Half Their Size's Eve Guzman on Her 140 Lb. Weight Loss – How She Got Derailed and Back on Track

Eve Guzman was featured in PEOPLE’s 2015 Half Their Size Issue after going from 277 lbs. to 138 lbs. by dramatically decreasing her portion sizes and sticking to a high protein, low-fat, moderate carb diet. Since her weight loss, the genetic toxicology research assistant and mom of two, 33, has coached people all over the country on how to lose weight, helping them drop a combined 2,950 lbs. Guzman recently competed in a figure competition, and will be sharing the next phase of her journey in an exclusive PEOPLE blog. You can also follow her on Instagram.

Maintaining a 140-plus lb. weight loss has not been easy. It's gotten easier, but I would be lying if I say I never got tempted, never fell off, or felt pressure to give up.

Twice during my journey to Half Their Size I allowed life to derail me. The first time I had lost about 118 lbs. when my family and I decided to relocate to Arizona with my employer to open up a new laboratory. We were in a new environment without family and friends. We spent most of our time at home being inactive, and trying out the local restaurants on a regular basis. It was mostly work, eat, sleep and repeat.

I slipped back into old habits and was using food for comfort. In three months I gained about 25 lbs. on my 5'1" frame. It was 115 degrees outside and I was stuffing myself into my clothes daily. I was starting to feel sluggish, tired and very uncomfortable. The quick weight gain made me feel like I did when I was 250 lbs. I had to snap out of my stress eating and go back to basics.

My husband and I started packing well-balanced meals for work, cut restaurant dining back to one day per week, started drinking a gallon of water a day and added exercise back in. I lost the excess weight in about five months.

The second time I fell off the wagon was when I took a job in management. When I started the position, I wore a size 6/8. Nine months into the transition, I was 160 lbs. and replacing my wardrobe with size 12 pants.

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I was so ashamed. Nothing was fitting me. I came home every day from work too tired to cook or enjoy time with my family. I was drinking sugary caffeinated drinks and eating vending machine snacks in the afternoon at work just to stay awake and cope with the management woes. My mommy pouch was growing, hanging over my pants like the old days.

My dream of hitting the Half Their Size goal was slipping through my hands. I wanted to enjoy food and be stress-free, but I didn't want to be fat again. I felt pressured to get back to where I was because I had inspired my friends and family members, and they were so proud of my accomplishment.

I thought back to the day I went from being a size 24 to getting my first pair of size 12 jeans. A size 12 was my realistic weight loss goal because I knew 100 lbs. was a lot to lose. Now those victory jeans had become my fat pants.

Operation snap back started in December 2013. We had been snowed in a few days, and I decided to explore Instagram to see what the hype was about. I created an account, and started following several fitness and health food pages.

After a few days, I decided I would start documenting my journey of operation snap back. I used my @eve_fitchick Instagram account as my accountability diary. I let strangers into my life, and forced myself to be accountable not only to myself, but to my followers.

I challenged myself to get uncomfortable so I could make the journey everlasting. I became more focused than ever. The journey became fun, and I found balance with work, family, food and exercise. I surpassed the Half Their Size goal, and lost another 41 lbs. In the process of changing my life, I inspired others at the same time. Mission accomplished.