Danni Levy
Author, Fitness Model, Personal Trainer
Danni Levy is a British fitness personality, magazine author and editor, and personal trainer. Danni’s awesome figure has been featured on numerous fitness sites, including her internet pages where she has countless fans.
However, Danni wasn’t always a model of health and happiness. Back in her teens, she was consumed by her addiction to exercise. She trained 6 hours every day in order to stay “slim and toned,” going from 112 to 74 pounds in the process.
This is her story:
Athlete Statistics
Nationality British Profession Author, Fitness Model, Personal Trainer Era 2010
Accomplishments
- Fitness Model
- Personal Trainer
- Magazine Editor-in-chief
Biography
Weight Issues
Danni Levy didn’t find it hard to stay active as a child. In fact, from the age of 12, she went to a performing arts school, where she danced for 4 hours every day.
She was always in front of a mirror and spent a lot of time being proud of the figure she’d built through physical activity.
However, at the age of 15, Danni’s pride gradually changed into shame, as she became body conscious. She began to compare herself to other girls who were “slimmer,” and started thinking that she was too muscular.
Training 6 Hours a Day
After going on a vacation to Spain, Danni saw “all the slim women there and I decided I want to be like them.”
From this point on, Danni started running every morning. She also changed her diet to only eat fish and vegetables.
When she came back home from Spain, Danni started running 5 miles after 4 hours of dance practice. And as if that wasn’t enough, she topped this all off with a 15-mile cycle ride at the end of the day.
In total, Danni trained for 6 hours every day. If she missed even one workout, she would get a panic attack. Ultimately, she went from 112 to 84 pounds in only a couple of weeks.
Anorexia Scare
Danni’s sudden weight loss didn’t go unnoticed by her teachers. The teachers called Danni’s parents, worried that she might have anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder). However, Danni ate healthily and normally, with a regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even if her mom offered her a biscuit, Danni would eat it without feeling guilty, knowing “it was just another 100 calories to burn off”.
“I hated being behind a desk at school, all I wanted to do was exercise. I couldn’t concentrate, I would just stare out of the window.”
As Danni continued her extreme training regimen, her weight dropped down to 77lbs. Her teachers once again told her parents that Danni might have an eating disorder, and as a result, Danni was sent to the doctor for a check-up.
However, the doctor didn’t see any problem as Danni ate normally. He never realized that Danni’s problem wasn’t her diet, it was too much exercise.
“I had a complete fat-phobia. I would look at my wasting-away muscles in the mirror and think I looked toned. My periods stopped for two years, but I didn’t feel tired or anything. Maybe because of all the endorphins from the exercise, I felt great.”
Turnaround
One day, while Danni was out playing with the horses, her mother fell on her knees and pleaded her to stop “starving herself.” In Danni’s own words; “She broke down and said ‘Please Daniella stop this starving yourself or you’ll have to be sent away.”
By sent away, Danni’s mother meant sent to a rehab center. This utterly terrified Danni. She was sad to see her mother in tears.
This was enough for Danni to make one final decision to never starve herself again. “It was enough to make me stop. I started to stuff myself, eating 10,000 calories per day.”
Within a few months, Danni was back to 112lbs of weight. From there, she gradually changed her training and nutrition into a much healthier and sustainable fitness program.
From Underweight to Fit – Danni Levy Today
Danni’s transformation motivated her to become a personal trainer. Nowadays, exercise no longer runs her life, but fits around it.
She has days where she doesn’t train, and that’s completely fine in her mind.
With a healthier approach to life, Danni has improved by leaps and bounds, not just in her physique, but also in the career – becoming a fitness icon and personal trainer in the UK.
Training
Getting Fit Fast
According to Danni, with a correct approach, it is possible to get fit and lean in a short period of time.
Alongside a healthy diet, she suggests raising metabolism through intense exercise. This way, the body burns more calories and sheds fat.
However, Danni also emphasizes that it’s important to take days off from training. She believes that by training too hard too often, the body produces excess cortisol. This is a stress hormone, which is known for causing fat accumulation.
Nutrition
Diet Rules For Burning Fat
Danni says, people who want to burn fat should focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes instead of making drastic measures such as cutting an entire food group from their diet. As she says;
“People think quick fixes like cutting out carbohydrates alone will work, but all you will lose is water weight, not fat.”
When she wants to get lean for an event, Danni will add a lot of healthy protein throughout the day. An oatmeal or egg omelet for breakfast, lean meats or fatty fish for lunch, and plenty of vegetables for dinner.
As for carbs, Danni includes them from healthy sources such as sweet potatoes and other fibrous foods.
She avoids processed starches such as bread, pasta, and any type of refined sugar. These foods spike her insulin levels leading to fat gain.
Idols and Influences
One of Danni’s influences is her mother, who helped her overcome her obsession with exercise.
After seeing her mother cry, Danni made a firm decision to never obsess about training or losing weight again.
What we can learn from Danni Levy
If we have learned anything from Danni Levy, it’s that fitness, just like anything else, can become unhealthy when taken to the extreme.
Danni loved to exercise from an early age. However, after entering her teens, she became self-conscious and started training 6 hours per day to meet her unrealistic body image standards.
Her story shows us that while it’s important to stay active and healthy, never allow these things to turn into an obsession where you’re constantly worried about missing a workout or eating that cookie. Ultimately, remember that balance is key to long-term success and happiness.
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