Ree Drummond is opening up about how she lost 43 pounds this year.
In a post shared on her website on Tuesday, the 52-year-old said she was not sharing her story as a means of "self-celebration ... but (hopefully) as inspiration" to her readers. She emphasized that the tips and tricks she was sharing worked for her and for readers to not "take it as gospel" and talk to their doctor before making any big life changes.
Drummond also noted that being "skinny" has never been her "primary goal." Though she did want to slim down for her daughter's May wedding after gaining "considerable weight over the past three years," it was more about "wanting to feel better and have more energy." So in January, after hitting what she called her "rock bottom," she set out on her health journey.
The "Pioneer Woman" star listed things she did not do to lose weight: the Keto diet, intermittent fasting, buying specialty diet foods, using a trainer and joining a weight loss program. She noted she wasn't criticizing these methods, just pointing out she didn't turn to them.
When it comes to things she did to drop the pounds, Drummond listed eating fewer calories, weighing her food, exercising, building muscle, eating more protein, consuming less sugar, cutting back on alcohol, using an app called Happy Scale to track her progress and switching to a standing desk for work.
The Oklahoma native said she had to make exercise "a regular part of my day" by carving out time for it no matter what.
"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 deadline or put off work until the next day so that exercise could happen," she wrote. "It was a simple shift in mindset, but it was important!"
As for her eating habits, Drummond said she aimed for achieving a calorie deficit most days.
"All of that said, were there days I gave in and had a piece of cake? Yes! I'm The Pioneer Woman and I love food! Ha," she explained. "But the piece of cake was the size of Rhode Island instead of Texas, and it wasn't an everyday thing."
Perhaps the most important point Drummond made was that she was "still working on it" and, while she has lost 43 pounds to date, it's not about the number on the scale.
"I hesitate to even say that number, because for me, the way I feel today, it isn't about the weight loss," she wrote, noting how "it's more about how I feel after a few months of exercise, more moving, and more mindful eating."
She went on, "Feeling good is really all that matters, and because of that, the weigh-ins are becoming less and less important to me. I'll keep weighing in every day to have all the information I need going forward, but the number isn't what I'm paying attention to now. I still love food, I still cook the same food for my family and me, and I'm a real person who realizes I'm always going to be prone to weigh-in ups and downs. But my experience over the past few months have equipped me with real, doable tolls that I feel like I'll be able to whip out whenever things get off track in the coming months and years."
Drummond concluded by reminding her readers "that feeling good, realistic goals, being healthy, and having fun is the way to go!"
