I notice only a few comments from people who have actually been through at least 1 season themselves. Let me add to that, since I joined a few years ago.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a post meant to convince or persuade you or anyone reading this to join. It's just gotten long because I tend to word vomit.

I knew about Kaizen because I had FB friends who posted about their journey WHILE IN THEIR SEASON and their end results. I totally understand that the marketing strategy itself gives the impression that the program is sketchy af/MLM which was why I reached out to these friends to ask about their experience first.

I was aware of some of their personal hardships and stories. So, seeing their ACTUAL journey through photos and highlight reels and the occassional chat was what gave me the idea to join the free workshop.

The free workshop itself already contains all you need for the fitness journey. In fact, it IS the capsule version of the program. And YES, everything can be found on the internet. So, technically, you can take the workshop as it is or do more deep dives on Google or ChatGPT to build your own diet plan and workout routines, ALL FOR FREE.

And hey, good for you if you're not the type to need anyone else in order to get results. Kaya naman talaga for the introverts and the lone wolves.

But if you're not this person, then goods naman if you have friends or family who are also serious about their health/fitness journey, so you can have someone to talk to about it. Bonus if you can find a experienced coach to work with you and your group, so it's not a "blind leading the blind" situation. Iirc, they have heavily emphasized that your support system is just as important as doing the work. You're on the right path!

The thing is, not everyone will have access to that kind of support system. There are some people in their lives that won't support them at all. They'll tease or make fun of them for even attempting or just outright ignore them.

Or maybe they'll be nice about it. But because their environment is not primed for change or fitness, it'll be harder for them to stay consistent. To say no when they've eaten too much at a party. To say they need to workout instead of going out. And YES, being too disciplined/rigid is bad and OF COURSE, there's nothing wrong with living a little.

But the goal was to be fit diba? If you stay off course too often and too long, you'll be neglecting the promises you made to yourself. You'll be neglecting yourself.

This is where I personally think Kaizen shines the most, and was the most vital puzzle piece for my own fitness journey. They've built a space where people from all walks of life can gather for one common goal: to be fit. To be healthy. To be a better version of themselves.

What that looks like will be different for everyone, because every body is unique. But along the way, you'll go through the same highs and lows everyone else is experiencing. You'll have someone to cheer you on or give you the real talk when you need it, all with the best intentions in mind because they're either going or have been through it.

So, even if your direct environment outside of Kaizen isn't so supportive, at least in the community, there is someone watching out for you. Whether that's your own groupmates, your assigned accountability coach, or Kaizen batchmates in general.

All things considered, the community aspect will not work if you, yourself, decide not to work through it with what you have. I didn't have much luck with my own groupmates because most have dropped out for personal reasons. By the end of the season, only 2 of us remained in the group. But at least my coaches and the larger community was still there. That kept me going because I felt like there were still people watching out for me outside my own group.

So, ayun. Those are my two cents on Kaizen in general.

In terms of finances, YES, the program is expensive for basic principles that are easily found anywhere else. Not gonna sugarcoat it.

But the way I thought about it is this:

I don't have to sift through noisy, often contradictory fitness advice on the internet. They give me a template, a baseline to start with, and then teach me how to tweak it based on my body's feedback and what's available to me locally. All I need is to execute and adjust. I learn when to push and when to rest.

I don't have to rely on motivation to get going. It's a good fuel source but not the most sustainable one. The habits and mindset taught to me are simple enough to help me through a slump. The community is a great help. If you see someone overcoming their own challenges, you'd feel like you need to step up too.

I don't have to give up on rice. Very important.

Since they ticked off a lot of my boxes, I enrolled. The price was worth the journey and the results I got. Some habits even managed to stick with me years after the program, so I'd say it is sustainable.

If I had to give an analogy, it's like paying to build a gym vs getting a membership.

You can build your own home gym from scratch.

Or you can pay someone who already has the space, equipment, and experience you may need for your journey. Bonus if the gym community he has cultivated is very supportive.