has disappeared. It is very easy, if you don't give a damn about anything you become 140 kgs. I was lucky enough to be accepted as an actor even though I was huge. When you are 140 kg nobody sees your looks, they see your belly. A very big director, when I said I wanted to transform myself, he said, 'You have a very strong brand as a huge guy. The only person who was loved and accepted in the Industry as a huge guy was Amjad Khan. If you are changing yourself then you are taking a risk.' He was right, but I did this for myself.

Yes, I character acted in Films and other platforms but on TV, which I was for 15 years, I was the lead. Even though I was huge, every other TV actor was fit, good-looking, and had six-pack abs. Yet, I was accepted and loved and I will never be able to thank my audience for loving me like that. And because I catered to them, I kept putting on weight and didn't care much. I was enjoying my career and the love I received. They made me a household name, they made me a brand. They gave me everything, today my children are enjoying a lifestyle that I gave them because of my audience.

Long back, I had said to my family that for my career I would stay this huge but I cannot stay this unhealthy for forever. I have children, I have to set the right example for them and I want to live as long as I see them grow, and see my grandchildren. Doing something for your career is different but at some point, you have to prioritize yourself. I had set a goal that at 50, I was going to get fit and I did that.

I started about a year and a half back and have managed to lose 55 kgs till now. Initially six months I was doing very well, but then I had a very bad fall, and my shoulder got screwed. I had to undergo stage 3 surgery, followed by 8 months of physiotherapy. So, everything on the weight loss front stopped, it was those six months and another six months after that helped me transform

I never took Ozempic or any other drug for weight loss, neither did I do bariatric surgery, but does any of that matter? However, it is not wrong to do any of that because people do so to become a better version of themselves. So people who seek the help of Ozempic, or other means to lose weight aren't wrong. They can do what is right for them. None of this is important.

People said that I had bariatric surgery, but then why would I hide it? What I did was, for 5 years before I achieved this, I went on a massive weight loss journey and shed 30 kgs, then I put it back on again twice. This helped me learn what I should not do, then I would stay up all night and read books by experts, and watch podcasts and I figured that there are two kinds of people in this world, one who cares about their fitness and health, and people who don’t.

I now eat twice a day, once between 10:30 and 11 am and the second time at about 6:30 pm. Nothing in between so 8 hours in the day and 16 hours at night. 45 minutes of cardio, 45 minutes of strength training, how much liquid are you taking? And yes, sleep is also extremely important.

I am a respected character actor today, if I stay professional and have a good attitude it is more important than the talent. People will always want to work with you only when you are good at your job, you are professional and not a problem to others. And that is when one get respected and I get to choose my roles then I get a chance to retire whenever I want.