'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond Shares Her Secret to Losing 55 Pounds

Though Ree Drummond is most known for providing fans with cooking tips and serving up delicious food recipes, the Pioneer Woman is revealing another secret in her life: how she lost weight.

The 53-year-old author and food blogger first posted a video on her TikTok channel showing off her 38-pound weight loss in mid-2021. Now, she has revealed that the number is up to 55 pounds! So, what is Ree's secret to shedding the extra pounds? Keep reading to find out more.

In a social media video, the celebrity chef explained to her followers how her quarantine diet began affecting her lifestyle.

"I can't get away from food and I love to eat," Ree began. "Of course it crept up on me through the years, especially during COVID." Like many people around the world, quarantine took a toll on people's mental and physical health in 2020. However, Ree decided that she wanted to make changes in her life in the new year.

"Starting in January, I decided to get busy and lose some weight," she continued, adding that she lost a total of 38 pounds at the time. However, the popular food blogger was not attempting to sell her followers on a new fad diet or expensive fitness routine. "No gimmicks at all," she said. "I just cut calories, exercised more, lifted a lot of weights. I look better, but I feel so much better, and that's what really counts."

The Pioneer Woman star told her followers that she's still a "goofball" at heart, but thanks to the lifestyle changes that she made, she simply has a lot more energy now.

"Moving more and building muscle has been the key for me!" she captioned the video. Plus, she still indulges at times, adding, "I still love fries, though."

In a lengthy blog post shared with her followers on Feb. 5, 2022, Ree opened up about the 10 things that she has learned about losing weight in just over one year since she began pursuing the goal. To start it off, the star revealed that she had upped her weight loss from 38 pounds to a whopping 55 pounds, and got candid about how she was able to do it.

Ree noted a variety of different means that she utilized to get her weight down. In terms of her diet, the celebrity chef explained that she shrunk her calorie consumption and began weighing all of her food. Furthermore, she upped her protein intake considerably, cut back on sweets, and switched to low-calorie alcoholic mixers such as limes, lemons, and sparkling water.

Beyond the kitchen, Ree said her go-to exercise options to stay in shape have included a rowing machine, lifting weights, and doing lunges and squats. Overall, she noted that the changes have impacted her life positively overall. "I am wearing clothes I wasn't comfortable wearing a year ago, I feel better about the way I look, and I'm smiling more (yes, even more than I smiled before, which was a lot — haha) and that is a nice feeling at age 53," she shared with fans.

If you scroll through social media, you'll probably see at least one celebrity or influencer promoting their "weight loss secret," which may include an ad for a supplement, tea, meal plan, or workout product. In Ree's case, it's clear that she is very much against anything besides a natural approach to losing weight.

In 2018, the cookbook author spoke out against companies using her image to promote weight loss products.

"Please don't buy any weight loss product using my name!" she wrote in a Facebook post. "I have never endorsed any diet or weight loss pills, and I never will. (Not to mention that I do not take any diet or weight loss pills.) The 'after' photos on a fraudulent ad that is out there were taken over three years ago."

She continued, "So here's the straight skinny: I am a regular gal who loves food and whose jeans periodically get too tight. Right now, I am losing weight and my jeans are fitting better, but it's because I am eating fewer carbs and walking/sweating with my dogs every night." She added, "If you happen to come across one of these ads, please report it as fraudulent."

We love that Ree has been so open about her weight loss journey on social media.