user story Archives

February 18, 2023 By GOQii 1 Comment

How Digvijay Singh Reversed Chronic BP Issues & Lost Weight With GOQii

Do you feel that no matter what you do, you’re unable to lose weight? You go for walks, meditate and even eat right but that scale doesn’t budge while lifestyle diseases plague you. Our Player Digvijay Singh was stuck in a similar predicament.

Life Before GOQii

Digvijay Singh, a 63 year old retired public sector professional from Nagpur, was always conscious about his health and lifestyle. He took regular walks and even practiced Pranayama but no matter what he did, he could not lose weight. He weighed around 90kg and suffered from chronic blood pressure issues.

Introduction to GOQii & Making Lifestyle Changes

During his anniversary in 2016, his daughters gifted him a GOQii device with 3 months of subscription. When he joined, his goal was to reduce weight and control his BP issues. While initially he faced difficulty, there was progress.

Between 2016-2019, he says that his progress was quite slow. His BP was still high at 140/90 and cholesterol levels were out of range. To help him achieve his goal, his GOQii Coach introduced a few lifestyle changes which included:

Normal walks, interval walks and strength training
Consuming apple cider vinegar and salads to his meals
Early dinner
No processed foods

Eventually, Digvijay Singh’s cholesterol levels and BP both came down to a normal range. His weight has reduced and has remained constant since then. He has been able to lose 12kg and go from 84 to 72 kg within 8 months.

Digvijay Singh is happy with the fact that his GOQii journey that started 5 years back, is still continuing. He says that with his GOQii Coach’s advice, his lifestyle has completely changed. He further stated, “Basically what GOQii did was that it disciplined me”.

His daughters say that he is an inspiration. He is disciplined and follows what his GOQii Coach says. His eating habits have also changed. They said that they are glad about how his health has improved, he has been able to control his BP and looks fitter than before! They said, “Now the entire family (extended) knows about GOQii because of Dada and it is his best gift to anyone he thinks needs it”.

To understand Digvijay Singh’s journey, check out this session of GOQii Health Talks, where he and his family spoke to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal.

What Does Coach Monika Raj Have To Say About Digvijay Singh?

Digvijay has been a great learner! He always follows the habits I set for him. When we first started, his blood pressure was high at 140/90 and cholesterol levels were out of range. Then slowly, we started with minor lifestyle modifications. In a span of time, his fat percentage ranging from 35% to 40%, came down to 25%.

We started with walks that ranged from normal walking to interval walks and then strength training. He was so consistent in walking that I had to stop him and make his regime for just 5 days a week so that he could rest and recover well. Since then he has been able to maintain it well.

We added salads to his meals and made sure his dinner was light. I also asked him to consume Apple Cider Vinegar before lunch and dinner, less salt in meals and completely avoid processed foods among a few other changes.

For the past 5 years, he has never missed salads in his meals and has never missed crossing 10k steps. I am really overwhelmed and motivated to see his efforts and consistency.

Does this story inspire you? Did it sound relatable? Want to make a lifestyle change? If yes, then speak to your GOQii Coach today by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

To read more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

February 4, 2023 By GOQii 12 Comments

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

We’ve always advocated that lifestyle diseases can be managed with a balanced, healthy and holistic lifestyle but can they also help you manage a terminal condition? Our Player Ananda Mukherjee, with help from his GOQii Coach, was able to battle such a condition. Here’s how his inspirational Health Story unfolded.

Going From Slender To Overweight

Ananda Mukherjee had a very poor work-life balance. This coupled with bad eating habits such as drinking several cups of coffee, eating unhealthy and sleeping less really took a toll on his body. “I could never sleep, so I was on sleeping pills,” says Ananda.

Not being able to sustain such a lifestyle, Ananda Mukherjee quit his job in 2018 but didn’t do much for his health. When COVID struck, he couldn’t exercise or go out – which made his life pretty sedentary. The only positive outcome he says was that he was able to add certificates to the hobbies he indulged in such as Interior Design and Gardening & Landscaping.

In the course of time, before he realized, his weight had increased from 56kg to 83kg. “I was asked by people, what has happened to you?” Ananda says that he was slender from the age of 15 till 45 and his weight had remained the same. So when he gained weight, it was noticed by everyone.

More Bad News…

In 2021, he was diagnosed with a terminal medical condition that affected his intestine (Adenocarcinoma in the small intestine i.e. Cancer of the Intestine). The first thing his doctor told him was to quit smoking and get active. His food habits also needed to change. He had to bring some discipline in his life.

As his medication and radiation treatment began, the side-effects such as weight loss, loss of appetite, digestion issues like gas, bloating, etc. began to show. All of this also affected him mentally and emotionally. He was on antidepressant pills for his anxiety issues as well.

During this time, he was introduced to GOQii by a friend and from social media. When he did his research, he realized that it’s not just a fitness tracker but a service that offers personalized health coaching as well. He says, “Without any hesitation I decided to get a GOQii and try it”.

Getting Back On Track With GOQii

Ananda Mukherjee joined GOQii in September 2021. At the time he joined, he weighed 70kg, his HRA was 43 and his BMI was 25.71. His health goal was to lose fat, gain muscle, improve sleep, get rid of stress and anxiety and control his BP.

Since he was under radiation therapy, after each radiation session, his health goal would change as per the side effects he faced. He had lost 5kg due to the radiation therapy. His health goals fluctuated between improving oxygen levels, heart rate, getting rid of GI issues like gas, bloating, indigestion, nausea as well as respiratory problems like cough, cold, chest congestion, etc. Along with help from his GOQii Coach Vaishali, he had to manage lifestyle changes accordingly.

Coach Vaishali suggested simple healthy changes in his lifestyle which included eating fruits, drinking lukewarm lemon water in the morning, including lemon zest, and having wheatgrass and aloe vera juice to boost immunity. For protein and omega 3, she suggested dry fruits.

During the course of their journey, she got him away from sugar and smoking. Ananda was asked to engage in his hobbies and meditation to improve his mental and emotional wellbeing as well as remain stress-free.

Ananda also shared his journey with us in detail as he spoke to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal

What Changes Did Ananda Mukherjee Experience?

When asked about his journey so far, Ananda said, “GOQii has played a huge role. It brought about positivity in my life. My Coach Vaishali just created new habits based on my health goals and helped me follow those habits.”

His radiation treatment is now complete and he is happy that he is able to sleep without taking any pills. His neighbors and friends are surprised at how fresh and healthy he looks now and his wife has also complimented him.

“I blindly follow what my coach suggests and that has given me results. She has been a mom at times, an elder sister at times and has been able to get me to do things. I am totally off smoking and alcohol and my diet is simple,” he says.

Ananda has been getting all his exercise lessons and nutrition tidbits from GOQii Play classes. He loves the recipe classes on GOQii Play and has been able to make quite a few dishes at home to avoid eating out.

He jokes with his friends saying, I am just chilling and losing weight and has been advocating GOQii to all of them. He says, “This current life is a tectonic shift in my life.” He is able to get back to his medium sized clothes from having gone upto XL size.

He says, “A coach is necessary to achieve your goals especially when it is about health. There has to be someone to motivate you to do the right things. I have always believed in mentors and with a coach or a mentor your journey only becomes that much more interesting and easier”.

Ever since being on GOQii, in almost 9 months’ time, Ananda has been able to get into the Elite category. He is following a healthy lifestyle, enjoying his life and is now a landscape designer and also loves gardening. He walks daily for physical fitness and meditates for mental and emotional wellbeing.

Currently his HRA is 81. He has stopped taking antidepressant and sleeping pills as well. His current weight stands at 67kg.

What Does Coach Vaishali Vibhute Have To Say About Her Player?

Ananda started his journey on Sept 20, 2021. The day he joined as a player, he was very depressed, stressed, feeling low both mentally and physically, emotionally disturbed and overweight. He smoked a lot. When I started coaching, he weighed 70kg, HRA was 43 and BMI was 25.71.

Despite being a fitness freak and having a gym at home, he had stopped exercising when he had quit his banking job, which led to a lot of weight gain. To get him back on track, I gave him a target of completing 3k steps and gradually increased it to 5k. I also gave him a few challenges like doing light weight exercises, and following pre and post workout meals. He completed all these tasks diligently.

When GOQii launched the SAFE (Sedentary, Active, Fit and Elite) model, I told him I would like to see him in the ELITE category, as he was in the sedentary category. He accepted the challenge as he had a burning desire to achieve his health goals.

It is never easy to achieve a health goal. It requires some sacrifices, discipline, consistency and determination. If you are able to handle these 4 aspects well, nothing can stop you and Ananda has proven this fact! Though it was challenging for him to maintain his weight due to his medical condition, his endless efforts and discipline helped him achieve what he aimed for.

We’re wishing Ananda Mukherjee well on his journey of being healthy and fit! Does his Health Story inspire you? Do you want to make a radical lifestyle shift as well? Subscribe for GOQii’s personalized health coaching and start now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more inspiring Health Stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

January 21, 2023 By GOQii 1 Comment

Triumphing Over My Mind, Body & Soul At The GOQii Trail Challenge | Kamal Chandran

Imagine an event where each and every person has a unique tale to tell, despite having taken similar paths or adventures. Have you ever gone through it? We’re about to share the experience of Kamal Chandran, Group Head – HR at GOQii, who participated in the GOQii Trail Challenge, in her own words.

Seeking A Challenge

I recently took part in the GOQii Trail Challenge (GTC) Season 3 in December 2022. When I expressed my interest to participate in the trail challenge to my family, their collective reaction was “Are you crazy to walk 50km in 18 hours?”

I was, however, excited to go for it. I was a new employee at GOQii and had heard so much about GTC that I wanted to experience it once. Restarted after a hiatus of two-years due to the pandemic, Season 3 of GTC attracted approx 200 participants. Everyone including the participants was excited.

Since my husband Girish and I have been working very hard on our health objectives for the past two years and are constantly seeking new challenges, we decided to take part in the Trail, moreover, this was our first shot at a trekking challenge.

The Challenge was to walk a distance of 50km within the 18 hour time limit. With absolutely no reference or clue of what was in store for me and how this would change my life, I went ahead with an open mind.

The Journey Begins

The excitement started from the GOQii office on 9th December, a day prior to the challenge. A 6-hour fun bus ride got us talking with several other newbies and old-timers from whom we tried to gather courage and motivation.

On arrival at the basecamp (Blue Green Exotica) at Mandangad, the mood was festive and colourful. The atmosphere was chill with plenty of music & camaraderie accompanied by instructions, route maps, signs and the likes that spruced up my vibes to commit full-on.

More often than not, our inhibitions come into play in such situations. It led me to think “I’ll be happy if I complete the 50K, but even if I don’t, I’ll still enjoy and cherish this unique experience”. After a good ‘Get to know the Trail’ instruction-led session, we retired early to bed only to wake up early and prepare to embark on our 50km trail challenge.

The following day, we started our trek 25 minutes late at 5.25 am as our preparations for the long day of walking had caught us unaware of the timings. This was despite us waking up as early as 3am. We had neatly taped our toes and heels to avoid any blisters, and applied all sorts of skin precautions as recommended by the GOQii team and co-walkers whom we met the previous eve.

We also learnt a lot about the importance of hydration while walking for a long time. Our day packs were filled with all the necessary accompaniments like ORS ( Electrolytes) , dry fruits, various creams, band-aids etc.

The entire route was meditative for me since I was fully present in my body, mind, and soul. We had forgotten to carry a stick that was advised to better navigate the terrain. However, on the way I picked up a suitable bamboo stick that came in handy. From one checkpoint to the next, we enjoyed the journey, terrain and the beautiful nature that surrounded us.

We came across many pasture-like dry river beds, meadows, steep hillocks and scantily populated villages, all surrounded by the beautiful Sahyadri mountains that were visible at a distance, its ranges resembling concentric circles and reflecting the sunshine presenting the flora and fauna in vibrant colours.

After encountering multiple challenges and enabling our various faculties and strategies to overcome them, we managed to cover a distance of 40km in 14 hours, quite slowly but successfully.

Lessons Learned At the GOQii Trail Challenge

We had to abandon the trek at Checkpoint 4 as the time required for the next steep climb was too much and the trail only seemed to incline further.

Despite not having completed the trail, as I reflect back, I have the following thoughts which I would like to share with all of you. Here are my learnings from the GOQii Trail Challenge:

The entire walk was reflective and a repetition of life as an uphill and downhill path. Therefore, we need to be mindful and utilize every chance to enjoy it.
Keep in mind that time is of the essence, enjoy the diversion but don’t get carried away or distracted
Teamwork is crucial; we enjoyed supporting one another and getting to know new individuals. Savour the experience. Celebrate the collaborations.
All obstacles are inside your thoughts, but if you don’t dwell on them and keep moving forward, you may perform extraordinary feats. For example, my friends and family were shocked that I could walk/trek 40km when they had anticipated that I would barely manage 10km
Pay attention to your body! I was under the impression that I was living a healthy lifestyle until I discovered that I need to have enough rest and the correct nutrients to be successful in challenges of this sort.
Spending time in nature will improve your physical and mental well-being. While meditating in Mandangad Fort, I felt the sun, wind, and soil coming together. (I spent almost 45 minutes just meditating – which probably explains the delay in reaching check point 3)
Every second or every step was different, therefore, we had to evolve according to how challenging the terrain and our bodies were. Stop overthinking, just be mindful of each and every step/moment.

The GOQii Trail Challenge will have a lasting impression on me. I’ve heard many tales and learned how people overcame numerous hurdles. We have witnessed the happiness of trekking 50km on one’s 50th birthday and heard tales of pain and mishaps. The trail profoundly affected our body, mind, and soul. The experience was so fantastic that it cannot be adequately described in words; it must be lived.

Work can be worship for some people, while for others it means earning their daily bread. I have observed my transformation from a means to worship over the past 20 years. I have had the good fortune to collaborate with a number of outstanding organisations and executives as I develop into a powerful and ardent HR professional.

Even though I’ve attended and participated in a lot of organisational events and programmes, the GOQii Trail Challenge event which was organised so well by the experts at GOQii stood out in numerous ways. Our commitment to our goal in everything we do, our ability to keep our stakeholders directly involved in it, and the experience we offer to all of our GOQii Players & GOQiites are some of our main differentiators.

I’m happy to be associated with GOQii, whose mission is to inspire people to live healthy lives for which we have developed an ecosystem for preventative healthcare that helps, teaches, and inspires them. I am all geared up for my next experience through GCC event ie. GOQii Corporate Challenge.

#BeTheForce

November 5, 2022 By GOQii Leave a Comment

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

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?

When 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