In recent years, the developed world has been facing an obesity epidemic, mainly due to an increase in fast food, rising prices for fresh and healthy eating, and busy lifestyles and jobs leading to less time spent exercising. This is especially true in the US, where statistics estimate that nearly 75% of American men and 60% of American women are obese. Lexi Reed from Terre Haute, Indiana, fell into this bracket, as did her husband, Danny. Together, they decided enough was enough and embarked on an incredible fitness and healthy eating program that completely transformed their lives. Not only did they exceed their weight-loss goals but they also found international fame. This couple’s story of determination, hard work, and dedication shows that anything is possible if you set goals and strive to achieve them – and together, they have motivated and inspired countless people around the world to follow in their footsteps and turn their lives around for the better. Read on for this incredible story in full.
A Heavy Start to Life
From a young age, Reed had struggled with her weight. She had always been physically more significant than average and self-conscious about it – but no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to shed the excess pounds.
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By the time she was just 25 years old, she had weighed 392 pounds. Feeling as though her obesity was impacting her personal and professional life – as well as her health – Lexi was extremely unhappy. Enough was enough.
Finding That Special Someone
There was no denying that Lexi’s weight was an issue, so she decided to make a change. She was determined to love herself and be happy with what she saw in the mirror. Little did she know that she was about to meet Danny, and her life would dramatically change.
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Their connection was instant and went far deeper than physical appearance – Lexi was sure that Danny didn’t find her weight an issue. He made it clear that he loved everything about her. There was, however, still one problem.
Pushed to the Limits
Danny was also extremely overweight – at 280 pounds, his lifestyle was unhealthy, and Lexi was concerned. He ate a lot of junk food and rarely did any form of physical exercise, and this didn’t help Lexi with her vow to turn her life around.
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Before she knew it, the couple was eating unhealthily and staying a lot indoors. They were still gaining weight – and it was beginning to get out of control. Something had to change – and fast.
An Unhealthy Relationship with Food
Lexi’s story began to gain popularity around the world and, when speaking to PopSugar, she confessed that she had an addiction to unhealthy food that started when she was young, and her parents would avoid cooking fresh and nutritious food and instead opt for processed food.
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This continued into her adult life, and she began to become an emotional eater, depending on food in all kinds of situations. Whether she was happy or sad, angry or stressed, she would find comfort in eating.
A Love with Limitations
Even though Lexi and Danny were perfect for each other on an emotional level, they knew that they weren’t a “normal” couple and that something was lacking in their relationship.
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They just weren’t able to enjoy doing things together as other couples were – they were unable even to take a romantic stroll together let alone do anything that required physical exertion. All they did was stay inside.
Looking to the Future
Despite her worries, Lexi stayed positive and continued searching until she found the perfect wedding dress. Their wedding day was exactly how they dreamed it would be, and they were delightfully happy.
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Thinking ahead to what the future might hold for them, the couple started discussing having children. They had to be realistic – scientifically speaking, it was doubtful that Lexi would get pregnant while she was so big.
Confined to Life in Indiana
The thought of not being able to have children plagued Lexi and Danny, but that wasn’t it. Lexi dreamed of traveling across the country to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, as she was a huge fan.
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She wanted nothing more than to see the castle with her own eyes but, because she was too big for a plane seat as well as the rides in the park, it was impossible. It seemed so unfair that her weight caused her to sacrifice so much.
A New Year’s Resolution
To Lexi and Danny, the start of a new year seemed to be the perfect time to put their plan to turn their life around into action. They’d been talking about it for far too long – now, it was time to take action.
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And so it was on 1 January 2016 that Lexi and Danny changed their lives. Lexi was more determined than ever to become happier and healthier – in reality, her life really did depend on it. Danny, however, wasn’t as keen at first.
To Diet or Not to Diet?
In fact, Danny thought it was a bad idea. He loved their routine and wasn’t inclined to change anything about their lifestyle. He didn’t share Lexi’s concerns and just wanted to carry on how they were.
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Lexi didn’t give up and, before long, Danny realized just how important this was to his wife. As any caring husband would, he decided to support her throughout the process. He knew deep down it was the best thing for both of them.
Breaking Habits of a Lifetime
Lexi couldn’t wait for the day to come when they wouldn’t have to make sacrifices in their relationship. All she wanted to do was normal activities such as taking walks and going on vacation.
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There was no doubt that it was going to be incredibly difficult to break bad habits that had been around for an entire lifetime, but both Lexi and Danny had a huge motivation: they wanted to start a family. But they had to lose weight to do so.
Sticking to the Rules
Dutifully putting their plan into action, Lexi and Danny signed up to a membership at their local gym. Sticking to their rules as promised, they went to the gym five times a week for at least 30 minutes.
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Lexi decided against hiring a personal trainer, instead of using her own knowledge and willpower to push her body to the limit. It wasn’t easy, however, and before long, she found herself struggling with joint pain.
Making Healthy Eating Fun
Lexi and Danny had now firmly established going to the gym as part of their normal routine, and they were also focusing on their eating habits – although they struggled in the beginning as they were unsure of what to cook.
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It wasn’t long, however, before they discovered a way to make healthy eating fun. They began to cook meals together to make the experience more enjoyable, and it was successful. They really were starting to turn things around.
A New Way of Life
Although the couple had started their healthy lifestyle plan successfully, Lexi told herself that they were not dieting. Instead, they were embracing a new way of life – she found it easier to think of in this way.
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This transformation of their whole lives was a long-term plan, and, because of it, Lexi found healthy ways to cook the foods that both she and Danny loved. It was all about balance.
Staying Focused and Seeing Results
The months passed, and Lexi and Danny continued to stick to their routine, cooking healthy meals and regularly working out at the gym. Lexi had even found the confidence to join some classes – something she never thought she’d be able to do.
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Not only did this allow her to meet new people but also exercise in new and exciting ways. It served as added motivation and, before long, both Lexi and Danny began to see a massive difference in their appearance. This encouraged them even more.
Letting Them All Stare
Lexi was ecstatic that the weight was falling off and began to stop worrying that people were looking at her and judging her. In fact, she started to view it as extra motivation to prove them wrong!
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Although altering her life had been extremely challenging in the beginning, Lexi was beginning to find that her healthy habits were becoming part of her everyday life – and she was actually enjoying it.
Hitting Some Incredible Targets
When May 2018 came, Lexi had managed to lose a total of 312 pounds – something she never thought she’d do. Gone were the days of self-consciousness – she was finally starting to like what she saw in the mirror.
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One instance that made her weight loss really hit home was when she went to a restaurant and realized her stomach no longer rested on the table. Now, she knew that her food intake and workout routines were working in her favor.
A Social Media Star
Finally feeling good about her appearance and proud of her achievements, Lexi eventually
decided to share her weight-loss story with the rest of the world by creating an Instagram account under the handle @FatGirlFedUp. She had no idea how popular it would become.
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She filled her timeline with motivational quotes, pictures of healthy meals, and videos of her workout routines. Before long, she had become a social media star – now, she has more than 750,000 followers!
Living a “Normal” Life
Collectively, Lexi and Danny have lost an incredible 400 pounds, and they are both determined to continue their healthy lifestyle over the long term. The benefits are immeasurable, and they are now living a “normal” life.
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This was exemplified a few years after Danny proposed when they made their way back to the same beach. This time, they were able to go for a run together along the coast, knowing that there was no way they could have done it on the day of the proposal.
A Truly Magical Moment
It didn’t stop there – Lexi and Danny were now able to travel. Both of them were able to fit on a standard airplane seat, and Lexi was even able to ride comfortably on theme park rides. Their worlds were truly opening up because of their weight loss.
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To top it off, Lexi’s dream of visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando came true. It really was a magical moment for her, made even more special by the fact she was sharing it with Danny. The couple had come such a long way.
A Story to Inspire Others
Lexi has not just transformed her own life. However – she has also managed to influence and motivate countless others through her social media platforms. She offers tips, recipes, workout videos, and motivational quotes to help people with their own journeys.
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With so many followers on Instagram, she’s been able to reach thousands of people but always manages to stay humble. Her main advice to people starting their weight-loss journey is “start small” and “focus on each day.”
A Personal YouTube Journey
Lexi didn’t stop there. However – she and Danny also teamed up to start their very own YouTube channel. There, they can connect with even more people who want to embark on their own weight-loss journey.
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They share their experiences and offer the advice they found most useful, trying to help everyone that needs it. Their story proved to be so popular and touched the hearts of so many that they were invited to attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2018.
A Great Honor for a Huge Achievement
Of course, Danny has done incredibly well and personally inspired many people around the world, but it’s safe to say that Lexi has stolen the show on a global scale. It’s because of this that she was given a great honor in 2018.
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L’Oreal Paris and TNT drama invited her to attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards because they felt that she was an inspiration to women across the globe. Lexi and Danny were flown to Hollywood and put up in a fancy hotel – they’d never experienced anything like it!
Prepping Meals to Perfection
So, how has Lexi managed to do it? What are the main principles of this extraordinary weight-loss journey? Well, she’s openly shared her best tips – one of the most important being effective meal prepping.
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To ensure that she sticks to her healthy lifestyle, Lexi makes sure that she preps her food at the start of the week, then keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer. She likes to treat herself now and then but always keeps things balanced.
Always Finding the Time
Perhaps the biggest challenge that Lexi and Danny faced during their weight-loss journey was finding the time to do all the exercises and meal preparation. With busy schedules already, fitting all this into their week wasn’t easy.
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However, Lexi claims that, as they spent an increasing amount of time at the gym, she realized she actually wanted to make time to exercise – and Danny felt the same way too. In fact, they even began to choose to go to the gym over going out somewhere else on a date!
Banding Together to Boost Confidence
Maintaining their healthy lifestyle wasn’t always been easy, but Lexi had her online community to thank for much of it. After using social media to showcase her transformation, Lexi was able to band together with fans and other fitness fanatics to keep her confidence.
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She regularly posts interactive videos on Facebook and hosts fitness contests for those who have followed her progress. This online community relies on each other to keep them all going – and that’s honestly something special.
Recognizing What Is Important
Although their lives have been successfully transformed, Lexi and Danny both acknowledge that it’s still important to have rest days. Although they always go to the gym five times a week, they spend the other two days relaxing or having fun.
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One way they do this is spending time with their two dogs, Olivia and Oliver. They love nothing more than walking them in the local park – something they would never have dreamed of doing before they lost weight.
Always Trying Something New
The outdoor activities don’t stop there, though – in April 2018, the couple posted this adorable photograph on social media, showcasing their new love for dirt biking.
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They decided to try out this new activity to add a bit of excitement into their active lifestyle, and they soon fell in love with it. They wanted a brand new adventure, and they found this on the track. The best bit? They got to do it together.
Following Their Biggest Achievements
Since their rise in popularity, Lexi and Danny have continued to document their lives on their YouTube channel. Recording all of their most significant achievements, they share everything with their loyal followers.
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This included their trip to Hollywood for the SAG Awards, where they filmed their flight, their exploration of LA, as well as their interaction with some of the biggest names in the business.
Starring on The Today Show
As more and more people followed their story, Lexi and Danny’s fame has continued to grow. They have been featured on countless television shows, the highlight of which was in January 2018, when they were invited to appear on the famous The Today Show.
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Once again, they were flown across the country, and they recited their story to one of the most famous news readers in the business, Megyn Kelly. It’s an experience they will never forget.