Author: Heather Lowey
“DO IT AFRAID”
I always leave Linking Indy Women Wednesdays feeling insanely inspired. I’ve been coming for years and this is true every…single….time. However, this is the first time I’ve left the event feeling like I needed to run over to LA Fitness next door to the Hatch and complete a hard-core, get after it, super ferocious kind of work-out, inspired by Eve. #truth
Eve has an amazing story. She is a Global Nutritionist and Weight Loss Coach while also a Medical Laboratory Scientist and Manager with a B.S. in Molecular Biology and MBA in Health Care. If you are still underwhelmed (for some reason), she was featured in People Magazine in their annual Half Their Size issue. There are over one thousand candidates for this feature. Meaning, this is an amazing accomplishment in not only weight loss and dedication but also incredible savvy in social media and marketing.
Eve began by taking us through her journey starting with the three distinct memories she will always have of her mother:
- Their trips to the zoo and how much her Mom LOVES the zoo!
- Zesto ice cream trips.
- Attending Weight Watchers meetings while Eve was a child.
Her introduction to weight and body image were framed around watching women struggle and deprive themselves to make strides in weight loss, only to gain it back and the frustration with the cycle. This never settled well with her. In her own weight journey, she re-hashed the story of trying to find a third pair of jeans while in college. When only the elastic waist versions would fit, Eve officially hit her breaking point. In that moment, she decided there would be no more fad diets not working. She was a scientist and was going to come up with her own way to lose weight and keep it off. Truly embodying A Girl Who Went For It.
Her system began by journaling EVERYTHING. The BLT method, meaning Bites, Licks, Touches were even documented. In the beginning, Eve focused solely on nutrition because she did not feel working out was even in a realm of possibility for her. Over time though, she decided to ramp it up a bit with Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo and a jump rope. With this $20 investment in her fitness equipment and continuing her focus on nutrition, Eve lost 80 pounds in the apartment she shared with her husband, Randall, her senior year in college.
At the strong encouragement of Randall, Eve moved from home work-outs to going to the gym…. In the back corner as far away from other humans as possible! Those YMCA trips coupled with the continued focus on nutrition eventually got her to the 120-pound mark in weight loss. An incredible feat which quickly turned into some mixed emotion exasperation as she found out she was pregnant. On the contrary though, after having the baby her body seemed to know what to do and with a continued focus on nutrition and working out, she lost the baby weight.
Soon after, the Guzman’s made a move to Arizona for Eve to work in a lab. Her weight continued to yo-yo in a 10-20 pound range. She also found herself stress eating to cope in her job which she found very rewarding, but at the same time extremely stressful. As she watched the People Magazine issues with women losing half of their body weight, Eve found the commonality in all of their stories she seemed to be missing. Each of those women stuck with it. There were no moments of laying off of the nutrition because of life circumstances. She realized the need for accountability to herself which she found in the form of an Instagram account. @eve_fitchick became not only this accountability, but also her way of utilizing hashtags to market herself with People Magazine and for those seeking Nutritional Coaching.
Eve continued her work as a Lab Manager while simultaneously working as a Nutrition Coach. In November of 2014, it was confirmed she was to be featured by People Magazine. After her initial feelings of excitement and accomplishment, the self-doubt crept in of still not being good enough to be a respected Nutrition Coach. So, Eve once again went for it. She became certified as a Nutritionist in less than two months and as the People Magazine story came out, Eve was a certified Nutrition Coach and more importantly finding her true passion and purpose.
Eve was a fantastic Scientist and even better Manager because every time she tried to quit, they promoted her! But eventually, she drew a line in the sand with her lab position, left her work (with tears), and Eve and Randall created G-Transformation Academy to “Inspire women to create sustainable healthy lifestyle changes to become their best selves.”
She officially had the itch to do more which led to Eve becoming a Figure Competitor. She even did a blog for People Magazine during this time on a “Fat to Figure Competitor” platform. Her external transformation had moved her to her purpose and Eve had never felt more aligned. “When I gained control of my health, I realized I could also have self-control over all areas of my life.”
Eve’s biggest piece of advice for women everywhere, “Do It Afraid.”
Want to connect with Eve? Find her on Instagram @eve_fitchick or at www.gtransformationacademy.com