---
title: "Georgia Man's Inspiring Weight Loss Journey Earns Him $25K from Clean Eatz"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/f66b3c36-e52d-4ee8-abdc-f4a99e0fd11e
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20240417_georgia_man39s_inspiring_weight_loss_journey_earns_him_25k_from_clean_eatz.html
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
topics: ["Emerging brands"]
published: 2024-04-17T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T19:55:00.070Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1454165804606-c3d57bc86b40?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Georgia Man's Inspiring Weight Loss Journey Earns Him $25K from Clean Eatz

**TL;DR:** A Georgia man, Johnson, lost 170 pounds with the help of Clean Eatz and won a $25,000 prize. Clean Eatz Co-Founder Evonne Varady praised Johnson's inspirational story and awarded him the grand prize as part of the We Change Livez Challenge.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2024-04-17. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20240417_georgia_man39s_inspiring_weight_loss_journey_earns_him_25k_from_clean_eatz.html).*

## Story

Johnson has struggled with weight management for the majority of his life. His adherence to dietary and exercise programs had always turned up fruitless, leaving him at 440 pounds, and in fear for his well-being. “Health complications run in the family, and actually took both of my parents from me some years back,” Johnson shared in an interview. “Truth be told, I had given up on losing weight. I was so discouraged with past experiences that required me to pour in all of this time and energy, only to end up right where I started.”

Back in 2014, Johnson began experiencing his own health complications, and after a visit with his endocrinologist, it was revealed he had a brain tumor, which would require he stay on medication for the remainder of his life. The diagnosis motivated him to reengage with his health goals, and to help with that, a good friend introduced him to Clean Eatz. It’s there he learned what proper nutrition actually looked like, and how delicious it could be. To date, he’s lost 170 pounds, and points to the franchise as the primary reason.

“I don’t know where I would be today without Clean Eatz and my amazing friend that introduced me to what’s now my favorite place to eat,” said Johnson. “Gaining control over my nutritional needs in a way that makes it super easy to stay on track and never really lose interest has definitely been a life changer."

Over the course of three months, the We Change Livez Challenge inspired thousands of people to document their health journeys, and the role that Clean Eatz played in them, over social media. Each Clean Eatz franchise location awarded a member of their home community with 12 weeks’ worth of meals, but every year, only one is selected to receive the grand prize.

“Six years into the Challenge and I’m still in such awe of the stories we hear year in and year out about people believing in themselves and changing their own lives for the better,” said Clean Eatz Co-Founder Evonne Varady. “John’s story was emotional and inspirational. No matter what life threw at him, he never quit. He leaned into his friends and challenged himself to live a longer, healthier life. We’re extremely proud to have been a part of his journey and we’re honored to award him with the grand prize.”

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Emerging (sector)
- weight loss (topic)
- Clean Eatz (company)
- franchise promotion (topic)
- Evonne Varady (person)
- health challenge (topic)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20240417_georgia_man39s_inspiring_weight_loss_journey_earns_him_25k_from_clean_eatz.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/f66b3c36-e52d-4ee8-abdc-f4a99e0fd11e).