It’s been a long, on-and-off fitness journey for me. I first started with Imago back in 2016 at what I thought was the heaviest and unhealthiest I had ever been. I was never able to really stick to being disciplined once I was “off program.” My mentality was “I’m free” and could go off and eat whatever I wanted, then snap back into it once I felt that I started to put my progress in jeopardy, but that didn’t work. It eventually got to the point where I would get comfortable and ended up adjusting to losing the progress I had made.
Over the years, once I’d hit a “rock bottom” in my journey, I’d rely on Imago to whip me back into shape in hopes that one day, I’d be disciplined enough to JUST STICK TO IT. I was always so ashamed and mad at myself, but never once did Coach Huong make me feel that way. She learned about me, my mental state at times and how I reacted to stressors in my life and was always supportive in helping me stay on track in a way that wasn’t forceful. If I needed a break during the program to adjust to whatever was going on in life, she understood and made it ok for me to have one.
I always referred to the saying that “a fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint,” whenever I beat myself up about not sticking to / maintaining my progress and routines. Going to Imago all these years helped keep me accountable with having fitness on my mind even if it wasn’t top of my mind. It was that reminder in the back of my head that I needed to not lose complete control, and it was the support I needed regardless of where I was.
This last stint, I started up again in 2019 a bit before the pandemic hit full blown. I was getting married in 2021 and knew it would take me a long time to get to where I wanted to be for my wedding so I figured the sooner start, the better. I was doing well, then covid hit. Our worlds were turned upside down, kids were home for school, I started working from home and had to learn how to juggle this new life. It was such a stressful time and I was resistant to this new world for the first few months.
After adjusting, I told myself to stay on top of all the progress I had made, and not gonna lie, having a wedding in the works definitely helped with my discipline – something in me just clicked! Before I got too comfortable not working out due to all the gym closures, I decided to get a Peloton to at least stay on top of cardio until I could return to the gym. It definitely helped and once I was able to make the return to Imago, I was at my peak! I had found the work/life harmony I never knew I could have which also included my workout routine. Although I wasn’t on a program, I was able to find the discipline of balancing my diet well enough to still be able to eat what I wanted and still work towards my personal goals. I had cardio down and kept up with personal training to help me focus on toning and gaining strength. Thanks to Coach Huong and Coach Hien for helping hold me accountable and for being my support in working towards my fitness goals.
Imago Fitness 