How to Get Fit After 50 – Introduction
Can you even get fit over 50? Yes, you can!
I know it’s true because it is my lived experience.
Hello and welcome to HashiMashi.com.
Glad to have you here!
If you’re overweight or obese, and think your best days are behind you, don’t give up.
Yes, even if you’re over 60!
Because you’re in the right place to turn it around.
This article introduces my site, reveals what fueled my fitness transformation at 55, and, more importantly, how you can ignite yours.
Look and feel better than you ever thought possible, no matter your age or shape you’re in today.
What the Heck is Hashi Mashi?
“Hashi Mashi” is the nickname I got from my neighbors back in 2012, for my real-food + strength training approach during my weight-loss transformation, as mentioned in the NY Times.
My approach emphasizes real food, physical activity, and positive thinking which helped to improve my physical and mental fitness.
Eventually, my friends and I began to use it is a battle cry to never give up on improving your body and mind to look and feel better than you do today.
No matter how broken you feel.
And yes, even if you’re over 50, despondent, obese, burnt out, and exhausted, it is not too late.
- Can’t fit in your wedding suit, not to mention many of your other pants and shirts?
- Worked hard at taking care of your family and company, but neglected yourself?
- Tired of not fitting in your clothes unless they are extra large?
- Sick of counting calories and your belly hanging over your belt?
- Spent many years working in an office and can’t recognize yourself in the mirror?
- Feeling a lack of self-esteem, dissatisfaction, or even despair at how you look and feel now?
- Battling obesity and depression simultaneously?
I can relate.
Here’s what happened:
My Story
A little over eleven years ago, I was sitting in a New York City all-night deli on 43rd Street and Second Avenue.
I am embarrassed to say, but I was having a midnight snack.
A blueberry muffin.
Actually, it was the second blueberry muffin of the evening.
I stared at that second blueberry muffin as if it had some magical power to nourish me.
In truth, I was not hungry, but I felt an intense craving for that muffin.
But I knew that another muffin was not going to help me.
I was already up to nearly 275 pounds.
At 6’2″, people would say I was ‘big,’ but few would say that I was obese.
I never thought of myself as obese; who does?
The doctor had told me that he wanted me on statins and that I had pre-type two diabetes.
None of that was good news, so how was another late-night snack going to help?
The Pain of Obesity and Overweight
I have a family history of overweight and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
Despite knowing that my doctor was calling me out, I still did not know what to do.
He kept telling me that I had to lose weight.
And I certainly agreed.
But what should I do?
At that point in my life, I had tried more than enough diets.
And I had just put on more weight over the years.
My stomach was so distended that it hurt.
When a worker at the deli told me that my shoelaces were untied, I looked down.
But, I could not even see my feet over my very ‘pregnant’ belly.
It was difficult for me to climb the hill to my 300-square-foot apartment.
I sat there in that all-night corner deli and felt like crying.
The muffin, on the other hand, kept sitting on the plate, waiting for me to make up my mind.
Was I going to finish that one too?
Would a second muffin fix my life?
Here I was, 55 years old, divorced, feeling isolated and hopeless, besides being obese.
I was broken – physically and mentally, and no antidepressant made a difference.
Anyone who is living with an uncomfortable bloated body knows the pain of obesity.
I do not have to spell it out.
I know your pain, cravings, and desperation to escape obesity.
You can get into shape; you really can, so don’t give up; stick with me, and I’ll do everything possible to help you along.
The same type of help that I wish I had many years ago.
Complete Confusion
I was so exasperated.
How could being a normal weight be so complicated?
Was this rocket science?
I was so sick of suffering in an obese body I wanted out of my own prison.
The prison that I created with my knife, fork, and spoon.
I had tried everything in my mind;
- macrobiotics,
- veganism,
- fruitarian,
- weight watchers,
- fit for life,
Whatever diets were in vogue, I started and eventually failed.
Weight Watchers was actually a common theme in my home.
My folks and all their friends were on Weight Watchers.
The first meal I remember having as a kid was a Weight Watcher pizza.
- An English muffin,
- a slice of American cheese,
- some ketchup and
- oregano, voila.
My recollection was that all the diet doctors disagreed on something.
- Some said to eliminate carbs.
- Others said that protein was too dangerous, so eliminate animal protein.
- Some said that dairy was the poison,
- others said wheat,
- and then others said it was too many fruits or
- combining the wrong foods.
- And then others said you should only eat fruit,
- or even just breathe air.
What to do?
But then it occurred to me that, thinking about all these arguments, I did not remember many arguments about vegetables.
Hmm, they argue about meat, fish, dairy, eggs, fruit, wheat, food combining, and sugar, but not vegetables.
I did not think I ever heard any of the famous doctors say that vegetables were bad.
I also could not think of much to do with vegetables.
But in any case, I was determined to attempt to eat vegetables.
Cubed Carrots in Aluminum Pans
What are vegetables?
I grew up eating vegetables out of aluminum pans, neatly cornered into their compartments.
Frozen peas and carrots, especially on the side of Swanson’s frozen chicken dinner.
Or even better, inside a Swanson’s chicken pot pie!
Image Credit – Conagra Brands
As a kid, I assumed somehow they were harvested in perfect cube form, in a pan.
And dinner never really ended until hours later.
There was always something to nosh (snack) on, like
- pop tarts,
- snickers,
- potato chips,
- Oreos,
- pretzels,
- ice cream
Typical evening snack options at NYC’s Tudor Deli before I changed everything
But, I figured that maybe I should try and eat vegetables.
And avoid processed food that did not come from the earth.
I thought it was a silly idea, but what did I have to lose?
My main thought was to stick with those foods that I rarely heard the diet doctors argue about.
I realized most of those types of foods did not come in boxes or packages.
Unless it was wrapped up in a package like at the fish market or the butcher.
After a full day of stuffing my poor body with food, even though I was craving it, I decided NOT to have that second muffin.
Changing the Menu, Changed my Life
I was hoping that I would wake up the next morning so that I could try out my new diet.
My stomach was so distended that I feared I would not wake up; my body would just collapse from exhaustion.
But I did and went to my cafe of choice, Tudor Cafe in Tudor City, New York.
Usually, I would have a toasted bagel with eggs and cheese for breakfast, their morning special.
Pretty common, right?
But that morning, on June 21, 2012, I asked Chefs Abduhl & Yassine if they could change the menu a bit.
You know how chefs hate changing the ingredients of anything on the menu!
So Chef Abduhl said, “Okay, Richie, What do you want?”
“Well, can you give me eggs but make it three egg white and a whole egg?”
“Sure, no problem.”
“And, can you leave out the cheese and the bagel?”
“Alright, fine.”
“But, um, can you also add tomato, pepper, spinach, and mushrooms? Like, sautee them in olive oil first?”
“So, you don’t want the bagel and eggs; you want a vegetable omelet?”
I had thought of asking for an egg white vegetable omelet, but I was afraid that I would get hungry.
Of course, that was a ridiculous fear; how could I get hungry, being close to a hundred pounds overweight?
I had enough fat on me to last for months.a
But, in any case, I was still anxious, so I wanted to add more, lest I starve in the afternoon.
“Well, not exactly a vegetable omelet. Can you add olives on the side, capers, some onion, scallion…”
“Richie! There are customers on the line, we love you, but you know what I mean?!”
“Okay, so just please add some hummus and avocado on the side as well, and that’s it.”
Chef Yassine chimed in, “That’s it? How will we remember this next time you come in here?”
“Hmm, well, it is a big mish-mash (pronounced like mish-mosh), which means a big mix or mess in Yiddish. So, what do you call this in Arabic?”
“It’s like a hash (pronounced hosh)…chopped up, minced up, mixed up, a big mess!”
“Fine, so let’s call this dish Hashi Mashi,” I said.
“Okay, Richie, Hashi Mashi it is; I hope you will like it!”
Chef Abduhl preparing my first real food breakfast at Tudor Cafe 41st Street and Tudor City Place
Chef Yassine Preparing a Hashi Mashi style breakfast at Tudor Cafe
My First ‘Real’ Meal
So, on June 21, 2012, I called this first ‘real’ meal – Hashi Mashi, so the chefs would know how to prepare it in the future.
And I must have had this exact breakfast for the next 300 days!
A great good morning breakfast, that is made up mostly of vegetables.
- Spinach,
- mushrooms,
- pepper,
- tomato,
- olives,
- hummus and
- avocado and
- capers.
Plus, a whole egg and four egg whites to go along with the vegetables.
But the name of the meal was not the main point.
The main point is the concept of real food.
Real meals, one meal at a time.
And because that style breakfast was my first real meal on this journey, I decided to name the site HashiMashi.com too — it all started with that one breakfast.
I had many a Hashi Mashi breakfast at the Cafe, just about every day.
So many, that Cafe Tudor in NYC put the breakfast on their menu, and my friends and neighbor in the neighborhood started calling me “Hashi Mashi” as a nickname.
My Original Hashi Mashi breakfast on the Menu of Tudor Cafe
It became my battle cry: never give up on feeling better, no matter your age.
Six months later I was 75 pounds lighter. If a lifelong Oreo addict like me could turn things around at 55, anyone can.
And my friends would shout, Hey Hashi Mashi, keep it going, encouraging me to keep up my lifestyle changes!
Even I could not believe that I had lost 75 pounds in six months.
I knew, if I, a certified Oreo cookie monster + sad sack, could improve at the age of 55, I knew anyone can!
For that reason, I started this site to help any person who has struggles with overweight and/or depression.
I am not a doctor, just my personal lived experience, so make sure to run any changes you want to make by your health care professional!
6 Months Before and After Photos
I took pictures to see the difference side by side.
And in another six months, I trimmed off another 25 pounds.
Neighbors said that I had lost weight off of my face and that it looked different.
I felt so good that I stopped dyeing my hair in the after photo on the right:
Side-by-side face shot
- My cholesterol went down 100 points.
- I was no longer pre-hypertensive.
- My A1C levels fell to normal, and I was no longer tipping on the scale of diabetes.
- My 50-inch waist was now 32 inches.
- And then, in 2014, The New York Times referred to me as a weight loss blogger, and
- Tudor Cafe put the Hashi Mashi breakfast named after me (many thanks!) up on the menu as depicted above
What Changed My Life
I was shocked that just changing the quality of food had such an effect.
For the most part, I ate my way to better health.
Yes, after a few months, when I was able to, I started to do
- squats,
- deadlifts,
- pushups and
- more walking.
But I have learned over the years that exercise cannot outsmart a low quality eating plan.
Real food is the secret sauce to weight loss, as well as looking and feeling better.
The bottom line is that this approach is all about turning things around, one real meal at a time.
You just have to start eating real food one meal at a time.
And adding basic strength training like squats, deadlifts, presses, and pushups into the mix will accelerate your fat loss.
This is how your body can really change.
Me deadlifting in my basement at 64
How to Get and Stay Fit After 50 – Summary
How I dropped the first 20 pounds (and you can too)
Establish your baseline
Get on a body composition scale, know your weight, and mark it down today.
1. Establish a regular meal pattern routine—three meals and one or two snacks daily, about three hours apart.
2. Start moving on a treadmill or walking—at least 30 minutes a day of moderate aerobic exercise, 5–6 times a week.
- Add deadlifts, squats, pushups, and jumping rope once you have lost enough weight and start weight training.
- Deadlifts work more muscles than just about any other exercise.
- And people of all ages can learn how to deadlift.
- Weightlifting requires only a small area and minimal equipment—most gyms have what you need.
- With a small amount of equipment, you can also set up a home deadlift studio in your basement or garage.
- However, if you are completely new to exercise or weightlifting, here are some of the most popular workouts that you can use in tandem with your real food eating plan:
- How to Weight Lift for Weight Loss: A Plan That Works
- Calisthenics Workout Plan for Beginners at Home
- 5×5 Workout for Over 50; The Pros & Cons You Need to Know
- 8 Week Bodybuilding Over 50 Workout Routine + Free PDF
- Free weights
- Powerbuilding
- Resistance machines
- Resistance bands
- Bodyweight exercises (calisthenics)
- Circuit training
- Powerlifting
- Bodybuilding
- Olympic weightlifting
- Functional training
- Rucking
- From Couch to 5K Plan: A Beginner’s Guide to Running
- Yoga
3. Real food (not processed) is your friend—even carbs.
- Stick to real food: vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, fruit, nuts, and seeds.
4. Use the meal template to create your menu.
- Instead of dieting or restricting, “crowd out” junk food by focusing on real food.
5. Eat up to two-thirds of your stomach’s capacity.
- Overeating creates a state of being overweight and acts like poison to your body.
- Don’t forget to measure your weight loss progress with a body composition scale daily.
- PS—Please share this article, How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months, with your family and friends!
Maybe you just stumbled across HashiMashi.com, but I’d be honored to have you share the site with your friends.
It’s easy.
All you have to do is click the links below to share a link on Twitter and Facebook.
Thank you so much in advance.
What’s Next?
Because there are over 600 articles on HashiMashi.com, it can be a bit challenging to find the information you want.
So besides the primary/footer navigation and search icon available on every page, here are some suggestions on how to steer through the site for the best results.
Disclaimer: please consult with your physician/health professional before starting a new eating or exercise plan.
Navigating HashiMashi.com
#1. Drop 20 Pounds in 3 Months With 5 Steps
Before anything, you need to learn how to eat the ‘type’ of food and a plan that will support you in achieving your weight loss and fitness goals.
Once you effortlessly drop the first 20 pounds, you will be on your way.
Do not think about how much weight you need to lose; just focus on following these 5 simple steps daily.
Once you start slimming down, you will be much more motivated to keep going.
And the first 20 will turn into the next twenty pounds as many times as you need to reach a healthy weight for your body.
It took me close to a year, but it was an exciting great ride that changed my body, my mental well-being, and my life.
And if I, a confessed Oreo cookie monster with decades of failed diets under my belt, could do it, you can too!
#2. Body Transformation – The Ultimate Guide
Make sure to read this foundational post on Body Transformation.
In it, you learn more about how to change your body beyond weight loss alone, which requires physical work.
This article, Body Transformation: the Ultimate Guide, reveals the steps you need to take to lose fat, gain muscle, and get fit.
Think of it as an index to the many essential pieces on:
for transforming your physique.
#3. Types of Workouts to Change Your Body
Gaining control of your eating and trying new exercises can have a tremendous impact on how you look and feel.
But while you could just do a few sets of various exercises to build muscle, you’ll get better results if you follow a more structured workout program.
And, if you want to change your body a particular way, you must choose the proper type of workout for your objective.
With that in mind, this article, Workouts for Body Transformation, reviews five powerful (but very different) styles of workouts, such as;
That way, you’ll be able to choose the best one for your transformation goal.
Consider 5 Different Types of Workouts for Body Transformation, a cornerstone article for the most valuable workouts available on the site.
#4. Top 10 Most Popular Workouts
If you’ve taken off some of the weight, and are ready to start training – consider these excellent workout plans:
- Army PRT Exercises – Physical Readiness Training to Get Fit!
- 3×5 Workout: The Only Strength Training Program You’ll Ever Need
- 8-Week Bodybuilding Over 50 Workout Routine + Free PDF
- Strength Training for Men Over 50 + Full-Body Workout
- The Minimalist Training Home Workout for Strength & Fitness
- 5×5 Workout for Over 50; The Pros and Cons You Need to Know
- Beginner Powerbuilding Program: Big & Strong Workout + Free PDF
- How To Do Abbreviated Training Over 50 + Why | Hashi Mashi
- Metabolic Strength Training Over 50: Benefits, Exercises, Workout
- Powerlifting Over 50: Benefits + Best Routine to Get Started
#5. The Simple Formula That Works
Eat real Food + Move = Get Fit at any age!
Sincerely,
Rich
Stay Connected
Use the links below:
Also, consider bookmarking this Start Here page so you can easily find it for reference while on your body transformation journey.
Related Posts:
- Clean Eating for Beginners: Easy Steps to Start Today
- How to Weight Lift for Weight Loss: A Plan That Works
- 12-Week Body Transformation Plan: Get Fit at Home
- How the Deadlift Saved My Life – The Best Exercise for Depression
- 37 Remarkable Benefits of Deadlifts to Unleash Your Fitness Fast
- 7 Most Important Deadlift Muscles Worked To Change Your Life
