While working out is certainly important, the biggest part of weight loss comes down to diet. This part of their new lifestyle was just as hard as the exercise, if not harder. All the comfort foods, the restaurant meals, the takeout, and the unhealthy snacking had to go. Everything they were used to had to change and, in place of their old comforts, they had to learn to cook healthy meals for themselves.
We’re sure Lexi thanked her lucky stars every day that Danny decided to embark on the weight loss journey with her. Trying to give up junk food while your partner is indulging on the couch would be next to impossible. However, with each other’s support, the pair slowly learned to cook better meals, all designed to assist them in reaching their goals.
Another Important Milestone: The Gym
While working out at home can be great for many people, for others, there’s just something about the atmosphere of the gym and the financial commitment that makes them stick to their goals with more verve. Realizing they were in the latter category, and could use some professional support to boot, Danny and Lexi joined their local Terre Haute gym in Indiana.
The pair were relentless, sticking to their 30-minute-a-day workout commitment as if their lives depended on it. At this stage, they didn’t take on personal trainers, preferring instead to be each other’s support. However, Lexi soon fell victim to a setback that could’ve stalled her progress for good: she became crippled with pain in her joints, a common issue when people embark on a weight loss journey.
Tip: Free Gym Trials Are Your Best Friend!
Things had improved and the two were dropping the pounds. What helped was not continuing to forge ahead in a gym that wasn’t working for them. Instead, Danny and Lexi shopped around, finally finding a place that fit them. It wasn’t too crowded, meaning they felt less self-conscious and also had free reign over the equipment.
There’s nothing worse than losing your momentum waiting for a machine to free up… apart from being on a machine and having someone impatiently waiting for you to get off! Lexi explained that the couple took advantage of the free trials most gyms offer to make sure they had the right place before committing to membership. Doing this allowed her to discover things she never knew were there to help her. “I found a machine called the CrossRamp that didn’t hurt my joints at 485 pounds — I fell in love with it.”
Tip #2: No Diets, Only Lifestyle Changes!
What a drastic change! Clearly, whatever the couple had been doing, was working. Their biggest tip at this point? Healthy eating should never be about dieting. Danny and Lexi saw each healthy choice as being part of a new and permanent way of living. This meant no extreme, short-term fixes, no rushing, and no depriving your body of the nutrients and energy it needs.
Instead, Lexi embarked on a mini-mission: taking all her favorite comfort foods and inventing healthy versions that would satisfy her cravings, while nourishing her body and propelling her forward on her healthy living path.
Maintaining Motivation With a Strong Support System
As we all know, staying motivated is perhaps the hardest part of achieving any New Year’s resolution. At a certain point, the excitement wears off and the daily grind of it all starts to feel monotonous. This is the point at which many people lose momentum. The gyms that were so packed in January and February, quiet down again by March. Dreams are traded for the comfort and familiarity of old habits.
This was not the case for Danny and Lexi. The reason? They had each other. Whenever one was flagging, the other would bolster them up. Between them, they always had enough motivation to keep them set on their goals. Before they knew it, they’d hit the 30-day mark, winning the bet with their friends. They were already looking like different new people.