Search Results for: weight loss

October 6, 2022 By GOQii 5 Comments

The Preliminary Step To Weight Loss Is Training Your Mind

We’ve noticed that most of our players have a common statement that they always make when it comes to weight loss – “I don’t think I will lose weight no matter how hard I try because I don’t have the willpower”. Well, if you’re aware that you lack the willpower, all you need to do is set your mind on it and work towards building more willpower. It’s much easier than you think!

Barriers To Weight Loss

Weight loss is a decision you make in your mind first. You can lose weight if you decide you want to. The biggest barrier you face is actually being self-disciplined and having the willpower to follow through the habits set by your coach. Compliance and determination are needed to follow through but instead, we tend to fall into this vicious cycle that begins with eating a poor diet full of carbs, fats, and processed foods. This, in turn, makes one lethargic and tired all the time. You don`t feel like exercising. What follows next? It’s a huge loss of willpower and you end up feeling extremely miserable and hopeless. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Only You Can Make The Change!

Certainly, there is a ray of hope for all. You can make the change. If you truly want to lose weight, you first have to build the power to make it happen! Willpower is a like a skill – it has to be mastered and nurtured through practice. For example, if your most favorite sweet is passed on to you and you say no for the first time, it is much easier to say no the second time too. But, the question arises – How do you say NO?

Whether it is a good habit or a bad one, the brain has the capability to ‘format’ the data and ‘add’ a new habit. When you repeat a behavior a number of times, it becomes a part of you. So if you give into the craving of eating a sweet for the first time, it develops a weak pathway for the brain, where a chain of neurons works to translate your thoughts into actions with the same action time and again. It then becomes a strong pathway and thus, a habit is formed. Instead of dwelling on or focusing on bad habits, make the change and shift your attention to the ones which are good for you.

If you need help shifting to positive habits which are good for you and your health, subscribe for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching where a GOQii Coach will guide and motivate you to achieve your health goals in the most sustainable manner possible without turning your life upside down. Subscribe here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

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September 19, 2022 By Shaeba Shaikh 2 Comments

Top 5 Effective Indoor Workouts For Weight Loss During Monsoon

Visiting the gym, going for a yoga or zumba class can be quite challenging when there’s a heavy downpour and you want to get a good workout. And it is easy to feel stumped when your options are limited. But don’t let this minor setback stop you! It’s not worth it to put on all the weight you worked so hard to lose. Here are some easy and effective indoor workouts for weight loss you can do anywhere!

5 Easy and Effective Indoor Workouts For Weight Loss

1. Walking/Running: There’s nothing better than running outdoors – the fresh air and all but what do you do when there’s a heavy downpour? There are many ways, in fact, it is easier if you have a treadmill. If you don’t, try spot jogging and taking frequent breaks in between your work from home schedule to walk around the house and unwind.

2. Jump Rope: Do you want that sleek, slender body? Jump Rope is your answer! It is one of the most underrated yet effective workouts. If you’re new to this, start with a 2-5 min warm up, then do the traditional rope skipping with 30-50 reps. Then, you can run up and down your building stairs, do the rope again for 30-50 reps and end with a cool down. It is high intensity, low cost, doesn’t consume time and is still one of the most effective workouts for weight loss. If you want to invest in a good jump rope, try the GOQii Smart Skip.

3. High Intensity Interval Training: As the name suggests, it is periods of High Intensity exercises coupled with Low Intensity exercises/rest. The aim for HIIT workout is to target 80% of VO2 Max (Max Oxygen Consumption) for maximum results.

Your typical HIIT session can be:

Warm Up
Lunges for 1-2mins at a stretch
Walk/Jog in place for 30secs
Pushup for 1-2mins
Walk/Jog in place for 30secs
Squats for 1-2mins
Walk/Jog in place for 30secs
Abdominal Crunches for 1-2mins
Walk/Jog for 30secs
Cool down

You can add more exercises and modify the exercises as per your fitness levels.

4. Weight Training: Yes, this might be impossible since most of us don’t have dumbbells and other gym equipment at home but that shouldn’t pose much of a problem. You can still use your daily household equipment as weights. For instance, water bottles filled with water as dumbbells or a bucket of water for your deadlifts. In fact, you can also use your own bodyweight. The key idea here is to undergo a process called Hypertrophy of the muscles, wherein the body increases the size of the muscles and reduces the fat around it. Weight training helps in burning fat 24×7 as opposed to burning fat only during the workout. A beginner can start with 20 reps + 3 sets of deadlifts, squats, lunges, bicep curls, etc.

5. Boot Camp: This is one of the most intense and effective workouts which alternate between aerobic activities of sprinting/running along with strength exercises and drills. It simultaneously works on your endurance and strength.

You can start a typical routine as:

Warm up
1 min each of Push ups, Lunges, Pull ups, Crunches, Buttkickers, spot jog
Repeat the exercises
Cool down.

To make things easier for you, you can join a GOQii Pro class within the GOQii App where you’ll be guided by fitness experts in a live, interactive session of your choice. More so, you can also get tips, guidance and motivation from a certified GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

We hope this indoor workouts for weight loss help you choose your workouts and lose weight. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips on fitness and health, check out Healthy Reads.

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August 3, 2022 By GOQii 2 Comments

The Weight Loss Link You May Be Missing – Dietary Minerals

The most challenging case for a Dietitian is perhaps – Weight Loss! Why – because, each case is unique and the most important task is to find out the root cause of weight gain (which, contrary to popular belief, is not always overeating or lack of physical activity). It is prudent that the underlying cause be identified and targeted, not only to ensure sustainable weight loss but also because these reasons are linked to diseases in waiting as well. Genetic predisposition, low BMR, stress, lack of sleep, hormonal disturbance, chronic mild dehydration, lack of certain dietary minerals, etc. are few recognized causes of weight gain.

However, if adjusting your diet, water intake, exercising more and controlling your stress and sleep hasn’t helped you reach a healthy body weight, check your mineral status. Mineral deficiency often happens slowly over time and can be caused by an increased need for one or more dietary minerals, lack of dietary minerals in the diet, or difficulty absorbing minerals from food. You may be suffering from deficiencies because the nutritional value of the produce has been steadily degrading for the last couple of decades. Increased intake of processed foods is another reason which deprives you of not only fiber, but many vitamins and minerals.

4 Major Dietary Minerals Associated With Weight

Since the deficiency symptoms of these minerals are largely general, they go unnoticed and hence get overlooked while diagnosing unexplained weight. Let’s discuss four major dietary minerals (or their deficiencies) that are directly or indirectly associated with your weight.

1. Chromium
It is an essential mineral that regulates insulin action and its effects on metabolism. Insulin is essentially the fat-loss gatekeeper, so anything that improves Insulin efficiency is great for fat loss. Chromium determines the way our body uses Insulin. The Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) interacts with Insulin and regulates how much Glucose (sugar) enters a cell. GTF encourages energy production (burns calories) and may also curb feelings of hunger.

Identifying the link between Chromium and weight loss is crucial because someone who is overweight is often at high risk of becoming Insulin Resistant (Diabetic). Chromium is lost in the process of refining foods. For example, when sugarcane is refined into white sugar, 93% of Chromium is lost. Because our soils are depleted of Chromium and because we consume more processed foods nowadays, Chromium deficiency is becoming increasingly prevalent.

2. Iodine
The Thyroid Gland depends on Iodine to manufacture the Thyroid Hormone. The Thyroid’s main function is to manage the body’s metabolism. A shortage of Iodine can cause changes to the Thyroid Gland and an underactive Thyroid Gland slows your metabolism; you thus burn dramatically fewer calories and feel sluggish. Also, an underactive Thyroid Gland promotes excess weight and cellulite by causing water retention.

Inadequate intake of Iodine was once a recognized problem that was solved by universal Iodization of Salt. Salt was fortified with Potassium Iodate to ensure controlled consumption by all sections of society. Once this was done, the obvious symptoms of severe Iodine Deficiency disappeared from view, and little further thought was given to the matter, though sub-clinical symptoms remained. Today’s health conscious consumers have lowered their salt intake and now fail to get even that small amount of Iodine in their diets. Presence of Goitrogens in certain foods is another cause of Iodine deficiency arising from inadequate Iodine utilization.

3. Magnesium
It is needed to extract nutrients from food and for optimal Insulin function. The more nutrients you extract from food, the less you have to eat to feel full. When we aren’t getting what we need from our diet, the body will crave more food in an effort to obtain those vital nutrients. Magnesium is also a vital nutrient for reducing stress, which is one of the most important keys in fighting obesity.

It supports healthy Adrenal Glands that control the release of Adrenaline and Cortisol – two hormones related to stress response. While these hormones are vital to living, too much of them can cause weight gain and other health problems. Magnesium helps regulate these hormones so they are not overproduced.

One of the major causes of Magnesium deficiency is over-medicating with pharmaceutical drugs. They prevent the body from absorbing magnesium.

4. Iron
It is a critical nutrient because it is essential for the synthesis of Hemoglobin – a metalloprotein that carries oxygen from lungs to all the tissues in body. Diminished oxygen carrying capacity can leave you feeling very fatigued, lethargic and irritable. In this state, your body signals you to slow down physical activity and you may find yourself seeking opportunities to sit or lie down, thus leading to weight gain.

Also, low Iron promotes fat storage and cause abnormal blood sugar elevation. Reasons responsible for iron deficiency can be dietary as well as non-dietary. Your excess body weight too can contribute to Iron deficiency. Inflammation associated with excess body weight elevates a hormone Hepcidin, which has the net effect of reducing Iron absorption from digestive tract.

Now, before you finish reading this article and jump to quick fix by googling for these mineral supplements, a word of caution – Overdose of these minerals, especially from synthetic sources, are extremely harmful. Do not take these minerals as supplements without professional guidance. Consult a doctor, nutritionist or a dietitian before making any changes to your diet or taking any supplements.

You may improve your mineral intake by following the golden rule – Go low on processed foods and buy your foods fresh, local and seasonal to remove any possible degradation in nutrient quality. Don’t eat less, eat right and live a healthy and active life!

We hope this article on dietary minerals helps you. For further guidance on nutritional deficiencies and to lose weight in a sustainable manner, reach out to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

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July 28, 2022 By GOQii 7 Comments

Lemon Water and Weight Loss: Are They Really Connected?

There’s no doubt that this bright yellow, all season fruit has innumerable advantages. If I were to list down the benefits, it would be endless. The foremost advantage of lemon is its power to enhance the flavor of our kitchen. Packed with vitamin C, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, pectin fiber and citric acid, this fruit has been known to boost immunity and take it to another level.

It is anti-bacterial in nature, thus protecting you from the clutches of most infections. It’s also a blood purifier and known to rejuvenate the skin by taking away acne and wrinkles. It’s a perfect morning drink as it aids in the elimination of waste products from the body and promotes quick bursts of energy.

I have seen many people using lemon water as a way to lose weight, but does it really help in weight loss? The good news is that it does! Lemon water has shown to have real weight loss powers. It actually helps accelerate the process of weight loss.

Let’s understand the Mechanism of Lemon Water and Weight Loss

Drinking lemon water in the morning helps activate the detoxifying process. It clears out toxins and some internal waste from the body. Once the toxins are out, it accelerates our sluggish metabolism, increasing our calorie burning capacity.
It has diuretic and laxative effect, enabling smooth bowels and cleansing of colon. Lingering waste in the colon also adds on to the weight and results in bloating. Removal of the lingering waste helps drop some kilos then and there itself.
Lemon water helps cleanse the liver. Some components of lemon stimulate the liver to produce more bile. Bile is a chemical that helps in fat digestion. This process helps metabolize fat faster.
Having lemon water with a meal also stimulates the production of gastric juices that enhance digestion.
Lemon is packed with Vitamin C. According to an article published in the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition” in 2005, vitamin C is inversely related to our body mass. Reports suggest that having enough vitamin C can stimulate a series of chemical reactions that breakdown body fat and use it as energy.
It creates an alkaline atmosphere in the stomach which is conducive to weight loss and helps shed off the kilos faster.
It contains a fiber called pectin (especially the lemon peel). Pectin is known to cut down hunger cravings and provide satiety effects, thus, exerting control on overeating.
Last but not the least – substituting other drinks (colas/sugary fruit juices, etc.) with lemon water certainly reduces the caloric consumption, as lemon water adds ZERO calories to your body compared to other drinks. If you choose to replace the other drinks with lemon water every day for months or even a year, it will help you lose weight!

This simple and tiny fruit is the perfect example of how “Big Surprises Come in Small Packages!” Make it a point to begin the day with a glass of lemon water daily. Enjoy its positive effects on your health and weight in the long run.

We hope this article helps you! For more on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads. You can also reach out to a GOQii Coach who will help you form healthy habits for sustainable weight loss, by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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