Lexi Reed Weighed 485 Lbs, Feared She Wouldn't Reach 30, & Couldn't Find a Wedding Dress – She Lost 312 Lbs & Stunned All

Lexi Reed spent years eating over 6,000 calories a day and struggling to breathe after a single flight of stairs. She started documenting her life online after making one New Year's resolution. Later, she would battle a rare disease that left her with 30 open wounds and no clear answers.

For most brides, wedding dress shopping is a highlight. For Lexi Reed, it was a moment she wanted to forget. Weighing 485 lbs, she walked into bridal shops and faced judgmental stares. She eventually found a dress, but not the experience. The reality of her health and how it was limiting her life hit her hard.

Less than two months later, she set a New Year's resolution. There was no formal plan or outside help, just the fear that she might not make it to 30. In 2016, she began documenting her efforts to change her habits. She lost 312 lbs, gained a large online following, and has been inspiring millions with her journey.

Childhood and Young Adult Life Defined by Weight

Lexi had been overweight for as long as she could remember. By her late 20s, the numbers on the scale had soared to 485 lbs, and with them came a cascade of health and emotional struggles. Her size made basic tasks difficult.

She could barely walk a block without becoming breathless or climb stairs without stopping. She lived with constant joint pain and fatigue. "I was a prisoner in my own body," Lexi said. Each day followed the same routine. She went to work, came home, and spent the evening on the couch.

She and Danny Reed, her husband, spent most nights in the same routine: ordering large stuffed-crust pizzas, wings, breadsticks, and two-liter bottles of Mountain Dew, then settling in for hours of binge-watching television. It wasn't laziness, she emphasized, it was emotional eating.

"If I was sad, I ate. If I was happy, I ate. If there were celebrations, I ate," she revealed. She knew nothing about nutrition or portion control. She didn't know how to cook healthy meals and estimated she consumed over 6,000 calories a day.

"I didn't do anything but go to work, come home, sit on my couch, and eat — every single day," she said. "It wasn't living. I was just existing." At 485 lbs, she feared she wouldn't survive to see her 30th birthday.

The Wedding Dress Experience

Lexi married Danny in 2015. Although she felt beautiful on her wedding day, the experience leading up to it was painful. Shopping for a dress had been especially difficult.

"People definitely mistreated me at the stores," she recounted. "Almost like I wasn't worthy of getting married just because I was overweight." She struggled to find a dress that fit. Most styles were unavailable in her size, and the experience didn't give her the joy she had hoped for.

Although she still loved the dress she wore, she admitted that she almost didn't get to wear one at all. The way she was treated and the limited options available to her made her feel excluded from a moment that should have been joyful.

That memory stayed with her. "That was one of many reasons that added up and made me decide to change," said Lexi. Two months after her wedding, she made a decision that would reshape her life.

The Turning Point

Lexi's transformation began on January 1, 2016. A friend challenged her and Danny to go 30 days without eating out, drinking soda or alcohol, or having any cheat meals. The challenge was simple, but it became the start of a complete lifestyle change.

"We started cooking, meal prepping, tracking our calories, and reading nutrition labels," she shared. With no prior experience with healthy cooking, portion control, or nutrition, it was unfamiliar and overwhelming at first. But she stayed committed.

She didn't follow a formal diet or use a trainer, pills, or surgery. Instead, she replaced soda with water and swapped fried foods for grilled chicken, salmon, and lean meats. She also learned to cook healthier versions of the foods she loved. Her focus was on small changes she could maintain.

"I realized it was a lifestyle change, not a diet," she later wrote. "I started seeing progress, and I realized it wasn't impossible if I just kept trying and learning daily."

Each small decision brought her closer to the life she wanted. This was the first step in taking back control of her health and saving her life.

From Surviving to Thriving

Alongside changes to her diet, Lexi introduced movement into her daily life. She started going to the gym five days a week. Each session began with 30 minutes on the elliptical. It was a difficult adjustment, but she committed to showing up.

"When I walked into the gym at 485 lbs, I told myself that it was basically going to be the first day of the rest of my life," she shared. "And if people were going to stare at me because of my weight, I was going to give them a reason to stare by being the hardest worker in the room."

Danny joined her in the effort, although he was initially hesitant. "At first, the idea didn't sound great because it was always good going home, sitting down, eating, and not having to worry about anything," he said. But after considering it, he decided, "It's a new year and something to work toward while helping Lexi out as well."

Together, they created a routine that replaced hours of sedentary habits with activity. They walked, ran, and biked. Their meals shifted from fast food to balanced, home-cooked dishes. They began spending more time outdoors, actively participating in their own lives.

The couple wasn't just changing their bodies, they were rebuilding their relationship and daily rhythms around health and movement.

Becoming a Role Model

As Lexi continued to make progress, she began documenting her journey on Instagram under the handle @fatgirlfedup. What started as a personal outlet quickly evolved into a public platform.

"I never expected to have a following," she said. "I just wanted to help one person. So to be able to help 1.2 million, plus Danny being able to help, doing it together — it's really cool."

In March 2025, Lexi shared a side-by-side image captioned, "485lbs vs 159lbs, -325.8lbs👇 with diet/exercise, from feeling like a prisoner in my own body just existing to living!"

This and other posts have attracted widespread attention, with followers applauding her openness, grit, and message of hope. "You're amazing!!!! So inspiring!" one person wrote. Another lauded, "Wow! You look amazing Lexie! 👏 I've been following from the beginning & you so so inspiring!!! 🔥❤️🙌👏"

Others left messages like, "So proud of you!! Amazing transformation!! 🎉🎊" and "Beautiful [and] so strong ❤️." One user reflected, "Wow, what a wonderful change❤️," while another added, "You both look amazing."

Lexi stayed grounded in her goal: to show that transformation was possible without shortcuts. "It's never too late, and you only fail if you give up – start today!" she wrote. Just as Lexi had settled into the rhythms of her new life, having lost 312 lbs, she was forced to face a different kind of battle.

A New Medical Battle: Fighting Calciphylaxis

In 2023, Lexi was diagnosed with calciphylaxis, a rare and excruciating condition that dramatically altered the course of her life once again. The disease occurs when calcium builds up in the blood vessels, blocking blood flow to the skin.

This blockage can lead to painful lesions, deep ulcers, and areas of tissue death. These wounds are prone to dangerous and sometimes fatal infections. According to the Cleveland Clinic, calciphylaxis is most common in people with advanced kidney disease, especially those on dialysis.

It is considered very rare, affecting about one-third of 1% of dialysis patients in the U.S. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men, and Lexi's case was severe. She developed more than 30 open wounds, endured multiple hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and lived in a constant cycle of chronic pain and uncertainty.

"Calciphylaxis... turned my life upside down," she wrote in September 2023. Her treatment included surgical debridements, infusions, transfusions, daily bandage changes, and weekly doctor appointments. She recalled, "Lots of tears shed, and the fear that I wouldn't survive to see tomorrow."

In 2024, she entered remission, but the condition remained unpredictable. In May 2025, she underwent another debridement surgery to remove exposed calcium.

Lexi continues to share updates to raise awareness for others who, like her, once searched for answers and found none. She often reflects on how different this experience would have been if she were still overweight.

"I'm so grateful for my health and being able to be physically healthy enough to walk in the hospital, for surgery to feel safe for my body + anesthesia, for being easily able to fit comfortably in a hospital bed or be moved to another, fitting into the gown — all things I feared when I was almost 500lbs," she wrote.

Gratitude, Scars, and Self-Love

Even after years of progress, Lexi makes it clear that her journey is not about perfection. Her body carries the marks of everything it has survived — loose skin from her 300-lb weight loss, scars from repeated surgeries, and visible signs of the disease she continues to manage.

"My journey hasn't been easy, but I'm so grateful every day to still be here fighting to be the best version of me," she wrote in one of her posts. "I'm grateful to still be alive despite any scar, skin, or calcium that I've been left with."

She speaks openly about the emotional aftermath of weight loss and chronic illness. For Lexi, healing is not just physical. It's learning to embrace the body that has carried her through it all.

"This body has carried me through being 485lbs, healed me when I got sick, and I refuse to not love myself and my battle wounds," she stated. "My scars tell a story of all the battles I've fought and all the battles I've survived."

Though her condition remains unpredictable, she chooses not to live in fear. "Tomorrow is never promised, and I don't know what the future holds for my skin, or if my wounds will ever return — but I do know I'm not wasting any days in fear," she wrote. "I'm just taking remission day by day and focusing on the things I can control and enjoying my life pain free again."

Lexi reminds her audience that how we speak to ourselves matters. "We speak to ourselves the most, so speak kindly to yourself because you're always listening," she advises.