‘IT’S A WHOLE NEW LIFE’
Married couple Lexi and Danny have lost a whopping 185kg since their wedding day
Couple’s incredible weight-loss journey
IT’S hard to believe the pair in the wedding picture are the same couple smiling in photos today. In the wedding snap the bride and groom gaze adoringly at each other, two young people on the cusp of a new life together. And that new life has resulted in several serious changes. In fact, there’s almost nothing of Lexi and Danny Reed’s existence that resembles how things used to be – and that includes the way they look.
The couple, from Terre Haute in Indiana in the USA, have become internet sensations after sharing their weightloss journey and shedding a staggering 185kg between them – 5kg more than the goal they set for themselves.
And now that they have a taste of the healthy life, there’s no going back. Lexi (27), who lost 145kg and now weighs 75kg, is still losing weight and wants to get below 70kg, while Danny (30) is at his goal weight of 84kg and intends keeping it that way.
Their careers have also changed. Lexi had an admin job in a law firm and Danny worked for an optical service company. Now they’re both bloggers and sell online clothing.
They have more than a million followers on Instagram and their story has featured on TV, across the internet and in newspapers and magazines.
The couple are still amazed by how many people have become invested in their story. “It’s crazy,” Lexi says. “We didn’t expect to be this noticed but it’s really been cool for Danny and me to be able to share our story.
“If we can help somebody, that’s what we want to do. We’re just small-town Indiana people going with the flow.”
There’s a lot more flow Lexi can go with now she doesn’t have 145kg of extra weight to contend with. “I can get on a plane and strap myself into a seat like everyone else now.
“I can ride in a roller coaster, drive without my stomach touching the steering
wheel, put on my shoes and socks without struggling and go kayaking with my husband. Before we just sat on the couch. I could hardly walk a block or climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath. Now we’re experiencing all these things. It’s a whole new life.”
THE couple met through friends in 2007 and Lexi was attracted to Danny the moment she laid eyes on him. But at 16 and weighing 136kg, she wasn’t sure if Danny would like her. “I never expected he’d feel the same way since I was so heavy and awkward,” she says on Instagram. “But many Myspace and mall hangouts later, he asked me to be his girlfriend and he never treated me differently.”
Lexi’s size didn’t matter to Danny – he was too captivated by her inner beauty to even notice, he says. “I was just as lucky then as I am now,” he adds.
When they married in October 2015 Lexi was at her heaviest – 220kg – while Danny tipped the scales at 127kg. At the time their daily routine consisted of going to work, coming home, switching on the TV and barely leaving the couch except to get more snacks and cooldrink.
“We would basically eat the evening away,” Lexi says.
Then they had a few wake-up calls. The first was when they were on honeymoon in Florida and decided to take a 400m walk down the beach. Lexi could barely walk a step without stopping to catch her breath. “I hadn’t realised how much my weight held us back as a couple,” she says. “I couldn’t even walk down the beach with my husband.”
Lexi’s job at the law firm involved helping disabled people get social security benefits and she realised if she didn’t take control of her weight she’d soon be one of them. “I’d be the disabled caller, not the employee,” she says. “That was an eyeopener for me.”
They vowed that when January 2016 rolled around their new year’s resolution would be to lose weight – and this time Lexi was determined to stick it out.
“My weight has been a lifelong struggle,” she says. “I tried everything but if I lost Danny and Lexi made a resolution in January 2016 to trim down – and are sharing their inspiring journey with more than a million Instagram followers. weight I’d just gain it back.”
Danny was active at school, playing sports and skateboarding, but “once I stopped those things I started putting on weight. And when Lexi and I got comfortable in our relationship I put on more kilos.”
They vowed by the time 2017 rolled around they would’ve lost 180kg between them. They agreed on a five-point plan to ensure they stayed on track: no eating out, no cheat meals, no fizzy drinks, no alcohol and five 30-minute workouts a week.
“We started tracking our food on the MyFitnessPal app, working out for 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer five times a week, watching our portions and nutrition labels and moving more. We also quit drinking soda and started setting goals,” Lexi says.
Not only had they reached their goal – and then some – by the time the following year came around, they’re keeping at it.
A typical day in their eating plan includes eggs with turkey sausage or bacon for breakfast, chicken and broccoli for lunch, salmon, sweet potato and cottage cheese for dinner, and banana with peanut butter or fruit and nuts to snack on.
LEXI and Danny are dedicated when it comes to their workouts. They gym together up to six times a week – Danny does cardio workouts and weight training while Lexi loves the elliptical trainer and Zumba classes.
They also go hiking with their golden retrievers, Oliver, Olivia and Octavia.
But they wouldn’t have stuck it through without each other’s support. “Every single day of my journey he’s been there for the blood, sweat and tears,” Lexi says. “You deserve someone who loves you no matter your size and who supports your goals.”
Danny says loving Lexi is easy. “She’s always been a strong, beautiful woman on the inside and a light to everyone no matter her size. I fell in love with her at her heaviest and I don’t love her any differently at her smallest.”
Lexi had surgery in October to remove excess skin left behind after her weight loss. “I have a lot of neck pain from my skin pulling me down,” she’d said before her surgery. “It’s clear to me I’ll have to get it removed soon – not for cosmetic reasons but for my health.”
Since the surgery the couple have embarked on the next step of their journey: having a family. Parenthood is one of the motivating factors for losing weight and changing their lifestyle, Danny says. Until then, they’re just enjoying their lives together.
“It’s not about the weight you lose,” Lexi says. “It’s about the life you gain.” SOURCES: INSTAGRAM, TODAY, ABC NEWS, NBC NEWS, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING