Angela Hefel lost 163 pounds with the help of Weight Watchers. At her heaviest she weighed 297 pounds and suffered from knee and back pain. Her height is five feet and three and a half inches.She's the one on the left side (and left insert) of the People Magazine cover pictured here.
She initially joined Weight Watchers in late 1998 and it took her a year and a half to lose 115 pounds. At this point she reached a plateau and tried to maintain the weight loss but gained some of it back. In the summer of 2004 she returned to Weight Watchers and lost another 70 pounds by March 2005. Her total weight loss from her heaviest weight is 163 pounds.
Hefel is 38. She's a school teacher and has been getting lots of public attention for the past few months. In October she was interviewed on ABC's "The View" where she talked about her weight loss. And in early December People Magazine came by for a photo shoot. Hefel will be featured in People's Magazine January 9th special double issue "Half Their Size" about celebrities and regular people who succeeded in their weight loss goals using healthy diet and fitness regimes.
If anyone reading this knows Angela Hefel and could persuade her to do an interview here, I would be so thrilled! I guess the diet part of her weight loss was following a strict Weight Watchers plan. But I think a lot of people would be keen to know what her exercise regime was for that last seventy pounds.
Update January 1st: Angela's husband has just left a comment below. She is on her way to New York today to be on Tuesday's Good Morning America. He thinks she won't mind answering some questions for us. If you've got any q's about her weight loss, please leave them below. I have three questions:
1) In 2004 when you decided to try to lose the last seventy pounds, what was the spark that ignited this decision and made it stick?
2) People Magazine says you initially joined the Weight Watchers 'Flex' plan and started walking three miles about four times per week. What did your exercise regimen consist of when you rejoined a few years later to lose the last seventy pounds?
3) The photos of you in People Magazine are extremely attractive! Is there a chance we could post some of your real-life photos (that haven't had the benefit of professional photographers) on this site?
Thanks so much! I think a lot of people will be looking forward to hearing more about your inspiring story.