Read this inspiring fat-to-fit story

A double-take-meets-a-back-flip is what you would do if you were told the buffman walking into a quaint French restaurant in Bandra was in fact obese just a few years ago. "Sandeep Sachdev," is what he introduces himself as, flashing a bright smile with a hint of a dimple.

He flips through the photographs on his phone. No, he was not just chubby or a pudgy flub-a-dubs at the age of 25. That, we could have handled. Neither had he worked enough in his life for him to have earned the right to over eat and drink bottom less pitchers of beer. His birthday cake, it would have been deep-fried if he had it his way. His friends nicknamed him "fatty" a moniker that still sticks with him as he waddled around, dead set on decimating Delhi's food supply before making his move to Andheri in Mumbai seven years ago.

Having acted in Inkaar, been part of Khatron ke Khiladi and now waiting on his forthcoming reel to release, Sachdev is an Economics student who left his career in banking to take part in The Biggest Loser in 2007. The reality show saw contestants come in and lose as much weight as they could to eventually win the prize of being the 'biggest loser'–possibly the only positive connotation of the word 'loser', we would say. "I was overweight and after having been called 'fatty' for much too long and being shunned by women, I figured it was time I saw a chiselled jawline on my face!"shares Sachdev. Now a marathon-runner, a nutrition expert, a fitness consultant and avid gym-goer, his love for food and the occasional beer, however, "can never be pushed aside," he admits. His tender spot for overweight people is also incontestable: "Whenever I see someone who is overweight and is battling to step out of the house because of the social stigma, I cannot help but feel like I would love to help them lead healthier lifestyles," shares Sachdev.

He often gives tips through his blog to people looking for help to lose weight and motivates others to run marathons as motivation to stay in good shape. "There is no doubt that training for a marathon is daunting. You also need to stay healthy by sticking to complex carbohydrates for energy and cutting out simple carbs and sugar. Add daily workouts to that routine of course," elaborates the young man. Sachdev adds that when he loses the motivation to run, he thinks of the people in his life he would love to run for, "That keeps me going in my toughest moments!"

As we listen to Sachdev and marvel over his obsessive need to stay fit, we cannot help but ask, "So, what is your situation with women now?" A rib-cracker clearly, as he chuckles and winks at our audacity. Sachdev explains, "Dating is clearly no more a problem! When I had just lost weight,the idea of having women flocking to me was exciting but today as it has all fizzled out and the novelty of it has disappeared, what remains is the need for me to stay healthy. Being fit has greatly impacted my mental and physical health!"

Sandeep "Fatty" Sachdev stands strong today, having completed the Mumbai marathon just last month. A real-life story of a 'loser' and yet a winner, with a chiselled jawline to go with it.