If you set a goal to completely change your life, would you be able to stick with it? The couple in our story, Lexi and Danny Reed, did exactly that. One day, when Lexi decided that it was time for a major change, this couple would set out on a journey that would lead to something amazing. Eighteen months later, they are role models for everyone who knows them, and they inspire people who want to change their lives.
This couple is chock full of great advice for enabling your dreams and living the life that you’ve been craving. Read on to hear just what happened on their epic journey. Who knows, maybe you’ll get inspired to change your own life!
1. Weight Issues
Ever since she was little, Lexi had some weight issues. Since she was a naturally sociable and spirited person, she didn’t let it bring her down too much. Nonetheless, she attempted on multiple occasions to lose that weight by different means, and yet it always returned.
By the time she was 25, Lexi clocked in at 392 pounds and all that extra baggage was beginning to affect her quality of life. Though she maintained a positive outlook and felt fairly happy, she found that her condition was preventing her from chasing after her dreams.
2. Lexi’s Love Life
Once she met Danny Reed, Lexi knew that she had found the love of her life. They have been best friends for over 10 years now, and Danny didn’t judge Lexi for her weight. He appreciated her for who she was, regardless of any shape or size.
There is a fine line between being supportive and enabling, however. It turns out that Danny wasn’t too healthy either, and, between his poor diet and his sedentary life, he didn’t always have the best effect on Lexi’s choices.
3. Bad Habits
It was undeniable that both parts of the couple were overweight. Just a few years Lexi’s senior, Danny weighted about 280 pounds at this point. Feeding into each other’s ways, they exercised even less and ate a lot of junk food together.
Neither of them judged for their bad habits, and so they both felt gratified in their indulgences. In fact, they went out to eat for basically every meal, including spending hours on end at all-you-can-eat buffets. Even when they decided to stay home for a meal, they would order delivery or take-out. As they put on the pounds together, their health grew poorer and poorer.
4. Binge-Eating Processed Foods
In an interview with PopSugar, Lexi admitted that she had grown accustomed to these unhealthy habits from an early age. She explained, “Growing up, we never had a lot of money and my parents never cooked. Processed foods were always easier to purchase than healthy foods…”
Old habits die hard, and these trends continued into her relationship with Danny. Lexi said they spent many evenings eating these unhealthy foods while binge-watching TV. She continued, “I was always an emotional eater, also, and no matter what the mood, food was always there for me.”
5. A Limited Lifestyle
Because of their obesity, this couple just couldn’t do things that other couples do. No romantic walks on the beach, no bike rides across town: they were happy in their relationship, but their limited lifestyle left them at home watching TV on most days.
A growing awareness of the limitations imposed by her weight began to grow in Lexi’s mind. Sure, she was happy and generally positive, but still she recognized that she needed something to change. She felt lost and confused, unsure of how to go about affecting this necessary change.
Then, one day, something clicked.
6. She Said Yes
When Danny popped the question, Lexi was overjoyed. “He never saw me as my size, asked me to change, or made me feel as anything other than beautiful,” Lexi reported on her Instagram. Still, she struggled to find a wedding dress that she could fit into because, at this point, she was up to 485 pounds.
Though shopping for a wedding dress is supposed to be an exciting and fun task, Lexi found it daunting. “Nobody knew how to make me feel like a bride, and not my size,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”
7. The Big Day
After she found the perfect dress, the big day came for Lexi and Danny’s marriage. Rather than sinking into nuptial bliss together, the couple’s problems were, in fact, just starting. They had a long road before them.
Foremost on their mind was the question of rearing kids together. Given Lexi’s current size, it could be dangerous for both her and the baby if she were to try to give birth. This wasn’t even the only problem that they found themselves staring down.
8. Limited Dreams
Even beyond life-changing dreams like having children, even smaller goals were limited to the heavy couple. While many newly weds like to travel for their honeymoon, this possibility was barred to the Reeds.
Lexi had always dreamed of one day going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Yet it was impossible. Not only was she too big to fit into any of the rides once she got there, but she couldn’t even fly there from Indiana because she was too large for a plane seat.
9. Life Goes On
A year of married life came and went. Nothing changed. Lexi and Danny still spent their free time in front of the TV, eating junky processed foods. The cycled continued.
Things were spiraling out of control for the Reed family. In the pit of her stomach, Lexi felt that she had to make a change but just couldn’t figure out how to start. And yet she refused to give up hope—ever. This strong woman began to search within herself for the motivation to change, and this began her amazing journey. She would never be the same.
10. New Year, New Me
Lexi found herself constantly ruminating about how, for their own sakes, their lives needed to change. So, on the first day of 2016, Lexi resolves that her life would change. She resolved to become healthier.
With the support of her husband, she knew that she wouldn’t go it alone. He supported her decision, and yet remained obstinate himself. Lexi would have to work to persuade him to join her on her mission to become lighter and healthier.
11. He Knew the Truth
“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,” explained Danny. Eventually he bucked up, decided that he couldn’t let his wife go down this road alone, and joined her side.
After rethinking things, Danny burst out, “It’s a new year and something to work toward while helping Lexi out as well!” He knew the truth. For both of their health, he knew what he had to do.
12. The Wager
When they heard about the Reed’s New Year’s resolution, some of their friends decided to make a friendly wager. The terms and conditions: “no eating out, no soda, no alcohol, no cheat meals, and working out for 30 minutes five times a week.” Their friends certainly thought that the odds were stacked in their favor.
Nonetheless, Lexi and Danny threw themselves with vigor into the challenge, determined to prove their self-control to the world, their friends, and, most importantly, themselves. This began their long and arduous journey.
13. They Were Fed Up
Lexi explained her resolution to change, stating, “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.” She had big dreams of flying across the continent and even taking simple strolls in the evening with her husband. Plus, she had an even bigger concern on her mind.
“We also feared if we didn’t get our health under control, we would never be able to start a family,” she continued. It was time to change her current life into the life that she wanted to live.
14. Hitting the Gym
True to their word, Danny and Lexi bought memberships to their local gym in Terre Haute, Indiana. Lexi hit the gym for half an hour every single day according to the conditions of the bet. For someone weighing almost 500 pounds, this was no simple feat.
It’s certainly a good thing that this couple had such resolve, both to themselves and to their friends, because neither had a personal trainer. Compiling difficulties, Lexi experienced a great deal of joint pain as a result of her size and was having a hard time finding a workout routine that worked for her.
15. The Right Stuff
The determined couple even struggled to find a gym to their liking. Lexi feared what other people would think when they saw her in the gym, so they searched around for a less-crowded gym. Eventually, Lexi also found the perfect equipment for her.
“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 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.
16. Healthier Eating
Staring to exercise was just the first part of the Reed’s overall lifestyle change. They also decided to quit eating out, and so they had to start cooking for themselves. During this process, they found that the best way for them to go about this was to cook together.
They supported each other and kept each other company in the kitchen. Instead of frozen pizzas and TV dinners, they cooked healthy meals that would help them to shed those pounds. Remember, dieting isn’t easy for anyone.
17. Not Just a Diet
Rather than seeing their new eating habits as a diet, something temporary, Lexi and Danny chose to embrace them as a new way of life. They needed a long-term solution that they could carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Instead of looking at it as a diet, something to be dreaded, Lexi found a way to make the transition to healthier eating a bit more enjoyable. “I started taking the foods I loved and making healthier versions,” explained Lexi. “I no longer felt like I had to give up something or deprive [myself].”
18. Supporting Each Other
It’s never easy to make a big change like becoming healthier, especially if you’re trying to accomplish it alone. Fortunately for Lexi and Danny, they supported each other. They kept their promise to each other and held the other accountable so that they stayed strong.
It was a huge boon for them to have each other during this process. They supported each other in every way, and always motivated their partner to stay on track. As a month came and went in their new life, something amazing was beginning to happen…
19. Staying the Course
As Lexi and Danny stayed the course of eating healthfully and working out, they started getting real results. Emboldened, Lexi decided to take some courses at the gym and reach out to new people. Her new friends from this period ended up being a valuable resource, both for supporting her and holding her accountable.
“I love my Pulse class,” smiled Lexi. “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.”
20. Seeing the Difference
With the slow passage of time, Lexi started to see the difference. The fruits of her labor were coming to bear. She was over her fear of the gym, saying, “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.”
In the beginning, Lexi dropped about 20 pounds per months. As time went out, the weight loss slowed and yet her new lifestyle had solidified into habits. She continued to exercise and eat good foods, even counting calories each day.
21. Danny Drops the Pounds
Of course, Lexi wasn’t alone in her results. Danny was also dropping off the pounds, as he was with Lexi on every step of the journey. 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.
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. Keeping up their new healthy habits, Danny shed nearly 100 pounds within 18 months. He started the challenge at 280 pounds, and, in almost no time, he was down to 190.
22. A Whole New Lexi
Once 18 months had passed, the world welcomed a whole new Lexi. She was amazed at her transformation that she achieved through natural means, exercise and healthy eating. Without having to resort to any surgeries or pills, she had a brand-new lifestyle and had lost 312 pounds!
A pivotal moment for Lexi was when she finally decided to head back to a restaurant that the couple used to frequent. Before her change, her stomach would rest on the table, and yet now she found that she had plenty of room to move around. This moment filled Lexi with pride and confirmation of her success.
23. Instagram Role-Model
Hoping to spread her message and get access to even more support, Lexi stated up an Instagram account in autumn of 2016 to document her amazing tale. The account was named ‘Fat Girl Fed Up’ and she used this platform to post pictures of herself working out alongside motivational quotes. The followers kept pouring in!
As of today, she boasts over 750,000 followers. Fans especially love the before and after pictures because they show just how completely she transformed herself in a mere two years. It proves that dedication to hard work can change anyone into a healthier, happier version of themselves.
24. Famous
When their story went viral across the internet, Lexi and Danny realized that not only were they healthier, but they were also famous! TV stations and news channels aired their story—they even found themselves talking to Rachel Ray about cooking and eating healthy foods.
Even with the fame, the couple has remained humble throughout. They are gracious for the media attention giving them the motivation to continue their healthy habits, and they hope to inspire others to do the same.
25. Nothing Is the Same
Now that Danny and Lexi have lost a combined 400 pounds, nothing is the same for the couple. For instance, they decided to return to the beach where Danny initially proposed to Lexi to celebrate their change.
On the day of their engagement, Lexi weighed nearly 500 pounds and even a little walk on the beach would have left her exhausted. Now it was a completely different story. “We returned to that beach and ran down that beach!” Lexi beamed.
26. A Magical Trip
Another magical moment was in store for Lexi as a result of her transformation. Since she can now fit into an airplane seat, she lived her dream of going to the Harry Potter World theme park in Florida. They got on all of the rides together and had a great time.
They may have been happy before, but now they are even happier than they could have ever imagined. They are so glad to have gone on this profound journey together, and Lexi attributes a new closeness to their relationship as a result of it. They did it together.
27. Come So Far
It’s been a long road, and the couple has come so far together. “I am grateful for every single day and I am enjoying the journey,” smiled Lexi as she contemplated a bright future.
“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,” she explained, “I don’t feel like I’m a prisoner in my own body anymore.”
28. Lexi’s Advice
Lexi is living proof that determination and hard work can accomplish anything. Now she wants to share her story so that others can do the same. Using Instagram, she uploads pictures of other people’s weight loss journeys so that everyone can know just what’s possible.
Lexi’s advice is “Start small—small changes add up to big results—and focus on each day, not how far you have to go.” She also thinks its better for people to go about weight loss naturally, through diet and exercise, instead of a weight-loss pills or surgery.
29. Giving Back
Lexi and Danny know that they owe a lot to other people for helping them to become healthier and happier people, so they’ve decided to give back. To this end, they founded a YouTube channel that advises people who want to lose weight. They inspire people to exercise and eat healthy foods.
Because of how inspiring Lexi’s story is, she even earned an invite to the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards. “I learned how strong and capable I am as person,” she explained. “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.”
30. Saving Their Lives
“There are no words to explain the felling of saving your own life,” Lexi said. “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,” Lexi continued. “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.” And that’s not all for Lexi and Danny, because they have even more exciting prospects on the horizon.
31. Hollywood Celebrity
Because of her incredible effort to change her life, Lexi got a one-in-a-lifetime honor. Chosen by Loreal Paris and TNT Drama as one of the strongest and most inspiring women alive, she got to go to the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
This lady went from not being able to fit into a plane seat to getting flown to Hollywood! They were put up in a fancy hotel and rubbed shoulders with the biggest names in L.A. And, of course, they kept up their exercise routine!
32. Meal Planning
A big part of Lexi’s weight-loss strategy is planning and preparing meals at the beginning of the week so that she can be sure that her food is both healthy and delicious. She shares her recipes on social media under the handle Fat Girl Fed Up.
For instance, on Memorial Day of 2018, she gave some practical advice to party-goers everywhere. “I know Holidays are hard guys but practice portion control, healthier swaps, balance, and planning,” wrote Lexi. Looking through her posts, it’s obvious that her meals are full of easy but tasty ingredients. She never uses processed or packaged foods, and she prefers to make handmade dishes using all-natural whole foods.
33. Lifestyle Maintenance
The secret to maintaining their healthy lifestyle is by doing lots of fun new activities. For example, on a recent camping trip, they didn’t opt for the traditional hotdogs and hamburgers that so many people would go to in this situation.
Instead, they decided to prepare a high-protein meal before their hike. They had chicken, steak, and mashed avocado. In a social media post, Lexi commented, “Holidays, weekends, or even being out of your routine doesn’t meant we can’t still reach our goals and eat delicious food!”
34. Workout Advice
Another important pillar of their transformation has been consistently making time to go workout. In a recent post, Lexi shared their pre-date rituals.
“Making the time before date night to work on our goals!” she sent out on May 19th. “Somedays we don’t know how we’re gonna do it, but everyday we get it done!” Lexi continued that, before heading out to have a fun and romantic night together, they set off to the gym for “30 minutes of lighter cardio.”
35. Support from the Community
It’s been very important for Lexi and Danny to receive support from the community over the course of their journey. This includes their friends and family in real life, and their online followers. In the virtual world, she uses Facebook to host motivating exercise contests on diatbet.com. Her pages are a source of motivation for many people.
Everyone works together to motivate each other to workout more, eat better, and hold each other accountable for their decisions. Check out the comments on FatGirlFedUp pages to see for yourself how her followers have made huge changes in their lives!
36. Like-Minded People
Another big part of their road to success was surrounding themselves with like-minded people. Lexi and Danny made friends with other people who prioritized healthy living, and since then have made some valuable friendships.
“When I started my journey, I was normally more of a loner and lost people I was close to due to my new lifestyle and hobbies,” she posted on Facebook. “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.”
37. Well-Earned Days Off
Of course, there’s more to life than going to the gym. Danny and Lexi know this, so they take days off occasionally to have some fun. In this picture, you can see them having a great time with their gorgeous dogs, Olivia and Oliver.
Even during a rest day, they still stay active because it’s fun. Lexi posted, “Can’t wait for more walks with them this summer and we’re sure they are happy mom/dad got healthy too!”
38. Dirt Biking
“From 765lbs to riding dirt bikes,” Lexi wrote in a post on April 19th. “Life with you is an adventure & I’m enjoying the ride.” It’s great that this couple can now enjoy fun sports like dirt biking.
In their commitment to staying in shape, the Reeds are always searching for new and interesting ways to lead an active lifestyle. They must feel truly amazing after having pulled off such an outstanding feat.
39. Inspiration for Men
Lexi isn’t alone in her mission to inspire and help others change their lives. Danny, her husband, started up his very own Instagram account for this purpose. He calls it ‘Discovering Danny.’
He leads his followers along his weight-loss adventure and documents the journeys that he and his wife have taken to get to the place where they are now. He shares his milestones and his life’s story, including things like acquiring a new tattoo.
40. YouTube Sensation
In addition to posting pictures on Instagram, Danny and Lexi Reed run a YouTube account together. In their sensational series, they document many of their experiences, including when Lexi got to go to the SAG Awards at the behest of Loreal Paris and TNT Drama.
The video gives a glimpse of their lives as they head on a remarkable trip to Hollywood and gives us a behind the scenes look. We see Lexi’s excitement as she becomes acquainted with Hollywood’s rich and famous, we get a look glimpse of their luxury hotel, and, best of all, we watch as they keep up their healthy lifestyle all the while.
41. The Today Show
Once they had amassed a healthy number of online followers, it only made sense that TV stations would begin to notice them. Their big break came in January, when they shared their story with the world on The Today Show.
Danny and Lexi were flown to New York and talked to Megyn Kelly about losing weight, changing their lives, and their refusal to rely on gastric bypass surgery. They reached a huge audience and their voices were being heard.
42. Starting a Family
One of the main reasons that she decided to make this change in the first place was because she wanted to safely give birth to children. When she got married, pregnancy could have been dangerous for Lexi and the kid.
However, since they’re now fit and thin, Lexi has begun planning for the future of her family. She explained during an interview in May with Life & Style Magazine, “In five 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.”
43. Another Couple’s Story
Lexi and Danny are far from alone in their commitment to losing weight together. For example, Lauren and Justin Shelton are another couple with a similar story. Between them they faced a lot of health problems, and, compounding this, Justin, who weighed 592 pounds, was too heavy for the imaging equipment when he had a kidney infection. His wife, Lauren, scaled up to 341 pounds.
In 2012 they begun their transformational journey through a program at a local medical institution. They started small, exercising by going on walks together. Gradually, they eased into a gym and begun to work out five or six times on a weekly basis. As for the diet aspect, they used an app to pay attention to their food consumption. Then, when October 2013 came around, they had shed a combined weight of 538 pounds!
44. Danny and Kalean Patton
Another inspiring couple is Danny and Kalean Patton. At 26 years old, Danny already weighed 395 and was expecting difficulties making it up to his flat on the third-floor. Just like the Reeds, he got fed up and decided to make a change with girlfriend, Kalean.
They begun by preparing healthier meals and cutting back on ordering take-out. Then, with a gym membership in hand, they hit the treadmill and weights, building stamina and strength while losing weight. After just one year, Danny dropped 200 pounds and Kalean lost 93 pounds. The world watched as Danny proposed marriage on live TV. Since then, they’ve started a fitness Facebook page that they named ‘Danny & Kalean—from fat to fit.”
45. Jo Hughes and Dave Swingewood
An additional transformational couple comes from Stoke-on-Trent England. They’ve been married for years and even have a child of their own. Still, once they let themselves go and stopped caring about exercise and healthy eating, they put on a lot of weight. Jo weighed 281 and Dave came in at 207 pounds.
Giving herself no other option than walking, Jo decided to sell her car. She also began making healthier meals and this eventually inspired Dave to also get fit. Another one of her favorite ways to lose those pounds is by going to Zumba classes.
46. Jonathan Van Buskirk and Lisa Berg
This couple, Jonathan Van Buskirk and Lisa Berg, were both overweight for most of their lives. At just 24 years-old, John was 420 pounds, 75 pounds lighter than when he initially met Lisa. His efforts inspired Lisa to get healthier as well.
Since her entire family was heavy, Lisa thought she was doomed to stay that way forever. However, by making little changing to their daily routine like riding bikes together and cooking better foods, they started to notice a difference. In combination, this couple dropped 330 pounds. Now they’re just hoping to save some money for surgery to remove the excess skin.
47. Angela and Willie Gillis
Two years can really make all of the difference for two people. These residents of Beaumont Texas, Angela and Willie Gillis, are role models of change for people everywhere. In 2011, Angela realized that she was sick of her current weight, and her husband was “tired of being big.”
Willie studied up on weight-loss techniques for years and then took that all-important step to plunge into it one day. This couple started hitting the gym six times a week, beginning by walking the treadmill. At the beginning, Angela was 338 pounds and Willie was around 492. He lost 300 pounds and she dropped 200, going from a size 28 to a size 0. She now teaches classes at her gym.