How Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Lost 60 Pounds

Ree Drummond has lost nearly 60 pounds! The Food Network star recently dished about what inspired her major weight loss, revealing everything she did to get into the best shape of her life. How did The Pioneer Woman shed a massive amount of weight and become the strongest version of herself? Read on to see 6 ways Ree Drummon lost 60 pounds and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bikini Photos!

1. She Hit “Rock Bottom”

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight Ree detailed how she hit rock bottom and was inspired to go on her weight loss journey. "I have a cooking show, I write cookbooks, I have a cooking website. I have a restaurant, a bakery. So you know, it just kept creeping up and in January of this year, we took my son, Bryce, to college. And I tell this story, but I basically hit rock bottom eating chips and salsa one night,” she explained. “I went a little overboard, but I thought that night, 'I am going to start tomorrow, I am doing something different.' And I just started and I almost lost 60 pounds now." She was also motivated to get into shape for her daughter Alex’s wedding.

2. Her Family Has Been Instrumental

A recent crash on her family’s ranch left her husband Ladd and nephew Caleb in critical condition, and her husband ended up becoming her unofficial trainer.

"I was actually getting in shape, trying to get in shape," she explained. "And so [Ladd] was in his neck brace kind of immobilized, but he was training me in the living room telling me to get lower with my lunges and my squats. He was like, 'You're not doing it right!' So he was sort of my unexpected trainer during that whole ordeal.”

3. She Didn’t Focus On Weight Loss

Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Ree refuses to focus on the numbers on the scale. "I feel great and that's what matters. The scale was sort of a gauge for me that I was heading in the right direction. And it was never about I have to lose this amount, it's really about how I feel," she said.

4. She Built Strength

Ree maintains she is not the thinnest she has ever been, but the strongest. "I feel great, I have, I feel strong. Even when I was thinner, I don't think I ever have been a squatter or a lunger before. Not since my ballet days. So it's really nice to just kind of feel the muscles that I thought were gone forever,” she revealed.

5. Portion Control Is Key

Ree also maintains it all boils down to routine and portion control. "It changes your whole outlook just having the routine of exercise in your day and, you know, I still eat the foods that I cook my family. I still eat cake. I just eat a Rhode Island-sized piece instead of a Texas-sized piece,” she said.

6. Outdoor Exercise Is Part of Her Routine

Ree can’t stop, won’t stop! She recently shared a photo of a long hike she took with her husband. “We made it to the top of Berry Picker. It took three hours, we went 3.8 miles, and we gained 1,838 feet of elevation. It was hard, oh so hard, and I griped a little, tried to quit once, and stopped a lot…but when we reached Eagle’s Nest, I had the very best burger, which I slathered unapologetically with mayonnaise and ketchup. I can’t feel my legs and my hips are killing me, but it gave Ladd and me a great new memory to cherish in our ripe old age. 😭 I love him, and am so happy and grateful he’s here with me. Okay, off to find some Bengay,” she captioned it.