Accenture executive’s remarkable 22 kg weight loss and how it began with a job interview

“For me, weight loss was not the end objective in itself but a desirable by-product of a complete shift towards a healthy lifestyle,” said Sundeep Singh, Managing Director – Strategy & Consulting Global Network of Accenture in India, who runs marathons.

Singh, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Kozhikode, has lost significant weight by running marathons. He has completed over 25 marathons and 300 half-marathons so far.

How did it all start?

Sundeep Singh began his fitness journey after interviewing a job candidate for his company in 2014. During the interview, the candidate shared his passion for running long distances, which sparked Singh’s interest in marathons. On that very day, he went for a run after work but could barely finish a kilometre.

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This experience became a turning point in Singh’s life as he realised the importance of being fit. He decided to train himself and signed up for the 2014 Delhi Airtel half-marathon, scheduled for the end of that year. He started running outdoors and focused on covering as much distance as possible. Although he was able to complete the 21-km run in two hours and 20 minutes, he felt the need to lose weight.

Singh’s weight loss journey: Shed 22 kg in two years

Driven by a desire to shed excess weight and adopt healthier habits, Singh embraced a rigorous training regime and consulted a dietician. He followed the age-old mantra of burning more calories than consuming.

Sundeep Singh when he weighed 94 kg.

“I made a conscious effort to do two things differently. First, I adjusted my eating habits. My usual favourite foods – cookies, ice creams, chips and aerated soft drinks – started giving way to poha, idlis, sprouts, muesli, fruits, curd, nuts, eggs, and more. Second, I made running an integral part of my daily routine,” Singh told HT.com.

He added, “I made it a point to run every day, even if it meant running late in the night occasionally.”

The diet, coupled with the run, helped him lose 22 kg in the next two years.

His first half-marathon

In November 2014, Singh completed his first half-marathon in one hour, 43 minutes and 7 seconds. In January 2015, he finished his first marathon in 4 hours, 14 minutes and 27 seconds.

Sundeep Singh running hard towards the finish line during the 2015 Delhi Airtel half-marathon.

Running for awareness: 100 days, 100 half-marathons

In 2019, when schools in Delhi were closed due to the rising pollution levels, Singh decided to raise awareness among the public. Regardless of where he was, be it a city, town or village, he would run every day in shoes and slippers to “advocate for our right to breathe”.

“It was a way to seek people’s attention, and then the idea was to push the right messages and best practices in that ‘window of attention’ through social media,” Singh told HT.com.

He further shared the motivation behind the 100 half-marathons: “Most people talk about it (air pollution), but don’t necessarily act on it. There are several actions that one can take in a personal capacity to help combat the air pollution challenge, but are people aware of these actions? Probably not, and that was my motivation behind initiating the 100 half-marathon campaign.”

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How did COVID-19 impact Singh’s run?

“The COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult phase in so many ways. I had to make several adjustments to my fitness regime,” said Singh.

He shifted his workout routine to focus more on body-weight exercises such as lunges, squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, and burpees. In addition, he started doing spot jogs in his home, which was a good substitute for running outdoors.

Singh also spoke about a memorable run from 2020.

“Occasionally, I also stepped out late at night or early in the morning. I remember one such night quite vividly (21st August 2020). It was a Friday evening. I hadn’t run for several weeks at a stretch, and I had a lot of pent-up energy. That night, I stepped out for a run and ended up running the whole night. I came back home in the morning after having run 100 km through the night,” he added.

Sundeep Singh runs 70 km a week outdoors over five days, putting in 20 km, 18 km, 14 km and 10 km and an 8 km recovery run.

Staying on track while managing a busy job

Singh expressed that he wanted to embrace a healthier lifestyle, and he “approached” it in the same way he would approach any “professional commitment”.

“I strongly believe there is no such thing as lack of time, only lack of intent. If something is a priority, one will be able to make time for it, no matter what. That’s exactly what happened in my case. Embracing a fitter lifestyle was a priority for me and I approached it the same way as I would approach any professional commitment,” Singh told HT.com.

He also said that he “blocks his calendar to eliminate the risk of missing out on the workout”.

Whenever he travels, he either carries his own food or munch on healthy food options.

At work, he takes occasional “walking breaks” and sometimes even takes calls while walking.

These actions, he believes, are “small and incremental” but have a significant impact if done consistently over time.

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Qualified for the Boston Marathon

Singh runs 70 km a week outdoors over five days, putting in 20 km, 18 km, 14 km and 10 km and an 8 km recovery run. He recently qualified for the Boston Marathon and plans to run it next year.

Ahead of the Boston Marathon, Singh is training to improve his “marathon timing”. His personal best for a full marathon is three hours and four minutes, and he is working to bring it down to below three hours within a year by following “basic training rules he has always followed”.

“It has been an exhilarating journey and I’ve been able to achieve this with the support of not only my family and friends but also my colleagues at Accenture,” he further said.

Besides being a sustainability professional and marathon runner, Singh is also an author. He has authored a book titled “Chasing the Horizon” and is writing his second book that captures lessons he has acquired from over ten years of commitment to fitness.

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