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Venkatrao Alaparthi Loses 20kg With Guidance From His GOQii Coach

Venkatrao Alaparthi Loses 20kg With Guidance From His GOQii Coach

While earning a good livelihood is important, is it taking more life out of living? Long working hours, being seated most of the time with no physical activity and bad eating habits can take a toll on your health over a period of time. If this sounds relatable, you might have a lot in common with our Player Venkatrao Alaparthi.

Successful But Sedentary

Venkatrao Alaparthi, 46, is a Food Science Specialist having studied Dairy Science, and is currently working with Amul in Gujarat. Due to the nature of his work, he remains seated before his desk for long hours. For most of his work life, he has been sedentary without any exercise regime or proper eating habits.

As he wasn’t doing any regular exercise, the bare minimum being when he walked from his home to the factory, it led to severe weight gain. “I was consistently inconsistent in pursuing a health regime. I had no medical condition or medical issues but, I was obese due to a sedentary lifestyle and irregular patterns of eating,” says Venkatrao. As he is from South India, 90% of his diet consisted of carbs.

His work also involved touring. On one of his tours with his colleagues, Venkatrao Alaparthi realised how unfit he was as he couldn’t walk much. “I was sad that I was obese,” he says. As he was tired all the time, he couldn’t enjoy the visit as much. His 8 year old daughter pointed out saying, “you have a huge stomach” and his wife also told him how inconsistent he was while trying to lose weight on his own. 

“My wife has been getting me to take care of my health for the last 10 years, and I have been inconsistent in being able to maintain a good lifestyle and my health,” says Venkatrao. 

Due to all these factors, he decided that he would have to do something about his health. While researching the best way to lead a healthy lifestyle, he came across a GOQii Ad on social media. “GOQii & Fit India were my motivation to lead a healthy life. I decided to get the band and try it out,” he said.

Making Healthier Choices To Lose Weight

Venkatrao Alaparthi joined GOQii on Jan 30, 2022. He set his goal to lose weight. At the time, he weighed 91kg. After their initial conversation, GOQii Coach Parul Massey realised that he didn’t have any severe medical conditions and was only obese. She deemed that they had to work on weight loss slowly, in a healthier manner. 

“I asked him to start with 30 minutes of normal morning walk, reduce portions of rice from his daily diet and replace it with a protein-rich diet, jeera and lemon water on an empty stomach. He started following these habits daily,” says Coach Parul Massey

During the first week, Venkatrao Alaparthi found it difficult to walk for 30 minutes even at normal pace. But, he did not lose hope and continued doing it by slowly increasing his time to 45 mins after 10 days. In a month’s time, he began noticing some difference.

His diet had changed to include lots of proteins and vegetables for fibre. He also began including eggs, sprouts, and flax seeds, etc to his breakfast. In the second month of coaching, Coach Parul added a few more habits such as having nuts and seeds. 

Did These Changes Pay Off? 

After 2 months of following these minor tweaks in habits and changing his lifestyle, he lost 5kg. After months of making changes and following the course set by his GOQii Coach Parul Massey, Venkatrao Alaparthi lost 20kg. He is quite fit and active now. He even had to change his wardrobe due to his successful weight loss journey.

Currently, he clocks in over 20k steps daily. “I could not walk 3km and today, I can easily do 10km,” says Venkatrao Alaparthi. Apart from walking, he also plays badminton 3 times a week. For yoga and strength training, he subscribes to GOQii PRO classes within the GOQii App. 

His wife and his daughter are quite happy with the change he has made to his lifestyle and the weight he has lost. His wife says, “I am happy that you are more consistent now”. Venkatrao Alaparthi has been an Elite GOQii Player for 272 days and is among the top 6% of active players. He is still going strong with an active subscription, consistent changes, and guidance from his coach, Parul Massey. 

Do you want to make a lifestyle change and reduce weight too? Speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce 

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How Alpesh Patel Lost 20kg in 9 months | GOQii Health Stories

Alpesh Patel

Habits often determine whether you will or won’t lead a healthy life. Our Player Alpesh Patel realised this when his sedentary lifestyle led to various health issues. He knew it was time to make a positive change. Here’s how he took the decision to write his own #HealthStory by making a positive change in his lifestyle, losing 20kg in 9 months and getting healthier with GOQii.

Leading A Sedentary Lifestyle & Facing Multiple Health Issues 

Based in Ahmedabad, Alpesh Patel is a 50 year old Automotive Engineer with a desk job. His desk job made him quite sedentary and being a foodie, he would eat anything he liked – which led to weight gain. It became a norm and before he knew it, he had gained 92kg with a waistline of 46”. 

While weight gain is one issue, it never happens in isolation. Along with weight gain, he began facing issues such as high BP and heart issues among other complications. His wife, friends and family would keep pointing out that he needed to do something about his weight. While he paid no heed, his condition had come to a point where he could barely walk, would get breathless and his legs would swell. That’s when he decided to visit his doctor.

In November 2021, a check up with the doctor revealed that he needed an angioplasty. Alpesh consulted two other doctors and then he was referred to Dr. Bhupesh Shah, one of the leading cardiologists in Ahmedabad. A check revealed that  he had a blood clot that had spread to his lungs and had to be immediately removed.  

After this procedure, Alpesh was recommended to enroll into the Care Plus Programme of GOQii for managing his issues better and also for a lifestyle change. He was also put on medication.  

Coming onboard the GOQii Care Plus Programme

Alpesh Patel enrolled into GOQii’s Care Plus Programme in Dec 2021. As part of the programme, he was given a coach to guide him and help him manage his issues. He was also given a GOQii Vital ECG tracker.  “Joining GOQii has been the turning point in my life,” says Alpesh Patel. 

On interacting with his GOQii Coach Sweta Jaiswal, Alpesh realised how his habits affected his lifestyle. After the doctor visit he thought he could never get back to being normal. But, Coach Sweta helped him understand how a daily routine centred around a good, balanced diet, portion control, exercise and sleep can help him get back on track and healthy.

“My lifestyle was sedentary. Despite everyone telling me that I was putting on weight, I should exercise and do something about it, I never did anything. I never was interested in doing anything. I would sit in one place for hours together. It is only when I got the tracker I realised that I was walking barely 200-300 steps a day,” says Alpesh.

He says he is a big fan of the GOQii App which is a one stop shop. You have videos for exercise and yoga, you can track your steps, you have a GOQii Health Store where you can buy healthy products, you can chat with your coach and interact with other like minded people as well on GOQii Arena.

What Were The Results Of Alpesh Patel’s Efforts? 

GHS - Weight Loss - Before and After AlpeshWhen Alpesh joined, he was obese, had unhealthy eating habits, hyperlipidemia, and even complained of kidney stones. “His determination and willpower was at a standstill but he was willing to make the required modifications in his day to day life to see the desired changes. Initially the steps and new routine took a toll over him as used to breathe heavily but by making slow and steady changes, with a ‘Never Give Up’ attitude, he lost the inches and fat for good,” says Coach Sweta Jaiswal.

From walking 200-300 steps before, Alpesh now walks close to 20k steps daily. He has also cut down on junk food and eats on time. The result of following a good diet, exercise and sleeping well on time has resulted in him losing 20kg in 9 months. His blood thinner medication has been reduced from 20mg to 10mg. His water intake has also increased and he sleeps for an average of 7hrs daily. 

“His cholesterol & BP are also in range and kidney stone issue is diluted. Despite his one leg slightly affected by Polio, he has been doing regular exercise and his determination and will power to work towards improving his health has proved to be fruitful,” says coach Sweta Jaiswal.

Alpesh exercises daily for 30 minutes, has salads, a good wholesome lunch and a light dinner. He says, “People around me are also seeing the change and are quite startled at how I have been able to lose so much weight”. He has been an inspiration and an influence to people around him.

Does this story inspire you to make a lifestyle change? Subscribe for Personalised Health Coaching and speak to an expert now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads. 

#BeTheForce 

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11 Easy Habits To Help You Lose Weight

easy habits to help you lose weight

As a lifestyle coach and weight management expert, I often see people struggling to lose weight. In my previous article, I have shared my insight on 11 Unhealthy Habits That Are Destroying Your Health. While I hope you read that, I will be sharing a few easy habits you can adopt to lose weight! By making small efforts and small changes in your habits, you can easily achieve your weight loss goals.

11 Habits For a Healthier You

  1. Read Food Labels: Reading food labels helps you make the right food choices! It helps with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, etc. by helping you avoid food with ingredients which may aggravate these conditions. On the label, the greatest quantities come first. A product that lists sugar or corn syrup as its first ingredient will always be high in calories.
  2. Maintain a Food Journal: After doing all of the above, if you’ve still not shed some weight, maintain a food journal. It will help you track your food and beverage intake. Then you can easily decide where you need to cut out extra calories which have affected your weight loss goals.
  3. Begin Your Day With Protein: We couldn’t stress enough on the importance of breakfast! Never skip it. Eating a high protein breakfast helps us curb cravings and aids weight loss. Give a kick-start to your day by including nuts, seeds, oats, cottage cheese, yogurt, buttermilk and eggs in your breakfast.
  4. Eat Slow and Chew More: The entire digestive process starts in the mouth with chewing. The faster you eat, the more food you will consume. Chewing food at a slower pace can help you reduce overall food intake. It can also help you get more nutrients from the food you eat.
  5. Let Dinner Be The Last Meal: Boredom or stress can lead to unhealthy snacking! People often eat out of boredom or stress even when they aren’t hungry. If you feel hungry even after a good dinner, go for lighter, healthier options which are rich in fiber and protein such as nuts, whole grains, legumes, hummus, yogurt, air-popped popcorn, etc.
  6. Don’t Skip Meals: Skipping meals can slow your metabolism down, making it harder to lose weight. It also leads to poor, unhealthy food choices, overeating and obesity. When you don’t eat enough, you don’t get the required nutrients for muscle growth, bone health and the immune system which leads to issues such as fatigue, hair loss and low immunity.
  7. Avoid TV and Gadgets While Eating: Working or Watching TV while eating has harmful effects on your health. By paying attention to what you eat, you are more likely to make healthier food choices. You will enjoy your meals more with its smell, flavor and texture!
  8. Use Smaller Plates: Using smaller plates helps one control the quantity of food consumed. It helps you maintain portion control. Using bigger plates often leads to overeating. If you are eating out, you can always ask for a half portion. This will save a lot of calories and prevent overeating.
  9. Aim For 8 Hours of Sleep: Lack of sleep is associated with an increase in calorie intake. Going to bed early and taking in 8 hours of sleep helps in reducing weight. Without enough sleep, it is difficult to plan meals and exercise. If you stay up late, you will definitely overeat.
  10. Drink Plenty of Water: Increasing your water intake reduces your appetite and helps you lose weight. Drinking 2-3 liters of water daily helps you flush toxins from your body and gives you a feeling of satiety too! Keep yourself well hydrated, always!
  11. Move More: Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining weight and good health. Regular physical activity can improve muscle strength and boost metabolism. Depending on your workout, it can either prevent weight gain or help you maintain your weight.

We hope this article has helped you! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! To learn more tips and tricks for weight loss, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

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5 Reasons Why You Need To Focus On Nutrition Over Calorie Counting

Nutrition over calorie counting

It’s funny how in an attempt to lose or gain weight, we begin counting every minute calorie intake, diligently doing the math, when we hated the subject in school. But the math isn’t too complicated, right? To lose weight, you go into a deficit where calories out > calories in, and the exact opposite if you want to bulk up. 

While we’re doing all this math, reading up articles on the internet, browsing through YouTube channels and relying on self-taught nutritionists and dietitians, are we really asking the right questions? Are we using food to only fill in whatever we can in our given calorie budgets? Are we using food to provide the right nutrition to our body? Are we even choosing the right foods while we’re at it?

Why You Shouldn’t Rely On Calorie Counting 

While counting calories to lose/gain weight might be the most popular and followed method, overdoing it may not be the correct one. It’s quite dangerous as it can lead to many nutritional deficiencies. 500 calories could look like 2 big slices of pizza or a plate with rice/roti, a bowl of vegetables or pulses with curd and salad. The goal can be attained with both, but are we making the right choice that’ll help us stay healthier in the long run? So, rather than counting calories, it would make more sense to look at the nutrients on your meal plate.

Why You Need To Choose Nutrition Over Calorie Counting  

Let’s look at a few reasons why the focus should be on nutrition over calorie counting

  1. Food Quality Matters: Calories do not look into the quality of food you are eating. A low-calorie food with well-balanced macro and micronutrients is considered healthier than a high calorie, nutritionally poor food. For instance, an apple may have the same calories as a cookie, but we know which one is healthier.
  2. Nutrient Dense Foods: When you follow calorie counting, one tends to avoid the natural calorie dense foods like nuts, seeds, ghee, oils, and avocados, etc. which are very healthy and important for good metabolism and maintaining healthy weight.
  3. Thermic Effect of Food: The number of calories used to digest our food is different for various food groups, so this can alter the effects of calorie counting to some extent. Food items made of processed and refined products are digested faster and are likely to spike up our sugar levels, than those made of natural and unrefined forms, which will take up more energy to break down and get digested and keep the sugar levels stabilized.
  4. Bioavailable Calories: Recent studies have indicated that many foods have less bioavailable calories than originally thought of. For instance, almonds, peanuts and pistachios all seem to be less completely digested, providing fewer calories, almost 20% less than what is mentioned on the label. This may be true for other foods with tough cell walls. So, calorie counting may not actually be accurate here.
  5. Effect of Food on our Satiety: Different foods have a different effect on our satiety levels, some give us a feeling of fullness for longer than others. So all foods are measured on a scale called the satiety index, which is basically the measure of the ability of the foods to reduce hunger, increase feeling of fullness and reduce calorie intake for the next few hours. Eating foods with a low satiety index will make you hungry faster than foods with a high satiety index. 500 calories from an ice cream/doughnut will make you hungry sooner than 500 calories from sprouts/beans and vegetable salad.

So, the bottom line is to make smart choices with your food and focus more on the nutritional aspect rather than calorie counting. Once you pick nutrition over calorie counting, you will notice more satiety, improved energy levels, reduced inflammation, you’ll be able to maintain healthy weight and witness an overall improvement in your health! 

We hope this article helps you make healthier choices. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads. If you want to know more about what kind of food you should incorporate, based on your weight loss or weight gain goals, speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

#BeTheForce 

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