I lost 22st WITHOUT fat jabs, my body is covered in loose skin but it's better than being dead before I turned 30
But Lexi Reed, 34, was determined not to feel the same this summer and went on a massive weight loss journey without using fat loss jabs.
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Now, Lexi has shed over 22st and is now proudly flaunting the excess skin she has been left with in swimsuits – but still can't go into the water due to her rare illness.
Lexi, who lives with her husband Danny Reed, 37, weighed 34.6st at her heaviest and has gone viral on social media for sharing her incredible weight loss journey.
The 34-year-old also battles with a life-threatening condition called calciphylaxis, which causes calcium and phosphate to build up in her blood vessels.
While Lexi can now wear the swimsuits she always dreamed of instead of covering up, she cannot go swimming as her illness leaves her with open wounds.
She said: '[Before I lost weight], I'd started to avoid wearing bathing suits due to my size and stayed at home most days in the summer, because I was always too hot due to my size.
'I refuse to hide any longer or to not be grateful for all this body has done for me.
'People will judge you, but that doesn't mean that they know your story and you shouldn't say things to yourself you wouldn't say to someone you love or judge yourself.'
Lexi, who lives in Indiana, US, admits that she finds it difficult not to be able to go swimming as she used to love it – but is simply 'making the best' of her situation.
Speaking to NeedToKnow, Lexi added: 'I'm currently covered in loose skin, varicose veins, scars and calcium deposits - but all of those things tell a story of battles that I've faced and won.
"At 485lbs, I wasn't worried about loose skin; I was more worried about not living to see my 30th birthday and forever feeling like a prisoner in my own body.
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How to give yourself a £400 'weight loss massage' at home for free
'As far as my scars, every scar was once an open wound that now reminds me of what I went through and how lucky I am to have survived.'
The influencer who has 1.2 million Instagram followers started her weight loss journey nine years ago – after a friend challenged her and Danny to 30 days of 'no eating out, no cheat meals, no soda/alcohol and going to the gym five times a week for 30 minutes'.
Lexi dropped 22st by herself in two years and underwent skin removal in 2018.
But she was then diagnosed with calciphylaxis, which put her fitness journey on hold. She now fights every day to maintain her healthy lifestyle.
Lexi added: 'I lost all my weight with diet and exercise. 'No meal plan, no trainer, no surgery and no medication.
'[I am] fighting for my health and this new healthy lifestyle daily because I never want to go back to being almost 500lbs.
'I love this body for all it's done for me and despite any skin or scars, I'm just so grateful to be healthy, happy, and alive every single day.'
The 5 best exercises to lose weight
By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist
EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right workout for you?
As a PT and fitness journalist, I've tried everything.
I've taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, strength training and Pilates.
Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at Christmas!
The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.
My top five forms of exercise, especially if you're trying to lose weight, are:
Walking
Running
Pilates
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Strength training
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