When Lexi and Danny Reed were younger, they were an average couple with common aspirations and dreams.
However, there was one significant obstacle holding the couple back from living life to the fullest: they were both overweight.
Lexi weighed a staggering 480 pounds on their wedding day, while Danny weighed 279 pounds.
Lexi and Danny’s weight put them in awkward social situations and limited their ability to participate in numerous activities.
However, one day they made a wager.
A New Beginning
Lexi and Danny had been friends for ten years when she finally met her soulmate. Feelings of love blossomed over time, and the two friends ultimately decided to tie the knot.
Danny’s greatness lay in his ability to accept Lexi unconditionally, regardless of her physical appearance.
“He never saw me as my size, asked me to change, or made me feel anything other than beautiful,” Lexi wrote on Instagram.
Danny, however, also had an unhealthy lifestyle and struggled to maintain his physical fitness.
On Lexi’s 25th birthday, she weighed 392 pounds. Danny was 280 pounds and two years older than Lexi.
“I was always an emotional eater, and no matter what the mood, food was always there for me,” Lexi said.
As the years passed, the pair continued to drag each other down. According to Lexi, they both indulged in unhealthy behaviors but eventually realized their weight was a problem.
The Terre Haute, Indiana couple knew they needed to make some changes but were too terrified to do so.
“We easily ate 4,000 calories per day. Vegetables were rarely on the menu. Everything we ate was either fried or fast food,” Lexi told the Daily Mail.
Lexi’s weight also hindered her daily life performance. She started to feel increasingly uneasy in her current setting.
Lexi can pinpoint the exact moment when she had had enough.
“I had long been looking forward to going to an amusement park and riding the roller coaster,” she says. “But when I got to the beginning of the queue, I was told I was too heavy. I couldn’t go. It was so incredibly embarrassing.”
Taking Action
Lexi decided to take action in January of 2016.
The pair decided they would make major changes in their lives, beginning with a new diet. Their shared passion for food would make it difficult.
“We often went to Asian eat-all-you-can-buffets. Then we went home and ordered more fast food,” Lexi says.
Lexi created the Instagram account “Fat Girl Fed Up” to share their weight loss experience and motivate others to make positive lifestyle changes.
Although losing weight wouldn’t be simple, Lexi and Danny had two things going for them: determination and support from one another.
“We were fed up with the life we were living and all the things we weren’t able to do together as a couple. We also feared if we didn’t get our health under control, we would never be able to start a family,” Lexi said.
Lexi has shed nearly 240 pounds. Danny has lost a total of 70 pounds.
Going to the gym was an integral component of the weight loss process. Naturally, it was a huge challenge for Lexi to enter the neighborhood gym, but she did it.
“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.”
The pair agreed to spend a month abiding by the following guidelines: “no eating out, no soda, no alcohol, no cheat meals, and working out for 30 minutes five times a week.”
They made a wager with their friends to go 30 days without eating any fast food.
However, they have progressed considerably further than that now.
They now put a lot more effort into planning their meals and always have a healthy mindset when doing so.
They also learned that preparing meals together yields better results. Seeing how her new healthy lifestyle is making her feel so much better, this doesn’t upset Lexi in the least.
A New Lifestyle
Her current lifestyle is the result of her new habits, and Lexi receives a lot of support from her friends and Instagram followers.
The shift is dramatic.
You wouldn’t think they were the same people at first glance.
Look at how delighted they are!
“Danny and I are still working very hard every day to achieve our goal,” Lexi says proudly. “We’re not there yet, but I’d never thought that we’d even get this far. It’s just incredible. Many small steps can go a long way.”
In the beginning, Lexi’s weight reduction Instagram posts were ignored, but now they have a massive following.
In 2021, Lexi has more than 1.2 million Instagram followers who keep up with her daily activities.
Lexi and Danny have shared their motivational story on several television programs over the years.
However, they haven’t let their fame change who they are as a couple. Lexi and Danny have maintained their modesty. To keep their good habits up, they know they need to keep pushing themselves.
“Every day is a non-scale victory and a reminder of how far I’ve come. I loved myself even at 485 pounds, but to be able to wake up and do whatever I want and go wherever I want… I don’t feel like I’m a prisoner in my own body anymore,” Lexi says.
Even though her current condition appears bleak, Lexi continues to exercise and share the message that everything is possible.
“Start small — small changes add up to big results — and focus on each day, not how far you have to go,” she says.
This pair has had quite the amazing and motivational adventure! It’s wonderful to see Lexi and Danny doing better.
I admire Lexi and Danny for demonstrating how far people can come when they set their minds to something and work hard enough.
They’ve been through it all together, and they’re happier than ever!
