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April 1, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

“Finally, it’s your own discipline and routine that will help you stay fit and healthy”

Brian Pereira

He leads a busy life with lots of travel in a month which gave him no time to work out. Being an event producer is no mean task you have to constantly be on your toes. But, that also meant not enough sleep, bad food habits, and high cholesterol levels. Brian, however, did not make excuses instead he decided despite the busy schedule, he will have to make that extra effort if he wants to get healthy. Today, his efforts have paid off with his cholesterol levels lower, being active by clocking 10000 steps daily and getting better rest and sleep. Let’s hear Brian’s story of change in his own words….

I am an event and conference producer. My event happens once a year at the end of the year but it can be pretty stressful at times when you are managing a large scale event.I am also a freelance journalist and have my own blog and website. Given my work, I travel extensively both domestically and international.

Due to extensive travelling especially when its international travel, the body clock goes haywire, eating patterns get upset, sleep patterns get disturbed and sometimes even the water intake is not as much. I have now consciously cut down my travels.

I got a GOQii band sometime in November 2015 as it was a giveaway in my own event. That was the time when my annual event takes place. It was a stressful time for me. The event ended on November 30^th. But, I had not removed the GOQii band for almost 2-3 weeks because I immediately went on a vacation after my event. Then one day I just picked it up and decided to try it out.

At this particular point, my cholesterol levels were high. My sleep cycles were irregular and had digestion issues as well. I, however, considered myself fit because I would occasionally manage to do some exercises. But, the other issues had to be controlled. It was a wake-up call and I knew I had to do something about it. Therefore, I decided to try the GOQii band. I connected with my coach Shiba Akhtar. I discussed all my issues with her and also mentioned I was taking medicines to lower my cholesterol.

Technically, I had started using my GOQii band from December 2015. I had done my tests prior to going on my vacation and my bad cholesterol was 200 but after I started using the band and following my coach’s instructions on various aspects such as increasing water intake to 2 litres, sleep patterns gradually improved. I started walking a lot and being active. Instead of taking cars or auto, I tried to walk for distances which were manageable.

Then I set goals for myself on the band from 6000 steps it went to 7000 steps and those goals were easily achievable without going out in the park, just in the commute as I commute by public transport. Now, I clock 10,000 steps daily however the goal is to increase this and clock 12k steps daily.

I also cycle during the weekends and walk for about 40 minutes to an hour in the park. The band actually helped me get on a fitness path. What has also really changed in the last two months is my diet. I am off red meat now, and when I go for events or conferences I stick to plain curd rice or just rice and dal. My coach has also introduced some new things in my diet like watermelon and flax seeds and oats. These things I wasn’t taking before all new things have been introduced. Fruits and assorted nuts also I have daily. And, I am avoiding lot of rich foods.

I am happy with my achievement so far. But, again it’s not only the band making a difference it’s a combination of things. It’s a strict discipline that I have now chalked out for myself. It’s been very difficult at times with my hectic schedule but I have tried to keep to my new routine. Success comes with a lot of hard work.

If you want to achieve your goal you need to maintain discipline and follow your coach’s advice. My coach has also been giving me some exercises to do. My current goal now is now to reduce the waist…belly fat. After three months when I went for my test my cholesterol levels were lower.

I am in constant touch with my coach. It’s this constant communication with the coach that is helping. I am sure together we can make it work. Also, what I like about my coach is the fact that she is not too pushy as she knows my lifestyle. But, the thing is that I listen to her and I am disciplined. We do make frequent changes if something is not working out. Having said this my coach is pushy on two things water intake and the oil that is used for cooking. In fact, taking her advice I have changed my cooking oil and now I use only olive oil.

I do indulge in rich foods once in a way probably during festivities or some family functions. But, I immediately try to burn it off next day.

The GOQii concept is pretty good because there is somebody to monitor you and make you understand. Prior to GOQii, I was going to purchase a FitBit band but then when I talked to people who were using it they told me that it’s only a step and pulse tracker. It does not really take care of the whole thing. You need a holistic ecosystem just as GOQii has. Many often forget: half the battle when it comes to fitness is just being able to objectively and easily assess how active you are on a daily basis. Here is where the coach helps.

The coach is always pushing you and keeps you motivated. It should not just be about steps and sleep. It should also be about diet and wellness, overall wellness. Finally, it’s your own discipline and your routine that will help you stay fit and healthy.

I am feeling much better than what I was in November and more relaxed that I can think clearly, I can sleep better. I am mentally calmer and at peace. GOQii has definitely helped me get more fit and heart-happy.

What does Coach Shiba Akhtar have to say about Brian

Brian has come up with goals like;

*he wanted to get fit/ a complete wellness
*wanted to improve his sleep quality
*wanted to live stress free life
*cholesterol was >200
*bloating
*indigestion

Prior to GOQii his Lipid profile reports showed

Triglycerides-127
Cholesterol-251
HDL-39
LDL-196

I set up few SMART goals for him;
*Advised him to work out either walk/aerobics 3-4times in a week and sent him aerobics links for the beginners.
*Since his water intake was low, we increased the water intake to 2 litres daily.

I kept a check on him on a daily basis.Meanwhile, I was also working at his cholesterol levels. Advised him to take lots of fibre and omega-3 rich foods.By the end of December, both his water intake, sleep cycle and digestion had improved. He was also clocking higher steps at around 7000 and doing his workouts. I also regularly kept sending him tips on how to lower cholesterol.

Soon we planned to get new goals
* To clock 10k steps
*exercises to reduce his waistline
*Meals

I advised him to do exercises such as the Russian twist, crisscross, leg raise, reverse crunches, heel touch for 30min for his waistline reduction. I also advised him to sip green tea, take sugar and fat in moderation, include lots of Salads and Fruits in his diet, small and frequent meals were also advised.Brian met the 10k steps target easily, simultaneously he was motivated to keep himself hydrated.

On, Jan 16 The lipid profile reports showed

TG-106
Cholesterol-136
HDL-32
LDL-80

Drastic improvement from the previous report.

He has started working to boost his HDL. I advised him to switch his oil from rice bran to canola/olive and opt for sea foods.Brian is reaching his goals flawlessly. We are working hard to get goals on time. I have now introduced TABATA and NeilaRey. I closely monitor his diet through the logs. After the introduction of Neila Ray, walk/running well we also introduced cycling. He has been doing well so far and meeting all his targets.

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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 Princee Kalra 3 Comments

‘Do not blame the fats for what the carbohydrate did!’

More than calculating calories it’s imperative to count the composition of each meal with respect to carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Let us Centre our attention on carbohydrates. India is a carbohydrate rich country but, carbohydrate over time is not doing much good to us. All our concerns lie with consuming excess carbohydrate. Carbohydrate (Sugars & Starches) forms a greater proportion of our diet and hence there is manifestation of carbohydrate toxicity which in turn is leading us on the road to impaired insulin levels, weight gain, hormonal imbalance & cardiovascular diseases.

Carbohydrates, like any other nutrient are beneficial only if consumed in the right proportion. The right amount of carbohydrate for most Indians is about 55-60% of total calories with emphasis on complex variety as against 70-72% being consumed at present. Much of the benefits attributed to carbohydrate foods come from slow digesting, complex variety. They are high in fibre, low in fat and a good source of vitamins hence a crucial part of diet.

Balancing carbohydrate intake is central for managing our diet. So how do we know if we are having the right proportion?

Firstly, we need to distribute carbohydrate in our main meals plus in our snacking hours. Piling up carbohydrates during main meals and skipping it at snacks creates a problem.
Ditch the wheatflour in chapatti and white rice in main meals atleast thrice a week, try variety of complex carbohydrates such as

Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Ragi or Red Millet (Nachni), Corn or Maize, Quinoa, Oats, Barley, Semolina(Rava), broken wheat and brown rice. These taste great in our age old recipes such as Sorghum bread, Mix flour cutlets, Ragi or Red Millet Porridge, Mix Flour breads, Brown Rice steamed Idlis, Semolina Pancake, Corn bread, Pearl millet roasted crispy breads!!

Avoid refined carbohydrates like Bread (sandwiches), Maida(is a finely milled refined and bleached, closely resembling Cake Flour (Biscuits, Bakery Items, Noodles, Fried Breads (Puri, Bhatura, Naan), Pasta, White Sauce), Sugar (White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Sugar Containing Breakfast Cereals, Sweets, Chocolates).
Simple carbohydrate such as Fresh fruits are great but avoid fruit juices, 1 glass fruit juice has triple the amount of carbohydrate!
Please do not consider Potato, Sweet Potato, Yam (Suran), Colocasia (Arvi) as vegetable, consider it in a carbohydrate rich cereal group. Limit adding of these in vegetables – we love potato mixed with all possible vegetables and even cereals.
Do not get tricked with Wheatflour written on food products, Wheatflour is essentially Maida(is a finely milled refined and bleached, closely resembling Cake Flour). Choose food products that have atleast 75% whole wheat flour (WHOLE word is important)! (Oops, do check your brown breads ;))
Do not eliminate carbohydrate from your diet just to have a temporary goal satisfaction. Balance is important. It is not the carbohydrate that is immoral but our very low intake of protein and wrong fats, so be smart and choose your foods wisely.

• Lastly do not eat carb alone – couple 1 serving carb with 1 serving protein & 1 serving vegetables.

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.

“Finally, it’s your own discipline and routine that will help you stay fit and healthy”

‘Want to get featured here? Click Here to tell us your story.’

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

‘Want to get featured here? Click Here to tell us your story.’

‘Do not blame the fats for what the carbohydrate did!’

Having a time commitment is important to achieve a health goal

‘Want to get featured here? Click Here to tell us your story.’

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