It’s often been said that the person you spend your life with should inspire you to be your best self. So when both members of such an important union catch that same inspiration at once, there’s no limit to the beautiful things that can happen.
And one Indiana couple proved just how far this mutual support can take them on the path to their dreams when they resolved to lose weight together.
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When Lexi and Danny Reed married in 2015, they were in a very different place in life than they are now.
Lexi worked in a law firm and Danny worked for an optical company, but they told NBC they would spend most of their time off watching Netflix, ordering pizza, and eating junk food.
Together, they weighed 765 pounds.
Lexi said that she had struggled with her weight all her life and would only gain it back when she tried Weight Watchers or LA Weight Loss.
However, she realized that she wanted to commit to becoming healthier when she would help people get Social Security and disability benefits at work.
As she put it, “I would listen to people talking about their diabetes, their heart problems, their neuropathy, and I realized if I didn’t take care of myself I’d be the person calling in.”
Around the same time, Danny would experience a similar epiphany.
In his younger days, he would maintain his shape by playing sports and skateboarding. However, he gained weight after he got comfortable in his relationship with Lexi.
Finally, he had what he called a “click moment.” As he told NBC, “I was hiking with some friends and I was behind. They kept looking back and saying, ‘Are you OK back there? Are you keeping up?’ I was trying to. That moment really stuck in my head. It was a big reason I wanted to change.”
So on New Year’s Day of 2016, they agreed to make a drastic change together.
They would plan and commit to five steps to totally “reset” their lifestyle. First, they would stop eating out. Second, they would not allow themselves any cheat meals. They also pledged to stop drinking soda and alcohol entirely.
Finally, they would do five 30-minute workouts per week.
Of course, they knew they were not embarking on an easy journey together.
But they said that having each other as buddies in this project kept them accountable. This especially helped with any self-conscious feelings they had with stepping into the gym for the first time.
Danny would do a cardio workout for 20-30 minutes and follow it up with weight training while Lexi started using the elliptical. She said, “At 485 pounds I was probably over the weight limit for the machine.”
However, as she stuck with it and tried to beat her time each workout, she found herself getting stronger and faster.
Once she was ready, she would incorporate other workouts into her routine, including Zumba classes, stair climbers and weights.
She said, “I do so many different workouts now. I don’t do the same thing every day. If I find myself plateauing, I switch it up.”
However, the couple experienced just as big of a challenge when it came to changing their relationship with food.
Lexi said that the biggest adjustment was learning to eat to live, rather than living to eat as each day passed. Part of this involved making healthier versions of foods they liked, such as making pizza on a tortilla instead of a stuffed crust or making taco salads instead of going to Taco Bell.
Eventually, they found their way into high-protein diets with lean meats like chicken and salmon with a lot of vegetables and less carbs. Danny said that within three months, he already preferred water to the syrupy taste of soda.
And now that they’ve mastered their new lifestyles, they’re closer to their target weights than ever.
Lexi has gone from 485 pounds to 173 pounds, which means she’s nearly at her 160 pound goal. For his part, Danny has gone from 280 pounds to 185, which he’d like to shave down to 175.
It’s less about the numbers for both of them and more about what they can do together. Danny no longer has trouble keeping up with his friends while hiking and Lexi has gone from being barred from roller coasters to kayaking and canoeing.
This journey has even allowed them to change careers since they also decided to put their experiences on Instagram.
Lexi started her account as a way to stay accountable without bothering her Facebook friends with fitness updates, but now she’s built up over a million followers. Nowadays, both her and Danny blog full-time.
As Lexi told NBC, “It’s crazy. I didn’t expect to be noticed. But it’s been really cool for Danny and I to be able to share our story. If we can help inspire somebody that’s what we want to do. We’re just small-town Indiana people going with the flow.”
h/t: NBC News
