• The journey of strength

    Kat’s Journey

    There are some events in your life that are monumental and speak volumes about the person you are.  Those events to me include my marriage, the birth of my children, my son’s hospitalization and my transformation.

    Marrying my husband and the birth of my children taught me lessons on love that I could never put into words.  To sum it up, I live for them. They are my all.  So, when my youngest was diagnosed with a neurological disorder, my world fell apart. I then focused all my energy into worrying about him, his future and how our family will manage his treatment.  Slowly, the toll of the constantly worrying about my family’s health, and well being, without real regard for my own, took its toll on me physically and mentally. And with worry, came limits.  I started imposing limits on what I could do and in turn, in what my kids could do. 

    In my attempt to get “healthy,” I reverted back to my high school days of crash diets, not eating my meals and doing workouts only to coincide with major events.  It was never consistent, and neither were my results. I was getting more and more tired of feeling tired, constantly critiquing my body and knowing that I was cheating my kids out of a mom who could be a real role model. What was worse was that I had expectations of my kids to always try their hardest and to put effort into their work, but I couldn’t even make the effort to help myself.  I thought, “how could I teach my daughter about self-esteem when I can’t muster it up myself?”  “How could I ask my son to keep trying going with his therapy, when I gave up on myself months ago?”  My husband, tried his best to encourage me to take time for my health. But, as most moms do, I placed “me time” second to family time.

    After weeks of contemplating what I needed to do to get out of my slump, and seeing other people I knew transform themselves on social media, something clicked…all I wanted, all I needed, was a jump start. And that’s when I decided to contact Coach Huong.

    I started my fitness journey at Imago without any expectations. I started with the twelve week transformation and within those twelve weeks, and with guidance from Coach Huong, so many things changed. I had an abundance of energy, a new perspective on nourishment and enough encouragement from those around me to go beyond the limits I had placed on myself.  Almost immediately my relationship with my family changed.  I found less excuses to be afraid of life’s uncertainties and I became more aware of the responsibility I held as a mom.  Week after week, I not only started shedding weight (16 pounds in all), I started to become more fearless.  In some way, the ability to take control of my health and mindset, set all of us free from the limitations I had put on myself and on my family. I realized that we, as a family, were all stronger than I believed – stronger together, but it had to start with me.

    Over the course of my transformation, I met many other women who shared the same drive and had their own inspirational stories to tell.  Most importantly, there was support and encouragement for everyone that walked through Imago’s doors.  So much support that it lead me to the decision on competing at my first show.  Luckily, a familiar face joined me.  Diana and I knew each other from middle school and were reconnected through training for our first show. Together we’ve tackled more mental barriers than I could have imagined.  And have done it with smiles on our faces and sparkle in our step (and literally, we sparkle in our suits).  But what Imago and Coach Huong has instilled in us is a team mentality…we pick each other up and push each other harder.  I couldn’t be in better in company.

    So today,my son is well, my family is stronger and I am forever grateful.  I’ve completed my first competition and met a lot of inspiring people along the way.  The journey has not just been about the physical…it was a journey that gave my family the wife/mom they deserved.  And the best part…the journey isn’t over. …

  • The journey doesn’t stop here…

    “I was always a very active person growing up. I got my black belt in Tae Kwon Do by the age of 12. I was also a dancer all throughout middle school and high school. That was the last time I felt so confident about myself. I remember being on stage and not being afraid of anything and just putting on a show. I was young, confident and fearless! 

    Right after high school at the age of 18, I met my boyfriend, now husband. I found out I was pregnant and by the age of 19 I had my son. I remember being so happy and so scared at the same time. I didn’t have a plan. At that point in my life all I knew was that I had a baby that I needed to take care of and I needed a career. So I chose hairdressing.

    During cosmetology school, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. So with 2 kids at the age of 22, my priority was to be successful in my career for my family. Now, I have a great place where I work where my co-workers are people who I consider family and I have built a clientele of people who I appreciate and care for. I love what I do! But something was still missing. I was missing me! For 13 years I’ve been taking caring of everyone else except me. I lost myself somewhere in the process. I went through depression and anxiety, I wasn’t happy with how I looked, I really hated myself. I always had this “not good enough” feeling. I lost my confidence. 

    Last November, my cousin booked a photo session for my family and I. I loved my photos so much, that I started following Encarnacion Photography on Instagram. One day he posted a photo about his wife. I remember it say saying something like “I’m so proud of her and her fitness journey. Follow her @gofitjo.” So I did. From there, I saw a strong woman who was a mom who went through the same life events as me. She had a full-time career with 2 kids at a young age, a husband and still had time for herself to get fit and healthy. I finally contacted Joanne to get her coach’s number. That’s when I found Coach Huong. One of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. With her guidance, she has pushed me to where I never thought I could ever be. I started with her 12 week transformation. It was definitely hard work. There were times where I wanted to quit but I knew I couldn’t. I wasn’t a quitter. I weighed in at 141 and ended at 119, a 22 lb weight loss. 

    After my transformation, I saw some of the woman of Imago training for a competition and it truly inspired me. Most of these woman are moms competing up there. I thought, if they can do it, I can too! 

    Competition training is no joke! I thought the transformation program was hard, this was another level. It gave me a true appreciation on what these athletes do to prepare for a show. In the middle of prep, I had to have surgery for health issues. This was challenging for me physically and mentally. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to compete. This was definitely one of my hardest times and I wanted to give up, but with the support from Coach Huong, my husband and my kids, my friends and the Imago team, I pushed through. I definitely could not have made it without my teammate Kat. We met each other in middle school and we were able to reconnect through Imago. Again, another strong woman who’s a mom with a full-time job and husband.  We entered our first competition together and I was so happy to share this experience with her. 

    This past weekend, I conquered my fear of being on stage again. I conquered my fear of being in a bikini in front of people. I’m in the best shape in my life! I weighed in at 108 lbs, a 33 lb weight loss. I can say that “I’m DAMN proud of myself!” This year was about me taking care of me and I think I did that and more. And because of this whole experience I finally feel some balance in my family, in my career and ME! I’m not done though! The journey continues….” – Diana A.

  • Better together…

    IMAGO FITNESS is about building community and encouraging those around you to seek improvements in their daily lives through health and fitness. This is the story of three families who did just that. 

    It all started with the Moradi’s. 

    The Moradi Family
    The Moradi Family

    What started out as a goal in losing the 50+ pounds I had gained through my pregnancy quickly became a total body and mind transformation phenomenon for my entire family.

    I was introduced to IMAGO through my friend’s social media posts.  She had turned her world around by devoting herself to IMAGO’s program.  My husband and I witnessed her transform before our very eyes.  Her periodical selfies posted online were slowly removing our initial skepticism.  Finally, I decided to give IMAGO a call and seek their wisdom for my weight struggle.

    IMAGO Fitness didn’t just put me on another cookie-cutter diet program.  They changed the way I thought about food and fitness.  They listened to my goals, evaluated my body and eating habits and gave me the necessary tools to essentially change my life-style.  The result:  It’s been almost a year and I’m grateful I gave them a call.  Not only have I lost the 50+ pounds I had gained, I dropped to a size I hadn’t fit into since my days in Junior High!  My body fat percentage is below 16% (that’s athletic level for a female!) and my body shape has changed dramatically to the point where all my friends have noticed and continue to comment.

    After witnessing my transformation, my husband joined IMAGO as well.  It was just a matter of time.  Five months later and he’s down 30 pounds and 4 pant sizes.  His body fat is below 14% and he has never looked younger and feeling healthier.  No longer are we struggling with low self-esteem and hiding in baggy clothes.  No longer do we suffer from lack of energy throughout the day.  This is a total body and mind transformation.  We feel we have the knowledge to sustain this change for a lifetime.

    Thank you to our coaches Huong and Kyle of IMAGO Fitness!  We could not have achieved our goals without your continued motivation, endless knowledge and tireless patience.  For anyone out there who is tired of dieting and wants a real life-style change, do yourself a favor and contact IMAGO FITNESS…you can thank me later.

    The Radda Family
    The Radda Family

    Over the years, through our 20’s, marriage and a baby, Pavel and I developed some pretty poor eating and virtually non-existent workout habits.  I heard my neighbor, Delbarr, was doing a 12 week transformation and sure enough, I saw her slowly melt away over the holiday months.  She looked unbelievable – fit, full of energy and like a new person!   I just had to know what she did so I asked her to coffee one day and we spent an hour and a half talking about her fitness journey.  I realized we shared similar eating habits and workout routines so I thought maybe I could do it too!  I knew that getting fit would be extremely difficult and way out of my comfort zone but I was up for a challenge.

    Once I decided to take the leap and do the 12 week transformation, Pavel immediately said he wanted to work with Coach Huong as well.  I was beyond excited that we were going to do this together.  I thought this would be an amazing challenge for the both of us that would not only benefit us but ultimately, help us be better parents.  We encouraged each other when we needed it most and kept each other focused on the end goal.  We were really a team – making each other meals, working out together and celebrating each others’ accomplishments along the way.  

    Pavel and I are so lucky to go through this whole journey with amazing neighbors who are all going through the 12 week transformation as well.  It’s nice to know others who know what you are going through and can offer support and encouragement when we need it most.  We workout together, share food tips and even go shopping together for new clothes!  It’s like a built-in support system and cheering squad!

    This fitness journey has changed and improved our lives in so many wonderful ways.  As a result of losing weight and getting fit, Pavel’s blood pressure has gone down significantly (something that he struggled with for years), we have more energy to chase after our toddler, sleep better and all around happier.  We hope that our story inspires others and shows readers that anything is possible with motivation, determination and focus.

    The Witlin Family
    The Witlin Family

    Over the last several months my husband and I have had the pleasure of working with Huong alongside our neighbors. It has been amazing to see the transition of our entire group — a group of people who are driven in their work, but had not been as driven with fitness and nutrition.    

    Working with Hong has not only improved our physical appearance, it has improved the collective well-being for our entire community.  

    The transformation of our group started with Delbarr. After a very short period of time, it was clear that whatever she was doing was working. She was both more physically fit and more active, and seemed to have a great attitude and a burst of energy. From there, her husband, Arash, started the program alongside our next-door neighbors, Leslie and Povel.

    Watching the transformation of every individual has been amazing. The transformation seemed to be happening quicker than we would’ve imagined. So much so, that my husband and I decided to embark on our own transformation. We did so initially to really reshape the way that we ate. For both of us, cooking, nutrition, and consistent exercise was something that we were not equipped to do well. More importantly, I had been experiencing personal challenges and daily adjustments since the birth of our son, Tyler. My husband and I were no longer the priority…and it became fairly obvious in most aspects of our life, most notably affecting our energy levels and physical health. Friends and family were beginning to voice their concerns and encouraging me to “do something for yourself every single day”. With that mantra in mind, we began to look for opportunities. It was around the same time that we began noticing the transformation our neighbors were going through – making themselves a priority and focusing on becoming physically fit. 

    Fast-forward 12 weeks, and we have not only transformed the way that we look, but have also transformed the way that we act and live. We are able to do more physical activity, with higher endurance, strength, and confidence.

    We are eating significantly better, and have the tool set to know what we should be eating and which foods we should be avoiding.

    For those considering working with the Imago program and Huong, know that this is a major commitment and there’s a lot of hard work. This is not the type of program where you take a pill and expect results. This is a program that will transform your life. While the transformation is only 12 weeks, the results will last a lifetime.




    Photos by Encarnacion Photography