GOQii User Story Archives

January 9, 2021 By GOQii 1 Comment

Always Look At The Big Picture – Mukul Bhartiya User Journey

We often treat health as a one off objective but what happens once we achieve our goal? Do we fall back to our previous habits? While keeping health goals, it is important to always look at the big picture. While losing weight is a good target, being healthy should always be a lifelong goal! This is something our player Mukul Bhartiya understood during his journey with GOQii. Let’s look at his journey in his own words.

Finding GOQii

I started my journey with GOQii around two and half years back and my purchase decision was a result of meeting Vishal Gondal in 2012 at IIT, Mumbai where he was one of the speakers. I was looking for a fitness band and while researching, I came across GOQii. I immediately jumped in without having a clear idea of what I will do with it. Unfortunately, after just a month or so of purchase, I became very busy with work, having very little time to spend on my health. There was a disconnect with the coach and the 3rd coach assigned to me was a tough task master with his own ideas of fitness and health. So I decided to quit the journey.

I am a Black Belt in Shito Ryu Karate Do, but left practicing it around five years back due to personal issues. I kept myself active for a couple of years but after that, I became lazy, spending lots of time on social media, following twitter trends, validating my view point through anonymous writer’s rants. This time, around four months back when I looked at one of my pictures, it gave me a clear idea that I needed immediate help. I was weighing 84kg. Around 10 years back when I signed up for a weight loss program, though I lost 11kg, it was at the cost of my health. This time I needed certified people guiding me, so I went for GOQii!

Mukul Bhartiya Begins His Journey Again

My coach Ms. Falguni Bhojak is a patient and understanding coach and mentor. She asked me about my routine and my health objectives. She encouraged me to speak more about my health objectives, challenges and limitations and it resulted in a personalized health template for me. I years back. I wanted to lose weight fast, but she drilled down a few things in my mind, like “not everyday will be the same, I need to focus on the bigger picture and not allow failures to bother me”. We set a target of 1.5-2kg weight loss per month and made it a one year project. She also said that though weight loss is my immediate target, good health should be my lifelong target.

Ms. Bhojak’s first and foremost interest was to pull me out of laziness and make me active. She told me, “Mukul, can you start with half an hour of low intensity activity?” and guided me with the same. Now, what was “half an hour activity” around three and half months back, is “more than three hours activity” ranging from moderate to high intensity. In three and half months, I have lost 12.5kg. I am walking around 14-15km per day, spending around 30 minutes on martial arts, 20 minutes on yoga and eating healthy. Even on a bad day, I walk more than ten kilometers.

What Were Some Key Learnings?

Start always matters, even if it is small: I started with around 15 minutes of lazy activity and now I keep thinking how can I incorporate exercise in every activity.
There should be a bigger picture than the big picture: My coach’s question made me think what will I do after losing 20 kg? I have created a bigger picture for that and it has made my big picture look like a journey than just an end result.
Break the big picture into smaller pixels: Big picture may look daunting and many people back away, so break it down into smaller targets. Achievement of targets work as a reward mechanism for efforts we are putting in.
Stay consistent: Not everyday will be your best day. If you have a bad day, work hard the next day and make it better than your best day.
Everything needs time: You can’t make things happen by the snap of your fingers. Every result is the outcome of many actions you take on a daily basis to make it good.
Have someone who can critically analyze your actions but will be considerate and a helping mentor. Ms. Bhojak encourages me to ask questions, list out my challenges, immediately points out my deviations and keeps exercise routines which interest me.

There are options in the GOQii Arena where players can share their achievements, their story and their now-then photos and people share their achievements daily. Then there are “active month” challenges where participants can see their points, badges and ranks. There are some feature stories of achievers as well. There are many like me who either learnt or re-learnt something during their journey with GOQii. If everyone shares their stories, their journey, challenges, pain, achievements and guides each other from their experiences, moderated by experts, it can create a Facebook of “Health and Healthy Community”.

What Does Coach Falguni Have To Say About Mukul Bhartiya?

Mukul joined with a goal of losing 20kg of weight. He was doing meditation but workout or physical activity was missing due to the lockdown. We started with 30 minutes of workout. Moving ahead, as he was a trained Martial arts karate player and enjoyed doing it, we started with Martial arts as his exercise along with 20k steps.

He was following healthy eating and early dinner, but portion control was needed. So, we started working on it. He was quite determined and with his consistent efforts and hard work, we were able to see a loss of around 14.7kgs in 4 months.

The best quality of Mukul is that he is a very active GOQii Player who keeps updating his routine on the app and also discusses his challenges and progress with me on a regular basis – which is very essential in achieving any goal.

Does the journey of Mukul Bhartiya inspire you to begin yours? Head over to the GOQii App or our website to begin your journey today! For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

December 19, 2020 By GOQii 2 Comments

The Right Guidance With Gradual Change – Rishikesh Ayre User Journey

Do you want to make a positive lifestyle change but don’t know how? Does it take every ounce of motivation for you to move? Do you need a nudge in the right direction? These are all valid questions and you’re not alone. Sometimes, we want to begin something new but don’t know where to start. Our player Rishikesh Ayre, faced the same situation and found the answer with GOQii!

Life Before GOQii

Rishikesh Ayre is a 28 year old software developer working in Coimbatore for the past 3 years. After college, when he began work, he had put on a lot of weight. He purchased a bicycle but couldn’t find the motivation to ride it. He says that he wanted someone who would question him, push and prod him to get active and reprimand him if he indulged in unhealthy habits too much. In short, what he needed was a person to monitor his health in a timely manner and tell him what to do and what not to do. What he needed was a coach.

Rishikesh Ayre Discovers GOQii

As a part of his work, he was involved in a marketing research project on fitness gadgets and apps when he chanced upon GOQii. The personalized coaching service grabbed his attention. The human element and personal touch of a health coach intrigued him the most as such a service-based model was literally unheard of back then. He joined GOQii in November 2017 and has continued his journey since then.

Introduction to a Healthy Lifestyle

For the first 3-4 months, he was not very keen on interacting with his GOQii Coach. He had no definitive goals and no idea where to start. Then he got a new coach, Mubasheera in early 2018 and that changed everything. Coach Mubasheera was more proactive and gave him a clear roadmap on how to proceed.

His GOQii Coach noticed that his meals were heavy with bread as he consumed 5-6 slices every day in the morning coupled with evening snacks at the office cafeteria. He was asked to cut down on his bread intake. The second change was to take short walks after lunch, avoid the elevator and use stairs whenever possible.

He finally began riding his bicycle for 4km a few days during the week. Now, he rides 17-25km every day. He calls this his “Me Time”. It helps him clear his mind and uplift his mood. He also joined swimming classes which he attends during the weekends. Coach Mubasheera has asked him to keep varying his routine so it doesn’t get monotonous.

Staying Fit During the Lockdown

The lockdown, though painful for other reasons, helped him lose another 5 kgs. Before the lockdown, he used to go for a lot of outings and weekend parties with friends. All that had to stop and he was restricted to home-cooked, healthy meals. Also work from home meant he had the flexibility to do workouts suggested by his GOQii Coach whenever time permitted. He continued cycling near his home. Now he has almost got himself accustomed to the routine of morning workout and evening cycling throughout the week.

What Were The Results?

Thanks to all the efforts put in by him with the guidance of his GOQii Coach, Rishikesh Ayre went from 104kg in 2017 to 78kg now. He says that it wasn’t a painful journey at all. It has been so smooth and informative. He is now better informed and aware of what is good to eat and what needs to be avoided. He has learned about portion size and hunger control.

What Does Rishikesh Ayre Have To Say About His Coach?

Due to the long association, Coach Mubasheera has become like a friend to him. He says they have their fair share of fights and arguments especially over what he can order and what he cannot during weekends. He says, “Sometimes I have to literally click a picture of the menu card and send it to her so she can tell me what I can order. She has instilled healthy eating habits in me gradually and cleverly. For instance, she made me switch from bread-butter to chocos to muesli and now plain corn flakes + banana +boiled egg.” He also commends her on how she made him give up on his ice cream after meals habit gradually. From ice cream once every 2 days, she switched to flavored yogurt to plain curd nowadays. He says the best part is he didn’t even realize he was giving up on these things. He is thankful to her for being patient and hand holding him gradually through this entire journey towards an active and healthy lifestyle. She has met all his expectations of daily motivation, support and information.

What Does Coach Mubasheera Have To Say?

Rishikesh Ayre is very determined and passionate now, but when he had started his journey, he was very fussy and lacked the willpower. We have been together in this weight loss journey for 2 years now. When we began, Rishikesh’s weight was around 103kg, and he has lost 16+ kg in 2 years (current weight is 81kg). The major problem with Rishikesh was hunger control, irregular timings, lots of cravings and binge eating on junk food + lack of physical activity and low stamina. We have successfully managed to include more than 1 hour of proper daily intense workout along with reducing processed food and managing hunger. His endurance and stamina has improved and he can do 20 push ups now (initially he struggled with 11-12). He cycles non step for 2 hours as well.

Rishikesh is a fussy eater (hates milk and is a coffee addict) but after lots of interesting challenges, such as the no sugar challenge, made him reduce 2 tsp of sugar to 1/2 tsp and has begun to include milk to his diet now as well. During the initial part of the lockdown, he suffered from disturbed sleep but that was taken care of with a few sleep hygiene practices. Our long term goal now is to maintain healthy weight and continue with an active lifestyle!

Does the journey of Rishikesh Ayre inspire you to begin yours? Head over to the GOQii App or our website to begin your journey today! For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

November 21, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Nalin Talwar Goes From Couch Potato To Fitness Freak!

Can you make a positive lifestyle change in just 3 months? Is it even possible? After completing 3 months with GOQii, our player, Nalin Talwar decided that it’s a good time to share his experience. He did face some unfavourable experience with the hardware but for most of it, his overall experience has been good. Let’s read his experience, in his own words.

Introducing Nalin Talwar

I am 56 years old, but after three months with GOQii, I feel like I’m 6 again. That’s the transformation my GOQii Coach and fellow Players have brought in me – bringing out the child in me who is always ready to compete without fear or peer pressure.

I served the Indian Air Force for 23 years and took retirement in 2008. Post retirement, I worked with many organisations in the private sector, but what I gained working in these private organisations was a monotonous and sedentary lifestyle. The same routine of getting up early, running for the metro, reaching office by 9 am, working till 6 (officially) and returning back home for 6 days a week while on Sunday, I was only completing my backlog of lost sleep. Imagine being glued to the desktop and only your fingers getting a workout – that was me!

Being a soldier myself, I joined hands with associations working for the betterment of retired Jawans and here as well, I was caught in the same web, lying on the bed making posts, videos, passing on latest information on government orders on pensions, etc. I had literally become a couch potato – my day began and ended on the bed with my laptop on 24×7 and whenever I was awake, I was online. It began showing on my body as my waist was 43 inches and my weight might have been 90kg or more but I always thought it was just 70kg.

Towards the end of August, after 40 days of joining GOQii and following the intense exercise regime and diet control on intake (no dieting), when for the first time I stood on a weighing machine (due to pandemic I could not find a weighing machine with doctors as well so I had to buy one), it was 79kg. My blood sugar levels in fasting and PP have always been in normal limits. Then I got to know of the HBA1C test, which records the quarterly levels, and mine was 6.5 in July 2020. When I checked my previous reports, I found I was diabetic since 2016 when it was 7.2 and in 2018 it was 6.3. I am a patient of Primary Hypertension since 1996 and on medication, cholesterol levels have been high ever since, I am diagnosed with less than 3 Vit D3 in 2016 and while I take Calcium and Vit D3, my levels have been better but much below the normal limits. My Vit B12 levels are below the minimum levels required. This sedentary lifestyle had brought in many more complications in my life, not limited to weight gain or blood sugar but lethargy, unwillingness to step out, etc. My life was my laptop, mobile and other equipment.

I was on a look out for a smart tracker, not for any fitness routine but as I am very interested in Info Tech Gizmo’s, I had heard a lot about it and wanted to have one for me to test and find out how accurate it is. I had decided to go for another tracker but settled for the GOQii Vital 3.

How Difficult Was It To Talk To My Coach?

Once I purchased the band and registered with GOQii, I started getting messages and calls from my coach or a better name now, Guru Deepali Sharma. I did not pickup incoming calls from GOQii for 2 or 3 days, but calls from the coach did not stop and at the end I had to pick up. It was the first call and a lot of cobwebs in my brain were cleared and today I can proudly say she is my GURU who has turned my train to tracks.

Who Else Motivated Me On GOQii Arena?

My GOQii Sister, Jhumi Bhattacharjee, said, “Have you seen Anil Kapoor? At the age of 60, he’s doing weights and so is Amitabh Bachchan. No age is a restricted age to start a workout”.

Coach Sunita Sharma, when I said its better for me to watch her strenuous exercises than do it along with her, her response was, “Ha ha ha 56 is not old, you can do it!”

Ruta Pandya said, “Yaha Coach bahut achhe hain, aapko jo online Coach kahe waisa karo, benefit hoga.”

There is a long list of friends who motivated me through these three months with GOQii. Having said a lot about myself and my coach and those who motivated me, now is the time to count my blessings which I received in these three months. You will be amazed, you may say I am lying because one of them is a chamatkar and I am also confused.

What I Achieved Through GOQii

In October 2020, my HBA1C level has come down to non-diabetic state i.e. 4.7. So I am sugar free now, but I have to continue this exercise and food regime to remain sugar-free.
Had high cholesterol levels and was taking medicine for controlling them, they are now just marginally high and Cardiologist has stopped my medication for cholesterol.
I walk very fast and in the 2 KM walking circuit only few people are there who walk faster than me.
I run 2 KMs at a stretch every alternate day.
I had a very bad sleeping habit and now I am sleeping around 6 hours at a stretch in the night and I rarely sleep during the day. I wake up fresh every day and am ready to hit the circuit immediately.
During the recent Fit India Freedom Run, though I had very severe medical condition, even after several requests from my coach to take bed rest (this was the only time I have disobeyed her orders), on a daily basis, I hit the circuit and completed 30k steps in the month of Sep 2020. I stood first in Noida, 5^th in Uttar Pradesh and 134 all over India. I was at No. 3 in Sep and Oct challenge in the GOQii Arena.
Now some details about my physical appearance, my waist was 43” when I joined GOQii and after three months it is now below 36”, my target is 34”. Weight was 90+ and now I am at 70kg and I have achieved my target weight.
The other miracle (Chamatkar) has been that before I joined GOQii, I had 90% grey hair on my head and was bald at the top with a few grey hair on top, but after three months of this fitness regime which also includes diet control, I have new growth of jet black hair all over my head and beard. The bald area is getting covered. It’s a miracle

Now I believe when God wants things to happen and joining GOQii is a blessing from God to me. Coming in contact with my Guru on GOQii is all done by the grace of the almighty. I don’t think I would have ever met my Guru Deepali Sharma ever if I was not on GOQii. I salute GOQii for becoming the intermediary between me and my Guru.

In Hindi there is a Doha by Kabirdas, which I would surely like to state here and you will come to know what my Coach is for me.

गुरु गोविंद दोऊ खड़े, काके लागू पाय ।

बलिहारी गुरु आपनो, जिन गोविंद दियो बताय ।।

Coach Deepali Sharma, has transformed me from being a couch potato to a person now motivating people around me to wake up and start taking care of their body as this is the only thing which they truly own, rest all their possessions are transferable.

What Does Coach Deepali Sharma Have To Say About Nalin Talwar’s Journey?

‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ holds absolutely true for Nalin Talwar. We connected for an intro call and then our journey started, which is still going on. He came up with the goal to reduce weight and manage diabetes. And as you’ve read above, he achieved his target with flying colours as his weight, diabetes and sugar levels are absolutely in control now.

He used to feel digestive issues, lethargy and increase in heart beat but now he is super active, doing 20k counts on an average and even small runs within normal heart beat range. Digestive issues are no more. His thighs and calf muscles are getting toned up and he can clearly feel the strength in them. Credit goes to his hard work. The best part was that he started getting black hair on head, which was again a happy moment for us.

We started with balancing every meal. We worked on adding healthy snacks, good fibres, protein and reducing carbs. Pre-workout and post workout meal played a very important role in boosting his endurance and stamina. We started from walking and then later on added strength exercises gradually as per his comfortability. His honesty towards healthy habits have made this possible. He did an outstanding job throughout the journey and he knows health is the best investment!

We hope this story motivates you to make a positive lifestyle change! For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads. To be a part of GOQii’s preventive healthcare ecosystem, visit our website now!

#BeTheForce

October 10, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Sugan Sabre of Nashik City Police Levels Up With Positivity!

There’s no denying that it takes bravery and guts to perform the tasks undertaken by our Police Force. It is also evident how this job can take a toll on your overall health, mental & emotional wellbeing if one is not mindful enough. Believe it or not, being an active member of the police force is a challenging affair and sometimes, you need a positive outlook to pull through. Let’s see how Office Sugan Sabre leveled up his positivity with GOQii.

Sugan Sabre has been posted at Nashik City for the past 29 years. He always had a lean and athletic body. He actively participated in various athletic events in school and college. He has also played cricket at the district level during his college days. However, an injury forced him to quit cricket and athletics completely around 25 years back.

Before joining GOQii, he used to visit the gym and go for frequent runs. On an average, he would cover 7km a day. He always preferred home-cooked meals and eating out was a rare affair.

Joining GOQii and Leveling Up!

A GOQii tracker along with a subscription was handed over to the Nashik Police Force by their Commissioner, Shri. Vishwas Nangare in May 2020. Since then, completing 30k steps and staying active throughout the day have been 2 key things that he has been doing. There is a healthy competition among all the police personnel at the station to complete as many steps as possible.

Nowadays, his routine is to wake up at 5:30 in the morning, go for a run and walk around 12km apart from some bodyweight exercises. In addition to this, he has added warm-ups and stretching to his routine which he never did before. His GOQii Coach explained to him why a warm-up is extremely important before any physical activity.

While his meals continue to be the same, the timings have changed. Earlier, he would skip breakfast and eat an early lunch around 10:30 AM. Now, he eats his breakfast after his morning workout. His coach has also advised him to limit his dinner intake to just 2 rotis along with any curry. Thanks to these minor changes, his weight has reduced from 83kg to 79kg since May. He is able to complete almost 25km a day by staying active throughout. He has added yoga and meditation to his routine to remain calm and relaxed.

What Does Officer Sugan Sabre Have To Say?

Officer Sugan Sabre says that being physically active has helped him stay more positive especially during these uncertain times. If you are physically and mentally active, your immunity is automatically higher and there is no illness that can attack you. People should not fear the coronavirus, rather be strong and confront it head-on.

Along with his police duties, he is also actively involved in training a group of people in a park nearby. He takes them through various exercises every day. In fact, he looks forward to this time of the day when he is able to motivate and help others get active. He says it’s important to pass onto others whatever you know.

His energy and positivity have rubbed off on his family members too as they’ve started waking up early in the morning to join him in his routine. He says GOQii has contributed a lot to his positivity and the band is a constant reminder that he needs to be on the move and not sit idle.

We salute the efforts of Officer Sugan Sabre from the Nashik City Police Force for his dedication to serve the country as well as remain active! To read more successful and inspiring user stories, check out Healthy Reads within the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce