Meet Eric & Maleka Beal, MS, HWC
We are a husband and wife health coaching duo and master nutritionists. We believe better nutrition can transform your health, reduce the risks of chronic disease, and improve the overall quality of your life.
As founders of BetterChoices, we focus on educating, advocating, and promoting better health and wellness.
Betterchoices is a health and nutrition coaching company and community. Our core mission is raising awareness about better health through behavioral changes that address lifestyle, nutrition, and physical activity habits.
Eric and Maleka Beal received their Bachelor of Science degree in Human Environmental Sciences and Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Alabama.
More about us...
AS MASTER NUTRITIONIST, WE PROMOTE
Nutritional balance, prioritizing daily physical activity, making time for self care, self control, & accountability, process and patience mindset.
AS HEALTH COACHES, WE DO NOT
Promote fad diets, quick fixes, diet supplements, weight loss products or programs, gym culture, or unrealistic expectations.
IN PURSUIT OF
Optimal Health
PASSIONATE ABOUT
Nutrition Education
FAVORITE TEAM
Lakers
LITTLE KNOWN FACT
We're Comedians
WHAT WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
Truth
Why it's personal to us.
What began as a moment of fear became a journey that would transform everything.
When most people are the butt of a joke, they get angry. I got motivated. I had no idea I was 400lbs. Thoughts of dying raced through my mind. I realized, at that time, there were a thousand ways a 35 year old, obese man could die. The only question was, what would I do to change it?
…and did I say obese? Yep, OBESE! Both of us.
That was my tipping point. Tipping points, by definition, are when small things make a big difference. We go through life asking God questions but many times, we find ourselves not willing to accept His answers. Even after losing my mother to colon cancer, I still refused to acknowledge the answers that were right in front of my face!
Maleka and I continued going about our everyday lives unwilling to see the bigger picture. That bigger picture was the two of us. (It WAS a really BIG picture!) The bigger picture included our boys, our family, our quality of life, and our future.
What kind of future would we have if we continued our bad eating habits, being inactive, and simply, continued not being focused on changing anything about our health and our lives?
Well, we will tell you…
But we live in New Orleans...
We love to eat! At no time was our love for food going to change just because we were embarking on a healthier way of living.
To be honest, we never saw ourselves as being unhealthy or obese. It’s funny how we can walk around unaware of our true selves.
After coming down with a sore throat, Eric went to see his doctor. Of course with any typical doctor’s visit, they need to take the basic vitals. The medical scale could not read his weight. The scale was not working because my husband’s weight exceeded the scale weight limit.
To Eric's surprise, he weighed 400 lbs! When he came home, I could see how terribly upset he was. I asked him to tell me what happened. He proceeded to tell me about his experience. He was angry. What was surprising his anger was not towards the visit experience, he was angry with himself for allowing his weight to get out of control.
I, myself, weighed in at 276lbs. I recall the day I asked Eric what was he going to do about it. He told me he wanted to make some changes that day! In the beginning, I resisted the idea of change. I knew change was needed but I was afraid. I was afraid of the unknown. I did not know what that change was going to look like.
The first thing I thought about was all the things we would have to give up. So, I resisted and made up all kinds of excuses as to why I could not get started with him. However, Eric was adamant about making some changes.
We ride together.
If your don't make the time for yourself, then who will do it for you?
After a few days of resistance, Eric sat me down and said he had one question for me: “If you don’t take time out for you, then who will? You take time out for me, the kids, your clients, family, & everybody else but you don’t make time for you. The truth is, you are the only person who can make time for you.”
That was my “A-HA” moment! I found a few exercise DVD’s and we mapped out a walking route. We started reading books on health, nutrition, and exercise. We found healthier ways to fix our favorite foods, committed to working out 5-6 days a week, and chores became a new perspective on fitness.
Just shy of one year, 10 months to be exact, Eric and I lost over 100lbs each. In total, Eric dropped 156lbs & I lost 138lbs. In 2011, we were invited to appear on Oprah’s Weight Loss Finale Show. After the show aired, we were bombarded with questions. We spent a lot of time helping others, offering tips & support.
As a plan that only God could create, we launched BetterChoices. Our goal was simple: to teach, motivate, and empower others to change their lives, one betterchoice at a time. We realized our 300lb weight loss was not a reflection of a diet or quick fix. It was the result of making better health decisions every day.
Meet The Team
In the Press
Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to share our story and mission of BetterChoices on The Oprah Show and Essence Magazine, just to name a few.
Remember, the foods we choose to consume daily will either fuel better health or feed chronic disease.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM BETTERCHOICES
