It's been almost four years since I wrote this post, and boy has it been an adventure since then! I am, after all, a woman and a human person, and as such, I've had natural fluctuations since this original post was written—but much more so in the past year-plus. Bottom line, starting at the end of 2023 I stopped exercising and kinda stopped paying attention to what I was eating. (Again, uh, this happens!)
Well, around February of this year, I decided to jump back the plan I'd found success with in 2021, just not quite as high a gear as the first time. Long story short, I have found that it all still holds true, and FOR ME, it is working again like clockwork or science or whatever the word is. The very hardest part was the first week to ten days. Today it's not that hard at all, and in fact, it's actually rewarding as I'm feeling better and better all the time. Anyway, here it is in case you didn't read the article back then, just in case any of it resonates or is helpful! I will post a couple of comments specifying what I did then that I'm not doing now (and vice versa) but the gist of it is the same. Thanks for letting me share! The first time around, I heard from so many of you who read something in the post that resonated, so just wanted to be sure to share again.
Again,here is the post. Read it if you haven't, and the below will make sense!
The game changer for me is two-fold: First, I'm building muscle again, which is crucial. I do lunges, squats, deadlifts, and floor exercises with ankle weights. Second, I'm eating more protein and keeping it a higher percentage of my calories.
This time, I am not weighing my food and counting calories. I feel that after doing that for four or five months back in 2021, it really gave me more of an awareness of portion sizes and general calories.
Last time, I did not consume alcohol for four months or so during the high gear period of my weight loss. This time . . . well . . . I generally have a little white wine then top off the glass with cold Topo Chico sparkling water, so it's kind of a wine spritzer type of thing.
I still LOVE the Happy Scale app. During the year I was gaining weight, I didn't use it very often. I'm using it again and forget how helpful it is!
I can't emphasize enough (just to repeat) how important it is to build muscle. And how important protein is as a part of that goal. In February, the scale was pretty stubborn until I bit the bullet and started doing all the leg/butt exercises. Within a week, it kicked in.
Thank you all for letting me share!!
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
