Do you have what it takes to stick to a goal and turn your life around? Lexi and Danny Reed did. It all started when Lexi decided it was time to make a change in her life and 18 months later, something amazing has happened. They’ve transformed into role models for people around the world who want to make serious changes in their lives.
The couple have plenty of great advice on how to get started on the path to making dreams come true. What did they do exactly to make such a drastic change? Get ready to get inspired by Lexi and Danny’s incredible journey.
Her Life Struggle
Lexi Reed always had issues with her weight, ever since childhood. She was a happy and outgoing person and didn’t let her weight get to her. Even though she tried multiple times to lose weight through different regimens, it always came back. By the young age of 25, Lexi weighed in at 392 pounds and the extra weight was impacting her quality of life.
She tried her best to lives the best life possible, one of joy and happiness, but it was definitely getting in the way of accomplishing her dreams. Lexi continued on her life’s journey and eventually met the love of her life, Danny Reed. Lexi would describe him as her best friend of 10 years. Danny loved Lexi for the person she was, no matter what size or shape.
Tolerating Each Other
While Danny loved and supported Lexi at every turn, there was one issue: he also had unhealthy eating habits and lived an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle. It turns out he was a bit too supportive in those ways.
Both Danny and Lexi were overweight. Danny, who was just a couple years older than Lexi, weighed in at around 280 pounds. Together, the couple spiraled into an even more sedentary lifestyle and ate unhealthy food to their heart’s content. Their self-indulgence was mutual.
Eating Habits
Together, they ate out at restaurants for all of their meals, even spending hours at all-you-can-eat buffets. At the times when they ate at home, they ordered food. In the meantime, all the extra pounds were beginning to take a toll on their health.
Lexi admitted that the cycle of unhealthy habits started in her childhood. “Growing up, we never had a lot of money and my parents never cooked.
Their Quality Time
Processed foods were always easier to purchase than healthy foods…” Lexi told PopSugar.
That trend continued even when she started dating Danny. Lexi confessed that the two would frequently binge-watch TV while eating.
The Wedding Proposal
“I was always an emotional eater, also, and no matter what the mood, food was always there for me,” Lexi added.
Danny finally asked Lexi for her hand in marriage, and she accepted. “He never saw me as my size, asked me to change, or made me feel as anything other than beautiful,” Lexi wrote on Instagram.
Struggle For Wedding Dress
But finding a wedding dress in her size would prove to be challenging because by this point, she weighed 485 pounds.
Lexi posted on Instagram that there was nothing glamorous about shopping for a wedding dress at 485 pounds. “Nobody knew how to make me feel like a bride, and not my size.
Thinking About Future Plans
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.
While the possibility that Lexi might not be able to have children was probably the biggest thing that worried the couple, even accomplishing smaller goals in life seemed out of reach.
Her Dream Place
Some of them are things that other people take for granted, such as traveling.
Lexi had a dream that one day she would be able to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios theme park in Orlando. However, not only was she too big to go on the rides there, she was also too big to fit in a plane seat.
Start Of A Big Change
Florida is a long way from her home state of Indiana, and she had to get there somehow.
The idea that they needed to start living a better lifestyle, for their own sake, became ever-present in Lexi’s mind. That’s why on New Years Day in 2016, Lexi resolved to start making some changes in her life, changes that would benefit her health as well. As in any marriage, Lexi wasn’t in it alone.
Difficult To Accept
Fortunately, she had her husband at her side to support her. But initially, he wasn’t into the idea at all. It would take some convincing to get him to join his wife’s healthy New Year’s resolution.
“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. But being the loving husband he was, he wouldn’t let Lexi take on the resolution alone.
Setting Rules
“It’s a new year and something to work toward while helping Lexi out as well,” Danny exclaimed after having a slight change of heart. He knew deep down that, health-wise, it was best for both of them, Lexi and himself.
Upon hearing of the couple’s New Year’s resolution, some of Lexi and Danny’s friends wanted to make a bet with them. The couple made a deal that they would go a month following a few 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 up for the challenge and determined to prove to themselves that they could do it — that they had the self-control needed to change their habits.
Tired Of Restrictions
This was just the beginning of their long journey to a happy, healthy life.
“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, resolving herself to make sure that things changed. She was tired of not being able to fly on an airplane or go on simple romantic walks with her husband.
Gym Membership
“We also feared if we didn’t get our health under control, we would never be able to start a family,” Lexi added. Tired of the lifestyle that they had both gotten so used to, she decided to make a major decision in her life.
Lexi and Danny joined a local gym in their home city of Terre Haute, Indiana. As promised, Lexi went to the gym for 30 minutes a day, every day. But it was far from easy for a number of reasons.
The Struggles
Neither one of the couple had a personal trainer, but they were both strong-willed people who wanted to fulfill their promise to their friends. Lexi, however, had issues at first finding the right training regimen as she suffered from severe joint pain due to her weight.
Finding the right gym was not as easy as it sounded. Lexi was self-conscious of what other people would think when they saw her in the gym.
Doing Things Together
The couple eventually found the right gym for them that wasn’t too crowded and Lexi even found the right exercise machine. “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.”
Going to the gym once a day was only the first part of Lexi and Danny’s struggle toward a healthy lifestyle. They also had to stop going out to eat at restaurants, which meant that they would need to prepare meals themselves. They discovered the best way to cook: together.
Good Food
With the support of one another, Lexi and Danny started to cook their own food at home. But this time, instead of frozen pizzas, they opted for healthier foods that would help them in their weight loss goals. But as we all know, dieting isn’t easy.
To Lexi and Danny, their new healthy eating habits weren’t just a diet; they were choices in a new way of life. To Lexi, dieting is something temporary, and she needed something long term, something she could stick to.
Proper Diet
Lexi stopped looking at eating healthier as a diet and found her own way to make the transition easier for both of them. “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 ,” Lexi stated.
Going to the gym and eating healthy aren’t easy, especially if you’re going at it alone. But Lexi had the support of her loving husband, Danny and vice versa. Together the couple was strong and continued to keep their promise. The best way to keep up going to the gym and eating healthy is to have someone there to support you in your journey.
Seeing Changes
Danny and Lexi used each other as a support system. Together they stayed motivated and pretty soon a month had passed. But what happened next was amazing.
As the time went on, Lexi and Danny continued going to the gym and eating right. Soon the results started to show! Lexi even started taking classes at the gym and meeting new people. These new friends would also turn into her support system and hold her accountable.
Dancing The Pain Away
“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.
Slowly, Lexi’s hard work started paying off. She quickly got over her fears of going to the gym, declaring 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 first, Lexi was losing around 20 pounds a month. Then the weight loss got more difficult.
Healthier Lifestyle
She kept going to the gym and eating healthy, counting her daily calorie intake. Pretty soon, her new habits turned into a lifestyle.
Lexi wasn’t the only one making significant progress in the journey towards being healthy. So was Danny. He was beside Lexi every step of the way and pretty soon he was able to see a difference in his health as well.
Life-changing Progress
The couple kept up their healthy lifestyle and within just 24 months, Danny had lost almost 100 pounds. When he started his journey, he weighed in at 280 pounds, but managed to get down to a mere 190 pounds by the end of year one.
After 18 months had gone by, Lexi’s entire life looked completely different. The difference was astounding and she was so proud of her newfound lifestyle and determination, which she did naturally by going to the gym regularly and eating healthier. By May 2018, she was down an incredible 312 pounds.
Feeling Of Joy
Lexi says that the first big difference she noticed in her size occurred when she went back to a restaurant that the couple frequented before they started their journey. Her stomach used to rest on the table and now she had lots of wiggle room. She says that was a true moment of pride.
Looking for more support and wanting to share her journey, Lexi created an Instagram account in the fall of 2016 to log her incredible journey. She called the account “Fat Girl Fed Up” and began posting daily pictures of herself going to the gym, along with motivational quotes. Pretty soon she had a huge following!
Internet Sensation
Today, Lexi’s Instagram account has over 750,000 followers. She also posts before and after pictures that are absolutely stunning. In just two short years she transformed herself, through hard work and determination, into a completely different, healthy person.
Lexi and Danny’s story spread across the internet like wildfire and started being picked up by news and TV stations nationwide.
TV Appearances
Lexi and Danny even appeared on TV shows to be interviewed about their amazing journey and were featured on an episode of Rachael Ray about healthy cooking and eating!
The couple doesn’t let their newfound stardom get to their heads though. The opposite, in fact.
One Dream Come True
They are more humble now than ever and thank the media attention for helping motivate them further on their journey to living healthier.
Now that Lexi can fit more than comfortably on an airplane, the couple finally took a trip. They took a trip to somewhere that Lexi had always dreamed of going: Harry Potter World at Universal Studios theme park.
Stronger Bond
Now, both Danny and Lexi can fit on the rides, with room to spare.
The already-happy couple is now happier. Having gone through their weight loss journey together, Lexi says that she and her husband have never felt closer and that their relationship has never been stronger.
An Inspiration
Turns out, the buddy system really does work!
Now that Lexi has undergone such a dramatic and amazing weight loss journey (not that it’s over!) she is giving others advice and inspiration.
More People Like Her
On her Instagram she also posts pictures of other peoples’ journeys to inspire others.
Lexi’s 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 advises against believing in any magic pill or surgery to get healthy, advising that it’s better to do it naturally.
Saving Yourself
“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.
Living Her Life
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.
Tips For Healthy Food
I saved my own life, and for that there are no words — only gratitude,” Lexi explained. The couple has had some exciting things happen to them recently.
One of Lexi’s tips for losing weight is prepping the ingredients for healthy meals at the beginning of the week and finding delicious and healthy meals.
Just A Reminder
She often shares her meal ideas social media pages under the name Fat Girl Fed Up.
On Memorial Day 2018, she wrote gave some inspiring advice. “I know Holidays are hard guys but practice portion control, healthier swaps, balance, planning,” she wrote.
All Natural Ingredients
Anyone who browses the meals she posts will notice that her meals are full of simple but delicious components. Everything is homemade and made with whole foods, not processed or packaged foods.
Lexi and Danny Reed’s life transformation has been brought about because they always find time to go to the gym and work it into social activities.
Life Update
Recently, she shared a picture of what they did before their latest Friday date night.
“Making the time before date night to work on our goals!” she wrote in a post on May 19.
Still Challenging
“Somedays we don’t know how we’re gonna do it, but everyday we get it done!” Lexi noted that before they embarked on their date night fun, they first hit the gym for “30 minutes of lighter cardio.”
Another huge factor that helped Lexi Reed make her astounding transformation was finding friends who also lived a healthy lifestyle.
Choosing The Right People
It’s extremely important to surround oneself with friends who have good habits and Lexi is living proof of this with her best friend and gym buddy.
“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,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Enjoying The Journey
“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.”
“From 765lbs to riding dirt bikes,” Lexi Reed wrote in a beautiful post on April 19.
Choose Fun Activities
“Life with you is an adventure & i’m enjoying the ride.” We’d definitely have to agree and have noticed a striking pattern.
One of Lexi and Danny’s tips for staying in great shape is making sure to find fun, active activites and looking for new challenges all the time. Way to go!
Big Achievements
One can only imagine how good life must feel for them.
Danny and Lexi Reed not only post pictures but they have a series of videos on YouTube as well. In one video, they documented their amazing experience when Lexi was honored by L’oreal Paris and TNT Drama at the SAG Awards.
Meeting Celebrities
The video of what they did while they were in Hollywood is incredible and provides a glimpse into their lifestyle. It showed how excited Lexi was to be able to meet tons of celebrities, experience a luxury hotel, and most importantly, still maintain their healthy lifestyle even while on vacation.
After gaining a huge following online, it was only a matter of time until they started gaining attention by TV news stations as well.
The Interview
In January, Lexi and Danny were invited to speak on The Today Show to share their story.
The pair flew to New York and were interviewed by Megyn Kelly about how they managed to lose 400 pounds together and the changes they have made in their life to do it all without the help of gastric bypass surgery.
Couple Goals
Their incredible message was definitely getting heard!
Lexi and Danny aren’t the only couples who were inspired to make a huge lifestyle change together. Another great example is with Lauren and Justin Shelton.
Small Steps Together
Each had serious medical issues but the biggest wake up call was when Justin, who weighed 592 pounds, was too heavy to go on the imaging machinery while he was suffering a kidney infection. His wife, at her heaviest, weighed 341 pounds.
They began to turn their lifestyle around in 2012 when they signed up for a program at a medical school in the area. Their workout routine began with simple things like going for walks. As things improved, they signed up for a gym together and began working out five to six times a week.
Sold Car To Walk
They also tracked their food consumption with an app. By October 2013, they had lost a combined 538 pounds!
This couple from Stoke-on-Trent, England had been together for years and even were blessed with a beautiful baby. However, they had let their lifestyles go with a sedentary lifestyle and tons of junk food. She weighed 281 pounds while her partner Dave weighed 207 pounds. Too force her to walk, Jo took an extreme measure and sold her car.
Inspiring Each Other
In addition, she started to cook healthier food, which had a ripple affect on Dave, who began losing weight as well. She also started doing Zumba classes.
After losing Johnathon Van Buskirk and Lisa Berg of Michigan were both quite heavy for most of their lives. At the age of only 24, John weighed 420 pounds but had was already down 75 pounds when he met Lisa. This inspired her too. Lisa had thought she would always be heavy, since that was what the rest of her family was like.
Mutual Decision
They started making small changes like picking healthier options and going for bike rides together. It paid off and the two lost a combined 330 pounds. Now the challenge left is raising money for surgery to remove the excess skin.
What a difference two years can make! Angela and Willie Gillis of Beaumont, Texas are a perfect example of what it takes to make a change Their journey started in 2011 when Angela realized that she was happy about everything in her life except her weight. Meanwhile, her husband simply felt “tired of being big.” Willie had been reading up for years about how to lose weight and decided to finally see if it would work for him too. They started going to the gym six times a week, starting off walking on the treadmill.
Completely Different
When they started, Willie weighed 492 pounds while Angela weighed 338 pounds. He ended up losing 300 pounds.
Angela lost 200, went from a Size 28 to Size 0 and teaches classes at the gym.