We are all created differently, from the way we think and behave to our physical appearances. And while experts advise that we embrace ourselves for who we are, sometimes our physical appearance is not what we would like it to be.

According to the World Health Organization, over one billion people worldwide are struggling with obesity. This disorder occurs due to excessive fat accumulation and attracts an array of health conditions. Thankfully, there's always something we can do about it, and Lexi and Danny Red decided to do it together, resulting in them becoming weight loss inspirations. So what's their story? Let's find out.

A Long-Term Spot of Bother

Weight is usually the least of a child's worries as they grow older. In fact, they may never have a problem with it unless someone points it out to them, or they get to the adolescent stage, where they feel insecure about almost anything.

For Lexi Reed, being overweight has been a struggle since she was young. Even though she was determined to shed some weight, it never seemed to work as she kept going back to square one, but she was not one to let it affect her social life. It turned out that all she needed was a little extra outside motivation.

Falling In Love

When love knocks on the door, it's always best to open up and let it in, and Lexi and Danny did just that. From the start, they knew that they were always meant to be. They found love in each other and a shoulder to lean on at all times, and that has been the secret to their successful marriage.

It was clear from the beginning that Danny never cared about Lexi's appearance; after all, she had a charming personality, and that was all he saw. Besides, he himself had his own weight struggles, weighing 280 pounds at the time.

On a Downward Spiral

Of all the things that Danny and Lexi shared a love for, eating junk food was a standout. As they became more comfortable in their relationship, their eating habits worsened, and they felt uncomfortable in their own skin. Even when it came to meals, cooking was almost never an option on the table, as they often ordered or ate out.

While they found the time they spent together getting stuffed up in buffets glamorous, it was affecting their health more than they knew. They ended up gaining even more weight, and it would be a while before they realized what they were in for.

Coming to Terms

Growing up, Lexi had always known that there was a problem with her. In an interview, she even admitted that her parents were also in on it, as they encouraged the consumption of unhealthy, processed foods because they were cheaper than healthy ones. Moreover, her parents rarely cooked at home, so she had grown used to the lifestyle.

When Lexi met Danny, things never seemed to change. In fact, everything got worse, as she never felt any guilt when they went to fast-food restaurants or when they binge-ate and watched TV together. Food is a basic need, but their love for it was too much.

All Desire and No Execution

Lexi has always admired an active lifestyle with a lot of outdoor activity. However, with both she and Danny being overweight, they were unable to go hiking or biking. Let's just say the spirit was willing but the body was weak, so they ended up staying indoors most of the time.

Lexi was aware of the fact that she had to do something to stop herself from gaining too much weight. She had always been a positive-minded person, and she definitely wanted to live a long life. However, due to the lack of motivation, it was easier to stay indoors, cuddle up with Danny, and watch TV.

Popping the Question

Danny was equally grateful to have met Lexi and didn't waste any time before proposing. On her part, Lexi was overjoyed, both for the fact that Danny was exactly the type of man she was looking for and because he never saw her as overweight but always made her feel beautiful.

The proposal was the beginning of the journey of planning a wedding, something she knew wasn't going to be easy. She even admitted to weighing 485 pounds at the time, and most people made her feel like she wouldn't get a fitting dress. Once again, she proved them wrong and got her dream wedding dress.

Dream Wedding But…

Apart from finding the perfect wedding dress, everything else was pretty much smooth sailing in the preparations for Lexi and Danny's wedding. The wedding brought a new lease of happiness into their lives, as they had always felt like they were meant for each other and had not thought twice about spending the rest of their lives together.

At the beginning of their married life, they had to put everything in order, and one thing that they both agreed on was that they really wanted to have children. However, that meant thinking twice about Lexi's weight, as getting pregnant would be dangerous for her.

Flying Dreams Flying Away

Traveling opens us up to a world of possibilities, and it's hard to find anyone who doesn't wish to travel around the world. Lexi is no different, except for the fact that she feared that her weight was holding her back, and she felt right.

Weighing almost 500 pounds in the period just after the wedding, she wasn't sure she would be able to fly to the various destinations she always dreamt of, including visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. She knew that the more weight she gained, the more she saw that dream fading away.

Getting Fed Up

There are numerous ways to lose weight. However, that is only clear from the outside, as any overweight person will take a very long time to figure out where they should start their weight loss journey. This was the case with Lexi, who, despite knowing that she wanted to lose weight, didn't know where or how to start.

While Danny was a bit content with his body size, Lexi was getting fed up by the time they had finished their first year of marriage. This is because all the takeout and time spent indoors watching TV was not making her situation better.

New Year, New Lexi

Seeing a new year is something that most people are grateful to experience. On top of that, it is the time when they also set resolutions for the year ahead. New Year's 2016 was no different, only that this time, Lexi made a decision that would change her entire life.

Lexi decided to slam the brakes on her and Danny's binge-eating habits and embrace a regular exercise routine in a bid to reduce her weight. While she knew it was going to be extremely tough, she had all the time in the world, and she had never been more determined.

Danny All In

While Lexi was making her New Year's resolution, Danny was unaware of what she had made up her mind on until she told him. At first, he admitted that he never thought it was a nice idea. After all, who would prefer coming home from work to cook and eat healthy over eating ready-made junk?

Thankfully, Danny was in on all the poor eating habits, so it was a journey they had to take together. He was more than willing to support his wife, Lexi, and if he could also shed some of his own weight in the process, even better.

Setting the Foundation

The human brain is a controversial part of the body for many reasons. For one, part of it always tries to pull us back every time we try to break from our bad old habits. Lexi had already experienced this firsthand, and she was not willing to risk it again, so they laid out some ground rules.

For the first month, Lexi and Danny decided to give up eating out, avoid soda and alcohol, abstain from cheat meals, and work out for 30 minutes every day for five days in a week. It was truly the ultimate test of their self-control.

Keeping Track

Being in love is a continuous process that requires being fed with actions and little moments spent together. Apart from binge-eating while watching TV, Danny and Lexi had no other way to spend their time. This was one aspect of their lives they acknowledged required improvement, and they set out to do that.

Every married couple dreams of having children to complete their family. However, the Reeds knew that they couldn't make this happen without losing some weight first. However, their journey was just at the beginning, and we couldn't have evidence of the results if not for her regular photos, which she took and posted on social media.

Gym Trouble

There are many ways to lose weight, but none is quite as effective as going to the gym regularly. There are numerous gym options and factors to consider before selecting one. However, Lexi found it extremely hard to find a gym that suited all her weight loss needs, including one with the relevant facilities.

The fact that they couldn't afford a personal trainer meant that they had to find a gym. Lexi suffered from severe joint problems, and besides Danny, she also needed a gym that could support her. But it would not be a long time before they found what they were looking for.

The Perfect Place

Going to the gym regularly to lose weight guarantees results, and Lexi knew it. Therefore, she needed it to be a place with all equipment so she could choose which ones would suit her without hurting her joints,

Lexi also needed a gym where everyone would mind their own business without judging her, and after a period of searching for the right one, she and Danny found one around their residence. The place was hardly overcrowded and fully stocked, which led her to fall in love with one of the pieces of equipment, the Crossramp, which didn't hurt her joints despite her weight.

Embracing the Kitchen

Going to the gym was a good place for Danny and Lexi to start, but if they were to shed the extra 400 pounds between them, it was never going to be enough. The next step was to stop eating out and embrace preparing their own food.

While it definitely felt like making their food at home was such a major disruption of their routine lifestyle, it was something they had to do. After all, the more processed food they ate, the more empty calories they added. And there was another upside in that they actually spent a lot of their time learning to cook for each other.

A New Life

Everyone has their preferred method of cutting weight, which mostly depends on the amount of weight they're looking to shed. While some prefer to just exercise and others to change their diet, Danny and Lexi were convinced that they needed not just that but a complete change of lifestyle.

Lexi reiterated that diets were temporary, but theirs was a new way of life. This is because their entire outlook on the topic of food had changed; clearly, they were not just looking for a short-term fix but a plan that would change their lives forever, and it was for the better.

No Looking Back

Leaving behind old habits is like teaching an old dog new tricks: extremely difficult. It's the same with forgetting about junk food and adopting a healthier diet. Research suggests that it should take up to six weeks of healthy eating to stop craving and depending on junk food, and we guess those were the hardest weeks of Danny and Lexi's lives.

To simplify things, Lexi had a plan. She made a list of all the foods that she and Danny loved to eat before they resolved to lose weight and researched some healthier recipes that she would substitute them with.

A Husband Indeed

Resolving to lose weight is one of the best choices anyone with an overweight problem can ever make. However, while it is a personal decision, having supportive friends and family who care about their exercise goals and diet is crucial for success, and Lexi had all that and more in Danny.

As a husband should, Danny had done everything he could to be supportive since the day he met Lexi. Even when Lexi opened up to him about her decision to lose weight, he was there for her even though he knew it wasn't going to be easy. This support for each other also continued to strengthen their love.

More Than a Gym

There's no denying that the gym can be one of the best places to make friends. It's not even surprising to see married partners who met in the gym. After all, everyone in the gym has a common interest, and that is to keep fit, so even for someone like Lexi, who had trouble connecting with people, it wasn't going to be hard.

The more weight Lexi lost, the more confidence she gained. All her fears and insecurities about her body size and weight evaporated as if they were never there, and by making new friends, her support circle grew significantly.

Giving It All

Losing weight takes a lot of qualities to pull off. However, two of the most invaluable essentials are commitment and patience. Without these, any progress made may end up being temporary, and that is the last thing that Lexi needed after the struggles she experienced trying to lose weight when she was younger.

Thanks to her and Danny's sheer determination, the results came almost instantly. In her first month at the gym and with her new diet, she lost a whopping 20 pounds, which was a nice start, and the results were there for all to see. Even then, she didn't take it slow and continued embracing her new lifestyle.

On Danny's Part

Having a partner with whom you share goals is one of the best things in life. It makes up for the foundation of the relationship and develops a stronger bond, and that was just it for Lexi and Danny's marriage. They complemented and supported each other perfectly with unconditional love.

Danny had been supportive of Lexi in her objective to lose weight, and while he may have never weighed as much as she did, he also had some atoning to do for his poor eating habits. Like her, he also ended up losing a significant amount of weight in a year, and he kept going.

A Stark Contrast

Losing weight is no mean feat. More than half of the people who embark on a weight-loss journey end up giving up after realizing that it is not going to be easy. Lexi and Danny had realized that early enough at the beginning of their careers, but there was no way they were going to give up on their goal.

Having begun in 2016, Lexi looked like a different person by May 2018. She had lost a sizable 312 pounds, and we can only imagine how relieved she was to have enough room to wiggle around and not feel her stomach resting on the table when eating out occasionally.

Showing Off the Progress

Social media has become a popular platform for people to share their stories and encourage others. Lexi had vowed to do everything she could to make her journey successful, and it sat right with her to share it with her social Instagram followers. She took photos of every step of her journey and posted them.

Nothing makes us as happy as being able to see what we have achieved, and Lexi could not imagine how far she had come. In her account, which she named "Fat Girl Fed Up," she could keep track of her progress as well as motivate her followers with every photo.

No Going Back

Danny and Lexi's story was incredible, and in the digital world we live in, it was only a matter of time before the whole world knew of it. Their story was featured on various stations, and their tale was one of the most inspiring weight loss stories to be witnessed.

At one point, Danny and Lexi were featured on an episode of Rachel Ray, where they encouraged everyone watching the show to embrace a healthy diet, cooking, and regular exercising. While fame hadn't changed anything about how they went about their journey, it was really motivating to hear them speak about it.

Running it Back

It's inspiring to see other people achieve their goals despite the odds. We can't even begin to imagine what anyone who had witnessed Danny and Lexi's incredible transformation felt when they revealed that they had lost weight from an extremely unhealthy combined 800 pounds to almost half of it.

The key to their success was eating right and changing their general way of life. Most of all, being by each other's side was proving invaluable to achieving their goal. To celebrate their achievements, they ran along the waterside of the beach where Danny had proposed, which is something they would have hardly achieved before losing weight.

Off to Become a Wizard

It was only after losing weight that Lexi and Danny realized that being overweight was holding them back from so many good things, including the possibility to explore the world. Therefore, they decided to take a well-deserved vacation and visit Lexi's preferred honeymoon spot, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

This time, Lexi went for the trip full of confidence as her weight was not going to be a problem as she could fit into a plane seat comfortably, and she and Danny were able to get on every ride available at the park. It was definitely a dream come true.

A New Lease of Life

Lexi was more than thrilled when she hit a healthy weight for the first time in her life. After all, what's not to love about it when she no longer feels trapped in her body and, in her own words, is, "able to wake up and do whatever I want to do and go wherever I want to go and not feel like I’m a prisoner in my own body anymore."

Not that she never enjoyed her life when she weighed 485 pounds, but Lexi is far healthier, happier, and more confident than she ever was at the time, which proves just what losing that extra weight can do.

Self-Reflection Moments

Losing weight may be arduous, but it is worth every investment put into it. This is why Lexi believes that it's easier to look back at what she has achieved than to sit back and try to accomplish something that could have been accomplished before, and she has definitely looked back a lot.

She hasn't forgotten her struggle to adapt to her new diet, the countless hours spent at the gym, and the time she spent researching how to keep her weight loss strategy going. Whenever she looks back at all that, she has a lot to say, and her Instagram page provides the platform.

Whatever It Took

Lexi oozes confidence like never before in her life. She is proud of the journey that she undertook and where it led her. Her confidence gives her the ability to speak on television and on her Instagram channel, where she motivates her subscribers.

In 2018, having lost a significant amount of weight, she said; "I remember how hard it was the first many times that I went to my local Pulse/Zumba class at over 450 lbs." "It never gets easier; you get stronger!" "One hour done, another sweaty shirt covered, and another day reminding myself how far I’ve come from that girl in the back row."

Going the All-Natural Way

There are several ways to lose weight, including having weight-loss surgeries for a faster fix. However, these are often risky, may not bring about the desired results, or only last for a while before the body gains weight again. If there's one thing that Lexi is always proud of, it's her weight loss method.

Instead of looking for an easy fix in the form of pills, injections, or surgery, Lexi decided to go all-natural, without even going on a diet, by making smarter and healthier choices when it came to the type of food she ate. This, coupled with her regular gym routine, proved more than effective for her.

On a Diet

As we may have already noticed, Lexi managed to document her entire weight-loss journey by posting regularly on her Instagram account. And she not only shared her gym photos, but also the entire process of transforming her bad eating habits into a better way of life with a healthier diet.

She regularly posts her food on social media to motivate her followers and let them know that changing their diet would be crucial if they were looking to stay fit. In the post above, she noted that she aims for the less sodium-filled salmon rolls, limits her carbs, and pairs them with salad.

Not All Smooth-Sailing

Social media has widely revolutionized the way people around the world interact. However, it has also led to some people taking advantage of others and lying to them. For instance, most celebrities on social media share only the good parts of their lives and make us believe that things are just easy for them when they're not.

Lexi was determined to not only lose weight but also genuinely help others do it. Therefore, she shared everything, including her failures, to let her followers know that it was never going to be easy, but the key was not to give up no matter how hard it got.

Strong Mental Game

Positive thinking plays a significant role in our weight-loss efforts. This is because negative thinking can lead to self-defeating behaviors such as losing track of our exercise routine and going off our diet. Lexi learned this the hard way when she tried losing weight at a younger age, and she wasn't letting it get to her again.

In one of her Instagram posts, she told people to think and talk well about themselves because their bodies were always listening. She also added that despite being mostly physical, weight loss was also a mental task that they had to complete by ensuring not to put themselves down.

First-Time Concert T-Shirt

When undertaking an overwhelming process such as losing weight, even the smallest achievements matter. This is because we thrive off of taking small steps, regardless of how tiny they seem, and Lexi was counting every achievement as a win on her way to achieving her main goal.

One of the wins she celebrated was being able to buy and wear a concert T-shirt. While it is not the most recognizable achievement, Lexi was not letting it slide. She had attended numerous Vans Warped Tours for over eight years, and this was the same time he got a t-shirt that fit her perfectly.

Nothing to Fear

We all have our fears, but that doesn't mean we can't overcome them. Lexi discovered that the best way to beat her fears was to face them the moment she began her weight-loss journey, and it has never left her mind since, and it's probably why she takes on new challenges whenever she can.

After losing over 300 pounds from her body, Lexi could do almost everything she ever dreamed of doing and even try new experiences. One of them is the photo above, where she seems to be enjoying kayaking for the first time ever. Her courage and confidence definitely went over the roof.

Making the Most of The Gym

Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to lose weight. However, most people misinterpret this fact and think that they need to live in the gym to achieve their fitness goals, which is far from the truth, as Lexi always explained to her social media followers.

On average, 60 to 90 minutes for five or six days a week at the gym is enough for anyone who is at the peak of their weight-loss journey. However, as Lexi also explained in one of her posts, sometimes 10 minutes can be as effective as 30 if it is done effectively enough.

Mixing It Up

Going to the gym regularly is something that starts the year on most people's lists of New Year's resolutions. However, somewhere along the way, most of them get disinterested or just can't take regular exercise. This is why experts recommend mixing up our activities at the gym according to the time we spend there.

Danny and Lexi like to mix up their exercise activities, with different days to work on their shoulders, hands, stomachs, and legs. This ensures they don't overwork any muscles, joints, or ligaments, giving them a chance to rest and recover before putting them back into action.

No Gym? No Problem

A gym membership encourages most people to exercise regularly as they work towards their fitness goals. However, not everyone can afford to be a gym member, but Lexi always encourages them not to be daunted by that prospect as they can also utilize nature to achieve their objectives.

Lexi reminds her followers that all they need to go for a walk or run in the park is a pair of running shoes. In this photo, she encourages people to work out outdoors, spend time with nature, and explore. After all, she and Danny's best moments came from the time they spent on adventures in the wild rather than indoors.

Keeping At It

The key to achieving our fitness goals is staying motivated. Even after a long previous day at work, the soreness is not an excuse for us not to push ourselves to get up early and exercise before proceeding with our daily activities. That's what commitment is all about.

Even for someone like Lexi, who has been at it for a long time, she admits that it is not always easy for her to muster the courage to go to the gym every day before heading for a 10-hour shift at work. Moreover, she also states that changing our daily habits and getting out of our comfort zones is crucial.

Healthier Alternative Diet

Apart from regular exercise, changing our eating habits is another effective way to lose weight naturally. It didn't take long for Lexi to realize that the worst choices she made when visiting the restaurant were not the foods she ordered but the pesky sides and dressings that came with the meals.

After making her new discovery, she and Danny embarked on a journey to change the way their diet looked. While it wasn't going to be easy, they found a way to make it interesting by finding healthier alternatives. In this picture, she ordered a normal Mahi Mahi meal without the extra calories of mayonnaise sauce.

Danny on the Socials

Sharing experiences on social media has become a common practice these days. Lexi wasn't the only one sharing her journey on Instagram; so was Danny. And this selfie of him at the gym is definitely a far cry from the Danny who proposed to and married Lexi a few years ago.

From his posts, it looks like he never let the fact that they had already lost over 400 pounds stop him from continuing with his routine. In fact, it looks like he kicked it into high gear since then, which clearly shows that he has no intention of going back to where he was.

Ringing the Changes

 

A fit body doesn't come on a silver platter. This is something that most people don't understand, and they end up dropping out of their fitness journey because they thought it was going to be all smiles. Lexi and Danny had to deal with a complete overhaul of their lives, including their eating habits.

The picture above shows just how healthy their meals became. Looking lean and full of protein, Lexi posted it before Danny did too, and it shows their lunch, which comprises grilled chicken breast and grilled zucchini. It looks like they're not sacrificing flavor, and they don't have to if it's healthy.

Through Thick and Thin

Most couples endure rough patches in their relationships due to their failure to spend enough time together and support each other in what they do. However, Danny and Lexi stuck together through everything, and while they have lost a lot of weight, one thing they haven't lost a pinch of is their love for each other.

Despite the fame, and the confidence to make new friends that they have gained over the years, they still remain each other's best friends. They have created a truly inspiring life, and while it hasn't come easy for them, sticking together has proved to be more than enough to get through it.