Hashi Mashi Diet and Training – Introduction
Hello and welcome to the Fit Apprentice® fitness blog at 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 50!
Because you’re in the right place to turn it around.
You can crush your obesity, boost your mood, and get fitter than you think possible.
This article introduces the Fit Apprentice® program, 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 is Hashi Mashi?
Hashi Mashi is more than just the nickname I got from friends and neighbors during my weight loss transformation, as mentioned in the NY Times.
Hashi Mashi is a body transformation plan and fat-to-fit lifestyle that emphasizes real food, physical activity, and positive thinking to improve your physical and mental well-being.
Ultimately, 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.
Busting out of my suit jacket at 49 and 175 days into the Hashi Mashi Plan at 56
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 at NYC’s Tudor Deli before Hashi Mashi
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.
Who is Hashi Mashi?
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.
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 Hashi Mashi at Tudor Cafe 41st Street and Tudor City Place
Chef Yassine Preparing Hashi Mashi at Tudor Cafe
My First ‘Real’ Meal
So, on June 21, 2012, I designed and named my first ‘real’ meal – Hashi Mashi.
A great good morning breakfast 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.
Hashi Mashi means never give up on getting fitter in mind and body – that you can defeat obesity with real food and physical activity.
Real meals, one meal at a time.
And because that Hashi Mashi breakfast was my first real meal on this journey, I decided to name this fitness blog Hashi Mashi as well.
I had many a Hashi Mashi at the Cafe, just about every day.
So many, that people in the neighborhood started calling me Hashi Mashi as a nickname.
Especially when, six months later, I was 75 pounds lighter.
Even I could not believe that I had lost 75 pounds in six months.
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 Hashi Mashi up on the menu
Hashi Mashi on the Menu of Tudor Cafe
The Hashi Mashi Plan
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 bad diet.
Real food is the secret sauce to weight loss and defeating obesity.
And I wrote about the amazing benefits of real food.
The bottom line is that Hashi Mashi means crushing obesity with one real meal at a time.
I started the blog Hashi Mashi because I wanted to share with other obese/overweight/out-of-shape people what I had discovered.
You just have to start eating real food one meal at a time.
Of course, that is easier said than done.
Because most of us have no clue what real food is.
It has never been much of a part of our diet.
And adding basic strength training like squats, deadlifts, presses, and pushups into the mix will accelerate your fat loss.
This leads to transformative body recomposition.
Hashi Mashi Deadlifting at 64
The Fattest Nation in the World Is the USA
As I read more about obesity, I could not believe that over 74 percent of men and women in America are overweight or obese.
What?
In America?
A land with so much fresh food available, and people are literally dying from obesity?
Obesity is correlated with many major chronic diseases like
- diabetes,
- high blood pressure,
- cancer,
- kidney disease
- cardiovascular disease and
- depression
Even worse, as recently as July 26, 2017, America was named the fattest country in the world.
How sad!
Especially when the possibility of ending obesity is as near to you as your own hands and mouth.
But our people do not know the information.
We need to better educate people on the simple choices that can have dramatic changes in their health.
Hashi Mashi is not a ‘diet.’
Forget that.
Aren’t you sick of diets already?
Hashi Mashi is on a mission to crush obesity worldwide.
This requires lifestyle modification; you have to change your habits.
The quality of your food will change your life.
Stop suffering!
You do not have to suffer from obesity.
The Hashi Mashi plan is not just about weight loss.
You want to go beyond weight loss and get as fit as possible.
To be the fittest, the best version of yourself.
But, you have to get a handle on obesity and drive your BMI down to normal levels.
Let’s promote this life-changing information to the rest of the 160 million obese and overweight citizens of the USA.
And to the other 1 Billion people around the world who are also suffering from the obesity epidemic.
You don’t believe that there are over 1 Billion people worldwide who are risking their health due to obesity?
Neither did I.
But, according to the World Health Organization:
“Worldwide, more than 1 billion people have obesity today ²—650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children, according to WHO“¹
And perhaps more shocking:
“The World Obesity Federation’s 2024 atlas predicts that 51% of the world, or more than 4 billion people, will be obese or overweight within the next 12 years.”²
Thank You for Joining; We Can Create a Ripple Effect
Every single person can make a difference.
The better you eat, the better you will feel.
If you are overweight or obese right now, have no fear, you will crush obesity.
And as you get lighter and start to move more, you will get more toned and fit.
If you add strength training into the mix, you will start to build muscle.
Your whole physique will change, from your former pear-shaped jello, to ‘Hello, how are you doing!?’
You will no longer be invisible or hopeless.
People around you will notice; your friends, family, and co-workers.
They will want to know, “What did you do?”
And you might say, “Hashi Mashi!”
So, they will either laugh or think you are speaking Japanese, but when they ask you what Hashi Mashi is, now you know the answer.
No better results can ever come from such an odd name as helping someone get healthier.
Imagine how you will feel if you help someone regain their health and fitness, especially if that person is you.
By now, you know that if you help yourself escape obesity, you will be able to help another.
And you also know that millions of people are hungering for this information.
Millions of people are suffering from obesity and obesity-related illnesses, even children!
We have to put an end to this obesity epidemic.
And we have to start with ourselves and then help our family, friends, and neighbors.
As Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist, famously said – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
I am grateful to you and thank you for wanting to help yourself crush obesity and get fitter.
And hopefully, in turn, inspire many more to do the same.
The World is Counting on You
You, your family, your friends, and the world is counting on you.
Your world is counting on you.
You know that, right?
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic.
Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths.
At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
In addition, 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.³
No matter what anyone says, it isn’t luck that creates a ripple effect around the globe.
It’s a small group of dedicated, thoughtful, and committed people who make sure to help themselves first.
I’m hoping you’re one of them, and I greatly appreciate your being here.
Maybe you just stumbled across Hashi Mashi, 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 beforehand to ensure that our dietary or exercise recommendations will not exacerbate any medical issues.
Navigating HashiMashi.com
#1. Drop 20 Pounds in 3 Months in 5 Steps – System 5™
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 this foolproof system daily to shed pounds.
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!
So, next, see the following article: System 5 – How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months Using 5 Simple Steps without Suffering.
#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. Remember the Hashi Mashi Fitness Formula
Eat real Food and Get Moving = Get Fit no matter your age or shape you’re in today!
Thanks again for subscribing and being a part of Team Hashi Mashi, and I’ll be in touch with you soon.
Sincerely,
Rich “Hashi Mashi,” NASM-CPT/CNC, INHC
Stay Connected
Do you want a regular flow of training tips, tools, and resources to crush obesity and its related conditions?
More information to get fitter & stronger?
No matter what age or shape you are in right now?
Even if you are over 50?
And even if you are 50 pounds or more overweight? No worries!
Or even if you are an absolute beginner and do not know where to start?
If you do, you should connect with me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.
I look for the best information about defeating obesity and getting fit, and I share them with everyone who has liked or followed me.
Use the links below to connect:
Also, consider bookmarking this Start Here page so you can easily find it for reference while on your body transformation journey.
Sit Tight for Great Content
If you appreciate this article, please subscribe to my blog here.
Please enter your email, and you will receive a body transformation primer.
This primer is a template of the same fitness plan I followed to lose 75 pounds in 6 months.
Read the body transformation primer, and any other recommended articles and take action.
You will not fail.
Every week or two, I’ll send you more great articles.
I publish posts, the type that I wish I had when I was obese and desperate to get healthier and fitter.
I had no clue that I could actually eat real food, train and transform my body, and finally make an end to my obesity.
It is time now to bring this information to the masses.
To the millions of people who are suffering needlessly.
I share with you what I have learned over the last decade about beating obesity.
So you do not have to spend years figuring it out yourself; save yourself a lot of time and frustration.
Not just from my own experience but from my education and training as well:
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach (NASM CPT/CNC)
- Certified Personal Trainer – American Academy of Personal Training, New York City (2017)
- Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach – Integrative School of Nutrition (INHC) (2016)
And it is not just about losing weight, but getting fitter than you believe is possible.
It is possible, and it is real, so please stay tuned!
You don’t have to do anything to get them.
Just sit tight, and they’ll come right to your email box.
Related Posts:
- About Me – From Fat to Fit at 56
- 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
Footnotes
¹ Obesity Statistics 2024 – Forbes Magazine + World Health Organization
² More than half of the world will be overweight or obese by 2035 – Time
³ Impact of Obesity on Type 2 Diabetes Risk – The European Association for the Study of Obesity”
