On January 1, 2016, Danny and Lexi Reed, better known as DiscoveringDanny and FatGirlFedUp on social media, decided they were tired of spending their nights mindlessly eating while binge-watching Netflix and kick-started their weight loss journey. Fast forward two years, and the couple has lost a combined 407 pounds — proving New Year’s resolutions do work if you put your mind to it.
“Going to the gym as a couple weighing a combined 765 pounds was hard and intimidating at first, but we knew together anything was possible and we were getting stronger every time,” Lexi, who dropped 312 of those pounds naturally through diet and exercise, told Life & Style exclusively. At first, the Indiana natives started easy, setting a goal of 30 minutes of exercise a day and going to the gym five times a week. Today, they hit the gym about six times a week.
#swolematesunday -407lbs with diet/exercise since @discoveringdanny & I set a New Years Resolution that we had no idea would change our lives. Together we are proof that with hard work we can all take back our lives! Dont wait for a new year, week, or month – start today! #weightloss #weightlossjourney #fattofit #obesetobeast #fedup #fatgirlfedupsdietbet #dietbet #fitfam #fitspo #fitness #love #fitcouple #workout #exercise #fitnessmotivation #fedupfam #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #goals #transformation #fitspo
However, Lexi is adamant it’s not about the number on the scale but rather, how you feel. “It’s not about the weight you lose but the life that you gain,” the 27-year-old explained. “When I was overweight, I thought losing weight was about a size or a number, but the fact that I can do so many more things now that I couldn’t do before such as riding a rollercoaster, walking miles, hiking, riding a bike, and keeping up with my husband is something that has made me feel like I’m finally living and not just existing in my own life.”
In a recent Instagram post, Lexi opened up wearing a 34W dress and weighing 485 pounds on her wedding day — and gave her 753,000 followers some pretty good advice about self-acceptance. “I don’t regret any part of it and felt beautiful, no matter what a number on the scale or size on a dress tag read,” she wrote. “We can always lose weight, but we must learn to love ourselves no matter what size. If you don’t love yourself, losing weight won’t change that.”
Got a #flexfriday arm workout in with my #swolemate @discoveringdanny. Together we worked our biceps & triceps and he showed me the ropes today! Met my goal of more weights this week and feeling strong heading into the weekend! TGIF – the grind includes Friday! #weights #lift #fit #fitnessmotivation #motivation #weekend #fitcouple #workout #exercise #gym #traintogether #couplegoals #relationshipgoals #dietbet #fatgirlfedupsdietbet #obesetobeast #fedup #anytimefitness #gymmotivation #fitness #lifting #weighttraining #bicep #grind #strong
Today, the power couple is looking to the future — and possibly starting a family of their own. “We wanted to be parents one day and grow old together, so we knew in order for that to be possible, we needed to make a lifestyle change,” Lexi added. “In five years, I see us starting a family as well as finding ways to help more people change their life the same way that we have with diet and exercise.”
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Life & Style Magazine.
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