Archives for May 2019

May 25, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

“My Second Innings to Life” – Sunita Sinha

When driving towards professional success, our health often takes the backseat. Long work hours, never-ending meetings and tight deadlines take precedence over being active, drinking sufficient water and eating the right food. As junk food wrappers and boxes pile up on our desks and body aches and pains creep in, we notice only when it is too late.

It is important to know that when you are ready to turn your life around and determined to follow through, it is never too late! You can always change, you can always work towards good health and explore the benefits of an active lifestyle. Our GOQii Player Sunita Sinha learned this fact first hand!

In Her Own Words, Sunita Sinha Tells Us About Her Journey:

“I am a disruptive educator with a specialisation in Robotics & Language. Chocolate cravings and binge eating weren’t alien to me. Corporate meetings meant eating out frequently, coupled with long working hours. The mental overload, stress and lack of physical exercise resulted in various health issues.

I would often gasp for air after climbing only 2 floors! To add to it, at the age of 40+, I have already had 6 surgeries, hypertension (have been to the ICCU), high thyroid levels, and a spinal injury to name a few. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

My GOQii journey began a little more than 6 months ago. I was given a GOQii as a gift. The initial hesitation, resistance and apprehensions coloured my perspective and purpose. A hectic work schedule and professional demands tempted me to not wear the tracker. I knew that I would be a complete failure when it came to implementing any of the habits suggested by my coach. I had given up before I even began.

Then, something magical happened. Something pushed me from within. I decided to take baby steps. While the initial goal of 7000 steps seemed like a fantasy, I started with 600-1000 steps. I became more conscious of my diet and water intake by adding cucumber or carrot to my meals. My erratic sleep hours were clocked as well.

Like a school child, I waited earnestly for the app to display the unlocking of all habits. After two weeks, it happened! It became a catalyst. For the first time, I felt a sense of immense peace and satisfaction which no professional laurels could ever give!

I learned to invest in myself. GOQii made me realize the value of self-care and self-worth. Fitness was no longer restricted to gyms as it was easily accessible through GOQii Play within the GOQii App. With GOQii Play, I could attend fantastic workout sessions at my convenience within the comfort of my home. The range of sessions gave me the luxury of choice to go with what I was physically compatible with.

Gradually, I overcame my mental reservations and noticed an increase in my flexibility. I would keep aside a bottle and drink 2l of water meticulously. To combat hunger pangs, I indulged in carrot sticks, small quantities of salads, peanuts and dry fruits. Though my tiffin bag became bigger in size with different boxes, they were filled with healthy assortments. I followed a practical diet and gradually learned to eat in portions.

My step count increased slowly, blood pressure became controlled and my thyroid levels were stable. I can now walk 6km in 45 minutes without any shortness of breath. I do short bouts of runs as surgical reservations don’t permit me to do more. Though weight loss was not my target, I have lost more than 7kg. To the delight of my sons, I can now join them on treks and adventure sports.

My personality has undergone a makeover and self-confidence has increased qualitatively. I can now work for longer hours and still feel energized. Mental exhaustion has reduced to almost zero. Through all of this, my amazing GOQii Coach has been a strong motivator. Her guidance has been impeccable.

Fitness has become my lifestyle. It is a part of my regular routine now and is as common as domestic chores. Thanks to the GOQii App and its wearable tech, my life and my personality have both transformed drastically! Overall, it has been a completely satisfying experience. This journey made me realize a simple truth that one must master the mind before one can master the body!”

What did Sunita Sinha’s GOQii Coach Have to Say?

Sunita Sinha entered GOQii with a goal to get fit, fight hyperthyroidism and few medical issues. Despite her profession as well as home duties keeping her busy, she always updated her meals and activities. I would help her analyse them, guide her on a daily basis on how to maintain balance in her meals, irrespective of whether it was eating socially or at home.

She took all the analysis seriously and started implementing them in her as well as her family meals. It resulted in her shedding some weight/fat from her body. The improvement is clearly seen in her health, fitness and energy levels and her body is toned as well. To Sunita Sinha, I’d like to say that your best version is yet to come!

Keep going and #BeTheForce

May 18, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

Sapan Gupta: Running For Good Health!

Have you been passionate about something but as you turned older, your busy life overshadowed your passions? Most of us can relate to this, especially when it comes to running or some form of sport. While being really energetic and active at a young age, one often falls prey to a sedentary lifestyle. Such was the case with Sapan Gupta as well.

Life Before GOQii

Sapan Gupta, a 37-year-old working professional is a Deputy Manager with an Online Software Development Company. Since school days, he had always been passionate about running but as he grew older, he stopped. He also suffered from frequent bouts of cold, cough and sneezing. In 2016, he began jogging but jogged for 2km max.

Stepping it Up With GOQii

In Jan 2018, Sapan Gupta was introduced to GOQii via his Axis Bank Account. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. After joining GOQii, with help from his coach, he began training for marathons. His health goals were to stay fit and reduce belly fat.

Since Sapan always ate home cooked meals and ate out only once a fortnight, there weren’t many changes made to his diet. His GOQii Coach introduced him to healthy proteins and mindful eating. His intake is more balanced and nutritious now.

Now, instead of 2km, he runs for 5km easily, everyday and sometimes even without a water break. He tries to walk for 20 minutes even when he is at work. On the weekends, he plays badminton and cricket. Sometimes, he even cycles.

As of now, Sapan Gupta has lost 4-5kg and his stamina has tremendously improved as well! His issues of cold, cough and sneezing has reduced significantly as his immunity has increased. He has successfully completed 3 half marathons and over 52 10k runs in the past 1.5 years. He is currently preparing for a full marathon in August.

Last year, he participated in the GOQii Trail Challenge and completed it within 12 hours! He says that it was one of the most enriching experiences he has been through and looks forward to participating for the next one! He also said it was well-organized.

GOQii Active Sunday Champion

One day, Sapan received a notification for a GOQii Active Sunday session. As it was close to his house, he decided to check it out. When fellow Champion Subhash Achanta asked him to lead a session as he was unavailable, Sapan took it up without hesitation. Soon, he enrolled as a Champion and from then on he has been regularly heading the sessions in Hyderabad.

Sapan has been very active on the GOQii App. He orders products from the GOQii Health Store frequently during flash sales. As per his experience, the products he purchases are of good quality. He even participated in the India Steps Challenged and won the GOQii Vital. He says GOQii should organize more such events!

Though his family members think he is overdoing it, he feels there is still so much more to achieve!

Here’s what Sapan Gupta’s GOQii Coach Had to Say

“Sapan entered GOQii with a goal to lose weight and he worked hard to achieve it. He is very interactive, keeps me posted with his food logs and all the data he can. He is focused and has an idea of what he wants. We started with simple changes like replacing unhealthy snacks with healthy options and eating small and frequent meals.

He has great insights towards working out, which is his strength. Even on a vacation, he used do well with his physical activity. One word to describe Sapan is ‘Energetic’. With his involvement, I was motivated to guide him to achieve his health goals.”

Keep going, Sapan and #BeTheForce!

May 11, 2019 By GOQii 2 Comments

A Push Towards a Healthier Lifestyle | B. Nageswaran

Health and fitness is quite an interesting space. Lately, there have been many people who have realized its importance. In some cases, individuals chase it with relentless determination, but sometimes, you need a little push before you take the first step. Such was the case with our player B. Nageswaran.

Retirement and Sedentary Lifestyle

Life after retirement is often dull. B. Nageswaran experienced this in 2016 as he began getting lethargic due to inactivity. Eating, sleeping and watching TV was his daily routine. By this time, he weighed around 89 kg. His meals were mostly home cooked but they lacked balance. He faced issues with high blood pressure as well.

He was certain by now, he had to make a change

Getting a Lifestyle Change

Nageswaran began searching for a fitness tracker. While web searching, he came across the story of our Founder and CEO Vishal Gondal. He immediately decided that GOQii was the way to go.

As soon as he joined GOQii, his lifestyle began to change. On the nutrition front, he began his day with water and soaked methi. After this, he consumes a concoction made of jeera, cinnamon and ginger in warm water.

Before a workout, he eats a banana, an apple, dates or some nuts. His post workout meal consists of homemade multigrain porridge or pearl millet (bajra) with curd. He follows this up with Idli, Dosa or Muesli for breakfast.

His Lunch consists of 1 cup of rice or 2 rotis ( flatbreads) with vegetables and dal or sambhar. For his evening snack, he either eats a fruit or consumes coconut water. He keeps his dinner very light and usually eats Idli, Dosa or Pancakes. Before bedtime, he drinks a glass of milk with turmeric.

He is completely off sugar and has zero cravings for it. Coupled with his medication, this has helped him keep high blood pressure at bay.

Being The Force

Nageswaran believes that the wisest decision of his life was getting involved with GOQii! Currently, he weighs 67 kg, having lost almost 22 kg and still looking to lose 2-3 kg more. Apart from losing weight, B. Nageswaran has also successfully completed a 10k run 6 months back, and has won an award for the same. He has begun training for a marathon.

Even though he was always interested in fitness, he needed someone who would push him and his GOQii Coach did exactly that! His coach followed up with him, guided him and suggested alternatives whenever required.

Nageswaran feels that GOQii Play is a unique endeavour that covers all major aspects of lifestyle and fitness. He is a regular on Marathon Expert Parwage Alam and Fitness Expert Tufail Qureshi’s classes. He also follows Dr. Paramjeet and Dr. Ashwin. He buys a lot of products during flash sales from the GOQii Health Store.

Seeing how adopting a healthier lifestyle has benefited him, B. Nageswaran got his family members to adopt the GOQii life, making them aware of fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

Here’s What B. Nageswaran’s Coach Had to Say About His Journey

“Nageswaran Sir has high BP, high cholesterol, LDL, thyroid and Vitamin D deficiency. Habits set for him to take soaked Methi seeds, boiled eggs or coconut oil were followed religiously by him. This included his healthy detox, soups, fruits, coconut water, etc.

His Exercise regime has been HIIT and running, alternatively. He has been well disciplined with his diet and exercise, promptly logging in his food, water and sleep.”

Are you inspired by Nageswaran’s journey? Make your healthy lifestyle change now by downloading and subscribing to GOQii!

#BeTheForce

May 4, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

Nothing Is Difficult If You Try Wholeheartedly! Lijo Paul User Journey

Do you remember your early childhood? All the fun times playing with your friends, running around during recess or participating in sports activities? Childhood, for most of us, is a memorable experience where we recall fun, carefreeness and other fond experiences. On the contrary, for a few of us, childhood might not be the fondest of places in our memory. It was the same for Lijo Paul.

If you’re active on GOQii Play, there is absolutely no way you’ve not come across our player Lijo Paul. A few of you might have interacted with him at some point as well. Recently, we had a chance to speak to him and we’re about to share his story with you!

Early Childhood and Facing the Odds

At the age of 2, Lijo Paul was affected by Seizures. Although he was cured through medication, it wasn’t an easy road ahead. At 6, he was diagnosed with Asthma due to dust and cold. Due to this issue, he was unable to have a normal childhood.

He was unable to walk or run a mile. Climbing stairs was difficult and participating in sports was out of the question. He couldn’t play any games that required physical activity and had to follow a strict diet. In his words, “No kid would love to lead a life where he is unable to play sports or eat the food he likes.” Lijo was affected by sleeplessness as well due to Asthma.

Every doctor and specialist that Lijo visited suggested that he exercise but for him, it meant experiencing breathlessness the next day. He had to spend his childhood with medicines and inhalers. He was also affected by Typhoid twice and vomited blood for which he was on medication again.

After college, he took up a job that consumed 16 hours of his day. Due to this sedentary lifestyle, he developed belly fat and back pain. To combat this, he finally joined a gym but quit within 6 months after not being able to see any results.

Enter GOQii

After much turmoil, Lijo Paul came across GOQii through Axis Bank. Although he was apprehensive at first, he decided to give it a go and subscribed to GOQii in September 2018.

Lijo believed in a myth that healthy food is bland and you need to raw fruits and veggies to stay healthy. This myth was broken by his GOQii Coach who made him realize that losing fat and body weight isn’t about eating boring food but it is about eating the right things at the right time.

In his own words, Lijo said that, “I always troubled my coach with lots of doubts and questions but she ensured that I received proper and adequate knowledge on the topics. She also made sure that I don’t waste money on useless products and kept a frequent track of my food intake.”

His GOQii Coach kept a track of his water intake and began including a lot of fruits and vegetables to his diet. He consumes Apple Cider Vinegar in the morning and gyms for an hour. Green gram sprouts are his post-workout meal.

Since he initially found healthy food boring, his GOQii Coach suggested recipes to make his food more interesting. His initial notion of healthy food has changed drastically. He performs a mix of cardio and weight training, hitting 1 muscle group twice a week and has increased his protein intake as well.

While on GOQii, he tuned in to GOQii Play and followed it diligently. He began following Coach Aliya Imran and her 25-day challenge to lose belly fat.

Witnessing the Change

Within a period of 7 months, he has reduced his weight from 65kg to 60kg. Lijo has seen a drop of body fats from 25% to 12-15%. He can now perform any workout he likes. There has been much improvement in his breathing problem as well.

His confidence levels have sky-rocketed! Due to his awareness about fitness, he guides his friends, colleagues and family as well. In fact, he helped a colleague with PCOS, regularizing her periods and reducing her weight from 85kg to 76kg.

Along with his GOQii Coach, Lijo Paul credits his transformation to our GOQii Play coaches like Aliya Imran, Vishakha Sodha, Tufail Qureshi, Heena Bhimani, Suparna Mukherjee and others. The changes he has experienced from being unfit to fit have made him curious. In the future, he plans on doing a certification course and build a career in fitness.

Lijo Paul believes that it is all about the mindset; nothing is difficult if you do it wholeheartedly. Has Lijo’s story inspired you? Let us know in the comments below!