Extreme Wellness Makeover takes a lifetime
By Sande Snead CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Maxwell Hahn, 51, is enjoying a new lease on life. No longer tiring after walking a few steps, Hahn exercises several times a week. He also likes what he sees when he looks in the mirror now.

But that wasn't always the case. More than a decade ago, Hahn's weight was topping 400 pounds, so on July 1, 1996, he had gastric bypass surgery.

"There was the old me born on Dec. 9, 1956,] and the new me born on July 1," Hahn said. "In my 40s, I felt old, but now in my 50s, feel young again."

Hahn's extreme weight loss - more than 200 pounds - is inspiring others to become healthier as his employer, Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR), celebrates Health Awareness Month during July.

Last week, DSCR held an Extreme Wellness Makeover Day, showcasing before and after pictures of Hahn. He wore a size 66 pants when he went into the hospital for his surgery. He wears a size 34 today.

In a gastric bypass procedure, the surgeon creates a small stomach pouch and then constructs a "bypass" for food. The bypass allows food to skip parts of the small intestine. By skipping a large part of the small intestine, the body can't absorb as many calories or nutrients.

Maxwell Hahn weighed more than 400 pounds (left) before having gastric bypass surgery. Afterwards, he dropped down to a lean 175 pounds (right).

"There is a high rate of recidivism for people who have this procedure," Hahn said. "It still requires a lifetime behavioral change."

Life after surgery wasn't easy. Because the portions of food he could eat were much smaller, he lacked energy.

"First, all I could have was just water, then it was Gerber 1st FOODS®, then Gerber 2nd FOODS®. By the time I was able to eat two of those wieners from the little jar, I thought I was really doing something."

It was a full year before Hahn could master a McDonald's Big Mac, and it took him two and a half hours to finish it. "But it was the best Big Mac I ever had in my life," he said.

Hahn had the surgery in July and by his "old birthday" on Dec. 9, he had lost 175 pounds.

"I really lost weight too quickly. The doctors said if I lost 100 pounds by Christmas, I'd be doing well. The first year was very difficult though. By 1 o'clock in the afternoon, I felt exhausted, and I was a teacher then. Even smells and sounds would set me off. My portions were so small, that it is a form of starvation, and all of my energy went towards the weight loss process."

Eventually Hahn got down to 175 pounds, but he started gaining back last year and was getting into the 200s. "By Christmas, I was 225 to 227, so I started walking two and a half to three miles every other day or every third day on the treadmill and three or four miles on the recumbent bike. I realize that this a lifetime change for me."

Now that Hahn has gotten through the worst of the gastric bypass surgery, he was happy to participate in DSCR's Health Awareness Month when Mariah Branch, former sports specialist, and Laurie O'Brien, health and fitness director at the DSCR Fitness Center, asked him.

Pictures of Hahn before and after the operation were framed and on exhibit during the event last week. There were also photos of Norman and Nina Eva, a husband and wife team who lost weight and fine-tuned their fitness program with exercise.

"I was happy to participate," Hahn said. "I hope that I can be an inspiration to other people to be more healthy."