‘Pioneer Woman’ star Ree Drummond reveals the secrets behind her 55-pound weight loss: ‘I had to start’

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Ree Drummond is looking back at her weight loss journey.

The "Pioneer Woman" star got candid about losing 55 lbs. in both a lengthy blog post on Saturday, and an Instagram post on Monday.

"Roughly one year ago, I decided I wanted to lose weight," the 53-year-old began her post. "I had zero idea how I was going to do this, I only knew that I needed to start."

The Food Network star described how her "weight had crept up" and her "exercise/activity level had all but slowed to a stop" after years of focusing on work.

REE DRUMMOND DESCRIBES 'ROCK BOTTOM' MOMENT THAT KICKSTARTED WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

Ree Drummond lost 55 pounds in about a year. (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

But the decision to completely turn her life around came as her daughter Alex May’s 2021 wedding was "looming" over her. Drummond admitted it was during this time that she was at her heaviest weight.

"I just knew I had to start," Drummond wrote. "One year later, I’ve lost 55 pounds."

Drummond insisted that she didn’t use a trainer, went on a special diet or tried intermittent fasting. Instead, she implemented 10 small changes daily that made a big difference. For starters, Drummond ate fewer calories, consumed smaller portions and weighed all her food using a food scale. She ate more protein, which included dark leafy greens, lean beef, plain Greek yogurt, egg whites, chicken, fish, cottage cheese and Swiss cheese.

Drummond scaled back on sweets and modified the occasional cocktail she had during summer outings.

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Ree Drummond said her daughter's wedding motivated her to get in shape. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hearst)

"… Lemon and lime juice are my friend when it comes to booze, and my two favorite drinks are Ranch Water (clear tequila, lime juice, and sparkling water over ice) and White Wine Spritzer (small amount of cold white wine, sparkling water, and lemon slices)," she shared. "These sparkling water-spiked drinks are great for two reasons: First, they force you to hydrate as you ingest the alcohol or wine! Second, they keep you from drinking too much alcohol. They also spread out the calories more: In other words, you can have two drinks for the calories of one."

And the transformation didn’t only occur in the kitchen. Drummond said keeping active daily has been just as important. She not only walked more but also relied on a rowing machine. Drummond also shared she built muscle by lifting weights, doing lunges and squats. She switched to a standing desk and tried to stand and move more during the day. And finally, she used the Happy Scale app to track her daily weight.

"Maybe it would be better to say perspective change instead of lifestyle change," Drummond explained. "Because that's what it has been for me. During the first five months (and in the ensuing months) of my journey, I experienced a seismic shift in my perspective of everything I've mentioned."

"After the experience of the past year, I feel better," she continued. "I have more energy. I'm more motivated to take on projects and put things on the ol' calendar. Feeling good bleeds over into all aspects of my life. And that has changed my outlook."

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Ree Drummond said she feels more confident than ever. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine)

Drummond said the weight loss gave her a much-needed boost of confidence that has played a significant role in her life.

"Today I feel stronger, more in balance (both physically and mentally), and I have more spring to my step," she said. "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."

On Instagram, Drummond said she began her weight loss at the end of January 2021 – and has kept pushing forward ever since.

"One year ago, on a dark and stormy night, I decided it was time for me to change a few dang habits and try to get healthier," she captioned her post. "My kid was getting married a few months later, and also…I had no spring to my step and really wanted some. So toward the end of January 2021, I jumped right in."