Maleka and Eric Beal have worked hard to keep 300 lbs off.

Update: Oh, I hope you are ready for some wisdom. Maleka and Eric Beal of BetterChoices lost over 300 pounds combined. They’ve worked to keep the weight off for more than 10 years. We checked in on them to see how they’ve been able to maintain their success. We also asked them what lessons they’ve learned and what advice they would offer to other people who want to release the weight.

How have you maintained your weight loss success?
The same things that are required to lose the weight are the same things that are required to maintain it—commitment, consistency, and control.

1. Commitment: You MUST be committed to the process. Accept the idea that you have to stick with it to get to it. A healthier lifestyle is not something you adhere to Monday-Thursday. It’s an every day commitment to your ultimate goal of better health, overall wellness, and sustainable weight loss.
2. Consistency: What you do today, you MUST do tomorrow. Your consistency is required in order to activate your change, create a new habit, & achieve the desired results. Remember, if you continue to do the things you’ve always done, you’ll continue to have what you’ve always had.
3. Control: Control encompasses your commitment & consistency. In most cases, it’s being able to tell the person in the mirror “No.” Control empowers you to choose better. It’s you getting to the point where you no longer accept your excuses.

So, in other words, nothing has changed for us. We still make sure we are eating a variety of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, whole grains, and nuts. We still drink our cup of coffee every morning and water throughout the day. We are still active, getting in activity at least 5 times a week. Our fitness regimen includes both strength training and cardio activities. Most importantly, we still cook our meals at home. 

What has worked in terms of eating habits and what worked in terms of exercise?
In terms of eating habits, again, those are created based on our lifestyle. Because we are committed to making BetterChoices, our eating habits reflect those priorities. It’s all about creating a nutritional balance. While is sounds cliché, it is really that simple. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, getting in the right sources of protein, making sure to include whole grains and nuts are the keys to ensuring you create a nutritional balance that supports your health and wellness goals. What most people miss is if you create the healthier habits, the weight loss and the sustainability of that weight loss will take care of itself.

Most valuable nugget we can share is “Home = Control.” Like we stated previously, we still cook our meals at home. Convenience becomes a matter of preparation. No more. No less.

What lessons have you learned on this journey?
Plan and simple, every choice you make matters. You did not get this way overnight, so don’t expect to become high school skinny overnight. Forget the 10-Day Get Lean stuff and the 30-Day Slim & Trim quick diet shenanigans…forget all that stuff. Think nutritional balance. Balance is the key.

What stands out the most?
As far as what stands out the most, we do. People actually think we are strange because of our commitment, consistency, and control. Every day is an opportunity. No matter if it’s a holiday, a birthday bash, or any other day, the commitment to the process remains the same. The mission of better health does not change based on the day of the week.

At this point, would you offer any new or different advice to others who want to lose weight?
No, the advice is not new because the choices are not new. The struggle is not new. It’s the same struggle. It’s the same choices. It’s the same advice.

The only thing new should be your commitment. What are you willing to change? Are you willing to go beyond your comfort zone? Remember, it’s never a matter of can you do it; it’s a matter of will you do it.

At the end of the day, are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

Check out more information on how they lost the weight in the previous post we shared.

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