GOQii

Blog

By 3 Comments

Do Your Muscles Turn Into Fat When You Stop Weight Training?

musclesBeing indoors for this long has given people a lot of time to do some research. If you have been researching fitness, weight training and muscles, I’m sure the thought of  – “will my muscles turn into fat if I stop weight training” has crossed your mind. While you might watch your fitness levels, maintain a healthy weight and improve strength, etc, it is equally important to understand what happens once you stop weight training in order to preserve muscle mass. 

What Do Muscles Mean? 

Muscle is a tissue in animal bodies. Their main purpose is to help us move our body parts. When a muscle is activated via exercise, it contracts, making itself shorter and thicker i.e. it grows in size.

  • When you exercise, your body does not create new muscles. Instead, your existing muscles grow larger and stronger.
  • With regular exercise, muscles also develop more mitochondria (this is where biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur in the cell). The result is larger and more muscle mass.
  • When you stop weight training/adopt a sedentary lifestyle, then the increased blood flow previously needed to fuel your cells during exercise is no longer required, so your body begins to contract and reduce the size of your capillaries. As a consequence, muscles shrink and decrease in mass.

Points To Consider 

Muscle cells and fat cells are different structures and are not interchangeable at all. They will become smaller and weaker if you stop weight training because they lose muscle mass. Although, it will not happen in a short period of time as the process of losing muscle mass is slow and gradual which may take  4-6 weeks. Fat may be produced if your diet provides your body with more calories than required based on the activity levels you maintain.

You can preserve and maintain your muscle mass by keeping yourself active. By active I do not mean hitting the gym everyday but by just walking in between breaks, using the staircase instead of the lift, stretching your body every 2 hours, walking while being on a call instead of just sitting at one place, walking after every meal whether it’s your main meal or just snacks in between and obviously by eating a well- balanced healthy diet.

Keep an eye on your protein intake because the protein requirement of your body is directly associated with building and losing muscle mass as well. Don’t overtrain as this can also lead to decreased muscle. Leaving weight training alone should not be blamed for decreased muscle mass. 40-45 minutes of exercise 5-6 days a week is recommended and 1 day should be dedicated for rest and recovery.

We hope this article helps you. For more useful information on muscles, strength training, etc. check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE, interactive workout classes by experts on GOQii PRO within the GOQii App. 

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

By 3 Comments

10 Ways To Eliminate Bad Habits & Embrace Good Ones This Diwali

eliminate bad habits this DiwaliIt’s that month of the year when festivities start. We have just finished with Dusshera, an important Hindu festival, and now we are gearing ourselves for the Festival of Lights. Deepawali is celebrated on the occasion of gaining success over the bad (Ravana) and the returning of goodness. Bad Qualities could be the 10 heads of Ravana namely:

  1. Kama vasana (Lust)
  2. Krodha (Anger)
  3. Moha (Attachment)
  4. Lobha (Greed)
  5. Mada (Pride)
  6. Matsara (Jealousy)
  7. Swartha (Selfishness)
  8. Anyaaya (Injustice)
  9. Amanavta (Cruelty)
  10. Ahankara (Ego)

If we can eliminate the above bad qualities within ourselves, then we, in all likelihood, would end up being better human beings. Today, we have modern day demons in our life, which are making it unhealthy and lead us towards a bad and shorter life. This Diwali, let’s get rid of the modern day and olden days demons together!

10 Modern Day Bad Habits We Need To Eliminate This Diwali 

1. Smoking
I do not think I need to explain what smoking is? Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease, as well as premature death. You can read how smoking affects your health in the following articles:

2. Alcohol and drugs
Today, most of us are used to late night parties-  be it an office party, a birthday party, a marriage anniversary or the likes. One of the most common beverage in parties is ALCOHOL! In any celebration, you’ll find a number of alcoholic beverages that flow like water and we tend to consume them without much thought. This leads to a number of health complications. These complications have been talked about at length in this article on the Effects of Alcohol on your Health.

3. Stress
Stress is one of the most understated evils of our time hiding under the veils of office work, relationships and other everyday affairs. You can name any lifestyle diseases and one of the reasons behind it, in most cases, is stress. Stress can also lead to weight gain! Keeping stress under control will not only help you stay calm and relaxed but also helps you keep your weight under control and lifestyle diseases at bay! So manage your stress well!

4. Unhealthy Eating Habits
We are well aware that we need to form good eating habits to stay healthy but do we really follow them? Its only after we have put on excess weight that we try to manage our diet or follow some sort of diet plan to reduce weight. Instead of doing that, isn’t it better to eat healthy before things go wrong? While you’re forming healthy eating habits, make sure that you are also aware of the habits that are destroying your health and correct them.

5. Laziness
There is no dearth of excuses to avoid exercises and make ourselves lazy. One does not realize that laziness leads us to a sedentary lifestyle and eventually to a shorter life. You don’t even need to do any strenuous exercises or hit the gym daily. Just basic walking, taking the elevator instead of stairs and moving as much as you can will help you stay healthy. The core idea is to keep yourself active and off the couch. If you still think you’re bogged down by chores and do not have time, you can turn your daily chores into workouts!

6. Denial (about our health – physical or mental)
Another dangerous demon is denial. People will go to any extent to not find out about their health. Most are generally ok not getting a health check up done. This can be quite dangerous. Getting regular health check-ups is imperative because many health conditions can be resolved if detected early.

7. Sleep
For a better health, you need sound sleep of about 6 to 8 hours. If you spend the whole night finishing your pending tasks or binge watching a show, then you are certainly walking into a health hazard waiting to happen. There are too many health related irregularities which are caused by lack of sleep. But, if you have a proper sleep, you can get rid of all your issues. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, try these breathing techniques or follow these tips for better sleep.

8. Enviornment
While celebrating Diwali, we all try to burst crackers that pollute the environment. If you breathe in such an environment, it will only affect your health. After Diwali, the pollution still persists and can affect the heart and brain. People with existing heart or lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart disease, or ischemic heart disease are at increased risk of admission to hospitals based on the severity of an already existing problem. Given these issues, it would be nice if we use eco friendly ways of celebrating Diwali.

9. Sweets and Immunity
Most sweets contain refined sugar, which directly impacts our immunity. Sweets are quite pleasurable to eat, but eating too many can negatively impact your health. Sweets often lack beneficial nutrients and are full of detrimental ones, including saturated fat, sugars and artificial sugars. Excessive sweet consumption can increase the risk of Diabetes, Crohn’s Disease and lead to tooth decay. Additionally, it can also reduce HDL cholesterol and bone strength. While you might not be able to avoid sweets, eat them in moderation and be smart about it!

10. Unsafe Sex
And the last demon on our list is unsafe sex! We are a nation that’s very uncomfortable talking about sex and this has led to the state where a lot of people are ignorant about safe sex. Unsafe sex can lead to Sexual Transmitted Diseases like HIV/AIDS or unwanted pregnancies. Always remember that you must use a condom. If you don’t have one at that particular time, use other forms of contraceptives, but remember that other forms of contraceptives do not guard against STDs. Prevention is better than cure!

So we hope you take stock of these modern day demons and eliminate bad habits this Diwali! If you need help conquering these demons, you can always find an ally in our team of experts waiting to guide and motivate you to live a healthier lifestyle. You can start by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Wish you all a happy, healthy and safe Diwali!

#BeTheForce

By 1 Comment

5 Reasons Why You Need To Focus On Nutrition Over Calorie Counting

Nutrition over calorie counting

It’s funny how in an attempt to lose or gain weight, we begin counting every minute calorie intake, diligently doing the math, when we hated the subject in school. But the math isn’t too complicated, right? To lose weight, you go into a deficit where calories out > calories in, and the exact opposite if you want to bulk up. 

While we’re doing all this math, reading up articles on the internet, browsing through YouTube channels and relying on self-taught nutritionists and dietitians, are we really asking the right questions? Are we using food to only fill in whatever we can in our given calorie budgets? Are we using food to provide the right nutrition to our body? Are we even choosing the right foods while we’re at it?

Why You Shouldn’t Rely On Calorie Counting 

While counting calories to lose/gain weight might be the most popular and followed method, overdoing it may not be the correct one. It’s quite dangerous as it can lead to many nutritional deficiencies. 500 calories could look like 2 big slices of pizza or a plate with rice/roti, a bowl of vegetables or pulses with curd and salad. The goal can be attained with both, but are we making the right choice that’ll help us stay healthier in the long run? So, rather than counting calories, it would make more sense to look at the nutrients on your meal plate.

Why You Need To Choose Nutrition Over Calorie Counting  

Let’s look at a few reasons why the focus should be on nutrition over calorie counting

  1. Food Quality Matters: Calories do not look into the quality of food you are eating. A low-calorie food with well-balanced macro and micronutrients is considered healthier than a high calorie, nutritionally poor food. For instance, an apple may have the same calories as a cookie, but we know which one is healthier.
  2. Nutrient Dense Foods: When you follow calorie counting, one tends to avoid the natural calorie dense foods like nuts, seeds, ghee, oils, and avocados, etc. which are very healthy and important for good metabolism and maintaining healthy weight.
  3. Thermic Effect of Food: The number of calories used to digest our food is different for various food groups, so this can alter the effects of calorie counting to some extent. Food items made of processed and refined products are digested faster and are likely to spike up our sugar levels, than those made of natural and unrefined forms, which will take up more energy to break down and get digested and keep the sugar levels stabilized.
  4. Bioavailable Calories: Recent studies have indicated that many foods have less bioavailable calories than originally thought of. For instance, almonds, peanuts and pistachios all seem to be less completely digested, providing fewer calories, almost 20% less than what is mentioned on the label. This may be true for other foods with tough cell walls. So, calorie counting may not actually be accurate here.
  5. Effect of Food on our Satiety: Different foods have a different effect on our satiety levels, some give us a feeling of fullness for longer than others. So all foods are measured on a scale called the satiety index, which is basically the measure of the ability of the foods to reduce hunger, increase feeling of fullness and reduce calorie intake for the next few hours. Eating foods with a low satiety index will make you hungry faster than foods with a high satiety index. 500 calories from an ice cream/doughnut will make you hungry sooner than 500 calories from sprouts/beans and vegetable salad.

So, the bottom line is to make smart choices with your food and focus more on the nutritional aspect rather than calorie counting. Once you pick nutrition over calorie counting, you will notice more satiety, improved energy levels, reduced inflammation, you’ll be able to maintain healthy weight and witness an overall improvement in your health! 

We hope this article helps you make healthier choices. For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads. If you want to know more about what kind of food you should incorporate, based on your weight loss or weight gain goals, speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

#BeTheForce 

By 1 Comment

Happy International No Diet Day!

no diet day

Shhh! No, don’t say it. Nooo, don’t even think of it! Today, we will not discuss anything about diet because May 6th every year is celebrated as No Diet Day. Today is the day of challenging the idea of one “right” body type and embracing body diversity.

What is International No Diet Day? 

At the heart of International No Diet Day is the celebration of body acceptance. In a society that runs around appearance and size, this day helps to refocus on what is the real essence of life – a healthy lifestyle and self-love.

Mary Evans, a British feminist started this in 1992 after battling body shaming, anorexia and bullying for years. She encouraged fellow women to join her and wear “Ditch the Diet” stickers and fully embrace their bodies for a day. After that, May 6th participants wear blue ribbons, put away the scales and completely enjoy the way they are.

Bodies are beautiful irrespective of shapes and sizes – this is what we need to accept. For far too long, health has been associated with unrealistic body types and unhealthy, dangerous FAD diets. No Diet Day is the day when we incorporate the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for all body types.

How Do You Celebrate No Diet Day? 

  • Recognize that your body is completely beautiful as it is and reduce your push towards shedding weight to make it look a certain way. Everybody is unique. 
  • Stress-free about your final outcome and more about how you can stay active and keep your body healthy.
  • Rapid reduction of weight or emphasizing on unrealistic body types is a way of causing yourself harm instead of getting healthy.
  • So today eat what you love, eat what you have always loved from childhood but were staying away from it because of diet or thinking about calories. Remember to keep it in moderation though. Avoid binging. 
  • Cook yourself with your favourite foods! 
  • You will be surprised how liberating it feels to not judge yourself by a number, so push your weighing scales away. And just enjoy your being.
  • Also learn about various eating disorders the youth suffer from which are detrimental and encourage people for self-love.
  • Look at the positive side about your body instead of focusing on the negative aspects. Think about everything you like in yourself.
  • Take this day to be kind with your body, take a long bath or just dance all your worries out.

And lastly, be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how someone else sees you. 

We hope this article helps you enjoy your No Diet Day! For more exciting topics and information, check out Healthy Reads. You can also begin your Healthy Story with GOQii by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

Venkatrao Alaparthi Loses 20kg With Guidance From His GOQii Coach

While earning a good livelihood is important, is it taking more life out of living? Long working hours, being seated most of the time with no physical activity and bad eating habits can take a toll on your health over a period of time. If this sounds relatable, you might have a lot in common […]

The Art Of Reducing Medication & Getting Healthy With GOQii

If you speak to anyone who has lost weight the right way and maintains their health, you’ll begin to understand that it is an art that requires patience, dedication and consistency. Without these, your health will spiral downwards. Our Player Hema Sangani realised this as she took the decision to get healthy with GOQii. Here’s […]

How Neelima Kulshrestha Managed Diabetes & BP Issues with GOQii

The decisions we make, no matter how small, sometimes have a big impact on our life. Have you ever been at a crossroad where you were unsure of a certain decision, but once you took it, it changed your life for the better? Our Player Neelima Kulshrestha was faced with such a decision and as […]