From Line Cook Chaos to Private Chef Clarity

Leaving the Line & Bad Habits Behind

Hey friends! Chef Jojo here and today I’m spilling some beans that aren’t exactly glamorous.

If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant kitchen, you know it’s not just heat, sweat, and adrenaline. It’s a lifestyle that eats you alive if you’re not careful. I spent years living that grind, chasing the rush of the line while ignoring what it was doing to me.

The Brutal Truth About the Line

Let’s call it what it is: restaurant kitchens are built for burnout. Overworked, underpaid, and undervalued. That’s the reality. You think hopping to a “better” kitchen will save you, but it’s the same story everywhere. And don’t even get me started on pay. Why are the folks in front of the house making more than the people cooking the food? I’ll never understand it.

Most of us in the kitchen stayed because food was the one thing we could control. You plate it, season it, and finish it, instant reward. Meanwhile, the stress, the bad habits, the addictions? They pile up. That was me, too.

The Breaking Point

Working odd hours meant eating whatever was open. Spoiler: it wasn’t salad. I was exhausted, heavy, and completely disconnected from myself. The cycle felt endless until it wasn’t.

I hit my breaking point. Slowly but surely, I started changing. I dropped over 60 pounds. My clothes hung loose, I slipped into sizes I hadn’t seen in years, and for the first time, I saw a healthier me staring back in the mirror.

Let me be clear: if I’d stayed in the restaurant world, I wouldn’t have made it. The schedule, the chaos, the toll on my body it was unsustainable.

From Burnout to Balance

Today, as a private chef, everything looks different. I choose my clients. I plan my schedule. I make time for me, my health, and my family all while still doing what I love.

This isn’t just about losing weight. It’s about shedding the parts of life that weren’t serving me. I didn’t just lose pounds; I lost the weight of an industry that was crushing me.

Now, I get to cook passionately and live sustainably. And honestly? That balance is the best recipe I’ve ever created.

The Takeaway

Here’s the bean I want to spill to you: your health and happiness are ingredients you can’t afford to skip. Whether you’re in a kitchen or a cubicle, balance matters. Don’t wait until you’re forced to change. You get one body, one mind, one chance to live the life you’re craving.

If my story shows anything, it’s this, you can reinvent the recipe. You can step off the line, break the habits, and build a life that actually feeds you.

Keep cooking with love, Chef Jojo 🍳💋