Yahoo Finance Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Details Exactly How She Lost 43 Lbs: 'It Was a Simple Shift'
Ree Drummond is feeling better than ever in her health and fitness journey, and now she's sharing some of the lessons she's learned long the way.
In a blog post on Tuesday, the Pioneer Woman star, 52, detailed some of the ways she changed her diet, exercise regimen, and mentality to lose 43 pounds over the past several months. Drummond began by emphasizing that, while weight loss was part of her goal, it wasn't the driving factor for her.
"What motivated me the most was just wanting to feel better and have more energy," she said. "In January, just before I bit the bullet and took the leap, I was tired, puffy, and desperate...and I knew I shouldn't be feeling that way."
She added that, while she doesn't necessarily get offended if someone makes a comment about her weight, she "mostly just think[s] about how much better I feel every day and feel grateful that I've made it over the hump."
Ree Drummond/TikTok
Before sharing the steps that worked for her, Drummond included a few of the things that she's tried in the past that weren't sustainable for her lifestyle - including fad diets, intermittent fasting, weight loss programs, and personal trainers.
Instead, she said she focused simply on eating fewer calories and incorporating more movement into her day. In addition to calculating a calorie deficit and weighing her food to create the portion sizes that were right for her, she "made exercise a regular part of my day, whether I walked with the dogs or did the rowing machine."
"I'd gotten so accustomed to excusing myself from working out because of my work schedule or travel schedule...but during the past few months, I just chose to be late on a deadline or put off work until the next day so that exercise could happen," she explained. "It was a simple shift in mindset, but it was important!"
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Drummond also began weight training to build muscle, she said.
"And guess what? I was absolutely pitiful when I started," she wrote in her post. "I am a former ballerina but literally could not do a proper lunge without toppling over...But I still did it, about four days a week to start, and laughed at my uncoordinated clumsiness every time."
Most importantly, the cookbook author reminded her readers that her journey to living her healthiest life is a work in progress.
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"It only took me 52 years to figure it out, but that's okay!" she said. "I hope this helps you, whether in big ways or small. Remember that feeling good, realistic goals, being healthy, and having fun is the way to go!"
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Along with putting in the work on her weight loss journey, the Food Network star has also been focused on her family. Drummond and her husband, Ladd, share sons Bryce, 18, and Todd, 17, daughters, Alex, 23, and Paige, 21, and foster son, Jamar, 18.
Listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more on Ree Drummond's weight loss journey.
At the beginning of May, Drummond celebrated her eldest child Alex's marriage to Mauricio Scott. Of course, her daughter gave her free reign of the menu for the wedding. During an Instagram Live Q&A for The Pioneer Woman Magazine, Alex said "My mom has kind of been the mastermind behind the wedding menu honestly. I haven't even tasted the food. My mom tasted it all for us."
For her daughter's big day, Drummond wore a gorgeous blue gown by Jovani, a nod to the Real Housewives of New York, one of her favorite shows. "In recent months I'd ordered and rejected/returned about eight different dresses, winding up with one additional (non-Jovani) option," she wrote on her blog. "Until the wedding day, I still didn't know which one I'd wear...but ended up going with the Jovani!"
