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“#FitBy40: To lose 40 KGS by the time I turn 40”


Arjun-Narayan

He led a sedentary lifestyle for several years until one day he realized that he had crossed the barrier of being unhealthy. Here is Arjun Narayan’s inspirational story in his own words.

I couldn’t believe my ears when the guy at the Levi’s store said, “Sir, a 32” size jeans would be perfect for you”. I was shocked because I always wore a 44” jeans until recently!

My normal day would start pretty late. If early, I would begin my day at 8 AM or even 9 AM depending on how late I slept the previous night. I had absolutely no grip on my meals, the greasier and tastier the meal – the higher the chances that I would go for it. I led sedentary lifestyle and walked less than 2,000 steps a day. Dinner times would be erratic and could be as bad as 2 AM. Beer cans would get opened for the smallest event that called for a celebration. All in all, it was as bad as it could get. I also stated that I probably get a zero for a quiz about nutrition or what protein was, what carbohydrates are as my knowledge on this was absolute zilch.

Before a doctor could ask me to get the situation under control regarding my health, I wanted to take charge. Another thing that kept bothering me was, I could never purchase a ready to wear trouser from the market as most brands did not cater to a 44” waist size.

I decided to hire a personal gym trainer. My story was similar to many out there who join the gym to lose weight. I was regular at the gym for a period of three months, but I did not shed a single gram of weight.

When I analysed to check what was I doing wrong– I realised, despite working out in the gym there was absolutely no discipline on my diet. While, I was battling the dilemma on how to rectify the situation, I bumped into these two statements in an article – ‘Weight Loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise’ and ‘Abs are made in the kitchen’. These statements made me think about this entire weight loss program in a different way”. Now, I knew that I had to get a personal coach who can advise me on diet and be by my side if I wanted this weight loss exercise to get anywhere”.

I had been following Vishal Gondal on Twitter for about 2 years and I knew about GOQii. What made GOQii interesting was the ‘services’ component to the business in addition to the product. I never evaluated any other option as I knew it had to be GOQii. Any other band would not solve the problem as I would have the data – but the bigger concern was not knowing what to do with the data.

In Jan 2016, I took up GOQii and came up with a project for myself #FitBy40 and the goal of the project was to lose 40 KGS by the time I turn 40 (which is this month). By the 9th month – 5th September to be precise, I had lost 36 KGS! I started my GOQii journey at 115.1 KGS and by September I was at 79 KGS.

Today, diet and exercising is my pet topic. I get up at 5:30 AM and on bad days it is not later than 7:15 AM.

I attribute my success to my GOQii coach Kruti Jain. While, I have been extremely sincere and diligent about the entire process, she is the one who gave me the direction.

In the beginning she started advising me on what kind of a meal would be ideal for me, and it gradually started building from there. As I started seeing the results, I was motivated to push harder.

Now I can hold fitness sessions for an hour to a group of people and tell them how they can get a grip on stuff and the best part is that it is practical and doable. A year ago, I would have felt that this would be impossible to achieve – but trust me it is very doable. Today, people come up to me and say that I am an inspiration to them and it feels so good and if I have to look back, I don’t think I could have achieved any of this without Kruti’s assistance.

A normal day in my life ‘today’ looks like this:

My day starts with 2 hours of tennis / an hour in the gym and then I go for a swim in the evenings or for a walk. A newly opened restaurant in town doesn’t excite me anymore. What excites me is going for a run on the treadmill and running for 45 minutes or playing tennis for 2 hours. What excites me even more is going to a readymade garment store and trying out new trousers as my waist size is now down to 32″ from 44″. The last I had worn a 32″ jeans was probably in 1999 or so or maybe even earlier.

What does Coach,Kruti Jain have to say about her player Arjun Narayan?

Arjun came on board with a goal of bringing his weight down to 70 kgs (ideal body weight). He further specified the goal by saying that he would like to get to a 2 digit weight, i.e, 99 kgs within 5-6 weeks (about 10 kg loss)

Achieving such a goal would’ve required drastic dietary modifications and intense workouts. I explained to him the challenges expected on this path and tried convincing him to choose a rather easier and sustainable path of correcting the lifestyle which will automatically lead him to his health goal. He did agree to this but, only in words (for the sake of it).

As a coach, I helped him understand the nature and the nutritive quality of different foods, the trick of balancing meals, healthy snacking, and the impact of foods or lack of food / nutrients on our behaviour and food choices (cravings). These are just a few points to mention but our discussions went beyond the basics.

On the workout front, he chose his activities on his own as doing something of your interest is what keeps you going. I only helped him change and modify the workouts when his body got used to these activities.

According to me, what helped in this case was the player’s strong determination to get to his goal. He was religious in monitoring his progress and kept revising his plans and targets. Not only that, if the progress wasn’t as expected for a particular week, he had me reason it out & find out the limiting factors.

If I asked him to slow down (workouts) or to not be so strict on the diet front (to avoid its negative impact on his health), he would try to understand the “Why?” in detail and argue if not convinced. You just couldn’t stop or slow him down because he could only see the goal and the distance in between them.

Lifestyle before I came on board as his coach:

Diet: He was already following a low fat, high protein diet which was helping him lose weight.

Workout: 1- 1.5 hr of Tennis/ walking everyday

How I helped?

  1. Tried educating him about the negative impact of such diets on health (only proteins or only salads for meals)
  2. Improve satiety quotient of the meals by adding fibre and complex carbs
  3. Balance meals (right proportions of carbs, proteins, fibre& micro- nutrients)
  4. Snacking on nutrient dense foods to avoid deficiencies
  5. Satisfy taste buds without guilt (indulgence on a weekly basis, but in controlled portions)
  6. Deal with cravings and avoiding them
  7. Change the workout at the right time or modify them so that the rate of weight loss does not fall (combination of workouts like swimming/ tennis/ walking/ gym cardio).

These changes helped him sustain the diet and lose weight at such a rate (1.5 kgs/ week)

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GOQii ‘India Fit’ 2017 reveals alarming facts

GOQii_India-Fit-Insight2017_iMAGE 1

1/3rd Indians over 30 years suffer from Lifestyle diseases 

  • 4% people are suffering from high cholesterol, followed by 7.7% with diabetes and 6.7% with thyroid
  • Improper nutrition, lack of sleep and stress are adding to the fitness woes of Indians
  • Kolkata is the unhealthiest city with 35.7% population suffering from at least one lifestyle diseases; Bangalore is the new fitness capital of India closely followed by Mumbai and Pune on second and third spot
  • Average step count of Indian increases from 6680 to 7746 steps

GOQii, the health and wellness ecosystem that is striving hard to get Indians to be fit and healthy and prevent illness, has recently released it’s India fit report which reveals some hard facts. As per the GOQii India Fit’ 2017, while, the average daily step count of an individual across India is 7746 steps, a steady increase over last year’s figure of 6800 step counts, it still does not match the recommended daily step count of 10,000 steps  by World Health Organization in order to lead a healthy lifestyle.

According to the report, Bengaluru and Much as moved ahead of Mumbai and is dubbed the most active city with a daily average step count of 7915. Bengaluru and Mumbai are followed by Pune. Younger population (below 35 years age bracket) in Bengaluru and Chennai is more active as compared to people in other cities.

GOQii_India-Fit Bengaluru new fitnessl capital

While it is overwhelming to note that people are walking and striving to be fit, the alarming fact is that chronic lifestyle diseases are a cause for concern in the current times and the epidemic is spreading like wildfire here in India. There have been disruptive lifestyle changes in the country over the past two decades mainly due to the rapidly evolving urban economy and the Indian Middle class.

GOQii_India-Fit- Sleep

Chronic diseases (eg, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer) and injuries are the leading causes of death and disability in India, and this is only likely to increase in their contribution to the burden of diseases over the next two decades. 

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As per the GOQii India Fit’ 2017 report, 33% of the Indian population above 30 years of age is suffering from one or more lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiac problems including high cholesterol, blood pressure, thyroid, and Cancer. Close to 9.4% people are suffering from high cholesterol followed by 7.7% suffering from diabetes and 6.76% people suffering from thyroid.

Based on data from over one lakh subscribers of GOQii both male and female from across 8 fitness conscious cities in India namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune, the report states that since 2015 there is a consistent increase in lifestyle diseases. As per data, a major cause for concern is high cholesterol among individuals.

It is estimated that around 130 million may suffer from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes in the next few years.  Apart from these two diseases, the other prevalent chronic diseases are Cardiac ailments, hypertension, and high blood pressure. The risk factors for chronic diseases are highly prevalent among the Indian population.

Vishal Gondal, Founder, and CEO of GOQii says: “Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of chronic diseases due to the disruptive lifestyle changes in the country. Lack of exercise, erratic eating habits, increase in stress levels and poor sleep patterns are just some of the key reasons behind the increase of this epidemic’’.“

Data starting January 2016 through December 2016 was collected to determine the various fitness metrics (rest & activity) such as steps, food, water, sleep, etc. We have been very meticulous in collecting data and then deciphering it to be realistic so as to bring out near accurate results.

Another alarming fact is Kolkata has earned the tag of being the unhealthiest city in India. The majority of the population in Kolkata suffers from lifestyle diseases related to stress, cardiovascular ailments, and digestive disorders. Kolkata also tops the chart with the highest number of digestive disorders. Cities like Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad have maximum cases of obesity amongst Indians. Although awareness around the use of medication amongst people has increased, their lifestyle is still the same as there is no one to tell them the benefits of lifestyle change.

GOQii_India-Fit-Insight Kolkata Unhealthy

GOQii India Fit’ 2017 report indicates that an average Indian sleeps for 6.72 hours every day which is less than a healthy average of 7-9 hours daily. Lack of proper sleep is a grave concern for 31.3% population. And with age, India is sleeping lesser by the day. This coupled with the lack of exercise and increase in stress is adding to the cause of falling health levels of Indians. People in the age group of 31-60 years are the most stressed people in the country.

Gender wise data reveals that men across category are focused on staying active with weight training, playing sports and running apart from adding more protein in pre and post workout meals to their diet. Women, on the other hand, are focused on weight management and eating healthy. Women also prefer dance, yoga, and aerobics as part of their daily exercise.

Overall, the report recognises the fact that Indians are trying to improve their lifestyle but a lot is yet to be done. Eating right and exercising regularly is the first step in the right direction. ‘’It is encouraging to see that young Indians are increasingly focusing more on preventive health and controlling illnesses as they age. I hope that through such initiatives, we are able to motivate more people to adopt a healthy lifestyle,’’ ConcludesGondal.

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What I considered a huge hardship, fitness has now become part of life for me

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He has struggled since childhood, adolescent years and now as a young adult with excess weight issues. He was always ridiculed for being overweight. There was not a single day that he did not spend feeling bad about being on the heavier side. He tried everything on this planet and kept yo-yo to shed those extra kilos but nothing worked.  Finally, some correct advice from his personal coach to eat right and workout correctly has helped him shed 7 kilos within a month and totally 18 kgs. Let’s hear Nilesh’s story in his own words. 

I have been overweight my entire life. I started out as a chubby baby, who grew into an overweight child and by the time I graduated High school I was starting my adulthood as morbidly obese. And as I moved from my 18 to early 20s, I had crossed a landmark of 100 kgs. Things become critical when people started knowing you by the”extra pounds” you have. And that is what actually I was as a person. And, let me tell you that feeling was really depressing.

Post this realisation, my weight went up and down for years as I went on one fad diet after another. I would try a new diet for a week or two, would try every other gym that opened up in the vicinity but if I did not get the quick fix that was promised to me I would quit, go on a month long binge, and gain everything back.

It wasn’t until I realised that quick fixes and magic gyms don’t work for me and questioned myself would I able to lose those weight that had been holding me down all my life. I realized (thanks to the million advice you get when you have those extra pounds) that if I had to put down “this portion of body”(the splurged fat, the cellulite’s and my dear pot belly) that was originally not part of me, I had to make changes to my lifestyle- the way I eat, drink, sleep and exercise.

My first task was to set a goal for myself and needed someone to monitor that so that I don’t cheat. While I was still evaluating what is to be done, my boss introduced me to GOQII. At the first instance, it was just a device that would keep track but, I took it as it was providing me with all features that I was looking for- A target setter and someone who could monitor.

And believe me, it has been a life-changing decision for me. I chose Trishala Chopra as my coach as her profile said she dealt with all the problems that I was going through currently. And, it worked a miracle. She kept me well motivated to complete my physical training goals and also supported my diet well by introducing small changes but, effective changes to my diet.

These changes were implemented in a manner that didn’t stress me to remove extra time from my daily schedule but, were made part of my lifestyle. In a month’s time of being a part of the GOQii ecosystem, I lost close to 7 kgs. My Coach has been flawless in her approach and the knowledge she shares with me. The best part is that I have made small changes in my lifestyle that has led to tremendous improvement. In measurable terms, I have gone two sizes smaller (from an XXL to L size) on all my clothing. This is a great achievement for me. Also, Weight has gone down by over 15kgs. Diabetes is in check. The best part about all of this is that from being a person who hardly walked a few hundred steps a few months ago, recently completed a half marathon. I had very low step counts may be 500-600 before GOQii and now I do a daily step count of over 15,000 steps.

My coach has been instrumental in guiding me every day with regard to the dos and don’ts towards leading a healthy life.

I feel much lighter and energetic now. And, fitness has become part of life than what it was earlier- a huge hardship.

What does Coach Trishala Nitesh Chopra have to say about Player Nilesh Maurya?

Nilesh was highly obese when he was assigned to me. He was close to 117 kgs. He had been an overweight person all his life. His lifestyle was sedentary and workout was negligible. He used to participate in food challenges and had the capacity to eat so many large pizzas, it was not easy for me to change his food habits.

The first thing I planned was to get him to move his body. Walk was the first thing he started and the best thing about him was his willingness to do things. When he started, he was a bit lazy which required me to poke him to doing his activities. I monitored every single activity and motivated him to just reach an everyday target.

Then the eating habits were changed, reduced the excess carbohydrate contents in his diet and he started losing weight with little changes here and there and here he is today from 117 kgs to 99 kgs. His sheer dedication and hard work have made him achieve this! More kgs to go…this is just the beginning . 

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“This is not a trail walk… it’s a life’s journey”

 

Walking a 100 Km is no mean task and we at GOQii have been doing this for the last three years.

Every year the excitement for the 100 KM Oxfam trail walk begins 2 months in advance. This year was no different with several teams from GOQii participating with close to 50% being first timers. First timers to the event included both our players as well as GOQii employees.

This adventure trail walk is no run of the mill trail walk, it comes with a purpose. 140 teams in total came together for a good cause-‘Walk for Equality’ and to physically challenge themselves to walk 100 kms within 48 hours on a route that included tar road, mud path, open fields, stones strewn roads and forest routes. Each team had to raise a minimum of Rs 80K for Oxfam.

Considered as the World’s 3 most difficult trail walks, the Mumbai trail walk is held every year amidst the lap of nature in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It starts from a place called Garudmachi in Tamhinighat and ends in Lonavala.

By now many would have realized that walking isn’t that taxing as much as it is to raise funds. Many come up with interesting and innovative ways to raise funds. Few teams in GOQii also came with innovative ways to raise funds such a selling lunch and snacks to their fellow colleagues at office. While some I know did some odd jobs for their friends in lieu for donation to Walk for Equality.

GOQii collectively with all its teams raised approximately Rs 16 lakh for Oxfam. That’s a great achievement for all of us at GOQii. It is not only about fund raising funds but, also all GOQii teams finished well within 48 hours the required time to complete the 100 km trailwalk.

 

If I have to describe what the trail walk is like, I would say it is a test of your endurance, physical fitness, mental strength, team spirit, leadership skills, crisis management and the power to make the right decisions. It is also a test of one’s own ability and confidence.

Manjot Singh from the business development team at GOQii and who was participating in the 100 km trail walk for the first time this year says, “I feel like a million bucks having completed the 100 km trail walk. I did this purely for myself and to test my own abilities. And, today I feel victorious and above all confident as an individual.”

Similarly, for Maaline D’Souza who is part of GOQii’s customer support team the 100 KM trail walk was a challenge that she took upon herself. She says, “I never thought, I could do it. But, yes with regular practice and the right kind of will power I completed it without much issues”.

She adds, “The 100 km journey cannot be stated as easy. It is a mind game where I truly needed my mind to be constantly pushing me than my body. In short, this was the best achievement of my life. It has made me more confident as a person”.

Clearly, most who I spoke to on the trail on why did they were doing the 100 km trail walk? 2 or 3 motives came out clear. For some veterans on the trail it was to overcome their fear and also a chance to get fit.  For people who were on the heavier side, it was to prove to themselves that they can do it. And, for some others who had already attempted this before once or twice, it was all about improving their timing.  Another observation I made on the trail was that older people pulled the feat much better than the younger individuals. Secondly, Women on the trail were more resilient than men.

For first timers it was a mental battle that they were trying to fight with themselves. For most their bodies are given away but, it was their mental strength that held them through the 100 km pushing them every inch to complete the race.  Some like Parth from the tech team of GOQii it was accountability. Accountability to his friends who had donated for the good cause that he was walking for.

At Check point 7 to 8 when Parth was almost on the verge of giving up due to pain, it’s his friends’ words that rang in his mind and pulled him through and of course the motivation that he got from Vishal Gondal, CEO, GOQii who walked with him a neat 10 km of the total 11.6 km trail. “A lot of my friends donated to the cause because I was walking. How could I let them down? I have to complete,” Parth said while on the trail and continued his journey. Like Vishal always says, “this is not a 100 km trail walk… it’s a life’s journey.”

Check point to 7-8 trail was also a grueling trail in the sun. The trail followed the old bullock cart path that village communities used earlier, up a gradual slope and down across a vast open pasture and scrub land. Some parts of the trail open up to spectacular valley views. And then ultimately getting on to tar road which was hot during the day.

For few other GOQii employees it was a great first time experience where most understood how to work in a team, take collective decisions and above all learn to heave patience.

None of this would have been possible without GOQii’s efficient support team led by Krishna Kumar aka KK who made sure that every participant was comfortable from the time we landed at Garudmachi on Dec 8, 2016.

Dr Ashwin Nanda, from GOQii’s team of doctors says, “It was quite gratifying for me to be of help to all GOQii participants”. It was Dr Nanda’s first trail walk experience. He says his biggest learning was do not ever give up on anyone. Help everyone get through.” For old timers   Sunny Rajani and RutaSatam, being support is always a pleasurable.

But, what had changed this year from last year, Rajani says, “This year we were more organized and prepared for all eventualities if any had to occur.” And honestly, the support crew plays the most important role in this entire 100 km journey.

Altitude Quest, on the trail support crew were a boon in disguise. The AQ team was there to provide massages and taping of the feet when required after a tired trail walk. .

Last but not the least kudos to three of our GOQii teams led by players performed wonderfully. ‘Go Spirited’- the team that comprised of all four women players- Bela Gupta, Anitha Rao, SuranjanaKumaresh and ReenaKansal was not only the fastest woman’s team completing 100 km in 34 hours but also the fastest veteran’s team. The two other GOQii teams that made it to top 10 was AnuragBiesn’sGOQii-Veer tum Badhechalo who completed in 24 hours and GOQii Alpha led by Kamal Karnatak with a completion time of 28 hours.

 

That’s GOQii #betheforce…..

Route Snapshot:

Over all 100 km within 48 hours that included tar road, mud path, open fields, stones strewn roads and forest routes.

 

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