Are you facing a life-changing challenge or obstacle? Does it seem like you're stuck in the same place no matter what you do? This story will encourage you to set that goal you need in life and really reach your full potential, which is exactly what Lexi and Danny Reed have done. Through achieving their ultimate goal, Lexi and Danny have shown us that nothing is impossible and they became true role models for people all over the globe! If you're getting ready for a serious change in your life, the advice and the story this couple has to share will be instrumental in your journey towards achieving your dreams.
Wondering what their story is about? Sit back and continue reading to find out and get inspired!
Wondering what their story is about? Sit back and continue reading to find out and get inspired!
Dealing With the Issue From the Early Days
Her weight has always been one of Lexi’s main concerns. Ever since she was a child, being overweight was an obstacle that followed her everywhere. In spite of this issue, her outgoing personality and a positive attitude always shone through.
Unfortunately, all attempts of losing weight ended up being unsuccessful and, even when she did manage to cut a few pounds, the weight would always come back.
Finding Love
Just when everything seemed so hopeless, Lexi met Danny, the love of her life who brought back happiness and meaning to her life. He was her best friend, a man who loved her for the person she was.
Their love was almost perfect but there was one issue holding them back. While Danny wasn't bothered by Lexi's shape and size, he had his own unhealthy eating issues that weren't leading to mutual improvement.
The Unhealthy Lifestyle
Danny weighed dozens of pounds less than Lexi, even though he was also overweight at around 280 pounds. Having found love, both Danny and Lexi immersed themselves into their unhealthy lifestyle, eating more and more unhealthy food.
A healthy home cooked meal was never on their menu. They most often ate out, enjoying fast food and unhealthy buffets. Even when they did eat at home, they would order food from different restaurants. These unhealthy habits quickly began to affect their health and well-being.
The Unhealthy Lifestyle
Danny weighed dozens of pounds less than Lexi, even though he was also overweight at around 280 pounds. Having found love, both Danny and Lexi immersed themselves into their unhealthy lifestyle, eating more and more unhealthy food.
A healthy home cooked meal was never on their menu. They most often ate out, enjoying fast food and unhealthy buffets. Even when they did eat at home, they would order food from different restaurants. These unhealthy habits quickly began to affect their health and well-being.
Never-Ending Struggle
Lexi admitted that her eating habits and unhealthy lifestyle date way back to her childhood: “Growing up, we never had a lot of money and my parents never cooked. Processed foods were always easier to purchase than healthy foods…” Lexi told PopSugar.
Unfortunately, this remained a habit of hers even after she met Danny. She also mentioned how they loved to binge-watch TV shows while eating loads of junk food on the couch. “I was always an emotional eater, also, and no matter what the mood, food was always there for me,” Lexi added.
Facing Limitations
As a consequence of leading such an unhealthy lifestyle and being overweight, Lexi and Danny couldn't enjoy the everyday joys other couples could do, such as take walks or go ride bikes. Instead, they would stay locked inside their home watching TV and eating.
Lexi was aware of her weight creating limitations in her life. Even though she was happy with the love she had found, there was no doubt in her mind that it was time to make a change. Sadly, she had no clue how to make that change, let alone the motivation to do so. Until one thing changed it all!
The Proposal
When Danny finally proposed, Lexi became the happiest she has ever been. Upon accepting the proposal, she wrote on Instagram: “He never saw me as my size, asked me to change, or made me feel as anything other than beautiful.” Unfortunately, there was another obstacle laying ahead - finding a wedding dress in her size. At this time Lexi weighed 485 pounds so this task seemed truly impossible.
Lexi was aware of the challenge that was in front of her. “Nobody knew how to make me feel like a bride, and not my size. Thank god I was strong enough to know my worth, and kept searching for my 34W dress even though I questioned if I would ever find one,” she added.
The Special Day
After a long search, Lexi finally found the right wedding dress. However, their wedding was far from being a happy ending. The real challenge had only just began. A challenge in which they had to sacrifice a lot if they wanted to live a healthy life together.
The marriage revealed a series of questions for the newlyweds. As any married couple, they began dreaming of having children, which they knew was dangerous for both Lexi and the baby.
Not Even The Small Things
They were aware of the fact that having children was probably not an option. However, what bothered them even more is that they couldn't even accomplish the smallest dreams they had.
One of those dreams Lexi had was visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios theme park in Orlando. As you may have guessed it, she was way too overweight to go on rides in a theme park. In fact, she couldn't even fit in a plane seat to get there.
Living a Married Life
A year has passed since their wedding but nothing had changed. They still had the same unhealthy habits and spent days eating in front of the TV. Then the change began to take place.
Lexi felt the situation slipping out of her hands. Things were going out of control and she knew it was time to put an end to it. The only thing she didn't know is how. However, this small realization was a step towards what will change her life forever.
A New Year’s Resolution
Lexi was the one who came up with the idea of living a healthier lifestyle. At the beginning of 2016, Lexi set up a challenging New Year's resolution that would benefit her health and change her life forever.
As always, Danny decided to support her. Even though Danny didn't really like the idea at first, Lexi eventually convinced him into joining her journey.
A Loving Heart
“At first the idea didn’t sound great because it was always good going home, sitting down, eating and not having to worry about anything,” Danny said. However, he couldn't let Lexi go through it on her own.
“It’s a new year and something to work toward while helping Lexi out as well,” Danny added. He was aware that this was the best decision for them and their health.
Placing a Bet
Most of Lexi and Danny's friends were shocked to find out about their New Year's resolution and they didn't hesitate to make a bet with the couple. The bet was simple, the couple would go a month following these rules: “no eating out, no soda, no alcohol, no cheat meals, and working out for 30 minutes five times a week.”
Lexi and Danny were certainly determined to win the bet and show the amount of self-control they had. This bet marked the beginning of a long journey ahead of them.
Time to Put an End to It
“We were fed up with the life that we were living and all the things that we weren’t able to do together as a couple,” Lexi said. She was determined to make a change in her life, as she was tired of not being able to do the simplest things she wanted to do with her husband.
“We also feared if we didn’t get our health under control, we would never be able to start a family,” Lexi added. Everything indicated that it was time to put an end to this lifestyle.
Going to The Gym
The first step Lexi and Danny took was joining a local gym in their home city of Terre Haute, Indiana. As the bet stated, they exercised for 30 minutes per day, every day of the week. However, it was more difficult than she had anticipated.
While determined to fulfill their promise, they didn't have a personal trainer to guide them through it. Suffering from joint pain due to her weight, Lexi found it difficult to work out.
Getting It Right
One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to going to the gym was not knowing what would people think of them. Lexi was aware that this issue will be difficult to deal with but they eventually found a nice, less crowded gym to go to.
“I started going there when I got a free trial and — since it was never really crowded, my machine faced the wall (so I didn’t feel like everyone was watching me), and I found a machine called the CrossRamp that didn’t hurt my joints at 485 pounds — I fell in love with it.” said Lexi.
New Habits
Now that they got the gym settled, Lexi and Danny faced a different issue - their eating habits. A part of the deal was to stop eating out and to start eating healthier, home-prepared meals, which meant they had to start cooking.
The couple began cooking together and they also focused on healthier foods, replacing frozen pizzas with fresh veggies and fruits. Their new diet was certainly going to positively affect weight loss but sticking to this meal plan was not easy.
More Than a Diet
We all consider new meal plans as diets. However, Lexi and Danny looked at it differently. To them, dieting wasn’t the permanent solution. They needed something they would hold on to for a long period of time.
Lexi then found a way to make the new eating habits easier both for her and her husband. “I started taking the foods I loved and making healthier versions so I no longer felt like I had to give up something or deprive [myself],” Lexi stated.
The Support
One thing that pushed Lexi and Danny through the difficult times was mutual support. They were both always there for each other and together they were stronger and more determined to fulfill their promise.
Going through it is not easy but if you have someone along your side to love and support you, things will definitely become a lot easier. That is how Lexi and Danny became each other’s strength and motivation that allowed them to go through the month and win the bet. However, what happened next was amazing!
Time Will Tell
With days passing by, Lexi and Danny started noticing results. They continued eating healthy and going to the gym regularly, which benefited their weight loss and overall health state. Lexi even did something she never thought she would do! She took classes at the gym and started meeting new people who supported her even more!
“I love my Pulse class. I love dancing to my favorite music and not feeling like it’s a workout. We can do a song full of squats and even though my legs are burning, it’s so much fun that I don’t even notice,” Lexi said.
Conquering Fears
Lexi finally got over her fear of going to the gym and stated that “if people were going to stare at me because of my weight, I was going to give them a reason to stare by being the hardest worker in the room”
At the beginning of the new lifestyle, Lexi was losing around 20 pounds per month. Eventually, it became more difficult to lose weight. However, Lexi didn’t give up. She continued eating healthy and putting more effort into her workouts every single day.
Danny’s Progress
Lexi’s rapid transformation definitely caught everyone’s eye but she wasn’t the only one making significant progress. Her husband Danny, who was supporting her every step of the way, made a huge difference in his weight as well.
Throughout the beginning of the journey, Danny had lost around 100 pounds. He dropped from his initial weight of 280 pounds to 190 pounds in the first year, which was the result of his hard work and determination.
18 Months Later
18 months had passed and Lexi’s life looked nothing like it used to. She was proud of what they had achieved together, especially for the way they managed to lose weight through natural methods. In May 2018, Lexi weighed 312 pounds.
Lexi noticed the difference in her weight for the first time when she visited a restaurant they used to go to frequently. She explained how her stomach used to rest on the table and now she had plenty of space to move around.
Going Big on Instagram
When Lexi finally felt like she can enjoy public support, she made an Instagram account to share her amazing journey. The account was called “Fat Girl Fed Up” and she used it to post daily pictures of going to the gym and eating healthy meals. She gained a lot of followers pretty fast, since her posts were very motivating.
Her Instagram account now counts over 750,000 followers and she’s slowly nearing her first million followers. She has shown the world what it means to be determined to achieve a goal and her “before and after” posts are truly inspiring.
Going Big on Instagram
When Lexi finally felt like she can enjoy public support, she made an Instagram account to share her amazing journey. The account was called “Fat Girl Fed Up” and she used it to post daily pictures of going to the gym and eating healthy meals. She gained a lot of followers pretty fast, since her posts were very motivating.
Her Instagram account now counts over 750,000 followers and she’s slowly nearing her first million followers. She has shown the world what it means to be determined to achieve a goal and her “before and after” posts are truly inspiring.
Lexi Celebrates Her Recovery
After being diagnosed with calciphylaxis in the painful aftermath of her kidney failure, the weight loss influencer delivered the news on her social media account that she is finally able to walk again after spending the majority of the year facing mobility problems: "After spending three weeks in the hospital at the beginning of this year I wasn't able to walk when I was released and felt defeated/devastated," Reed wrote on her Instagram post. "The doctors weren't sure why but I could no longer lift my right leg or walk on my own despite tests and with my other health problems my mobility wasn't the highest priority at the moment."
"Due to the rare diagnosis of calciphylaxis my wounds are currently all over from my knees to my shoulders but still smiling/fighting and reminding myself that great things take time," she said. "Life has been a lot different for me this year but despite the setback I'm still looking forward to the comeback. Thank you all for the continued prayers and for being patient with me while I take this time to heal - love you all!" Way to go, Lexi!
Popularity
Lexi and Danny became so popular through sharing their story on Instagram that even TV stations began talking about them. They appeared on several TV shows and they were also often invited for interviews to talk about their journey. One of their most significant TV appearances was in an episode of Rachael Ray about healthy cooking and eating!
However, it was important for the couple not to let the sudden popularity get to them. Instead, they focused on continuing the progress and working even harder on reaching their goals.
A Stunning Change
Throughout their journey, Lexi and Danny together lost over 400 pounds. They now live a completely new life and they have even been able to visit the beach where Danny had proposed and celebrate their achievements with a run along the ocean.
At the time of the proposal, Lexi weighed almost 500 pounds and she could barely walk the whole beach, let alone run the distance. But all of that has changed! “We returned to that beach and ran down that beach!” Lexi declared.
Finally a Dream Come True
Now that she had lost so much weight and was able to comfortably enjoy a plane ride, Lexi finally visited a place she always wanted to go to, the Harry Potter World at Universal Studios theme park. Both of them enjoyed thrilling rides in the park and had the time of their life!
Even though they were already happy when they got married, the couple is now happier than ever. They managed to lose so much weight by staying determined and motivating each other to continue the journey. The journey has also made them feel closer than ever, strengthening their bond even more.
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Living a Free Life
“Every day is a non-scale victory and a reminder of how far I’ve come. Like, I loved myself even at 485 pounds, but just to be able to wake up and do whatever I want to do and go wherever I want to go… I don’t feel like I’m a prisoner in my own body anymore.”
Important Advice From Lexi
After going through so much and achieving her biggest goal, Lexi is now focusing on inspiring others and giving them great advice. If you take a look at her Instagram page, you will find that all of her posts are so motivational and she even shares pictures of other people’s journeys!
One of her best pieces of advice is to “Start small — small changes add up to big results — and focus on each day, not how far you have to go.” She also tells us not to believe in any surgeries or pills because the only way to achieve these results is to do it the natural way!
Helping Others
Having achieved their happy and healthy life together, Lexi and Danny have started their own Youtube channel to further share their story and inspire others to strive for success too. On their channel they post videos about exercising and eating healthy.
Lexi has even been nominated for the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards. “I learned how strong and capable I am as a person. I thought it would take me over three years to lose 300-plus pounds, but I was so determined and hardworking that I did it in two,” she said.
A Better Life
“There are no words to explain the feeling of saving your own life,” said Lexi. “Going into 2018 I have nothing but a newfound happiness for this life I am living. I no longer am a prisoner in my own body and instead of just existing in my own life, I’m finally alive.”
“Every day I wake up is a blessing. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come and this new life that I’m living. I saved my own life, and for that there are no words — only gratitude,” Lexi added. Only great things started happening to them ever since.
Hollywood
Besides the amazing results of her transformation, Lexi has also been given special honors. She was chosen by Loreal Paris and TNT Drama as one of their inspiring strong women. She was also chosen to attend the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
All of this was a dream come true for Lexi and Danny. They got to enjoy full Hollywood treatment, being flown to Hollywood and provided stay at a luxurious hotel. Most importantly, they maintained their routine even during the trip!
Advice on Meal Planning
Lexi’s tip for transforming your diet is finding a way to enjoy healthy meals. This includes preparing healthy ingredients on a weekly basis and experimenting with the ways to prepare delicious healthy meals. Follow up on her social media for posts about her eating routines.
“I know Holidays are hard guys but practice portion control, healthier swaps, balance, planning,” Lexi wrote. If you take a look at the posts of her food, you will notice that her plates contain simple yet delicious ingredients. What’s important is that everything is homemade and fresh, with no processed food whatsoever.
Maintaining the New Lifestyle
Their biggest advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle is discovering new and fun activities they do, activities they couldn’t have done before. For example, they recently went camping and, instead of settling for the usual camping food such as burgers and hot dogs, they chose something else.
Instead, they cooked a high-protein meal before they went on the trip. The meal included ingredients such as chicken, steak and mashed avocado. Lexi also wrote that “Holidays, weekends, or even being out of your routine doesn’t mean we can’t still reach our goals and eat delicious food!”
Advice for Working Out
Much of Lexi and Danny’s transformation took place because of their consistent workout routines. However, they always managed to find a way to combine going to the gym with other social activities, which is best shown in a recent photo Lexi shared on Instagram.
“Making the time before date night to work on our goals!” Lexi wrote in a post on May 19. “Somedays we don’t know how we’re gonna do it, but everyday we get it done!” Even when they have fun activities planned, they still hit the gym prior to allowing themselves to take time and have fun.
Getting Support
One thing is for sure and that is the fact that Lexi wouldn’t be able to achieve these goals without the strong community support she was getting. That support came both from online and offline worlds, on her social media pages and in the gym as well!
Working together, the members of the community motivate each other to work out and eat better so they can all enjoy better results at the end of the day. A great example of the support Lexi is getting can be seen in the comment section of her Instagram page!
Making New Friends
One more thing that helped Lexi stay strong when she felt like she couldn’t go on were the friends she had made at the gym. Those were people who were already leading a healthy lifestyle and who helped her stay on track with her meals and workouts. Their good habits have positively affected Lexi and made her work harder on achieving her goals.
“When I started my journey I normally was more of a loner and lost people I was close to due to my new lifestyle and hobbies,” Lexi wrote in a Facebook post. “However over time I found others along the way who helped make me who I am today and helped to make my journey more enjoyable.”
Don’t Forget to Have a Rest
What you should understand is that no matter how much you want to achieve your personal goals, it is going to take time and during this time you need to have some rests. Lexi and Danny have put a lot of emphasis on taking breaks by making sure they always have something fun and relaxing to do.
The picture above shows Lexi and Danny enjoying a nice day, walking their dogs in the park. In the caption of the post Lexi wrote that she “Can’t wait for more walks with them this summer and we’re sure they are happy mom/dad got healthy too!”
A New Hobby
“From 765lbs to riding dirt bikes,” Lexi Reed wrote in one of her posts on April 19. “Life with you is an adventure & i’m enjoying the ride.” What a cute caption!
One of their tips for maintaining good shape and form is to always find new and fun activities to do. Finding new challenges helps you stay on track with your progress and work harder every single day.
Inspiring People Worldwide
Lexi is definitely not the only one to inspire thousands of people worldwide with her story. Danny also shares his own progress and success on Instagram, under the name Discovering Danny.
Follow him for amazing posts related to their workout routines as well as fun activities they do in everyday life. He does not only share his own stories but also helps inspire and motivate others to do the same!
Appearing on Live TV
Instagram and Youtube were not enough for Lexi and Danny to get out there. They also appeared on live TV after gaining a lot of attention on their posts and videos. In January this year they appeared on The Today Show as well!
There they were interviewed by Megyn Kelly about their story and success, where they talked about how such a huge change positively affected their lives. It was definitely a story worth hearing!
The Dream of Having Children
Starting a family was one of the reasons Lexi decided to take up this journey in the first place and it was definitely worth it. While pregnancy was not the option when they first got married, things are looking much better now!
Here is what Lexi had to say about this in an interview with Life and Style Magazine in May: “In 5 years, I see us starting a family as well as finding ways to help more people change their life the same way that we have with diet and exercise.”
More Inspiring Couples
Lexi and Danny definitely aren’t the only ones who managed to change their life big time. There are other couples out there who made the decision and worked hard on achieving the goals they had set. A great example are Lauren and Justin Shelton who dealt with big health issues due to their weight. Justin weighed 592 pounds and he was too heavy to go on the imaging machinery while he was suffering a kidney infection. His wife weighed 341 pounds.
They began their journey in 2012 by signing up for a program at a medical school in the area. They began by doing simple things such as taking walks frequently and as they improved, they eventually took things to a new level and started going to the gym. Together they lost over 500 pounds in a year!
Danny and Kalean Patton
Danny Patton was only 26 when he weighed around 395 pounds. Living on the third floor, it began getting difficult for him to climb the stairs. When he got sick of struggling every day, he started his journey towards the big change along with his girlfriend Kalean Patton.
They first switched from take-out food to home cooked meals and once they joined the gym they really started to see the results. After a year they lost around 300 pounds together and got engaged on social media and live TV as well! You can find their Facebook page under the name From Fat to Fit!
Jo Hughes and Dave Swingewood
When they got sick of their sedentary lifestyle, this couple from England decided to quit junk food and start all over with a healthy lifestyle. Jo weighed 281 pounds while Dave weighed a little less at 207 pounds.
What’s interesting is that Jo actually sold her care in order to make herself walk more. She also started cooking healthier food and, having to eat healthier, Dave began losing weight too. Then they got engaged in workouts together and achieved amazing results!
Johnathon Van Buskirk and Lisa Berg
This is yet another couple who has the right to brag about a life-changing journey. At 24, John weighed 430 pounds and, after losing 75 pounds he met Lisa who was inspired to work on her lifestyle as well.
After starting with small changes, the couple took it up a notch and started introducing serious changes to their lifestyle. They began eating healthier and going biking together. They lost over 330 pounds together and are facing the challenge of excess skin removal surgery.
Angela and Willie Gillis
In only two years Angela and Willie Gillis of Beaumont became true role models for those looking to start a new life. Their journey to a better life started in 2011. They both felt tired of their weight and the limitations it placed on their lives. That’s when they decided to make a change!
Even though they had been reading about losing weight quite often, they never decided to try whether it would work for them until they started going to the gym. Willie lost around 300 pounds while Angela lost 200 pounds. They both went through an amazing transformation that inspired a lot of people all around the world!