user story Archives

August 22, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

How Did Police Officer Sharad Hembade Go From Healthy to Healthier?

Being a part of the Police Force means that you need to be healthy and active at all times. Poor health or lack of activity can come in the way of duty otherwise. But, as an officer, if you’ve been active throughout your life, is there a way you can improve further? Let’s find out from the journey of Officer Sharad Hembade from the Nashik City Police.

Being an Active Force of the Police Force!

Sharad Hembade has served 18 years as an officer and has been stationed at Nashik for the past 12 years. He is happily married and has 2 kids. When he isn’t involved in his police duties, he treks – sometimes with a group and sometimes alone around Maharashtra. He has also participated in a number of marathons pan India as and when time permitted.

Apart from these activities, he also participates in cycling events. One such event was organized by the Nashik Cyclists Foundation which spanned from Nashik to Pandharpur and back – a distance of 365 to 375km which he undertook in the year 2018. They completed 185 km on the first day and 80 km on the second. The entire distance was covered in 2 days and 2 hours. Though it was tiring, he said the event was worth remembering.

From Healthy to Healthier!

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pressure on the police force has increased exponentially. To ensure the safety of our frontline heroes, a GOQii Tracker was handed over to the entire Nashik City Police Force by their commissioner, Shri. Vishwas Nangare Patil two months back. All the mechanisms of the tracker including temperature monitoring and how to use the app was explained to them.

Though Officer Sharad Hembade was already quite active, GOQii helped bring in a newfound enthusiasm in him by motivating him to complete his daily step count target and check all the habits set by his GOQii Coach. Compared to before, he says that his entire routine is now structured when compared to his lifestyle before.

The structure and changes to his routine introduced by his GOQii Coach were:

Starting his day with a walk-run combo from 6 AM to around 8:30 AM. He also includes some bodyweight exercises and a few minutes of yoga and meditation towards the end.
On the diet front, he was asked to introduce more protein sources to his meals
Reducing water intake as he used to consume 6-7 liters a day which his coach explained were harmly as he would be losing a lot of essential minerals in the process.
Including more plant-based protein sources such as rajma, chana and various kinds of lentils for lunch and dinner.
Walking between shift hours instead of being seated.

Thanks to these minor changes, he was able to lose 4kg in 2 months. He has also begun purchasing healthy products from the GOQii Health Store such as protein snacks and bars.

What Does Officer Sharad Hembade Think About His Changes?

He says his job involves a lot of stress for obvious reasons and hence, it is extremely important to have a positive mindset and handle it on a daily basis. Physical activity helps in developing the body as well as the mind – willpower improves and it also helps ease the stress. This has been his belief throughout his life. He says that right now, GOQii is like their caretaker and health inspector – constantly monitoring and reminding them to take care of their health!

We salute the efforts of Officer Sharad Hembade and his dedication to serve the country as well as remain fit and active!

Gear up as we’re going to share more insights on the life and journey towards an active lifestyle of our Police Force in the coming weeks! For more successful user stories, check out Healthy Reads within the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce

August 15, 2020 By GOQii 3 Comments

Being The Force Of The Police Force: Nandu Ughale User Journey

During this entire COVID-19 pandemic, one cannot deny the role that our frontline heroes – the police force have played by tirelessly working to ensure that lockdown rules were followed and providing assistance wherever required. While our unsung heroes do their best to protect us from the pandemic, who is protecting them? Good effort in the service of others rarely goes unrewarded. Let’s look at the story of one of our heroes, Nandu Ughale from the Nashik Police Force.

Being an Active Force of the Police Force!

Nandu Ughale has served the Nashik City Police for over 13 years. Before joining the force, he hailed from a poor farmer family and came from a remote village in Maharashtra. Facing great difficulties and challenges, he got himself a graduation degree and joined the police force. He was always enthusiastic about running and slowly began participating in various running and cycling events at national and international levels. He says that he has won so many medals and trophies that he’s lost count but is determined to add more!

In his first international trip to Australia in 2015, he managed to bag gold medals in the 400m and 1500m category, silver in 200m and 5000m, and bronze in 21km. He was elated that he had done his country proud – that too without proper training, diet or facilities at the time. He was going to participate at another event in Japan this year which got cancelled due to the pandemic. Apart from these athletic events, he has participated in numerous half and full marathons.

Beginning of a New Journey Towards Good Health

In the wake of the Pandemic, Shri Vishwas Nangare Patil, Commissioner of Police, Nashik, handed over GOQii trackers to the entire police force. He explained the features of the band, how to track and sync with the app as well as interact with the coach.

While Nandu Ughale was already at his prime and was quite an active athlete, how could GOQii help him? There were still a few areas for improvement which his GOQii Coach identified. Though he was active, his activities were not structured. Small changes were introduced by his coach:

Begin with a proper pre and post workout meal which included dates and bananas for pre-workout and eggs for post workout.
To improve digestion, he was asked to add buttermilk to his lunch
Morning detox included a glass of lemon water with a dash of cinnamon and honey upon waking up
Chana or grams for mid meals to avoid long gaps between lunch and dinner

With these changes, his stamina improved along with sleep duration and quality. He lost 5kg and increased his muscle mass. Another noteworthy change after GOQii was the introduction of the habit of walking – which even his colleagues developed. Earlier, they used to patrol on bikes but now, they make it a point to walk down the roads which has helped a lot in ensuring people follow movement restrictions. To this he says that petrol is saved and so is their health.

What Does Police Officer Nandu Ughale Think About GOQii?

He says that GOQii helped him realize that he is not just serving the country and society but he needs to serve himself – his health as well. His coach has constantly motivated him to focus on himself first so that he can focus better on his duty towards the country. He adds that age is just a number and if you’re determined and sincere, you can stay fit throughout your entire life without any illness or diseases.

We salute the efforts of Nandu Ughale and his dedication to serve the country as well as remain fit and active!

#BeTheForce

July 18, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Chandan Tiwari Makes A Positive Lifestyle Shift!

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns and as you age those twists and turns keep getting narrower. But as long as you are determined to pull through, nothing can stop you. And sometimes all you need is a helping hand. The story of our player Chandan Tiwari is one such example.

Life Before GOQii

Now 28 years of age, Chandan Tiwari used to be quite active in sports during his youth. He represented his school and college in cricket. He was lean, fit and weighed 74kg. However, once he began working in 2016, his life got caught up in the twists and turns of a working individual and he found himself working for 14-15 hours a day backed by lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. In 3 years, he gained 22kg and also suffered bouts of depression with his confidence being at an all time low. He says he is not sure whether depression led to all the unhealthy eating and weight gain or was it the other way round. He faced frequent health issues like cold and fever, stomach issues and skin allergy. He was diagnosed with fatty liver too during one of the medical tests conducted in 2018.

Enter GOQii

Chandan was introduced to GOQii by his brother who is also an active user and had undergone a transformation due to lifestyle changes introduced by the coach. He joined GOQii in August 2019 and his life took another turn – this time for the better.

The first thing his GOQii Coach did was explain the importance of a slow and consistent approach to fat loss rather than changing his lifestyle completely. So he started slowly. The changes introduced by his coach included:

No outside food on weekdays
Lemon water early in the morning on an empty stomach’
ACV before lunch
30 min of walking everyday
Reduce consumption of sweets

Later, his GOQii Coach also introduced habits such as:

Focusing on eating and chewing food slowly as he was used to finishing his meals quickly
Eating fruits and raw vegetables
Less oil in cooking and more boiled food
Start with a run for 1 or 2 km and then slowly increase it to 5 km

Chandan Tiwari Takes The Positive Turn!

In 2 months flat, Chandan was able to lose 10kg. This motivated him to be more dedicated. He says it was initially difficult to abstain from his normal eating habits as all the sweet cravings were hard to control but he pulled through. He proudly says he has not touched sweets in the last 5 months.

The other changes he experienced include:

2-3 days of run and 3-4 days of bodyweight exercises at home by following YouTube or GOQii Play Coaches. The bodyweight training has helped him achieve lean muscle.
He participated in a 10k run last year and now wants to do a 21 km marathon.
His sleep has improved as he avoids late night TV or his phone. Goes to bed at 11PM as compared to 2-3AM before.
Has incorporated meditation and breathing exercises to his routine which keep him calm although work pressure has not reduced, he is able to manage his work and prioritize fitness.

Thanks to all these changes, he now weighs 74.5kg. His fatty liver condition is completely cured. His thyroid is under control although he is still on medication. Right now, he feels more positive, confident and energetic even after 11 hours of work. Apart from interacting with his coach on a regular basis, he has been regularly buying products from the GOQii Health Store.

In his words, he was almost obsessed with his transformation and wanted to get back in shape at any cost. He said, “It’s not just the physical transformation but my mental transformation which I am happy about. I now feel totally in control of myself and stronger to handle everything.” His family is overwhelmed with his transformation and wish to thank GOQii for their support and help.

Do you want to make a positive shift too? Well, download the GOQii app and subscribe now! To read more inspiring stories, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

June 27, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Sandeep Vasant Shares The Secret To His Transformation

Does your work revolve around traveling and leaves you with little time to focus on your health? Sandeep Vasant, a marketing professional from Bengaluru had the exact same issue till he decided that it was time to change.

In 2016, Sandeep Vasant weighed around 89kg, his BMI was hovering around the overweight to obese category and he knew he had to change. His opportunity came when he won a GOQii band as a part of a contest.

Making the Shift

The concept of personalized coaching, a band to track his daily step count and an integrated app – all of this intrigued him and he decided to invest his time in the GOQii model. His coach guided him on how they would go about his goal to lose weight. These changes included:

Correcting food habits: Consuming fruits and vegetables while reducing junk food, tea and coffee in take. Stop late dinners
Begin basic cardio and strength training at a gym
Correct sleep pattern and avoid using the cellphone late at night

Within the first 10 days itself, Sandeep Vasant began seeing changes in himself which motivated him to be more consistent.

The challenge came when he had to incorporate these changes to his frequent traveling. His coach recommended that he pack his workout gear even while traveling so he can go for runs and workout in his hotel room as well. For food, he had to settle with what was available albeit, he had to choose healthy and maintain portion control. If he got bored with gym workouts, he switched his attention to GOQii Play coaches in the morning.

Small Changes. Big Rewards!

At the start of 2018, he had already dropped 10 kgs. If 2017 was about changing food patterns and beginning exercises, 2018 became more about his interest in marathons. He started participating in 5k runs which initially took him 45 mins to complete. He wanted to improve his timing and start training more for marathons. He decided to participate in at least one marathon each month. Turns out, he won a few medals in the course of his journey as well. He draws his inspiration to workout everyday looking at the medals he won at those events.

Staying Fit During Lockdown

When the country went into lockdown, like others, he was worried how he’d keep up with his exercise routine. He did not want to squander all the hard work he had put in till now. He decided to increase his workout time and started participating in evening Zumba sessions on GOQii Play.

He began practicing yoga – something which never interested him before but was the need of the hour. Now, he is a regular at Ronak Gajjar’s meditation sessions on GOQii Play. He says, “Meditating along with Ronak has actually helped me think positively, keeping all the negativity around the coronavirus and the economic situation at bay. I feel more grounded and peaceful even while sitting at home.”

During the past 3 months, he has not gained weight but in fact, he has lost 4kg more and now weighs 75kg. His goal is to further drop 2kg which will bring him in the normal BMI range.

What Does Sandeep Vasant Think About GOQii?

Sandeep says his coaches have constantly motivated him to be consistent, shared inputs from time to time on what he should and should not eat. Most importantly, they have structured his routine for the days he travels. He is thankful to GOQii for helping him achieve his goal.

He says that the 3 secrets to his transformation were consistency, discipline and dedication! As of now, Sandeep is making great progress. What about you? Subscribe to GOQii now and make a positive lifestyle change!

For more stories on transformation and lifestyle change, check out user stories on Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce