healthy weight loss Archives

December 25, 2021 By Luke Coutinho 2 Comments

Holiday Health Tip: It’s All In The Chew!

It’s precisely between this week and January 1st when people tend to put on most of their weight. There are two reasons for this – The crazy festive season filled with weddings and parties and then Christmas, New Year Eve and the fact that people tend to let loose during this time, with the justification that they will start anew with ‘healthy new year resolutions’ from January onwards.

What if I told you that you could enjoy this season and it would not impact your weight?

What if I told you that snacking on a cookie or dessert here or there would not impact your weight goals?

What if I told you that you could eat rice, roti, bread at lunch and dinner, and it would not impact your weight or health?

What if you could enjoy this festive season, have loads of fun, eat your favorite foods and still maintain your health and weight?

The human body is a miracle and we are living examples of this miracle. The way our brain and body functions, blood flow, smell, feelings, emotions, the ability to recover from the deadliest of diseases and the ability of our cells to heal and repair. Every day, trillions of cells in our body work non-stop to fight out germs and bacteria all around us, which if infects us, we could fall very sick and even die. That miracle is called ‘ immunity’.

Our stomach produces sufficient acid to melt down a razor blade. Such is the power of our digestive system. So what’s an ice- cream or a chocolate bar or a cookie going to do when it finds its way into our stomachs? Our body is made to digest the hardest of foods. Red meat is tough to digest but the body will break it down. Vegetarians don’t escape either. Cellulose in vegetables are extremely difficult to break down, but the body breaks it down eventually (this is one reason that vegetarians suffer from more flatulence than non vegetarians).

The body can break down meats and vegetables and desserts as well! The secret lies in the ‘chew’. The reason food tastes so good is because you’re supposed to enjoy it—slow down and savor it, not just get it to your stomach as quickly as possible.

How Does Chewing Thoroughly Help?

Chewing your food thoroughly is actually the first step in the complex process of digestion, and if you glaze over it, just chewing the minimum amount of times necessary to get the food down your esophagus, you’re actually compromising this process. And that’s the mistake many people make.

We have teeth not just to smile for a pretty picture but the primary function of teeth is to tear down and break up food into small bits. Saliva mixes with these small bits, further softening them, and guess what?

Let me get down to some basics!

Why Should You Chew Your Food Thoroughly?

When you chew, more saliva gets produced and your saliva contains enzymes that break down FATS and CARBS. Yes!!! Digestion starts in the MOUTH! By the time your food reaches your stomach, it’s already processed by enzymes and your stomach has no issues in completing the assimilation/digestion process.

You feel light
You feel full for a longer period of time.
You do away with flatulence, gas, indigestion and burping.
You learn to savor and enjoy the taste of your food.
Your body absorbs all the goodness of your food (vitamins, minerals) better.
You eat exactly how much your body needs, to maintain or arrive at a healthy weight

Imagine all the times you gobble down your food. You have undigested chunks sitting in your stomach, giving rise to gas, discomfort and chances are that most of your food gets converted to fat.

Chew your food. Enjoy a dessert but eat it slow, savor it and over time, you will learn not to abuse it. The more you chew your food, the cleaner you keep your intestines, stomach and colon because the body can quickly cleanse itself when digestion happens the right way. Say bye to constipation, fatigue and migraines/headaches.

Try This Exercise Today!

The next meal, eat it really slow. Take a spoon of food, chew it several times, savor the flavor and taste, and then swallow. Put your spoon down. Then take the next.

You will find yourself getting fuller quickly and then, you should stop eating. This way you save on calories you intake and over time, this will become a habit and you will serve yourself less food. Less food equals less calories, better health, longer life and a healthy weight.

Take 1 serving spoon less at every meal, chew and eat your food. You will find that it is enough and all these save spoons of food which add up to a lot of calories saved. You will lose fat and you will feel healthier.

Diseases are caused in most cases by overeating and we always think how much we eat is enough, but it may not be correct if you have been eating your meals fast. Chew your food and you will never have to diet. Your meal time is more important that your work, respect it. That’s your personal time between you and your body, where you feed and nourish it to keep you healthy and strong to do your work and live well.

This is a lifestyle change and if you master it! With it, you can enjoy all the foods you like in moderation.

We hope this article helps you make that lifestyle change. For more tips like this, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

October 30, 2021 By GOQii 1 Comment

Achal Agarwal Loses 37kg, Reverses Lifestyle Diseases & Gets Healthier With GOQii

When we think of weight loss, the first thing that comes to mind is to eat less and exercise. Theoretically, this is the right way to go about it. But, this is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a great level of determination and willpower. However, once the decision to succeed is made, you will achieve your goal. Roadblocks in fitness and health can come in many ways – excuses, laziness, busy etc. Today, we bring to you one such story of determination and will power from our player Achal Agarwal.

Life Before GOQii

Achal Agarwal, 42, based in Noida, handles operations for a large German MNC in India as its COO. Before joining GOQii, he was overweight, weighing around 121 kg. Due to being overweight, he had developed medical conditions such as Diabetes, High Lipids (Cholesterol), Stomach Problems (Acidity, constipation) and Fatty liver. His waist was 44 inches.

“I had all sorts of issues. I was totally ignoring my health. I was doing nothing. Stress levels were high and I needed my drink daily,” says Achal. After having severe palpitations and the scare of COVID-19, he decided that he had to take care of his own health.

Joining GOQii & Making A Lifestyle Change

After he bought the GOQii Balance, a smart weight scale, he found a coupon code and downloaded the GOQii App. When he explored the app, he found various health services. He came across the personalized coaching service, and took it up.

He says that the Coach’s knowledge helped him bring about necessary changes in his diet and exercise. He says that, “The Coach has been very motivating and she has been there all along trying to find out if I am doing well. GOQii has been very helpful and I think a health coach is more than enough for one to follow and get better.”

The changes brought about by Achal Agarwal’s coach included:

Basic walk to complete 6k steps a day (later he began completing 15k steps daily)
Increased water intake and cutting down on tea intake
Avoid maida and processed foods
Having multigrain roti
Increasing fruit, vegetable and protein intake
Stopping sugar and alcohol completely
Practicing Pranayama to reduce stress

Achal says that his best stress buster now is walking – he loves it! He even conducts his meetings at work on walks, completing 20k steps on a daily basis. He further adds that, “The journey has not been easy but it’s been fun.” He further adds that his coach has been extremely understanding and has worked out everything around his schedule. He used to do stringent workouts and the coach introduced pre and post workout meals and that helped. His GOQii Coach has been regularly advising him on dietary changes. What Achal likes the best about coaching is that it is non-intrusive.

Thanks to all the lifestyle modifications suggested by his GOQii Coach, in the last 10 months, he lost close to 37kg. His Current weight is 83.2kg and his waist size has reduced by 7 inches. His HbA1c reduced from 7.9% to 5.1%. His Cholesterol levels lowered as well as his fasting sugar.

Achal Agarwal has now become a health mentor to a lot of his colleagues. He has been sharing tips with his employees and co-workers and many of whom have managed to get on a healthier path. A fine example of this can be seen in Sushma Mishra who has been able to lose 8kg in the last couple of months. She says, “I never expected I could also get healthy, do exercises and lose weight. But, with the small tips that Achal Sir gave, I followed them and it’s helping me. He is such an inspiration and a role model to all of us”. He has also been recommending people to download the GOQii app and use it.

To know more about his journey, check out this session of GOQii Health Talks where he spoke to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal about his changes, challenges and more!

What Does His Coach Have To Say About Achal Aggarwal?

Achal Agarwal is one such player who is very disciplined, dedicated, and maintains consistency with any habits that were suggested by me. He was always very sincere from the beginning and never missed his daily workout and healthy diet. The player came on board in Nov 2020 with medical conditions like Diabetes, High Lipids (Cholesterol), uric acid, high CRP levels, stomach problems (Acidity, constipation) and Fatty liver.

We slowly introduced small changes as mentioned above. In the last 10 months Achal’s progress has been tremendous! Apart from weight loss and his vitals returning to normal, Achal says that his complete change of mindset towards health and fitness have been amazing!

Does Achal Agarwal’s story inspire you? Do you want to make a change? Subscribe for GOQii’s Personalized coaching now and speak to a certified GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

September 21, 2021 By Soni Thakur 2 Comments

Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight!

Has your scale been stuck at the same number? And no matter how hard you try, it does not move an inch? During a time like this, it gets difficult to stay motivated to get rid of the weight we’ve been trying to lose, despite working out and eating healthy. There could be certain other factors at work here which are preventing you from losing weight. Let’s understand them!

Factors That Prevent You From Losing Weight

You Are Not Eating Enough: Our body requires fuel in order to keep working. It’s like a car – you can’t run it without enough fuel. The same goes for our body. You can’t expect your body to function efficiently or lose weight while you’re starving. Eat within a calorie budget as eating less or eating more can both be the reason why you aren’t losing weight.
Compromised Gut Health: Eating food is only half the story of good nutrition. How that food is absorbed and digested is the other half. If your gut is not healed and healthy, then it can be one of the strongest reasons for you not being able to lose weight.
Less Supply Of Fat To The Body: Fats are important for the absorption of certain vitamins and also for optimal functioning of our brain, heart and body cells. Choose plant based fats like walnuts, almonds, olives, avocados, flaxseeds, etc. as they contain the healthiest types of fatty acids.
You Are Stressed: Chronic stress releases cortisol, which in turn raises blood sugar levels and this again triggers the pancreas to release more insulin and more insulin means more sugar to the cells which gets stored as fat.
You Aren’t Sleeping Enough: When you sleep, your body is in the recovery stage with the help of certain hormones. If you are not sleeping enough, then your body’s first priority is to fight inflammation instead of helping you lose weight.
You Are Overtraining: Indulging yourself in rigorous workouts for more than an hour every day without rest creates inflammation in the body and the body goes into stress mode – which is again not in the favour of weight loss. Aim for only 45-60 minutes exercise for 6 days a week followed by 1 day for rest and recovery.
Your Vitamin D3 and B12 May Be Low: Studies have shown that deficiency of any of the vitamins can cause weight gain too. In fact, several studies investigating the effects of vitamin D on weight loss suggested that it could suppress the storage of fat cells and effectively reduce the fat accumulation in the body. So, make sure to keep your vitamin D3 at an adequate level. Vitamin B12 is often associated with weight loss because of its ability to boost metabolism and provide lasting energy.
Your Thyroid May Be Underactive: When a person’s thyroid is underactive, metabolism goes down very slow due to certain changes in the body. So losing weight will be slower as compared to a healthy individual.
You May Have Food Sensitivity: In several studies, it has been found that nearly 70% of people are dairy intolerant and 30% have gluten sensitivity. If a person with any of these consumes dairy and gluten-rich foods, it leads to inflammation and the body heals that first. This hinders weight loss.
Your Meals Are Not Balanced: Losing weight is all about eating a well-balanced diet by including complex carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, and fibres in order to nourish your body with all the essential nutrients. You may lose a good amount of weight by going low or high on one or the other food groups but that happens for just for a short duration of time and is going to hamper your metabolism in the long run.
Expecting Too Much or Being Unrealistic: Setting an unrealistic goal and bounding your body within a time frame will increase your stress levels. Set a goal which is not only for losing weight and going back into your desired shape, but is also a holistic approach which should have a time period which is more realistic and not a quick magical expectation. If you have not gained this weight in a month or two, how can you expect to lose it in such a short period of time?

We hope this article helps you understand why you are not losing weight. You can additionally consult with a GOQii Coach or a GOQii Doctor by opting for a personalized coaching subscription or sign up for GOQii Transform – a personalized weight management program. You can read more about it here: https://store.goqii.com/transform-weight-program

To read more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

May 29, 2019 By Tabassum Parveen 1 Comment

How to Burn Body Fat & Keep it Off!

How many times have we pushed ourselves to our physical limits in order to get rid of excess body fat only to end up gaining it all over again? Keeping body fat off is a difficult task but it is not impossible. All you need is the right knowledge and this article has it!

Need to Burn Body Fat

There are many articles out there that will explain the need to burn body fat. What they do not take into account is the fact that muscle behaviour changes when body fat is burned. When you’re on a journey to lose weight, it is important to burn body fat as well as restoring body muscles in order to gain control over important body functions.

How to Burn Body Fat

1. Increase Protein Intake: The theory behind increasing protein intake is more the muscles, the more fat you will burn. Best is to start your day with good carbs and proteins as adding protein to breakfast will work on hunger hormones making you feel fuller for a longer time.

That’s the main reason why including protein helps in losing weight and keeping it off. If you don’t have a good protein source, add it. But remember that only protein intake excluding good carbs, fibre, vitamins and minerals may result in weight gain, as extra protein will get deposited, leading to weight gain.

Sources of protein that can be included in your daily lifestyle are quinoa, moringa, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, lean meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products like curd, yoghurt, cottage cheese, paneer, and soy products like tofu can be included.

2. Water Intake: The average water intake of a person is 2.17 liters. Water intake can be increased to 3 liters per day to prevent sunstroke and dehydration, especially in hot weather. Hydration is essentially important because your body will not burn fat when it is dehydrated.

Drinking a glass of water before meals act as an appetite suppressant, helping you keep extra fats from food at bay. Avoid sugary drinks like colas or other carbonated drinks. Instead, you can carry a chilled bottle of water containing chia seeds or basil seeds, mint leaves added with a little salt and a piece of jaggery to keep yourself hydrated and refreshed!

3. Foods with Fiber: Gut health is the key to maintain body weight and shrug off that extra fat from the body. Fiber not only helps in maintaining a healthy weight but also helps in reducing cholesterol and diabetic levels.

If you’re one of the folks who look for low-calorie foods, you can try broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, apples, popcorn, cucumber, spinach, oats and brown rice. They are good sources of fiber and they keep you full for longer.

Psyllium husk (Isapgol) is a great way to detox the system. It also helps in eliminating cholesterol and fat globules from the body. However, it needs to be consumed in moderation – half a teaspoon or 2 grams per day can be taken.

4. Cut down on Salt, Sugar and Refined Carbs: Everything in excess is harmful. Salt and sugar are basic needs of our lifestyle as it helps to maintain the pH level of blood. Excess salt results in water retention and may cause difficulty in losing weight. Similarly, excess sugar will affect your metabolism and causes joint pains and fatty liver problems.

This doesn’t mean we need to go tasteless! Moderation is the key to a healthier lifestyle. You need to avoid extra salts, sugars coming from processed food, junk food and refined carbs like white bread, white flour, sweetened beverages, bakery products, and uncovered street food. Instead, carry healthy snacks like fox nuts, goji berries, dry fruits, mix seeds, popcorn and also cut off any additional salt to your curds or salads.

Foods That Help in Burning Body Fat Faster

Apple Cider Vinegar: 1 or 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar mixed in lukewarm water works as a good healthy drink in the morning. It helps in burning extra fats from the body.
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: Reducing your normal oil intake while consuming extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil benefits thyroid functioning and increases the body’s metabolic rate due to the presence of medium chain triglycerides. This helps burn body fat faster. Add it to your salads or once the curry is cooked. Do not heat it as this may result in losing its nutritive content.
Beverages: like green coffee, black coffee, oolong tea, green tea, chamomile tea, goji berries tea – all help in improving body metabolism and help in burning body fat faster. However, 2- 3 cup a day is advised as anything in excess is harmful.

Stress and Lack of Sleep Can Result in Weight Gain

Stress and sleep are often neglected when a person is burning body fat and tends to indulge in extra workouts. You only need to workout 3-4 times a week. Pushing yourself too hard will only result in stress and lead to weight gain. Jumping jacks, HIIT, planks, crunches, lunges with stretching and yoga helps in maintaining body shape with no stress and good quality sleep.

If mediation or deep breathing alone don’t help you relax, then opt for stress-busting foods like dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, bananas, and avocados. Do not negotiate with sleep. The lack of good quality sleep and stress slows down metabolism and causes weight gain.

To sleep peacefully keep your room dark, no heavy workout before sleep and stay off computer or phone screens at least an hour before you go to bed. Working on these minute lifestyle changes can greatly help you lose body fat and keep it off!

#BeTheForce