For the past five years, Josh Hanes, 30, has served with the Weeping Water Rescue volunteer fire department in his hometown. As with many volunteer rescue workers, he was not the first in his family to sign on. His sister and father joined him on the squad located about 33 miles east of Lincoln.
For about the first four years with the fire department, Hanes said, he wasn’t able to enter a burning building.
Part of that, he said, was due to claustrophobia. He served as a rig driver and helped with packing up gear for the team. But part of what kept him out was his weight. At 6 feet, 5 inches tall, he once weighed about 400 pounds. The weight impeded his capabilities with the volunteer fire department, and his life in general.
On June 12, 2013, Hanes' father, Bob, died following a head-on collision between the Weeping Water Rescue ambulance he was driving toward a Lincoln hospital and a pickup truck on U.S. 34. The collision killed Bob Hanes and the driver of the pickup. Josh Hanes’ sister, Melissa, who is an emergency medical technician, was among three passengers in the ambulance who survived the crash.
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The tragedy, Josh Hanes said, served as a tipping point.
"I was not in a good spot, we'll just say that much," Hanes said. "I was at a place where I needed to change something, and I had to reach out somewhere and get help. Luckily, I won the lottery of health and Chris and Heidi picked me."
On Tuesday, Hanes will be featured on ABC's “Extreme Weight Loss,†a show that chronicles a 365-day transformation of two participants apiece with the help of personal trainers and nutritionists Chris and Heidi Powell. Hanes will appear alongside a former college basketball player from Kansas City who sunk into depression after her collegiate career ended.
For the first three months of filming, Hanes trained in Denver at the Powells’ home base.
"From the first day we got to Denver, they prepared us for going home,†Hanes said. “We had 90 days to learn whatever we could about nutrition and exercise. And they prepared us for what it would be like when we came home. So as much as you prepare and as much as you prepare, it's still never what you expect. You just have to roll with the punches and be very fluid in what you do. Because if you're so rigid, things get messed up. They did a magnificent job on giving us lessons on ways to prepare and not mess up while we're at home."
The show will document the changes both physically and emotionally that Hanes underwent during his year of filming, including the total amount of weight lost during “Extreme Weight Loss.â€
That number, Hanes said, first gets revealed on the TV show and no sooner. What they will reveal is the weight at which Hanes began his transformation.
“I am currently tipping the scale around (sic) 400lbs. I am 6' 5",†Hanes wrote on Chris Powell’s Facebook page on Jan. 21, 2014. “I really want to audition for (‘Extreme Weight Loss’) but I am not sure if it is even possible to lose half my body weight. I am dangling at the end of my rope and I really don't know where to go from here. Am I even a candidate for your show! Thank you in advance!â€
Powell gave him encouragement to audition then, in a reply to Hanes’ post. He continued to provide it after Hanes was selected for the show.
He stepped in front of ABC cameras at 399. That's when he started running, lifting and sweating. The Colorado altitude gave him few breaks, starting with a workout Powell devises that’s dubbed the “Fight or Flight†routine.
“In Denver, elevation makes it hard,†Hanes said. “Well, being severely overweight makes it 10 times harder. My 'Fight or Flight' was really pretty brutal and I can't wait to watch it, because I can still remember how I felt during that Fight or Flight. It's pretty intense, and it wasn't just the physical aspect of the workout as the mental aspect. It was overwhelming a little bit at first. It'll be interesting to see that.â€
Hanes said he still calls or texts the Powells for support even after his run of filming concluded. So far, Hanes said, they’ve offered nothing but encouraging responses.
And while he wouldn’t reveal his total number of pounds dropped, Hanes said it was significant.
"It just changes everything about who you are and what you do," Hanes said. "It makes everything easier. It makes breathing easier, tying your shoes easier. And especially if you're in a field that you have to be active, it makes those things a little more feasible and a little easier, and you can actually enjoy your job instead of being miserable because you can't complete all the duties that you need to do or perform all the requirements of the job."
Hanes will watch the episode on Tuesday with friends and family, possibly at the family's church if there's not room enough in a house to fit all the people who want to watch alongside him. Hanes said the support in Weeping Water throughout his very public weight loss journey has been nothing but positive, and he's looking to return the favor. Hanes started a nonprofit called "I Am Worth It" that will offer Nebraskans in need of scholarships that can be applied to health and fitness programs. The site, , will go live soon after the show airs.
As for watching the show, Hanes said, he's ready to look back at the low point, knowing how far he's come.
“I've tried to keep myself grounded through this whole process and tried to remember what I was feeling at 399 pounds and how I feel now,†Hanes said. “It'll be hard to go back because I know what I felt like then, but that's a good reminder of what I don't want to go back to. I think it helps me stay true to myself and stick to what I need to do to make sure this is a long-term thing.â€
