GOQii

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“I learnt to listen to myself and understand my own body. I do not force myself to do anything”

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He has never had any fitness regime. He says he has had more ailments and has been on medication for the last 3 years. As a result of the medications his body weakened and could not fight back. He has also been subject to constant back pains. Above all this he has a sedentary work life. All day long he sits at his desk and his weight had started going up. He never cultivated any good habits nor was he aware of any. There were zero activity levels. Bottom line- he had constant health issues. But, last 5 months there has been a drastic change within Anthony Soares who has started walking the path of fitness and is more positive about life. He has managed to get his health back on track—one step at a time. Let’s hear it from him what changed him.  

I will soon turn 40 and I realised that I needed to get over a lot of issues. I need to physically be able to lead a better and healthy life in the future.

I have constantly been subject to some medical issues and been on regular medication. I was also on the heavier side and was unhappy about myself overall. I was looking for something that could help me get my basic health in place. I knew of fitness bands that help measure everything and lets you adjust your habits to get the results you want.

I started researching for the same and I was convinced to go for the MI band but unfortunately, it was out of stock. And then I stumbled upon GOQii which was slightly higher in price. I remembered a friend wearing GOQii band and I asked her for more information it. Once I understood how it works and that it came with a coach who can help you make the changes, I was convinced to go for it.  At the point when I took the band, I realised it is a good replacement for my watch.

I started with a 3 months plan. I had no goals clear in my head to achieve. I was expecting some miracle to happen with GOQii. My coach Tarun Arora then explained how I will need to change my habits and work hard to achieve my goals. She explained everything in detail to me and what I needed to do.

I started with running and interval training. Within a month of starting to run I participated in the 5 km ILFS run and hurt my knee badly.The moment I hurt myself, my coach and the doctor advised me not to run for at least a month until the pain completely vanishes. I was not very happy initially but, I realised if I followed their advice I would only get better.

Initially, when I got the band I was clueless about having any goals then I realised it was important to have a goal. My goal was to lose weight. Initially, I thought I should lose about 3-4 kilos. I have always been above 90 roughly plateauing around 94 kilos. In the last two decades, I have been maintaining my weight between 90-94.

After I came on GOQii, I have lost weight purely through right nutrition and exercise. I now weigh 87 kilos within a span of 4 months. I was last at 87 kilos when I got married 9 and a half years ago. So, I can now proudly say that I am back to my old self- looking good. I can tell the difference in myself the moment I started doing more activities. I feel so much more energetic in the morning and I am also mentally more focussed and strong all day long.

The other habit changes that I brought about within me is to drink 2 litres of water daily and do some interval training. This was then improvised by adding proteins to my breakfast and fruits as an evening snack. Then I was introduced to having dates before my run. When I was away from running for a while due to the knee injury, my coach gave me other exercises to do. I also started on having 1 teaspoon apple cider every day.

I am a foodie and it is really difficult to break old habits. But, a lot of what I do now I am aware of it. I have also realised that anything in excess is very bad. Moderation is key I was told by my coach. I have reduced my intake on butter and cheese. At one point I used to have these so often but, now I have it occasionally. I eat mindfully when I got to a restaurant.

From doing nothing at all, I now try to work out all 7 days of the week. If that is not possible then 5 days a week is for sure. My workout includes 3 times cardio and twice a week yoga. I also give my body enough rest. You cannot play around with your body. You have to give it 7 hours sleep daily and have to give it enough nutrition and water.

Being on the GOQii platform I have learnt to train myself to do various things. There is no magic pill that is being given to you. You have to work hard. The first thing I learnt to do is listen to myself and understand my own body. I do not force myself to do anything. If I cannot run one day that day I try and do Yoga instead. I am learning.

People around me especially my family was very surprised at the change I took to. Initially, my family was not very comfortable. They wondered was is this GOQii?  They were not very positive about what I was doing and the changes I was making or had made.

They were surprised that I had started eating fruits because prior to GOQii we never had fruits regularly. But, now over a period they have gotten used to my habits and do not say anything now. They have noticed that I have reduced considerably but, they do not ask how why etc etc…However, they are not too convinced with the changes I have made.

What matters to me is how I feel? Honestly, over the last 5 months, I feel much healthier and positive. I look better, my shoulders are not drooping. The best part now is I have the strength to lift my 4-year-old son when we go to the market and I do not stress about it like I did earlier. I am glad that things that I was not able to do or were not doing earlier I am doing them now.

Thanks to GOQii, I have become very active in life. Apart from running, I have now joined for a Salsa class. I am also planning to start playing a sport. Close to 20 years of my life all I did was just study and then work. Now, at 40 I want to live my life. We live it once, whatever time has gone is gone. But, not anymore. I am glad that I have started on a couple of activities. 

What does coachTarun Arora have to say about Anthony?

Anthony is sincere, disciplined and a hardworking person who understands the importance of health. He is always ready to make healthy changes in life once he is convinced of it and then gives his 100% to achieve them. There were few visible things which needed to be changed in his routine like a correct combination of meals, an increase in protein intake which was lacking in every meal and water intake.We started with one habit at a time. The first habit was to increase water intake to 2 litres because his water intake was quite less, we have developed a habit of having 2 litres everyday. This has made a huge difference in his hunger pangs.We then moved to make sure his protein intake is sufficient enough to help him reach his goal of getting a toned body and along with this proper intake of fiber.

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A stitch in time saves nine

 

There are a number of discussions these days on why medical tests should be conducted at all. The veracity of tests is questioned many times by patients or health seekers, and this is what prompts me to write this blog on ‘Significance of Regular Medical Checkup’.

healt check up-diagnosis

‘Health is Wealth’ is a significant phrase and rightly so. Maintaining one’s health is a continuous process. Nature has created this body which is a sophisticated software and gives feedback in case of a major change. Your today’s body and personality is that feedback. When anything is amiss it manifests in the form of symptoms or alteration in the investigations.

You cannot eat healthy, exercise for a week and expect lifelong results. Maintaining one’s health stems from dietary habits, physical activity (including exercises), rest, occupation, exposure to high-risk factors, etc. To measure the above influential parameter, health checkup plays a vital role for every individual. Hence, health checkups including pathological and radiological investigations are useful if used judiciously and under health provider advice.

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Benefits of a Medical Check

  1. Prevention of disease

People falling into the high-risk category can easily detect the onset of a problem before it occurs.

  1. Prevention / Early detection of incurable diseases

Regular medical checkup ensures catching up with body signals before an incurable disease becomes unmanageable. For instance, cervical cancer, breast cancer can be detected early if clinically examined at regular intervals. Usually, these can be caught during the basic 6 monthly or yearly checkups.

  1. Since every person is different, a health issue might occur specifically due to age, sex, hereditary conditions, etc. Therefore, every individual will have a varied checkup according to the background. A person with a family history of diabetes can start taking early precautions, deliver lifestyle modifications to delay/stop the disease from affecting the body.
  1. Another scenario is where the patient is suffering from a disease and the tests affirm or give indication of a change in the management. For instance, a person suffering from a high blood pressure needs to check his BP (blood pressure) regularly to ensure all is well.
  1. If the disease is detected early and managed appropriately it can avoid the economic burden of long hospitalization.
  1. A wonderful example is the detection of thalassemia minor patient to be careful while choosing a partner.
  1. Investigations also play an essential role in altering one’s habits for good. eg. fired lungs act as a motivation for smokers to quit!

It must be pointed out here that before any test is run, the complete history of the person must be taken to ensure correct tests are recommended.

Commonly advised investigations are;

CBC- Complete Blood Count

ESR- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

LFT- Liver Function Test

RFT- Renal Function Test

Blood sugar fasting and post lunch, HBA1C

B12 and D3

Lipid profile

X-ray Chest

Pap smear for adult female

PSA for prostate adult males

Mammography

Thyroid Profile

Additional investigations might be prescribed depending on the history, age, sex, and other influential factors of the person.

Depending on what stage the disease is one can decide the line of action. Investigations if done under the supervision of a good practitioner can play a major role in the prevention of a disease.

So friends just like there are numerous facets of maintaining good health, ensure you do not forget the role played by a scientific investigation in helping you to be fit, fine and healthy.

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5 major reasons why people give up?

never-giveup

As a lifestyle coach, I have come across many who initially set for themselves very high goals to achieve but, after few weeks they give up thinking they cannot do it anymore. One does not just give up, there are several reasons attributed to giving up. Some of these are…

why people give up

  1. Expecting fast results: Most people have a mindset of achieving higher goals in a shorter span of time and once they are unable to achieve it in the said time frame, they get disheartened. One must understand that one size does not fit all. Each one of us is different with different body type and levels of metabolism. You just cannot predict how much of workout you should be doing to lose X no. of kgs in so and so time frame. A person whose BMI is high tends to lose weight faster than a person whose BMI is low. Initially, some people achieve weight loss in few months due to high metabolic rate and some people achieve weight loss due to high metabolism in later months.
  2. Past Failures: No success stories comes with ease and especially if you are pursuing a health goal never be dependent on shortcuts. A person may try weight loss program through shortcuts like going in for a herbal product or supplements but eventually after a few days do not see any considerable change and give up. The products that are available for weight loss in the market might work on a few and might not work on some. Always approach a goal in a scientific and realistic manner. To be able to do this, you have to bring about the desired modification in your lifestyle by slowly and steadily shedding your unhealthy habits and acquire healthy ones. Patience is therefore key ingredient.
  3. REGRET: “Regrets are just wasted thoughts, focus on the Present”. Regret can only make you guiltier, unworthy of yourself and develop inferiority complexes. But, instead of wallowing in self-pity and regret, it’s never too late to start a new journey with a new perspective towards life. Mistakes happen for a reason and that you may learn from them and do better then what you use to do. There is no successful person in this world who has not tasted failure in life. It is how you handle that failure, learn from it and move on to do better in life.
  4. FEAR TO CHANGE: In a complex society, the truth is, many people shy away from change because of fear of doing or indulging in something that most people aren’t. People want to be a part of a crowd than stand alone. Bringing about change is definitely difficult and requires strong willpower and confidence. Never settle to fit in the box. You might be that one person to take the first leap and try something new or bring about a change and, you never know you might just have followers who believe in you. Take that one step ahead confidently and change.
  5. ASSUMING THEIR PROBLEMS ARE UNIQUE: Many feel this way because their whole focus is their own life. They fail to see the larger picture. For instance, you might be suffering from a medical condition for the longest time and there are no visible signs of its curing. Given this condition, if you are trying to bring about a change in your fitness goals it could take a while to achieve your goal. For instance, if you have been trying to lose weight and have not seen significant results, chances are that it is because you are not medically fit. The first thing is such a case is to treat the medical ailment, bring your body on normal parameters and then work on weight loss or a good physique body.

“NEVER GIVE UP IN LIFE NO MATTER WHAT. GREAT THINGS TAKE TIME TO COM

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Diabetes – (Die-in-bits OR NOT)

So I started writing this blog almost a year back and could not complete it in this one year because I felt everybody knows everything about diabetes and what was the point of repeating the same things over and over again. Then, I realized, that this World Diabetes Day instead of the same diabetes facts, what we really need is a real patient case and scenarios to make everybody understand how intense and life-threatening, diabetes as a disease can be.

I remember long back we had a worried parent of a 6year old come into our clinic saying that his son’s urine had ants in it. After taking a proper history we realized that it was not ants in his urine but sugar in the kid’s urine left on the commode which was attracting the ants. Few blood tests later the child was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. That’s Type 1 diabetes, the type which is most commonly seen in the younger kids. Basically, the pancreas barely produces any insulin in these kids which leads to sugar flowing through the blood and causing diabetes.

Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin or both.

Causes can range from autoimmune destruction, heredity or positive family history, insulin resistance to various infections like pancreatitis. But, the main cause or the root cause of Diabetes especially type 2 which affects mostly the adult population has to be a poor lifestyle.

Diabetes-like we all know can easily go unnoticed, even when a patient has already been diagnosed. Because of this, unfortunately, many don’t pay attention to the possible terrible problems that can happen if your diabetes is not under control.

I remember a case at the beginning of my career, a 40year old man having diabetes for more than 10 years came to our clinic with a complain that he had wound on his foot which was not healing. He knew his sugars were high but still wasn’t taking care. We started him off on the required medicines and within 10 days of better sugars, the wound had healed. He had no memory of how he had hurt himself. After 4months the same patient came back with an even bigger wound but unfortunately this time it had spread so much that his foot could not be saved and had to be amputated.

Does it make sense being so careless with your health and losing your foot just because your sugars are not controlled?

diabetes 1

Let’s discuss the complications of uncontrolled diabetes which can affect almost every organ of your body. Most commonly Diabetes affects your heart, kidneys, eyes, feet and your nerves (neuropathy) at varying degrees. Apart from these, diabetics have a higher risk of infections and dental problems. It is difficult to say what gets affected first but easier to remember that if your blood sugars are not under control, you have set yourself on the path to trouble.

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During my internship, I got a call from a friend that his dad had a heart attack and they were shifting him to the same hospital where I was working. Fortunately, that month I was posted in the ICU itself so I was happy that I was going to be able to monitor his dad. Just on the opposite bed, there was another man of the same age who had suffered a heart attack the morning before. Almost two weeks later, my friend’s dad was still in the ICU whereas the other man was on his way to get discharged. Another 2 weeks went by but unfortunately, we didn’t see much signs of improvement and eventually we lost him in the next few days. The only big difference between the two patients was that my friend’s dad had uncontrolled diabetes!!

Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes, you are more likely to have heart disease or stroke.

Your body and your health need a lot of care, attention and need to be your first priority not only at the time when you are sick but more when you are well. The point of this blog is not to scare you but to make you aware, and part of that awareness is knowing how to be able to help yourself. Follow the below tips and start your healthy journey today!

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Tips to prevent or live well with diabetes

  • Maintain a healthy weight and look out for belly fat
  • Make healthy food choices
  • Be physically active (gradually increase everyday steps and try and reach the 10,000 target)
  • Monitor your sugar levels regularly and keep a check on your blood pressure
  • Get your full body tests done once a year
  • Sleep well and work to manage daily stress
  • Quit smoking
  • If on medications, make sure you take them regularly

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