Fitness at 50 and beyond: Vikash Shah from Tanzania
From being a foodie and a social person enjoying a laid-back lifestyle to accepting a pro-fitness experience and running a marathon - fitness to Vikash Shah came as an experience that transformed not just his body but his perspective about health and fitness too. At 50, Vikash Shah has lost 22kgs, renewed his lifestyle, chased new dreams, and set new standards to ageing with grace. His journey to losing weight and reclaiming fitness is nothing short of an inspiration for the young and the old!
Vikash Shah, an Independent Consultant, and Rotarian from Tanzania enjoyed a rather laid back and social lifestyle in his cocoon of happiness. Having never walked into a gym, or workout experience in life, Vikash was pretty content of his health and looks. But things changed when a friend suggested to him the MSF Transformation Plan. As adventurous and jovial Vikash is, he joined the MSF 8-week transformation plan as an experiment to learn something new and lose 5-6 kgs off his body in the process. Never had he thought that these 8-weeks would end up changing his perspective towards fitness and make it a lifelong journey!
The beginning…
“I thought it would be a good experience with losing weight or just learning something new.”
Vikash says, “My greatest inspiration with MSF was that Miten was from the same community and the food that was given in the diet was synonymous with what I ate at home. It very much revolved around what I was able to sustain with.” I was excited to look at what guided assistance and workouts can do to me.
Changing food habits at 50
“I am a foodie, a vegetarian and my diet included a lot of cheese, fried foods, etc. As I am a sweet tooth too, my diet included a lot of Mithais and chocolates” says Vikash. “And so when MSF’s diet came in, it was difficult in the initial days. He cut off my sugar, alcohol intake, etc., and shifted my diet from 3-meals to 6-meals a day. The best part was that he didn’t change my diet completely and it revolved around what I ate at home. It wasn’t all so easy, but watching the change come in – it felt interesting and enjoyable” shares Vikash.
“I don’t feel that I missed out on anything. Everything was so much related to my diet, it's been a journey where I never missed out on anything. Food was never boring.”
As a Gujarati, I used to skip my breakfasts and binge on a lot of snacks as part of my diet. MSF brought about a big change in my eating patterns and transformed how I savour my food.
“From eating a bowl of chocolates to taking it as a real dessert – My diet changed the way I eat!”
Setting foot in the Gym!
“I joined the gym when I started with the MSF plan. I had never lifted any weight in my life, never attended a gym, or followed a fitness regime. But as it was required in the plan, I went for it. The workout gave a structure to me that I started enjoying it. The workout routine, how to do them and the reps required – all of it came as a 100% guidance to working out and learning the art of burning calories” says Vikash.
“I had never gone to the gym in my life. And with MSF I learned to workout, started kickboxing and even started going on walks”
Even at the age of 50, Vikash had not been a fitness person and had never experienced workouts. As the plan unfolded, he started taking workout seriously and enjoyed them. He says “At this age, when you try something – it feels exciting. And I was loving the time and effort I put into myself. It was giving me a different motivation to do other things in life too.”
The challenge of making a shift
Having hit the number 50, Vikash has defied the stereotypes and embraced his new lifestyle with grace. Of course with age and a well-designed lifestyle already, a change comes off as the most challenging thing. Vikash aced his struggles as he enjoyed being motivated.
“Weekly feedback, constant follow-ups and ideas on eating habits kept me motivated that someone is always checking up on me”
“During my birthday week, I cut almost 6-7 cakes and partied for a week. Having indulged in so much food too I was able to maintain my weight and came back to normal pretty soon. This motivated me to a lot extent and helped me understand that it’s a continuous process”
Running a Marathon
“The interesting part about this MSF transformation is that I came seeking for fitness but renewed my life in a lot of ways.” Says Vikash. Being a Rotarian in Tanzania, Vikash had been into organizing marathons for over a decade. And while fitness was an unexplored area, he never felt the need to participate in any of them.
“Being organizing marathons for over a decade, never in wildest of my dreams had I thought of running one. And this year I Did it!”
What started as a short walk with his friend, soon transformed into an idea of fitness and became a habit. Slowly Vikash starting turning on the pace and began running for his interest. And it is because of this extensive lifestyle change, perspective, and fitness that he participated for a 10K run on this 53rd Birthday. And he credits all the guidance and understanding he received through MSF.
The Journey Forward
After having experienced an empowering change in his lifestyle, health, and fitness, Vikash has been following a disciplined and dedicated path to leading a healthy life. What’s interesting is that he has been motivating and inspiring others to begin their fitness journey as well.
“I have experienced immense happiness, discipline, and positivity through this fitness journey. And I think if I have benefitted from it, others should as well”
Vikash says, “There are so many people who don’t share secrets of their health and fitness with others. For me, its always been about changing people’s lives and sharing my experiences for the best. I aspire to motivate more people and push the fitness culture further”
Shifting perspectives, devising discipline, and renewing lifestyle at 50, Vikash Shah has stood out as an inspiration to many for his big transformation. He hasn’t just lost weight but changed perspective on how fitness is important at all ages. If you are motivated and want to change the way you perceive health and fitness, join MSF Transformation Plans now and let us help you take the journey forward!