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March 16, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

“I started a new life at 50 and I am thoroughly enjoying it” – Anitha Rao

100 Km accomplished. – Anitha with her team at Oxfam trailwalker

She is fun loving, friendly, extremely energetic and young at 52. Anitha Rao has been able to prove that small steps can have a big impact. She took to running at the age of 50 and says she is thoroughly enjoying it. In the last one year, she has been participating in a few runs in the city on a regular basis. She also completed her first Oxfam Trail Walk last November in 39 hours and shows no signs of slowing down. “Stay fit, Stay healthy”, is what she says. Now, she is championing the GOQii Active Sunday mission in Bengaluru. Let’s read about Anitha Rao and her journey to fitness in her own words.

I did my first half marathon (21 km) last year at the age of 50 when a friend suggested I should run. Just loved it! The atmosphere, people cheering for you, and crossing the finish line after 2 hrs and 52 minutes felt so great. I was tired after that run the next day, but loved the way I felt.

It all began when I turned 50, I decided I was ready for a new challenge. Since I have always been an outdoor person, I made it my goal to be fit and complete as many runs as possible. I have run so many runs such as the Standard Chartered Mumbai Half Marathon since Jan 2015. Thereafter, I have done a couple of runs such as the DNA I CAN, Pinkathon, ICT, Foot Steps 4 Good, Chembur Monsoon run and more recently Radio Mirchi Neon Run.

I was working in the Travel Industry but due to my husband’s transferable job, and after the birth of my sons, I decided to enjoy motherhood. I became a homemaker and travel consultant working from home. My sons are now 24 and 18. I also realized I wanted to get back to doing some activities and get fit as I have always been sporty. Yoga and Swimming are a part of my regular activities even today.

But, I wanted to be more healthy and fit. Last year, I took up running seriously thanks to my friend Vijay Pillai, in my apartment building. I was not tracking my fitness and did not know what I was doing right or wrong.

How Did She Find GOQii?

I met Bela Gupta through my dear friend Geeta Singh. She gave me the GOQii band and explained its benefits to me. She asked me to try it for three months. I got completely hooked on it. The one to one coaching aspect appealed to me. I would put my problems across to my coach and she would have a solution to work towards overcoming the issue.

Through GOQii, I also got to know a lot about diet and nutrition. There were many things I was not aware of. At my age, I certainly do not want to compromise on my diet. Being a South Indian who cannot keep away from sugary Filter Coffee, I have now given up sugar in my coffee. In November, I participated in the Oxfam 100 km Trail Walk, and my team Go Spirited, completed the challenge in 39 hours.We were 4 ladies – Bela, Lubaina, Suranjana and me. But, Bela, unfortunately had to drop out due to personal issues.

It’s amazing how just walking and running can keep one so fit. There are wonderful health benefits of putting one foot in front of the other. My family thinks that am going to the top (over doing it and asks me to slow down at times). But, I am comfortable doing as much as I am doing. I am happy with the change I have seen in myself. I have become healthier, fitter and my stamina has improved drastically. Today, I am confident to achieve what I set my goal on.

Daily, I clock 10,000 or more steps and weekends it easily goes up to 20,000 steps. I have been able to achieve all this because of the one to one coaching from GOQii. I have also benefited from the two webinars that GOQii’s master coach Luke Coutinho conducted. One of the webinars was on ‘How to Make The Most of Your Coach’. This gave me clarity on how I can interact with my coach to get the maximum benefit out of coaching.

Coaching has benefited me on the nutrition front too. Now my concepts on diet are clear and I am conscious about what I am eating. I am basically a foodie and I exercise to eat. Though I have always been a light sleeper, I sleep better now. You can say I have understood the importance of sleep. I get enough rest. Also, my concept of water is very clear. On an average I now drink 2 liters of water. I have no medical conditions, no cholesterol and no sugar.

I am a regular at GOQii Active Sunday and this has given me an opportunity to meet so many people and make so many new friends. My journey to fitness has also inspired a whole lot of my women friends. My friends in yoga are also keen on joining me for runs. I always feel that there are 100 reasons why you shouldn’t go for a walk or run but a 1,000 reasons why you should. If you let go of the excuses, you will get it done. I would say, have a goal and work towards it!

Without having something to work towards, you can’t plan or dream of what you’re going to accomplish. The goal doesn’t have to be huge. It can be to walk 10 km a week but you need one to stay focused.

For my next outdoor activity, I have just begun trekking. I got interested in trekking after I did two practice treks for Oxfam Trailwalk. Now I want to trek regularly as well!

Also, the concept of Karma has appealed to me a great deal. Everyday I try to donate about 30-40 points. By the end of the month, I have donated roughly 1000 points or so. I just want to continue to be healthy and fit to be able to continue with my runs, walks and other activities.

Crushing Finish lines Anitha with her Medals

Crushing Finish lines! Anitha’s medals

What does Anitha Rao’s Coach Have to Say About Her?

Anitha Rao is a true representation of an active and upbeat individual. An outdoor person who loves to workout every day. Her drive for fitness is her adrenaline. She has a set routine of walking, swimming and yoga. Always ready to participate in marathons that come across.

In her GOQii journey with me, she wanted to shed some extra kilos, increase water intake and replace her snacking with some healthy options. So we enacted goals accordingly. The first was to maintain a daily water intake of 2 liters and above. Secondly, I gave her some healthy snacking options. The GOQii concept of logging your water and food intake supported her in achieving these goals. It gave her a confrontation and magnitude daily of her efforts.

She was regular in doing that and took my suggestion and inputs very positively while putting them in to action. She would often contribute KARMA points for various causes. I am proud to have such an aware and dedicated individual as my player.

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March 9, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

From Fattest to Fittest! Pratyush Dixit & His Awe-Inspiring Transformation

Have you ever been in a situation that felt hopeless? Do you think that your current predicament is irreversible? Have your circumstances chained you down to the extent that you feel you cannot achieve your dreams? If everything around you is crumbling to an inescapable pit of despair, we want to remind you that things can change. You can change. It’s never too late. It’s never too late to reverse your circumstances and achieve your dreams.

If you want to know how this is possible, we want you to read Pratyush Dixit’s inspiring story of reversing the odds!

A marketing professional from Delhi, Pratyush Dixit has been working since 2005. He was leading a sedentary life due to the strenuous nature of his work. Especially for the past 8 years, handling stock provisions, then the hospitality sector and now heading a marketing division, he was always seated and stressed. Apart from being sedentary, Pratyush was also a foodie. He had been winning food eating competitions for as long as he can remember, enjoyed street food and was never into healthy eating. On the medical front, he had a family history of diabetes. At 34, he weighed 105 kg and things weren’t working well for him. He found himself thirsty throughout the day and urinating frequently at night.

Identifying these as the classic symptoms of diabetes, he went for a medical checkup. He was aware that his blood sugar might be high but once his tests came in, he got the shock of his life. His Blood sugar level was at 330 and PP (post prandial sugar after meals) was more than 525 and his cholesterol was extremely high. When he consulted his family doctor, he advised immediate measures to bring the situation under control. He was put on heavy doses of insulin till his sugar dropped to 200. Pratyush knew he had to bring his weight under control as well for him to be able to recover. He immediately took to walking and in 2 months was able to shed 7.5 kg.

Enter GOQii

At this point, Pratyush Dixit had read extensively about diabetes. He was searching for a fitness tracker that could help him. He came across other bands but eventually settled for GOQii. Initially, he didn’t want the coaching option as he believed he had read enough about diabetes to know everything. After a long conversation with the GOQii Coach assigned to him, he realized that he needs a coach. His Coach was knowledgeable, patient, understanding and motivating. She assured Pratyush that he will achieve his health goals.

Starting slowly, she told Pratyush that he need not rush in one go but should take one step at a time. For instance, when on the phone, he could squeeze in a walk. She encouraged him to eat healthy. Whenever he wanted to eat a pizza, she advised him to not eat more than a few bites. She also advised him to eat smaller portions throughout the day so that he was full and didn’t feel the urge to eat unhealthy.

Changing Habits and Getting On Track!

Pratyush stopped eating unhealthy. Now, he avoids rice completely. His diet involves a lot of protein and complex carbohydrates. On a daily basis, he consumes fruits with cinnamon (as it helps control blood sugar) as well as a couple of teaspoons of apple cider.

In the mornings, he starts his day with Fenugreek and Fenugreek water. Then he goes for one liter of luke warm water with apple cider, lemon, pepper and black salt. Post that some apple and cinnamon. He follows that up with some cold milk with Basil (Sabja) seeds. Later, he eats either Porridge, Oats or Upma loaded with vegetables. He then goes on to eat nuts, some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds and/or walnuts.

For lunch, he takes multigrain chapati with one dal or vegetable or both and salads in good quantity. He also has buttermilk twice a day. In the evening, he munches on dehydrated pulses with some salt. He also eats a fruit, mostly pomegranate or pears. He avoids mangoes and pineapples. At night, he again eats a chapati, vegetable and salad. If he must opt for rice, he prefers brown rice.

For exercise, apart from walking, when he gets the time, Pratyush includes bicep and tricep curls as suggested by his Coach. He also manages to do a few pushups and squats. He has started jogging a little as well.

He was bedridden for 6 months because of lower back pain but was able to overcome that and recover. His GOQii Coach helped him with some yoga as well.

When Asked If He Still Eats Street Food, Pratyush Dixit Said:

“Now I go for healthy street food! Even if I go for the unhealthier one, instead of going for Dalda or ghee, I go for a olive oil tikki and I won’t take more than a bite or two. I avoid whole portions. I have stopped ordering from Dominos or Pizza Hut but opt for Pizza Express where they serve thin or wheat crust. If I’m out, instead of Aloo Tikka, I got for Paneer Tikka or Soya Chaat. Everything without butter. Then I opt for Green Tea regularly as well as Basil Leaves.”

What Were The Results?

Pratyush told us that he wasn’t worried about his blood sugar levels anymore. He slowly lost weight the healthy way with help from his GOQii Coach. He currently weighs around 80kg. Before, his HPCL was 14 and now, it is a stunning 5.2. His diabetes is completely under control. His PB recently was 95 and fasting was 80, both of which are not sugar levels of a diabetic. With diabetes under control and low cholesterol, he is always high on energy! He says that he is the healthiest person in his office! Recently, his TSH shot up. He is working towards controlling it. On a daily basis, he walks anywhere between 10k to 30k steps. He is a part of the Active Sunday group and every Sunday meets his like-minded GOQiites for some fun walks and exercises.

When Asked About GOQii, He Said:

“The best thing about GOQii is that it provides you some learned, educated and dedicated coaches. They are like friends who are helping you out. They are not just carrying that professional approach of ‘you have to do this and my job is done’. There is a lot of personal approach and they keep motivating you. That does not mean they are lenient. They keep pushing you to do better. Sometimes when I miss my walk, my coach tells me that it is okay. You can’t religiously follow your schedule every day. You aren’t a machine. The key is that even if you go off schedule, you should come back. With GOQii, there’s someone to motivate you to come back to that schedule. So that is what GOQii has done to me. When I told my coach of my problems, she assured me that we will overcome them and achieve my goals! I never thought I will be this fit person.”

People in Pratyush’s office consider him as their idol and often approach him for help. Once upon a time, he was fattest man in his society and now he is a role model with people asking him how he did it. He simply responds by saying because he had the zest to do it!

Going forward, Pratyush wishes to push his limits and practice Parkour Running. He is currently working with his coach to achieve this. As it was always his dream, now he feels he can finally achieve it.

What did you think about Pratyush’s journey? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

March 8, 2019 By GOQii 3 Comments

Championing the Health & Fitness Space | International Women’s Day

What does it mean to be a champion? Is a champion someone who always wins? Is a champion someone who strives in the face of adversity? Does a champion believe in their self, perseveres and never gives up? There are many different parameters that can be used to define what a champion is or should be but there are some that stand out from the rest. On International Women’s Day, let’s read through the accomplishments of some of our Indian women who have redefined what it means to be a champion by being a daily source of inspiration and motivation to many!

Rujuta Diwekar

“When we go through nutrition transition and give up on our local, native, regional food and we begin to adopt a food system, which has no resonance to our region, culture, that’s when our waists start spilling out in a protest for you to go back to your more local diet.”

A nutrition and exercise science expert, Rujuta Diwekar is a vocal champion of using our common sense and un-complicating the act of eating. In a career spanning more than 15 years, Rujuta Diwekar has worked with clients from all walks of life – from businessmen to homemakers, students, celebrities and sportsmen including Kareena Kapoor and Anil Ambani. She emphasizes a blend of traditional food wisdom and modern nutritional science for a healthy body and mind, best reflected through the mantra – Eat local, think global. She is also the author of 5 best-selling nutrition books.

Sucheta Pal

TheHealthSite.com

Ranchi girl and ex-IT professional Sucheta Pal inspired an entire nation towards healthier living and fitness through Zumba. She is India’s first Zumba Education Specialist and the brand ambassador for Zumba in India. In 2018, she was felicitated by the Hon. President of India as the “First Lady” for women wellness. Over four and a half years, she has trained nearly 3,500 Zumba instructors and has represented Zumba and India in multiple international fitness conferences from FIBO Germany, IFEX Indonesia, AFAA Japan conference, Asia Fitness Convention, Bangkok and others across the world. She is also a fitness TV-show host of Zoom TV’s Zumba Dance Fitness Party and has featured in several fitness shows on NDTV, Mtunes and TLC. Definitely a champion of heath and fitness in our books!

Pooja Makhija

http://www.dssc.co/delhi/2018/02/08/nourish-eat-delete-celebrity-nutritionist-pooja-makhija/

Ace Nutritionist Pooja Makhija has successfully transformed the bodies and lives of thousands of people! She’s a nutritionist to celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Sushmita Sen. Pooja believes in nourishment over weight loss – food is fuel, it is your friend and not your enemy. To date, she has published two books – Eat Delete and Eat Delete Junior. She feels that people are seeing food for its calories rather than its true value. According to her, eating the right food can prevent lifestyle diseases such as high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes.

Sonali Swami

https://naidunia.jagran.com

A mother of two, Sonali Swami is definitely a source of inspiration for every fit mom out there! An IBBF athlete, she has bagged a bronze at the WBBF Asian Championship 2016, won Fit Factor India 2014, won Muscle Mania India 2014 in Fitness and Model’s Physique Categorory, secured 6th place in Asian Body Building Championships 2017 and is among the country’s Top 10 bodybuilders – all this while starting her journey towards bodybuilding at the age of 37! She firmly believes that age is just a number and you can start training regardless of your age, it doesn’t matter if you’re a teenager or in your 60’s. She advises people to be patient, consistent and never give up.

Yasmin Karachiwala

The fitness guru that Bollywood swears by! Yasmin Karachiwala boasts of a clientele that includes the likes of Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhat. She owns a gym called Body Image, she was the first BASI certified Pilates instructor in India and established the first Pilates studio in Mumbai. She often shares workout videos with her followers and fitness enthusiasts on social media. She has also co-authored a book on Pilates. Yasmin does not believe in a diet and prefers making smarter food choices. Her mantra is to strive to be the best version of yourself!

Deepika Mehta

http://deepikamehta.in/

After a near death rock climbing accident in 1997, doctors told Deepika Mehta that she wouldn’t walk again. This wasn’t acceptable to someone like her who possessed a great zeal for life. She sought alternative approaches and found yoga. Since then, she has been learning and practicing various forms such as Pranayama, Ashtanga Yoga and meditation. Deepika has had her own TV show called Yoga City. She has a vast clientele including celebrities, individuals and corporates all over the country. She has been a master trainer on the show “The Biggest Loser” in India. In 2014, she was featured as one of the three women redefining beauty ideals in India in Vogue Magazine and has been the face of Elle India’s 2015 fitness campaign. She has also given a dance/yoga presentation and talk at the TedX event at the UN Headquarters in NYC.

Namrata Purohit

https://twitter.com/namratapurohit

The youngest Stott Pilates instructor in the world at the age of 16, Namrata Purohit has trained celebrities such as Kangana Ranaut, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Elli Avram, Malaika Arora, Neha Dhupia and Lauren Gottlieb to name a few. When she was 19, she completed all the courses on Stott Pilates and is also a certified Barre Instructor. Along with her father Samir Purohit, she is the co-founder of The Pilates Studio, which is the first in the world to have pilates and a simulated altitude training room under one roof. At 21, she launched her first book titled The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Being Fit. She was the official fitness partner to Femina Miss India Organization since 2011, official Fitness Partner to Miss Diva (2013 & 2014) and along with her father, were official Pilates coaches to the 2014 Mumbai City FC team. She was also a national level squash player and a state level football player.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

http://www.priyaadivarekar.com/2018/06/shilpa-shetty-kundra-interview-international-yoga-day.html

Apart from being a successful Bollywood Diva, Shilpa Shetty Kundra also follows an active and healthy lifestyle by practicing yoga, healthy eating and exercise. According to her, Yoga inculcates a sense of discipline and self-control. On days when she isn’t able to workout, she practices Pranayama. Being a health enthusiast, she decided to foray into the health and wellness space with the simple aim of spreading awareness. Shilpa’s Yoga DVD was a huge success. Her YouTube channel is a one-stop-shop for all fitness enthusiasts across the globe. Her first book ‘The Great Indian Diet’ went on to be an award-winning one and still remains one of the bestsellers in the health segment. Her second book, The Diary of a Domestic Diva, aims to share quick and hassle-free methods that lead to cooking healthy, nutritious and delicious meals.

P V Sindhu

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/cricket/251216/2016-pv-sindhus-olympic-silver-marks-a-glorious-year-for-badminton.html

Picking up badminton at the age of 7, P V Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic Silver Medal. Fitness definitely plays an important role in her overall game which includes 8 hours of training. Her daily schedule includes Yoga, Pranayama, Running and Swimming, along with push-ups and sit-ups. In nutrition, she eats a zero sugar and high protein diet. She won a silver medal in Women’s Singles at Commonwealth 2018. She was also a silver medalist at the 2017 BWF World Championships and 2018 BWF World Championships consecutively. In the Asian Games 2018, held in Indonesia, she grabbed another silver medal. Sindhu came into international attention when she broke into the top 20 of the BWF World Ranking and was the first ever Indian women’s singles player to win a medal at the Badminton World Championships. In 2015, she was awarded the Padma Shri. In 2018, she became the first Indian to have clinched the BWF World Tour title defeating Nozomi Okuhara in the finals.

February 23, 2019 By GOQii 4 Comments

Jayanand Wagh’s Holistic Approach Towards Health And Fitness

Being overweight is a common condition and most of us face it at some point. This is the story of a man who overthrew overweight with just focus and determination. If you think getting your health on track is impossible, listen to this story and give it another thought.

Jayanand Wagh, aged 40, started his journey on December 2015 and was overweight for 20 long years of his life. As he got better, he purchased a GOQii Vital to train for his half marathon goal. His goals also included weight loss and to become fit. Despite the nature of his goal, he was quite stubborn about achieving this without the help of a gym, vigorous diets or any shortcuts. It took him 2 long years to reach his goals and the wait was totally worth it!

How Did He Do It?

His approach to fitness was different. Instead of working for an immediate change, Jayanand Wagh focused on inculcating healthy habits into his lifestyle. These changes included eating a healthier diet with less sugar and carbs. He also introduced exercises such as running and walking along with other home workouts.

The result was slow but it changed the man he was and helped him shed 18kgs in 2 years. His motto was, Sculpt yourself into what you want to become, and that’s exactly what he did over time, with patience and hard work. With his fat loss goal being achieved, Jayanand is now focusing on building lean muscle mass. He has his own marathon journey, successfully completing the 21k milestone twice. Currently, he is training for the Mumbai Marathon 2020 with guidance from GOQii Coach Divya Bhat. He is also using the GOQii RunGPS tracker specifically for this.

When we asked him about the changes he inculcated in his daily life, this is what he had to say:

The first change I made was, to my sleeping pattern. I woke up early and went to bed early. Every morning I would go cycling with my 7-year-old daughter Angel. I led a very inactive and sedentary lifestyle with a job profile that didn’t involve much physical activity. In order to gain control over my mind and to stay focused, I sought help from my mind mentor Sandeep Maheshwari Sir.

Decreasing my junk food intake was a crucial step as this allowed me to progress further with my goals. I also reduced my sugar intake, which I totally cut down over a period of time. My fluid intake, mainly water increased considerably to a level that I drank at least 3 litres of water per day. I never used to eat breakfast before, but developed that habit which helped me very much later on. Nuts, fruits and salads were added to my diet to make breakfast more clean and healthy.

The toughest challenge was to quit smoking and my alcohol intake completely. I quit them both eventually. I developed the habit of carrying a lunchbox from home to work so I can avoid outside food as much as possible. Meditation became an everyday routine along with bodyweight workouts at home by following my health mentor Guru Mann

To have a better understanding of my body, I made it a habit to do an annual full body checkup on my birthday and know where it stands health-wise. I do oil pulling for 20 minutes every morning with virgin coconut oil became a habit. With guidance from wellness mentor and GOQii Master Coach Luke Coutinho, I began Intermittent Fasting and then moved to Dry Fasting. I would fast every Tuesdays and Saturdays for 16 hours, consuming my meals before 7 pm to reset my biological clock. Following these minute changes, I was able to transform my health. Determination and focus are what it took for me to be what I am today and I’m really proud of myself.

Was it really that difficult?

Yes! To stay focused throughout and be motivated is a challenge but would you rather lead an unhealthy life or have more focus & energy? The choice is yours! With simple changes to your everyday life, you can achieve similar goals as Jayanand Wagh and all it requires is relentless dedication. This story is an example to people who believe that it’s too difficult to bring about such changes in your health. Try this holistic approach towards health today and feel the change yourself.