Working It Off: A Grand Island woman loses 300 pounds the old-fashioned way

Jun 13, 2009 (The Buffalo News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DBD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Some of the best times are when Angela Diebold is reintroduced to friends and acquaintances she hasn't seen in a few years. They ask her name and when she tells them who she is, they're practically speechless.

It's understandable, since over the past four years Diebold has managed to lose around 300 pounds-- and keep the weight off.

Through a combination of exercise and better nutrition, all while battling arthritis and back problems at the age of 58, Diebold has taken control of her health, making her this month's Healthy Hero.

"I'll see people I haven't seen in years and say hello, tell them who I am and they ask, 'When did this happen?'" Diebold said. "Most people assume I had gastric bypass because I lost so much weight. They're just amazed."

But Diebold did it the old-fashioned way--with diet and exercise.

Weight had been a constant battle for her. She said her parents put her on a diet as a young child and in high school she was prescribed diet pills. She didn't like the way the pills made her feel or the constant advice she would get from everyone from family members to strangers on how to drop the weight.

There were times when she would lose some weight, only to gain it back. She and her doctors estimate that at one point she weighed around 500 pounds.

Finding motivation

Her first motivation to start losing weight came about five years ago when the pounds made it difficult for her to get from her car into work.

"I could barely walk into my office," said Diebold, who lives on Grand Island and works at St. Stephen School. "I would park my car and people from work would run out and get my bags for me. That's when I started to realize I needed to do something."

Then came her diagnosis of spinal stenosis -- a condition that narrows the spinal cord, causing a pinched nerve and pain in the lower extremities.

"I was being treated for spinal stenosis and there was a weight limit with the table," Diebold said. "I was very concerned that the table wouldn't hold me and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't break the table. At that point I said to myself maybe this is the time in my life that it's going to work. Maybe I can do it. My own goal was always just five pounds and I'm really happy it took the three years."

Diebold started a routine of self-policing. Her first order of business was watching her portion sizes. She eats around 1,200 calories a day.

"It's just me and my husband so now I've learned to cook for two instead of five," she said.

She allows herself treats. Her favorite treat is onion rings from Zebb's restaurant, only she shares them with her table mates instead of eating an entire order herself.

Watching the scale

Diebold calls herself a scale-a- holic. She weighs herself twice a day, but stresses that's because it works for her. Weight loss, she emphasizes, is about what works for you.

And one thing that has worked well for her is physical therapy and exercise.

Diebold walks with a cane to help with her arthritic knees and has been going to Advance Care Physical Therapy, Aquatic & Fitness Center in Niagara Falls for about six years.

Working with physical therapist Tony Brani, she started to feel better standing and walking.

Then he put her on a treadmill.

"I looked at him like he had two heads," Diebold said. "Now, I walk 2 or 2z miles on the treadmill."

Gradually, Diebold kept adding exercises that she could do. Utilizing the gym and pool at Advanced Care, she does some weight lifting and cardio on the elliptical trainer and treadmill. She most enjoys working out in the pool where she can use a bicycle set up in the water to help ease the pain of her knees while cycling.

"She is such an inspiration to me and to everyone around here," Brani said. "When we first started working together we never said anything about losing weight. I wanted to help her with her back pain and get her more mobile.

"She did this all on her own. She is completely self-motivated and a very strong person inside. Her drive to keep going is amazing. Even when she reaches a plateau, she keeps going. She's a very positive person and she's not embarrassed to share her story."

Sharing her story

Diebold will gladly show people her book of pictures -- a montage of before, during and after. She will tell others her story and talk about weight loss, but only if they ask her.

"Sometimes people will ask me to talk to someone else about my weight loss and I tell them I will if the person comes and asks me," Diebold said. "I know what it's like to be overweight and have people come talk to you. I won't do that to anybody, but I'm open and I'll share what I know with anybody.

"You just have to find what works for you. And if I can do it --a 58-year-old woman with arthritis can lose 300 pounds -- anybody can do it."

amoritz@buffnews.com

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