Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and Hypertension, trying to manage the issue on your own might not be such a good idea. Our Player Devesh Srivastava came to realize that personalized health coaching is the best way forward!
Life Before Joining GOQii
Devesh Srivastava is a 52 year old investment banker residing in the city of Ahmedabad. He was always keen on joining an app-based fitness solution. Back in 2014, he heard our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal speak at an event. He says, “What he said connected well with me and I was looking forward to joining something like GOQii, but it never happened”.
While he did have a normal routine, he wanted someone to look over him and guide him towards a healthy lifestyle. He says, “Before the pandemic, things were manageable but during the pandemic, the situation was difficult as you were at home the whole time. Earlier I would walk with my friends and colleagues but then it all stopped during the lockdown. I did not have a proper routine and that created a weight issue”.
During this time, Devesh Srivastava tried creating his own regime and restricted his diet to reduce weight. “I’ve seen other people reduce weight by doing their own things. So I decided to try as well. But, my sugar levels were not reducing,” he said. He was also on Diabetes and Hypertension medication.
Joining GOQii and Making Lifestyle Changes
After several trials and errors of trying to manage his health by himself, Devesh Srivastava said that he needed someone to keep a watch on his health and guide him properly. So, he came to the decision to subscribe for GOQii’s Personalized Health Coaching in November 2021.
“The coach’s guidance worked well for me. She made simple and doable changes,” he says. Some of these changes included:
- Have soaked Methi seeds in the morning
- Increase salad portion before lunch and consume fruits as mid-meal snacks
- Eat healthy evening snacks which include dry fruits, fruits or roasted snacks.
- Eating an early dinner
- Reduce carbs from dinner and replace them with fiber and protein
- Drink green tea in the evening
- Begin the day with Surya Namaskar
- Increase steps count gradually
Apart from the above changes, his GOQii Coach kept a close watch on his food consumption, water intake, sleep and exercise, making timely corrections as per requirements.
What Changes Did Devesh Srivastava Experience?
Within 4 months, Devesh could experience changes in his health. As his journey continued, within 7 months he was able to lose approximately 7kg. From 80kg, he came down to 74.6kg. His waist size had reduced from 36 inches to 34 inches.
In his current report, he found that his blood sugar and cholesterol levels had lowered down. “With Coaching, I feel better,” he says. “My stress levels are better managed. I am also able to sleep well for at least 6.5 hours daily,” he added.
What Does Coach Sakshi Agarwal Have To Say About Her Player?
When he came onboard, he was overweight. His height is 170cm and weight was 80kg. His waist size was 36 inches and his BMI was 27.7. He was suffering from Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. His Triglyceride was also high at about 180.
Fortunately, Devesh Srivastava is a very sincere player and was always enthusiastic about taking on all the challenges I threw at him. He tried his absolute best to complete them. Within 4 months, he has made remarkable progress.
Apart from reducing his weight and waist size, his blood sugar and cholesterol levels have also reduced. His HbA1c reduced from 6.7 to 5.8. His Triglyceride levels reduced from 180 to 148. His Blood Pressure reduced from 97fbs – 135pp to 85fbs – 119pp.
He is quite happy with these transformations and I appreciate his positive response to my suggestions as well as his dedicated approach to improving his lifestyle!
Do you have a condition similar to Devesh Srivastava? You too can make a positive lifestyle change by getting the right guidance and motivation from certified experts. Join the GOQii Diabetes Care program – India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), reduce HbA1c levels and let you win gold! You can subscribe here: https://store.goqii.com/diabetescare.
For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads.
#BeTheForce
How often have we come across friends or family members with diabetes, taking the condition lightly, being happily dependent on prescribed medications? But, the fact is that diabetes can be controlled or reversed if adhered to self care along with the prescribed medications.
Being healthy encompasses many factors. While it involves working out, it isn’t just about working out or being active. You have to also look at other parameters such as nutrition, sleep, managing stress, et al. In fact, even introducing new habits and tweaking existing ones can do wonders for your health. All of this might seem difficult to manage by yourself, but when you get the right guidance from a certified expert, it can really change your life – as experienced first hand by our Player, Kaushik Dey. 
Dr. Arvind Sinha has been suffering from hypertension for the last 3 decades and has had cardiac problems for close to 2 decades now. He first developed cardiac problems when he was around 46-47 years of age due to a sedentary lifestyle. About 25 years back, he underwent a coronary bypass operation. Almost a year ago his son Dr. Chandan Sinha came across the GOQii Vital ECG band, he decided to get it for his father to keep a check on his ECG. 9 months later, Dr. Arvind Sinha, one afternoon, suddenly developed palpitations. This kind of palpitations was something he had never experienced in 3 years. He had an oximeter by his bedside and so he first checked his SpO2 levels. His SpO2 levels were normal and BP showed 148-88mmHg. But, the palpitations continued for a while. Then around half an hour later, he again felt uneasy which is when he decided to use the GOQii Vital ECG band and check his ECG. The time was around 5:30 pm. The ECG reading showed abnormal – Atrial Fibrillation. Dr. Sinha was having palpitations when he took the ECG. He took his ECG (on his own) and the device helped him to understand what was happening to him.
Dr Chandan Sinha says, “We do have a proper ECG machine at home where we would take my father’s ECG readings. But, it would have taken a while before we took his ECG when he had palpitations. In such a scenario, the device is handy and it helped understand the abnormal situation immediately. What surprised us was we got a call from their Bangalore HQ and the person on the other side sounded concerned and was asking for the well-being of the patient. Moreover, he wanted us to connect to a doctor if required. Now, this is something which would help the elderly staying alone in smaller cities of India. I feel it’s a must have item for parents, not a normal fitness band but the perfect health tracker!” he adds.
