For many people, it’s hard to truly grasp what it means to be overweight, but for people like Lexi and Danny Reed, their weight dictated their lives. The couple, who hails from Terre Haute, Indiana, weight a combined total of 765 pounds, with Lexi weighing in at 485 pounds and Danny weighing in at 280 pounds. Though neither was happy with their weight, they were never propelled to do anything about it–that is, until they decided to have a baby.
“I knew I could never be a mom at the size that I was and that was one thing that motivated me,” Lexi said.
According to the couple, they wanted a better life for their future son or daughter–one with parents who were healthy and could do fun activities with him or her. At their current weight, many “fun activities” were out of the question, including travel, going to theme parks or even going for a hike.
“Before…I was just existing and not living. I was a prisoner in my body and despite wanting to do so many things, I couldn’t because of my weight,” Lexi said. “I was rejected from a roller coaster with Danny, which was embarrassing. So I didn’t go on anymore, then I became too scared of going on an airplane in case I didn’t fit the seat. Roller coasters were always a thing I enjoyed, so not being able to ride them for 10 years broke my heart.”
Lexi details everything she couldn’t do when she was overweight, including something as simple as buying a dress.
When Lexi was at her heaviest, finding a wedding dress was impossible, as not many gown-designers make dresses in a size 34.
Lexi and Danny got tired of simply existing, so when they decided to lose weight, they decided they’d do it in a fun way. They took on a bucket list of challenges, which included going on theme park rides, traveling, kayaking, hiking and partaking in other athletic activities that before they would never have dreamt twice about doing.
In addition to putting the fun back in their lives, they quit drinking alcohol, swapped fast food with healthy foods, stopped going out to eat (so much) and hit the gym. Lexi says that her initial goal was to do cardio for a half hour four times a week, but after her first visit, she found she wasn’t able to. So instead, she focused on simply doing 30 minutes of low-intensity cardio. She would walk until she was winded, then take a break. Then, she would start again and walk until she needed a break. Through this stop-and-start method, she completed 30 minutes of cardio. It was hard, but she kept returning. As time passed it, became easier.
After the first month, Lexi and Danny began to add vegetables and lean protein to their diet, such as salmon and chicken, and they ate healthy carbs.
Now, Lexi is a size 12, “definitely half the size I was when I got married,” she said. In addition to living it up in her new body, Lexi has recreated her wedding photos, in the same dress, to show what a transformation she has gone through.
Lexi and Danny are not just “another weight loss story”–they are an inspiration to people everywhere who struggle with their weight that you can get your life back by simply starting to live it. “You don’t need to have a specialist meal plan, surgery, or a personal trainer,” Lexi tells others. “You just need to be willing to learn every single day about your diet and exercise.”
The couple began their weight loss journey on New Year’s Day, 2016. In a single year, they lost a combined total of 298 pounds. Lexi lost 236 pounds–about 20 pounds a month–and Danny lost 62.
“I just felt happier. I felt proud of myself,” Lexi said at the beginning of her journey. “I was accomplishing something and I was finally doing something.”
Her journey isn’t over yet, though. Lexi hopes to continue losing and being healthy for herself and her family. Every day, she reevaluates what she is doing in the hopes of doing it better. “My weight loss has slowed and I have picked up the intensity of my workouts and adjusted my calories to continue losing consistently,” she said. Now, instead of just walking for 30 minutes four days a week, Lexi works out for an hour, five or six days a week.
Though both Lexi and Danny are happy with their healthier bodies, neither can help but notice the unintended impact their weight loss has had on their lives. “This helped our relationship a lot and that is pretty cool,” said Danny. “Us being able to do stuff together has brought us closer together.”
To keep track of Lexi and Danny’s progress, check out Lexi’s Instagram page @FatGirlFedUp.
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