Motivation is always the key to achieving your health goals but what happens when you don’t have a health goal to begin with? What happens when there is nothing there to push you towards a healthier lifestyle? Where do you begin? For Aniruddha Bhave, the push came from the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.
“It’s true that motivation has to come from within. However, you always need someone to lend a helping hand. This was fulfilled exceptionally well by GOQii,” says Aniruddha Bhave after his transformation with GOQii.
Sedentary Lifestyle and the Desire to Change
Before joining GOQii, Aniruddha Bhave, a banker from Mumbai, led a very sedentary lifestyle. His day included long hours of sitting in the office and extensive travelling for work. He travelled by car wherever he went and his eating timings were quite off.
His weight had increased to 79kg, he had been smoking for almost 10 years and drank alcohol occasionally. All of these habits took a steep toll on his health. He had suffered from spondylitis at the age of 32 and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic at the age of 40.
Around this time, he had no idea of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. He was oblivious about fitness, about what comprises of a healthy and an unhealthy diet. His doctor had asked him to either start with medication or healthy lifestyle modification. As exercise seemed liked a far cry to him back then, he chose medication.
He was on medication for 2 years before joining GOQii.
Making the Change!
In September 2017, one of Anirudhha Bhave’s friends introduced him to GOQii. Initially, he was extremely sceptical whether it will help or not or if it was going to be worth the time and effort. He decided to go ahead because he was looking for a tracker to track his activities.
When Aniruddha Bhave began his journey with GOQii, his primary goal was weight loss. The initial habits that his GOQii Coach set was basic walking as exercise, mindful eating and better sleep – all of which were missing from his life. He was asked to consume raw garlic on an empty stomach in the morning along with a concoction made of lemon, honey and cinnamon with warm water.
As he progressed, Aniruddha slowly switched from walking to jogging and later, he began running. His GOQii Coach was very persistent and ensured that he followed all the habits given to him diligently. When he began running in December 2017, he knew there was no turning back now!
Complete Change, Weight Loss and More
“Running has become my passion,” is what Aniruddha Bhave told GOQii. In fact, he had suffered muscle loss because he was running too much. His GOQii Coach then asked him to perform strength training and increase his protein intake. He began consuming Whey Protein and even tried protein bars, both of which he bought from the GOQii Health Store.
He stopped with medication 3 months after joining GOQii. Aniruddha Bhave even took the 21 Days Challenge and completed it. His current habits include running for two days – one for 15km and the other for 7-8km. On other days, he performs strength training. He has even set up a mini gym at his home for weight training as suggested by his GOQii Coach.
Within 8 months of joining GOQii, Aniruddha lost 12kg. He further reduced his weight to 64.5kg. His HbA1c level has come down from 6.5 to a normal 5.5. Whereas walking even half a km used to be a task, he can now run 10km easily.
Aniruddha now is quite active on GOQii Play. He attributes his increased motivation to coach Aliya Imran. Apart from Aliya’s classes, he also attends Marathon Expert Parwage Alam’s classes for tips on running, Mayuri Dongre’s classes for reviews on products available in the GOQii Health Store as well as Fitness Expert Shweta Kariya’s classes functional training and fitness. He even attends Medical Classes conducted by doctors for medical awareness.
Being the Force
Looking at his amazing transformation, a lot of his friends have taken a keen interest in health and fitness. His wife has also lost weight and brought her thyroid under control with help from GOQii. Aniruddha Bhave is their source of constant motivation and inspiration.
Overall, he considers GOQii to be a blessing for him. He has proven that although the first step is often difficult, but once you take it, with the right guidance and motivation, it can transform your life in unimaginable ways. Any and all change begins with a single step and when you do, there’s no turning back!
#BeTheForce
What if you had a chance to win Rs. 5 lakh? How far would you go? What if the odds weren’t completely in your favor? Would you still keep going? When the GOQii India Steps Challenge presented our players with an opportunity to earn rewards for walking, many individuals stepped up to the challenge. But, there were only a few that rose to the top! One of those challengers was Rajneesh Sharma.
When driving towards professional success, our health often takes the backseat. Long work hours, never-ending meetings and tight deadlines take precedence over being active, drinking sufficient water and eating the right food. As junk food wrappers and boxes pile up on our desks and body aches and pains creep in, we notice only when it is too late.
