Day 38 of 60 | Bonjour, Paris! 🇫🇷✨
From June 1st until the day I boarded that plane to Paris, I made myself a promise: no food-related cheat days. Not one. A couple nights out for drinks, sure — but nutritionally? I stayed locked in.
It wasn’t punishment. It wasn’t even willpower. I genuinely fell in love with how nourishing myself well made me feel - clearer, lighter, stronger, more me. Eighty pounds lost and held off because I honored that commitment every single day.
So stepping into cooking school, waking up at 5:30 a.m., surrendering my schedule and nutritional control to a chef who believes butter and carbs are a love language, has been a huge adjustment. I’ve dodged the pastries and passed on the desserts with ease, but the timing and randomness of our breaks and the meals? That’s been the real challenge.
Even my trainer back home - a man who does not accept excuses from anyone - finally said, “Let’s focus on strength for now.” And he’s right. This is a unique season. I’ve stayed mindful, but without routine, even the best intentions wobble. So I have been hitting the weights extra hard and I am very happy with my physique. However, the lion’s share of my concerns have to do with what goes in my stomach and its results.
But today everything shifts. After four intense weeks, our class schedule moves from early morning to late afternoon, and with that comes something I’ve been craving: control. The chance to return to the discipline that brought me so much joy and health over the last year.
So today, I build a new routine. A two-week plan to fuel my body the way I know works best. A chance to honor the version of me who woke up for twelve straight months and chose transformation and never quit.
And speaking of honoring commitments…
I realized I never reported back on my strength goal. I promised myself I’d hit 30 consecutive push-ups before Thanksgiving.
Well, at 5:45 a.m. on Friday, before my exam, I hit the floor and crushed 30 like they were reps 1–3… and pushed 75% of the way through number 31. For those of you that are new to this party, when I started strength training in June, I could not knock out a single push-up.  I have been working hard and improving every day for the last month.
Given that our chef cooked us a full Thanksgiving feast (a worthy cheat day) on Saturday, it’s a good thing I nailed it early. 😉
Here’s to the next two weeks, not perfection, but intention. Not control for control’s sake, but honoring the work I’ve already done… and the person I’m still becoming.
P.S.- I just got knocked out 31 push-ups after writing this! 50 by Christmas is my new goal. ✨💪🇫🇷
