On Instagram she's known as @FatGirlFedUp, and that's how the journey started for Lexi Reed.
At nearly 500 pounds in 2016, she and her husband, Danny, were fed up with all the things they couldn't do.
“We weren't able to go to theme parks. I couldn't ride roller coasters. I couldn't go to a restaurant, sit in a booth, just normal couple things,” says Lexi. “We just sat down on our couch every single night, binge watching Netflix, like mindlessly eating pizza.”
A friend challenged them to 30 days of healthy eating.
“I knew nothing about eating healthy, but I was so fed up with where I was, and I knew if I didn't do something, that I might not live to see my 30th birthday,” Lexi says.
The couple started posting their workouts and meals on Instagram. As they lost weight, their following grew. They say it gave them public accountability.
Experts say public accountability--whether on social media or just telling your family and friends--will make you feel more responsibility to meet your goal.
“We had a buddy system, yeah. So, I think accountability. And even if you don't have a buddy, try and find like a friend or relative,” Danny says.
Now, after losing nearly 300 pounds, Lexi helps guide other people along their journey. She says don't beat yourself up if you don't have all the answers.
“For me, it was more trial and error,” Lexi says. “I didn't know what I was doing at all. There were times I had to call family and be like, ‘Hey, how do I cook chicken?’”
It's a sentiment shared by Jessica Enslow, a 43-year-old mom of seven, who shared her weight loss journey on Instagram, too.
“Honestly, part of me was like I don't really know that it's possible after having this many kids to be really in really good shape, but I’m going to try,” Enslow says.
She started working out, doing more until she was in the gym five to six times a week, spending at least four hours there each time.
“It really affected my family. I just remember like my house was a wreck. I just couldn't do anything else. There was no balance in my life,” Enslow says.
That's why she now encourages people to focus on diet, finding balance, and doing what's best for them.
“Just do something that that you can manage and that you enjoy,” she says.
Experts say to be careful about getting tips dished out by social media influencers though, because many will try selling you products.
