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April 5, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

“There are no substitutions for hard work and dedication”

feeling triumphant-successfully completed 1st 100 Kms Trailwalk

Feeling Triumphant: Successfully completed the 1st 100 km Trail walk.

He was all work and no play. Priority was work and that got the better of him always. So much so that it was affecting his personal life at work and at home. As a result eating habits were erratic with no control on what was being eaten, there was no physical activity or exercising for that matter. The net result of all this was an unhealthy lifestyle that he was leading. But, a discussion with his wife made him realize that he had to make an effort to improve and get on the brighter and healthier side of life. Here is Dhawal Desai’s story in his own words.

I work in the IT industry and my focus was always more on work, meeting project deadlines. Personal life was almost zilch as I would be so exhausted when I came back from work. I was only pushing my team towards working harder and almost forgot that “Team success is a perfect blend between hard work and fun”. I realized Element of hard work was already there but no fun.

I had a serious discussion with my wife what is to be done. How could I make a change she spoke about balancing my act between work and home? And it had to start with “ME” I had to change… focus on my health and change my lifestyle. What my wife told me made sense. It was no rocket science but, I had to make that effort. The problem however was I did not know where to start and what to do?

Then one day I happened to be watching NDTV and I came across their reviews on fitness bands and all the features and how these bands can help you improve your lifestyle. I thought it was great but somewhere felt it a missing element of motivation and guidance.

I could wear the band and get all the stats but, then what do I do with those stats was the big question playing on my mind.

How do I interpret those stats and convert it into a performance or lifestyle change? I am not a fitness trainer nor a health or nutrition expert. Just increasing my step counts is not going to help me towards a healthy lifestyle. So I dropped the idea of getting a fitness band.

Few days later, I once again was going through the same program on tech on NDTV and this time around I heard about GOQii. The concept of GOQii appealed to me because it was not just another fitness tracker. The idea of having a coach connected all the dots for me. I read more about GOQii and its features and I was convinced.

An App + A coach + great eating suggestions + gradual workout sessions + motivation all of these without any impact on my work schedule was the right push I needed. I did not think twice and immediately bought myself a GOQii band and Shimpli Patil was my coach.

My coach had a call with me and I explained my lifestyle to her. In fact, even before my band arrived we started working on my issues. It took a while for the band to reach as I work in the Middle East (ME). Till my band arrived I was interacting my coach on Skype.

Then finally, when I got the band. My health goal was to lose some pounds as I was on the borderline of obesity (I was 120 kgs) and I wanted to change my attitude towards life. I wanted to be more positive.I started my daily routine wherein I started tracking my steps as well. I had started my regular workout. My water intake had increased. Anyway, the climate here in ME makes you dehydrated.

Within a couple of weeks, I could see the difference in my personal life and professional life. I wanted to ensure I was eating a balanced diet to support my increase in physical activity, I had also noticed that I had started eating better and right. All my in between junk snacking had stopped.

My coach helped me make adjustments to my nutrition while simultaneously kept me motivated to keep moving. As a result, I started seeing consistent results and completely fell in love with what I was doing. I had started feeling better and my team also noticed this positive change in me. Work became more fun for my team. I was not exhausted when I came home so could spend fruitful time with my family.

As I was getting my fitness level on track, one day the something impossible happened. My coach asked me if I wanted to try out 100KM Oxfam Trail walk

100 KMs in 48 hrs… now that’s something I doubted. But, again she managed to give me the right push and motivation to register. I registered for my first 100 km trail walk to be held in Dec 2014. I was all charged up for the trail walk. My team was Skywalkers.

During the trail walk, I happened to meet Kuntal Joisher and Anusha both trained mountaineers. Kuntal was going to be climbing Mount Everest in April 2015 and Anusha was doing the trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC). I was always in love with mountains and green forests. Meeting them was my second motivation that I needed.

While on the trail walk, the thought of going to Everest Base Camp stuck with me. I thought if I manage to complete this 100KMs within 48 hrs I am going for the EBC trek. Well, Skywalkers completed the quest within 45 hrs and I said, there you go… Everest Base Camp here I come.

The trek was all planned and I registered for it for April 2015. I trained for 3 months to be fit to go to EBC. I had to bear in mind two things the weather conditions and altitude. I was asked to hydrate myself as much and also do some strength exercises or my legs, back and shoulder. I had to carry 3 liters of water and walk on the trek. The trail walker was a good initiation for trekking.

My second goal was to complete the EBC trek and guess what I did that as well without a hitch. My family initially was not sure or convinced that I would be able to do EBC trek but, after I completed it they could not believe their eyes.

Both, the successful completion of the 100 km Trail walk as well as the EBC trek was a great high and ego booster for me. I knew I could do a whole lot. Nothing was impossible.

Dhwal at 5190 mts ( 17,127 ft) -Enroute to EBC

Now I plan to take this further. I plan to do one Himalayan trek every year. And, I hope to keep the same spirit.

I am fit now and feeling fit as well. I am ranging around 94 kgs and my routine in the ME is to go to the gym once a day. On an average, I manage to clock 10k steps daily. My eating has improved drastically. Now I eat everything and I eat small meals. I eat salads and fruits regularly.

If you ask what GOQii has done for me…from ‘All play and no work that made Dhawal a dull boy’, ‘Its lots of work along with play for Dhawal now.’ My life is more balanced and I want to be an example for my 2-year-old daughter.

Through my journey, I have discovered one thing and that there are no substitutions for hard work and dedication. However, there are tools that make them a little easier. My GOQii coach made my hard work fun and the all the dedication seem possible. My GOQii band has made me accountable to myself.

What does Coach Shimpli Patil have to say about Dhawal Desai?

Dhawal has been on the GOQii ecosystem right from the time when I started my journey as a GOQii Coach. He was aiming at optimum fitness and feeling overall good about his health. We started off with some simple goals of increasing his daily water intake, having small frequent meals and hitting a good number of steps daily. We started working towards these goals and within no time, Dhawal picked these habits and embedded into his routine quite seamlessly. Later, we began with a good workout routine starting with cardio and then alternating cardio with strengthening exercises.

I could sense tremendous willingness and determination in him to achieve what he was supposed to. He got into a habit of surprising me each day with his magnificent performances. Little did we know that we would be heading towards massive goals in the coming days? Soon, in a few months, Dhawal geared himself for a 100 km trail walk and completed it victoriously! It was like a kick start to his phenomenal journey wherein he then enrolled himself for the incredible Everest Base Camp trek. And that wasn’t enough, he aspired to walk the 100 km trail again in 2015 and he triumphantly completed it again!

To achieve such great heights, good fitness is a must, but way beyond fitness, what one needs is the zeal and ginormous willpower, and Dhawal is a perfect illustration of it!

Dhawal with the local kids at Phakding-way back from EBC

Dhawal poses with the local kids on the way to EBC

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April 4, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

“My ultimate goal is to increase my immunity and live a very long healthy life”

Jigar working out at home

The day of reckoning comes to nearly all of us. A favorite pair of jeans won’t zip up; the idea of doing any physical work is exhausting; a walk around the apartment block is enough to tire you and send you to bed. Worse, you learn you have cholesterol at a really young age or find your weight is crushing your knees. It’s the day you do not feel good about yourself and realize it’s time that you need to start exercising and get fit and healthy. Jigar Gala was sailing in this very boat but, decided to not be complacent. Instead, he worked hard to get healthy.

I am 27 and I have had a very sedentary lifestyle. There was no form of physical activity whatsoever. I am an operations manager in a Public Limited company and I work from 10-6pm. I travel 12 days in a month. Diet was not right as I ate anything as and when I wanted to. I was eating cheese, butter, and fried items all the time and did not care. My water intake was low and I never ever felt energetic. Eventually, my cholesterol and Triglyceride levels also increased.

Since my wife Charmi Gala is a coach with GOQii I got more intrigued about GOQii. I used to watch and hear her talk to her players giving them suggestions. She would constantly tell me how her player has improved or changed his lifestyle and got better. But, I never really bothered so much. My wife suggested going in for a GOQii band so that I can discipline myself and get back on track.

Six months ago I went ahead and got myself a GOQii band and said let me try it out and see if it’s working. My coach is Geetika Patni. I realized that no matter what a coach tells you finally it is me who has to implement all that is being told to me in the right way and in a disciplined manner if not I would be a loser.

My first health goal was to reduce my cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The doctor actually recommended medicines for the same but then I was also warned that there could be side effects of the medicines. After I have achieved the first goal I decided I will focus on how to be active and lastly lifestyle changes, increase water intake etc.

Thanks to GOQii within 6 months I have been able to bring down my Cholesterol and triglyceride levels. My Cholesterol levels were high at 310 and triglycerides was at 350. Currently, my cholesterol is at 180 and triglycerides at 130.

Along with my coaching, I have been greatly inspired by Luke Coutinho, the master coach of GOQii. In fact, thanks to Luke I have been able to make small changes. I watch his videos repeatedly on YouTube to get motivation when I get cravings of unhealthy things

Just small changes to your diet and lifestyle coupled with discipline can do wonders to you and your health. I am extremely happy as my cholesterol is under control and my nutritional habits have changed for the better. I am not eating any junk and fried food items or anything unhealthy. I think before I eat.

I have also started walking. Trying to do 10,000 steps at once seemed hard to do. But, going on a little walk in the morning, and another later in the evening helped my steps add up. I walk at a moderate pace daily for 45 minutes. Also, twice a week I do free body exercise.

What I have realized over a period of time is that even if you’re someone who struggles with fitness, or if being active doesn’t come naturally to you, you can do it—and it can all be done with just walking. You don’t have to go out and kill yourself every day, just set a goal with GOQii and ease into it.

Becoming physically active has changed my attitude towards life. It has automatically helped me increase my water intake. I drink around 2.5 liters daily. Earlier was not even managing 1 liter. I have a reminder in my phone that reminds me to drink water at regular intervals. Now, I have cultivated the habit. With regard to sleep, I never had an issue.

Goqii concept is really wonderful, they are creating right awareness while all other companies just want to sell products. Today people have many options out there for your health and fitness. But, what GOQii is doing is that it is creating that balance and helping change your lifestyle by making very small changes. It’s no rocket science but many of the aspects such as exercise, food, water, sleep etc we have always taken it for granted and over the years these things have affected our health. Last but not the least the coach is a motivating factor in this entire GOQii ecosystem.

My wife is happy that I am following my coach’s advice. When she used to tell me to do all these things I would never take her seriously. Now I realize that what she used to tell me was for my own good. I am seeing the change in myself and she has seen me change for the better.

My message to one and all is that GOQii is here to help you change yourself. Try it and you will see massive changes in your lifestyle. No matter how much you travel or work. The solution of your health is in our hands but we run here and there to solve the health issue.We just need to heal our body in the correct way and build stronger Immunity

My Life Mantra :-

— Balance nutrition

— 7 hour of sound sleep

— more than 2L daily water intake

— managing stress

— daily activity (sports / walking / running / exercise etc )

Last but not the least, I like the karma concept that has been weaved into this ecosystem. I try to donate as much as I can. The whole idea of clocking more steps to be able to donate is a wonderful thing. My ultimate goal is to increase my immunity and lead a very long healthy life.

What does Coach Geetika Patni have to say about Jigar Gala?

Jigar is a very supportive player. His initial goal was to control cholesterol levels, which was a bit high along with weight reduction of 10kgs. Cholesterol levels got down once he started following right nutritional practices and maintained a regular exercise routine, all of which he is still continuing and which has helped him in weight loss too. He is very curious with respect to his nutrition and adopts to all suggestions. Current workout routine includes 40 minutes of walking but, has also tried Tabata workouts in the past. He is doing very well and am sure he’ll find his perfect balance of lifestyle soon.

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March 31, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 2 Comments

“The tiny little tracker was the spark that ignited an enormous change in my life…”

After run work out

He is from the Defense forces and has a mandatory regime to be fit. But, his dietary habits were not as healthy as it should be.3 years ago he had to move out of active field services due to an injury and that was the day he decided come what may he has to work hard and put in all efforts to get back to field services. Within a year, he was able to get back on track to active services. But, what has changed for Jatin Singh now is that while he used to be fit even earlier now he is fitter and motivated. He says, “I am driven and not slacking.” Here is Jatin Singh’s story of change and success in his own words.

My story is different from the others in the sense that I was already driven for fitness. I have always been sporty. I was playing Squash at quite a good level and also Basket Ball. I also swim a lot. Also, being a serving officer in the Defense forces we have a regular exercise regime. I was stronger, fit and had more endurance.

But, then, unfortunately, 3 years ago I had a bad back injury which was near close to a slipped disk. After that, while I was still in service, I was not on the field. The reason being that once you are in that kind of a situation you are no longer in active service in the armed forces and cannot be serving on the field.

I knew that I could not stay away from the field and wanted to get back to active service so I put in a lot of effort to recover well and get back. I wanted to get back to be at the top of my health and fitness to combat any eventualities that may occur as a result of being in active field service.

I worked very hard, did a lot of physiotherapy sessions, I had to take care of my diet and did yoga to strengthen my back. Initially, I started walking and then got back to running. I took lots of efforts to get back my fitness and get my back in shape. I was successful and finally got back to field service after a year. But, now my worry was I had worked so hard to come back, I didn’t want to let go of the fitness and the health I had gained at any cost.

My back was back in shape but, I had to maintain that. I was looking for something to keep myself motivated to be on the health and fitness track. This was also because the amount of effort and pain I had put in for close to 8 months to get everything back on track, had drained me quite a bit.

One day as I was browsing the net, I came across GOQii. I started reading about it. I went through a couple of reviews on various websites and I went through some user reviews as well. I liked what I read and saw. I liked the costing of the band I liked what it was offering especially the personalized coaching where somebody will be constantly motivating you to get on the track of wellbeing. I thought that maybe it might help me get much better as I’d always wanted to. I was intrigued.

I decided to buy GOQii and bought one. And after a few months what I realized is that it met all my expectations and did much more. That tiny little tracker was the spark that ignited an enormous change in my life. At the core of my success was the concept in its entirety that when a person tracks and records something related to their fitness or health, they can change it for the better. Using the GOQii online dashboard and my coach’s motivation made it simpler for me.

Jatin On his daily run

I wear my band all the time. It keeps me motivated 24*7 because I keep looking to see if I am meeting my goals for the day or not. Now I take readings every day and compare them over any time. It sends all of my data to my computer or phone and also my coach is able to view exactly what I have been doing. My tracker is a great tool for my training. Gone are the days of handwritten exercise logs and calculators. I have all of the training data I could ever need at my fingertips. It’s become a great tool to discover trends in my activity, nutrition and show positive progress.

The biggest motivator for me is the fact that I am answerable to somebody and that keeps me going. I am not sure if am the only lucky one but, I would like to say that my coach Charmi Gogri is just fantastic.

I think she must be twenty years younger to me, but she is so much knowledgeable and has done a fantastic job. She understands me and what goals I want to achieve very well. And her tip on nutrition has been fantastic. I am only doing what she has advised and I have witnessed quite a visible difference not only in my nutrition but at all levels..

I had bad dietary habits before I got injured. I am a Punjabi and ate whatever came my way. Had absolutely no control. I remained in shape and fit only because I played a sport and I did exercises regularly.

But, after my injury I was advised to cut down my weight to about 67-68 kg below what was my ideal weight of 74-75 kg for my height and age. I am around 182 cm and currently 40 years of age. I was advised to maintain a lighter weight than the normal so as to put minimum pressure on the back. When I was getting back in shape with yoga, walking and running, I had reduced and I cut my weight down to around 68 kgs.

I wanted to maintain that weight. I do not play a sport anymore. So ideally, I only run. I run only 6 km a day and I have been able to maintain my weight at 67-68 kgs only because of eating right. Thanks to my coach she advised some changes such as smaller portions and frequent meals, healthy snacking between meals and we have been able to stick to that plan more or less.

My coach has also advised on a few Yoga asanas to keep my back strong. I do yoga for around half an hour every day. I also do a lot of exercises for my stomach, and when there are days I can’t exercise especially because of lack of time especially when I am on field, she has given me a lot of exercises to do which does not require too much space and can be done when you have lack of time. I tried these exercises and found it very helpful.

When I am on field there are times I am incommunicado. My coach has been flexible with my timings and helped not slack off when I am back from field duty. The band keeps me driven that I don’t slack.

I have been on the GOQii platform since 2014 and it has done wonders for me in the last 18 months. Things changed drastically. I am fit, eating better and right, I am maintaining my weight and am slimmer than ever. When I got injured and was out of active service hence my first goal was to get back to active service. You don’t want to be in services and not be in active service.

Now my health goal has totally changed because I have built my fitness. Currently, my new goal is to run marathons. This year I shall do a half marathon and then the full marathon. And the other thing I wished for was to maintain my weight and I am able to do that.

I also like the karma initiative. It is a good thing and makes you feel nice once in a while. I would say it is one more motivating factor to stay healthy. I have so far probably donated well above 2000 points.

I would say that there are lot of people who have asked me about the band and they are very impressed by me being constantly motivated. Earlier too I used to be fit but never so charged.

The 5 things I like about GOQii is 1) coaching 2) the step count and the technology 3) Usability of the app 4) I find the band perfect. It is not very bright in colour and is something I can wear with my uniform and all my clothes. And lastly, I like the response of the GOQii team. They are fast and immediate.

Last but not the least I would like to say is that GOQii is a great enabler it gives you the tools and motivation that you need to make your own success story.

What does Coach Charmi Gogri have to say about Jatin Singh?

I met Jatin a year and a half ago. I was already impressed by his workout routine and meal choices via his lifestyle. Over the call, I understood his lifestyle more clearly and felt REST is something which is inadequate. We initially settled down for the goal to improve his sleep quality and duration. After following few bed time rituals, Jatin accomplished this goal in few weeks. He has been the most obedient player so far. He is always ready to implement suggestions and is open to ideas. All he wanted was daily motivation so as to keep his lifestyle the way it is. Over time, we worked upon many small goals which in turn became part of his routine, from as simple as how to perfectly wash fruits and vegetables to portion control to mindful eating to detoxification to maintaining weekly chart of Kms run to formulating some temporary goals such as meditation, free hand workouts, smart snacking etc; while he has to go to the sea on duty. Since his schedule is uncertain due to his duty on sea and harbour, we make sure to keep his routine flexible. His aim this year is to run his first marathon so currently, we are working on his training to run a marathon by year end

(He is almost ready!) and adding a smart and healthy evening snack daily to bridge the long gap between Lunch and dinner (He has been consistent with this one so far ).

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March 30, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Having a time commitment is important to achieve a health goal

What a feeling : Manish in blue relaxing with his 100 km oxfam trail walk team.

He has always known life to be busy until one day when he realized that it was not worth being unhealthy. He was sick of being fat and always heard from people around him how he needed to lose weight for his own health but, that just made him more frustrated. He knew that for it to stick, he needed to be the one who decided to get healthier. Today, he easily walks 10 km, clocks on an average 7k to 8k steps daily and is walking the path of fitness. Here is Manish Karve’s experience in his own words.

I work for a managed analytics company. I used to manage operations and more often than not worked the night shift. My work got the best of me, spending a significant amount of time in office sitting in meetings or in front of a screen. Add to the inactive life I led, I had terrible eating habits. The net result of all this was that I was unhealthy with ailments like back aches and perennial cold and cough.

My family life was suffering considerably. The time I used to be at home I spent sleeping. I was overweight. Like most people, life carried on. I was eating wrong and never had the time or desire to exercise. I did try my hand at playing a sport, going to the gym for working out but nothing really worked for me as I was not able to do anything that brought about a lifestyle change in me. I was nearing 40 and I thought to myself what was I doing with myself? I was scared for my health.

Given thatI worked with data, I thought a wearable might be a good idea, I tried the Jawbone Up but, it was a standalone fitness tracker and that connect with people was not there. It just helped you track what you do. So I gave that up as well. Then I had a chance meeting with Vishal Gondal who happens to be my schoolmate. During this meet he mentioned to me about GOQii and sent me a link for the Beta.Six months after the beta testing started I got a GOQii band for myself to try it out. Best decision ever!

What appealed to me a lot about GOQii was the personal coaching. There are qualified nutritionist, dieticians and other specialists who can help you chalk your fitness and health goals the right way. Unlike all the other things I tried to do to get fit and healthy, GOQii did just one thing-it kept me engaged thanks to the coaching.

My coach NehaMorche has done a brilliant job. She became my coach when I was at the crossroads of an unhealthy lifestyle. She did not come up with dramatic goals to achieve. She asked me to take baby steps and go slow. She brought about simple changes in lifestyle and nutrition which has helped me a lot.

She also helped me be more active. As I started getting active on a daily basis, I started improving my diet. I began walking one km in the beginning. Initially, it was difficult but, I stayed that I was going to achieve my goal of losing weight and increasing my stamina.I increased my walking and then took to running as well. I initially remember thinking how hard clocking 10,000 steps would be. But, I sweat through it and eventually it got easier.

Today, I am regularly going for walks, cycling at times and I actually go to a gym with a personal trainer. I have been able to easily run 10kms now. I did the 10 km run at Thane in February. I finished that race in just about an hour and a half. What an achievement I thought. I was so fired up! Now, I can walk 10-11 km without a huff. Two years ago I could not have even imagined doing all these things that I am currently doing. I clock on an average 8k to 10k steps daily. For me, I have to look at the GOQii app and see what I have done in a day to keep myself motivated.

As my fitness levels increased I also brought about a change in my nutrition. My coach brought about simple changes. I was such a lover of junk food and especially chaat. But, she did not ask me to stop it but instead told me instead of having a Bhel why not go have SukhaBhel with lots of nuts etc which is healthy. She gave interesting tips on what snacks to carry and what not to eat. I have also significantly reduced my intake of Coffee and tea.

I would eat fruits whenever I want to and Neha helped me understand few realities about when and how to eat fruits. She threw open lots of challenges to me and also gave great tips. In terms of activities too we worked up strengthening core and leg muscles. I then participated in the 2014 Mumbai 100 Oxfam Trailwalk and completed it successfully. That further gave a boost that I could do it if I wanted to. Then I also did the Trailwalk again in 2015. Talk about being a glutton for punishment.

My wife has seen the positive change in me and is happy. All in all I feel positive and another aspect of positivity is also being able to donate karma points. Till date I would have donated close to about 8k points. My plan is to continue living this healthy lifestyle. After all, there is lot of belly fat to lose.

Is what I did that amazing? I don’t think so. I think it’s something that anyone can do. It didn’t cost a lot of money, but one has to be disciplined and dedicate time. Having a time commitment is important to achieve a health goal. I made an effort to be disciplined, gave up junk food and guess what? It is all so worth. I realized my reason to get healthy was more than just a want. I realized that if I want to be healthy, I have to decide to do whatever it takes and make it an everyday, lifestyle change.

What does Coach Neha Morche have to say about Manish?

Manish and I initially started work on increasing activity levels to increase stamina and be energetic as a goal. He wanted this as his goal as he travels a lot on work and always has a busy routine to form an activity routine for himself. Considering this I suggested some easy exercises which can be performed in the hotel room as well. Then he participated in the 100 Km Oxfam Trail walk in December 2014. It is only after successfully completing the trail walk that he realized that he needs to work on his belly fats, exercises were suggested accordingly. He put in efforts to follow a routine. Eventually he began to do regular walks and slowly moved on to running. He also got regular with logging in food data and I was able to understand his pattern of meals and suggest balanced nutrition for him. Overall he managed to make lifestyle changes despite his busy schedule.