There are those moments in life that are likely to put a smile on the face of anyone who has successfully lost weight. Deb Beatty of New Ulm smiles when she shares hers.

One day, her daughter came to her with a dress and said, “This is too tight for me, Mom; you might as well have it now.” Another day, when Beatty came home from a shopping trip with a new dress for a fancy gathering, her daughters quickly said, “Mom, you lost all that weight, you’re not wearing THAT!”

Beatty, 57 joined Weight Watchers in January 2013, lost 20 pounds over a period of about three months, and has now maintained her weight loss for the last nine months. She’s registered for the LOSE IT to WIN IT Community Health Challenge and is committed to maintaining her weight to both look and feel great.

As a physical therapist and manager of the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute at New Ulm Medical Center, Beatty knows the importance of exercise and being active and how to do it. But she didn’t always know what other strategies would help her succeed in losing and then maintaining.

“My whole life I have battled my weight – always losing it and then gaining it back,” she said. “I know how to lose it, but I had never done it in a very healthy way, as I would lose it pretty quickly.”

Over the course of successfully losing weight this last time in a healthier way, Beatty learned a lot and shares some of the keys to her success.

Accountability: “For me, I knew I had to be accountable to someone other than myself and have others weigh in with me. The support of the Weight Watchers group provided that accountability.”

Tracking: Beatty admits, “I really dreaded tracking at first, but it works! Now I know that’s what helps me stick to it and lose the weight. Tracking what you eat … tracking your activity … tracking your weight. I honestly don’t know how you can do it without tracking.”

Beatty says once she started tracking she became more motivated by seeing the numbers and having those visual reminders.

“Tracking steps with a pedometer works. I’ve also put a calendar by my treadmill and write down how many minutes I’m on it every day. If I skip a few days, it’s obvious that I’ve skipped those days.”

She explained that tracking also helped her better identify what her weaknesses were: snacking after work and stress eating.

Regularly weighing herself: Before she started Weight Watchers, Beatty didn’t regularly use the scale. She weighed daily while losing weight, and now in the maintenance phase, she still steps on the scale at least a few times a week. 

Making small steps: When it comes to making changes in her eating habits, Beatty explained, “I’ve just made a bunch of little changes that have helped. I fill up on fruits and vegetables more. I’ve always loved them, but I never thought about using them to help myself feel full.”