Fitelo is on a mission to help India lose weight the right way through personalized, scientifically backed diet and lifestyle coaching. With millions of users and a viral appearance on Shark Tank India, Fitelo faced the challenge of delivering 24/7 dietitian support at scale while maintaining data privacy and a high-touch experience.
To meet these demands, Fitelo turned to Stream for an integrated in-app chat experience that mirrors the familiarity of WhatsApp, without its privacy drawbacks or scaling limitations. Since adopting Stream, Fitelo has not only improved user engagement and satisfaction but also fully transitioned off third-party platforms like WhatsApp for chat and MoEngage for push notifications, creating a unified, seamless customer journey inside their app.
The Challenge
Fitelo's core service hinges on direct, daily interaction between clients and personal dieticians. Initially, this communication happened over WhatsApp, which quickly revealed multiple limitations:
- Privacy Risks: Dietitians were using personal numbers, and Fitelo experienced incidents of user data being leaked or misused.
- Scalability Concerns: Meta rate-limited high-volume messaging, and accounts were at risk of being blocked with little recourse.
- Data Fragmentation: Critical health data, such as weight logs, were shared via chat but not reliably synced with the app's tracking system.
- Operational Complexity: Switching dieticians meant restarting chat threads and updating users manually, leading to confusion and inefficiencies.
Why Stream
Fitelo explored several chat vendors with input from their investors, but Stream stood out immediately. According to Saurav Sharma, Assistant Vice President at Fitelo:
"Stream came highly recommended by our investors. We needed something reliable, scalable, and developer-friendly—and Stream checked all the boxes."
Fitelo's top evaluation criteria included:
- API Accessibility: Easy to integrate and flexible for custom workflows
- Scalability: Needed to support 20,000-30,000 DAU simultaneously during Shark Tank spike
- Uptime and Reliability: No dropped messages or performance issues under load
- Developer Support: Direct access to Stream's responsive support team
The Solution
Fitelo integrated Stream Chat into its mobile app to replace WhatsApp as the primary communication channel between users and their dieticians.
Key Features Implemented
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Quick Replies: Custom buttons for frequently asked questions—like portion sizes, recipes, and ingredient swaps—help dieticians respond faster and reduce repetitive typing.
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App Navigation Links: Messages can include deep links to in-app destinations such as weight logs, meal plans, or goal tracking modules.
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Typing and Online Indicators: Familiar real-time feedback elements help users feel connected, mirroring the WhatsApp experience they're accustomed to.
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Push Notifications via Stream Chat: Replaced MoEngage with Stream's push infrastructure, improving message delivery reliability and engagement rates.
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Intelligent In-Chat Guidance: Fitelo leverages Stream to build context-aware responses, such as recommending healthy food alternatives based on user prompts ("swap cold drink for lemon water"), and dynamically personalizing diet plans based on location, activity, or check-in patterns, all surfaced within chat.
"Our users didn't need any training or announcements. Dieticians simply told them, 'We're switching to Fitelo chat now,' and everyone followed. That's how strong the relationship is—and how seamless Stream feels."
Results
Since launching Stream, Fitelo has seen immediate and measurable improvements:
- 4x Higher CSAT Survey Responses: Jumped from 2% (via WhatsApp) to 8—9% response rate through Stream Chat
- Increased Weight Log Entries: More users logging progress due to tighter chat integration
- Improved Data Security: Eliminated number sharing between users and staff
- More Reliable Notifications: Streams' in-app push outperforms leading Indian platforms like MoEngage
Beyond chat itself, Fitelo saw meaningful gains after migrating all in-app notifications to Stream. Previously reliant on MoEngage, the team faced inconsistent delivery rates and delayed message timing, especially at scale.
With Stream's push infrastructure in place, Fitelo now delivers timely, context-aware nudges that prompt users to:
- Log their weight
- Check updated diet plans
- Respond to new messages from their dietitian
- Resume paused programs after travel or scheduling breaks
These notifications are tightly integrated with chat flows, helping maintain continuity between real-time conversations and app actions. As a result, user engagement has increased within chat and the entire Fitelo experience.
"Even though MoEngage is huge in India, Stream's push notifications have been more reliable, so we switched completely. With Stream, we don't just get better reliability—we see better outcomes. More users act after receiving a push, and we no longer have to worry about delivery failures."
What's Next: A New Layer of Personalization
With chat adoption now deeply embedded in Fitelo's user journey, the team plans the next phase of real-time communication, starting with voice and video calling.
"Our six-month roadmap is focused entirely on leveling up the chat experience. Then we'll expand into video."Â
While asynchronous messaging covers day-to-day guidance and check-ins, Fitelo's core service is still rooted in human connection and behavioral coaching. Integrating Stream's Video API inside the app will allow dietitians to deliver more nuanced, personal counseling when chat alone falls short.
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Better context and tone: Voice calling allows coaches to provide encouragement, empathy, and course correction with tone—something that's difficult to express through text alone.
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More efficient deep-dive sessions: Weekly consultations (often 40-60 minutes) are currently done manually or outside the app. In-app video will streamline this process and centralize the complete coaching workflow.
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Lower friction for on-the-go users: Clients traveling, cooking, or attending social events may prefer quick audio messages or voice calls instead of typing out detailed questions.
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Visual meal or form checks: Users may want to show portion sizes, food packaging, or exercises visually for feedback, these are use cases where video makes communication faster and clearer.
Fitelo's upcoming roadmap focuses on expanding engagement and functionality within chat, then layering in audio and video as native, privacy-respecting alternatives to off-platform calls.
Advice for Other Telehealth App Product Teams
Fitelo offers this advice for teams considering Stream:
"Don't underestimate the value of Stream's push notifications. They've been a game changer for us. If you want seamless chat and scalable engagement, this is it."
Ultimately, whether you're connecting dietitians with clients, doctors with patients, or support agents with users, real impact comes from building a sense of trust and responsiveness into the product experience. Messaging is no longer a bolt-on feature—it's a core layer of interaction that demands performance, privacy, and flexibility.Â
By moving away from third-party tools and bringing communication fully in-app, teams like Fitelo can create tighter feedback loops, drive stronger outcomes, and deliver care that feels immediate and human. If your product depends on building lasting relationships, chat, voice, and video are no longer optional—they're foundational.